What are the top things to do in Taipei?

Taipei 101, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Palace Museum, Longshan Temple, and more. Paste your own list into Tripsapien and it checks each place's hours, closures, and booking pressure for your exact dates.

Which neighborhoods should I explore in Taipei?

Xinyi, Wanhua & Ximending, Zhongzheng, Daan, Yongkang & Shida. Tripsapien groups your places by neighborhood so each day stays in one or two areas instead of zig-zagging.

When is the best time to visit Taipei?

November, March, April balance comfortable temperatures with fewer rainy days. Pick your month below to see that month's events, public holidays, and seasonal timing.

Will the places on my list be open when I'm in Taipei?

Tripsapien checks each place against the exact dates you're in Taipei and flags closures, limited hours, and sell-outs before the trip.

Taipei Taiwan

Things to do in Taipei

By Tripsapien Research / Updated May 20, 2026

Taipei sits in a mountain-ringed basin where the Tamsui and Keelung rivers, MRT lines, and surrounding hot-spring hills shape daily travel. Xinyi, Wanhua, Daan, Shilin, Beitou, and Wenshan each give a different version of the city: tower skyline, old temples, student food streets, museums, baths, and tea mountains.

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About Taipei

City overview

Food & drink

Taipei is built for grazing: beef noodle soup, oyster omelet, oyster vermicelli, fried chicken fillet, stinky tofu, xiaolongbao, and aiyu jelly all belong on a first trip. Shilin, Ningxia, and Raohe night markets cover snacks, Yongkang Street is a beef-noodle and shaved-ice anchor, Din Tai Fung began on Xinyi Road, and prices stay lower than Tokyo, Seoul, or Hong Kong unless you choose hotel dining or Michelin tasting rooms.

Top sights

Ranked for suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.

Map of Taipei with pinned top attractions (1 through 10)

1
Taipei 101
The 101-floor Xinyi tower is the skyline marker and New Year fireworks stage, with an observation deck above the shopping podium. Pair it with Elephant Mountain for the outside view back to the tower.
Wikipedia
Sunset observation slots and New Year fireworks periods need advance planning.
2
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
4.5★ · 81,526
The white memorial hall, blue roof, Liberty Square, National Theater, and National Concert Hall form Taipei's largest ceremonial civic space in Zhongzheng. Guard-change timing shapes most visits.
Wikipedia
3
National Palace Museum
4.6★ · 60,955
The Shilin museum holds imperial Chinese collections spanning roughly 5,000 years, with only a small share displayed at one time. It is the city's highest-value indoor stop on rainy days.
Wikipedia

Show 7 more sights

4Longshan Temple
5Bao'an Temple
6National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine
7Maokong Gondola & Taipei Zoo
8Beitou Hot Springs
9Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)
10Shilin, Ningxia & Raohe night markets

Neighborhoods

1
Xinyi
Xinyi is the skyline district: Taipei 101, department stores, city hall, clubs, and Elephant Mountain access. It is clean, vertical, and pricier than the older west side.
2
Wanhua & Ximending
Wanhua is Taipei's old core around Longshan Temple, while Ximending adds youth fashion, cinemas, street snacks, and pedestrian neon. The contrast is the point: temple incense and pop retail sit minutes apart.
3
Zhongzheng
Zhongzheng is the political and academic centre, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, government buildings, Taipei Main Station, and access to Gongguan and National Taiwan University areas.
4
Daan, Yongkang & Shida
Daan is the food-and-cafe base for many visitors, with Yongkang Street, Shida student lanes, Daan Forest Park, and small tea houses. It is central without Xinyi's mall feel.
5
Shilin & Tianmu
Shilin puts the National Palace Museum, Shilin Night Market, and riverside access on the northern map. Tianmu adds international schools, quieter residential streets, and easy taxi hops toward Yangmingshan.
6
Beitou & Wenshan
Beitou is Taipei's hot-spring edge, while Wenshan is the tea-and-zoo side with Maokong Gondola. Both are MRT-reachable half-day districts rather than quick downtown detours.

Day trips

22km / about 40m by MRT Red Line from Taipei Main Station
Tamsui
Tamsui gives Taipei a river-mouth promenade, Fort San Domingo, sunset snacks, and ferry options. It is the easiest half-day that still feels outside the city.
35km / about 1h by train to Ruifang, then bus or taxi
Jiufen
Jiufen climbs a hillside of teahouses, stair lanes, and old gold-mining views toward the northeast coast. Go weekday or early because the main steps choke with day-tour traffic.
40km / about 75-90m by train via Ruifang to the Pingxi Line
Pingxi
Pingxi and Shifen are the sky-lantern and waterfall day trip on the old branch railway. Around the Lantern Festival, crowd control changes the whole transport plan.

Getting around

Taipei MRT trains run roughly 06:00-midnight, with EasyCard fares usually NT20-65 and a 20% discount on many rides; the same card works on buses, YouBike, and convenience-store payments. Taoyuan Airport MRT Express reaches Taipei Main Station in about 38 minutes for around NT150-160, while Maokong Gondola and river/MRT combinations handle the mountain and Tamsui edges.