Taipei travel blog — The fullest Taipei city guide for first-timers

July 9, 2023

Shilin is the largest and most famous night market of Taipei, located in Shilin District, conveniently close to the Jiantan MRT Station nearby. Shilin is famous for its wide variety of traditional Taiwanese dishes as well as fashionable clothing. Most of the shops are in the building, but you can also see a lot of shops and stalls along the street. Some of the famous snacks at Shilin night market such as: Sticky Rice Sausage Rolls, Oyster Omelette, fried chicken fillets and bubble milk tea…

fruit stall shilin-night-market-12 — Fruit stall

taipei fruit stall — A fruit stall at Shilin Night Market

Shilin, one of the best night markets you should not miss in Taipei. Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

shilin-night-market-taiwan-4-X3 — Crowded and bustling at Shilin Night Market

Shilin-night market-taipei6 — Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

How to get there:

By subway: Take the Taipei MRT Danshui-Dong route, to Jiantan subway station.
By bus: Take the bus No. 15,16,17,18,19 to Yangming Theater stop.

Shilin Night Market Food Court. Credit image: taipei blog.

Shilin Night Market — Picture: taipei travel blog.

Xinbeitou Hot Springs

During the Japan occupy Taiwan, the area surrounding the Beitou Hot Springs was built into high-end resorts and resorts as well as tea rooms and public baths for the crowds. Beitou’s distinctive is still preserve the ancient architecture of Japan, and in the center of the town there is a lake of mineral water smoked throughout the year, such as entering into a fairyland. The lake surface with bold turquoise, smoke cleared white and fly up high in each wind. Very magical (however, you will smell a pungent odor due to minerals in the lake).

Beitou Thermal Valley aka Hell Valley — Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Natural hot spring water rises from Hell Valley in Taipei, Taiwan's Beitou hot. — Natural hot spring water rises from “Hell Valley” in Taipei. Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

In addition to some public baths, there are also hotels in Beitou that offer private bathroom services with rooms for backpack travelers who want to have private moments of relaxation.

private hot springs — Private hot springs room. Credit image: taipei blog.

Relaxing Beitou Thermal Spa at Grand View Resort. Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

grand beitou resort — Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Superior Room. Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Getting there: Take the MRT red line to Beitou Station, change the shuttle line to Xinbeitou.

Port of Tamsui

Danshui (Tamsui) spots in Taipei1 — Tamsui Port

About 40 km far from north of Taipei, Tam Sui seaport is home to many restaurants, shops, cafes and street vendors, from low to high. Sometimes, street art shows will be held here. Especially, it only takes about 80NT$, you will have a tour to Tamsui Museum, Hai Tamsui House Museum, Hongmao Cheng and Hobe Fort.

Getting there: MRT red line last station Dan Shui.

watch sunset-tamsui — Stunning sunset in Tamsui. Credit image: taipei blog.

Maokong Peak

Photo: taiwan travel guide blog. — Credit image: taipei blog.

Known as the place to enjoy tea and watch the most beautiful scenery in Taipei, Maokong is an ancient village located on the top of a mountain in Taipei. It is also famous for its dishes made with fragrant and exotic tea leaves.

Maokong Gondola,taipei (1) — Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Getting there: MRT Taipei Zoo, then take the Maokong Gondola cable car, to go up and watch the scenic mountain (ticket: 120NT$ / trip).

Jiufen Village (or Chiufen)

The ancient village is located outside of central Taipei, in New Taipei City. This is a small village located on a high mountain, it will take 1 hour 30 minutes away from Taipei to reach here. Considered to be the inspiration for Ghibli’s most popular animated film: Spirited Away. Jiufen is famous for its red lanterns, ancient streets filled with snacks, and many mysterious little street corners.

16 Shuqi Road (豎崎路) Jiufen Old Street (九份老街) @ New Taipei [Taiwan] (Large) — Shuqi Road (豎崎路),

ah mei teahouse jiufen village chiufen village jiufen travel guide jiufen blog — Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

jiufen village chiufen village jiufen travel guide jiufen blog — Image by: what to do in jiufen blog.

Getting there: The Bus 1062 pick up at MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing, 1 hour for 1 trip, fare 100NT$ / trip, the last trip from Jiufen to Taipei at 7pm, travel time: 1h30 minutes.

jiufen street food — Credit image: taipei blog.

Shifen

Shifen is an ancient village located on the old coal-transporting railways of Taiwan, now being restored for railway tourism and Tian Deng lighting. Lanterns in the Old Town are a very common thing. Once used to signal to people living and working in the railway industry, today’s visitors draw their wishes as well as calligraphy lines before dropping into the sky.

Getting there:
+ By bus: Take MRT to Muzha Station and then take bus 15 to Shifen, only has 12 bus trip / day.
+ By train: Take the East Line to Ruifang Station and transfer to Pingxi Branch Line, then to Shifen Railway Station.

Nanya Rock Formations – Bitou Cape Recreation Area – Sandiao Cape Lighthouse

Is one of the “3 northernmost tip of Taiwan”. From here, you not only feeling it difficult to understand in front of the weathered and abrasive terrain with steep cliffs, strange steep slopes, bizarre fossils and the road connecting the northern tip of the virtual magic … There are a stone paved road leading to the cape, from here watching the sky and the sea unprecedented splendor. From here, walking a little to the east, you will meet the cape lighthouse of Bitou, considered to be the eyes of the Pacific Ocean, more than 100 years old of history, standing in the midst of the sky. This is definitely the place to watch the most beautiful sunsets in Taiwan.

Getting there: The north-east line of Taipei is quite difficult to go, and few public transport, so the quickest and the most convenient way to visit all of these points in one day is to follow company tours for one day itinerary.

Yehliu Geological Park

Yehliu Geological Park is famous for its bizarre rock formations, historic fossil sites and very funny names. The names of the cliffs are based on the imagination of its shape, such as Fairy’s Shoe, Mushroom Rock, Japanese Geisha, Candle Rock, etc. The most prominent and can not be ignored is the Queen’s head…

Yehliu Geopark,best places to go in taipei,where to go in taipei,best places to visit in taipei,top places to visit in taipei (1) — Freely creative for yourself of many strange angles!

Yehliu spots in Taipei2 — Queen’s head. Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Getting there: By bus: Go to the Taipei West Bus Station – Terminal A, find Kuo-Kuang ticket counter to buy tickets to Yeliu GeoPark, ticket price ~ 100NT$, half hour for a trip, travel time 1 hours 30 minutes.

Yehliu spots in Taipei1 — Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Taipei EYE Show

It is the place to experience the extremely spectacular dramatic live performances of traditional Chinese art. You will be able to enjoy the puppet performances, lion dance, acrobatics or folklore of Taiwanese folk … Thousand years of Chinese art and drama are performed right in front of you.

Taipei Sightseeing Bus

Take the 2-floor Sightseeing Bus to getting around the city. Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

This is the cheapest way to getting around Taipei. From our self-sufficient travel experience to Taiwan, the great point of bus sightseeing to visit Taipei is that you can stop at any station to explore, take photos, check-in, and return to take the next bus to goin on. 30-40 minutes has a trip. Buy 1 ticket pass 1 day, climb the car, climb down the car. Relax all day.

Taipei blog: What and where to eat?

Bubble Tea: Visiting Taipei is an opportunity for the “Tea Devotees” to taste the original flavor of this “divine” beverage.

Stinky Tofu: Although it smells inconceivable, but stinky tofu is delicious. Almost of diners who have tasted this dish have claimed they can eat more no matter how much it stinky.

Stinky-tofu-Hong-Kong-860x579 — Credit image: taipei blog.

Beef Noodle: Referring the delicious foods, famous in Taiwan, you can not ignore the beef noodle, super delicious dish, conquer many diners even the most difficult. The process is quite simple, using beef bones and beef tendon stewed to make the broth and then put the pieces of beef + vegetables on top of bowl is finished the dish already. Although the dish is a bit simple, but with the local spices of this land have created an attractive flavor of the dish and become a favorite dish for many people in Taiwan.

taiwan beef noodle soup — Taiwan beef noodle soup. Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Pan Fried Buns: Made from flour, potatoes and minced meat, with the process is extremely simple, but the cake is a local specialty that everyone loves.

Street Food: You can go to the night markets to eat “whole” Taipei.

taiwan street food — Taiwan street food. Credit: taipei travel blog.

Braised Pork Rice: Considered to be a delicious, attractive dish in Taipei, is beloved by a lot of people, especially tourists. With simple process formula, only from the pork belly slices, cooked together with the five tastes sauces, but it creates a delicious flavor, extremely attractive. For your enjoyment you can walk along the street in Taipei, you will catch so many restaurants sell this dish, but the best is Jin Feng Rou Fan.

Lu Rou Fan (2) — Lu Rou Fan (Braised Pork Rice)

Lu Rou Fan (Braised Pork Rice). Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Suggest some good eating places, cheap for you:

Din Tai Fung: The most popular Dimsum restaurant in Taipei.

Yong Kang Beef Noodles: A place to enjoy the famous beef noodle specialty in Taipei. Go to Dong Men station, and walk to Yongkang Street and ask the directions.

YONG KANG BEEF NOODLE Taipei Taiwan beef noodles — Beef and beef tendon noodle soup

Mitsui Stand Up Sushi: Taipei’s best sushi restaurant, located in Taipei’s largest Addiction Aquatic seafood market. Sushi here is cheap, so delicious.

Night markets: Enjoy the street food of Taipei such as Raohe, Ximending, Shilin…

Shilin-night market-taipei2 — Shilin-night market. Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Grilled food at Shida Night Market, Taipei

Huashi night market, Taipei1 — Huashi night market

Taipei blog: What to buy?

Pineapple Cake taiwan 2 — Pineapple Cake. One of the most famous things to buy in Taiwan

There are many items that you can buy as gifts for your relatives and friends such as: Olong tea and Pouchong tea, Kim Mon peanut candy, sweet candy Nougat, Pineapple Cakes, Ceramics, Taipei Sun Cakes, Hsinchu Rice Noodles … We have listed a lot of souvenirs in Taiwan at here: Must buy souvenir in Taiwan — Top 17 most famous, cheap & best things to buy in Taiwan.

Oolong Tea Tie Guan Yin. One of the must buy souvenir in Taiwan

Taipei travel blog: Some useful tips

Sim Card and 3G, Internet: You remember to buy sim card when you arrive at the airport. There are two types of 5 days and 7 days, depending on your itinerary that buy the appropriate package. Extremely easy to use, 3G signal is also very strong and used to transmit for mobile wifi.

3g sim taiwan — Picture: Taipei city guide blog.

Currency Exchange: You should go to the bank near Taipei Main Station for exchange, the rates will be more secure and quicker than the exchange in the hotel or service in tourist area.

Rent a motorbike: It is best not to rent a motorbike because the price is very expensive and the traffic law is very strict.

Read more:

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Taipei you can refer to

Are you finding more top things to do in Taipei: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Taipei itinerary 4 days — How to spend 4 days in Taipei & what to do in Taipei for 4 days perfectly?