By rail
Taipei Main, high-speed rail down the west coast
East Asia · Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan
Night markets, temples and a skyscraper to climb
Getting there
By air
Taoyuan International (TPE), ~40 km
Best time to visit
October to April — mild and less humid
Don't miss
Taipei 101
Longshan Temple
The National Palace Museum
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Things to do
The Shilin and Raohe night markets
Beitou's hot springs
The Maokong gondola to the tea houses
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Heeheemalu · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
An umbrella, layers
A quieter corner
Elephant Mountain's trail, for the view of Taipei 101
Questions travellers ask
When is Taipei least humid?
October to April, when it's mild and less humid. An umbrella and layers are still wise.
Which night markets should I try in Taipei?
Shilin and Raohe, for night-market snacks. Don't leave without beef noodle soup, xiaolongbao and bubble tea.
Where's a good viewpoint for Taipei 101?
Hike Elephant Mountain's trail for the view.
How far is Taipei from Taoyuan airport?
Taoyuan International (TPE) is about 40 km away. Heading south later? High-speed rail runs down the west coast from Taipei Main.
About Taipei
- Riverside
- Hills
Where it is
Taipei lies in the Taipei Basin in the north of Taiwan, where the Tamsui and Keelung rivers meet, ringed by hills and the volcanic Yangmingshan range to the north.
History
Han Chinese farmers and traders settled here among the Ketagalan people from the 18th century, and Taipei grew around the river ports of Mengjia, now Wanhua, and Dadaocheng; a walled city was completed in the 1880s. Under Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945 it became the island's administrative centre, and it grew rapidly after 1949.
People
Taipei's people speak Mandarin, and Taiwanese Hokkien and Hakka are widely heard, alongside indigenous languages. City life revolves around temples, night markets and tea houses, and beef noodle soup, xiaolongbao and bubble tea, which was invented in Taiwan, are local favourites.
Known for
- Taipei 101
- Night markets such as Shilin and Raohe
- The National Palace Museum
- Longshan Temple
- The hot springs of Beitou
Did you know?
Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, and a huge steel ball hangs near its top to steady the tower in typhoons and earthquakes.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.