Planning Your First Trip to Taipei?
Start Here
Street food steam, temple incense, neon lights, and mountain air — welcome to Taiwan’s endlessly surprising capital.
First time in Taipei? You’re in good hands. This is a city where ancient rituals meet high-speed trains, where rainy lanes hide world-class coffee, and where eating six meals a day is not just accepted — it’s encouraged. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a whole week, Taipei is the kind of place that reveals itself slowly, one night market, one temple bell, one alley café at a time.
Here’s your essential guide to making the most of your first visit — what to eat, where to wander, and how to fall for this city like a local.
🗺️ Step One: Get Your Bearings
Taipei is compact, safe, and beautifully organized. The MRT (metro) will be your best friend — clean, cheap, and air-conditioned. Buy an EasyCard at the airport or any station and glide around the city like a pro.
The city flows between vibrant neighborhoods, each with its own mood:
Ximending (西門町): Youth culture, street art, late-night snacks
Daan (大安): Taipei’s leafy, café-filled creative zone
Zhongzheng (中正): Home to the majestic Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Beitou (北投): For hot springs and mountain mist
Tamsui (淡水): Seaside charm and golden-hour sunsets
Wherever you go, there’s a balance here — of fast and slow, old and new, chaos and calm.
🍜 Eat First, Ask Questions Later
Let’s be clear: Taipei is a city you explore with your mouth.
From sidewalk vendors to sleek noodle joints, every meal here has soul. And the best bites are often found down the narrowest alleys.
📍 Start with the icons:
Beef noodle soup (牛肉麵): Rich broth, tender meat, chewy noodles — the unofficial national dish
Lu rou fan (滷肉飯): Minced pork over rice, simple and deeply comforting
Scallion pancakes (蔥油餅): Crispy, flaky, made fresh on hot griddles
Bubble tea (珍奶): Born in Taiwan, best in the world — go wild with toppings
🌙 Then dive into a night market:
Shilin (士林): Massive and buzzing, perfect for first-timers
Raohe (饒河): A local favorite, with temples glowing nearby
Ningxia (寧夏): Small but packed with flavor — don’t skip the oyster vermicelli
Eat standing, eat walking, eat twice. That’s how Taipei works.
🛕 Culture That Sneaks Up on You
You’ll pass temples on your way to coffee. You’ll hear monks chanting through the city din. Tradition isn’t hidden here — it’s living and breathing.
Longshan Temple (龍山寺): A poetic riot of dragons, lanterns, and devotion
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall: Grand, theatrical, unmissable
National Palace Museum: 700,000 treasures, including the famous jade cabbage (yes, it’s a thing)
No matter how modern Taipei gets, it never loses sight of its roots.
🏞️ Green Space in a Concrete City
Taipei does what few capitals can — it invites you to breathe.
Elephant Mountain (象山): A quick stair-climb for a postcard-perfect view of Taipei 101
Maokong: Ride the glass-bottom gondola up to tea farms and misty views
Beitou Hot Springs: Steamy and soothing, ideal on rainy days (of which there are many)
In Taipei, nature is never far. And yes, you can do a proper hike between breakfast and lunch.
☕ Cafés, Concept Stores, and Creative Corners
Beyond the temples and dumplings, Taipei has a quieter energy — a creative heartbeat you’ll feel in its design shops, bookstores, and hole-in-the-wall cafés.
Huashan 1914 Creative Park: Art exhibitions, indie goods, and weekend buzz
Songshan Cultural Park: Like a museum married a warehouse and moved into a park
Alley cafés in Daan or Zhongshan: Get lost, get a pour-over, get inspired
🌆 Before You Leave...
Watch Taipei 101 light up the skyline after dark
Ride the MRT at rush hour (just once, for the experience)
Snap a photo at a claw machine arcade (they’re everywhere)
Take a day trip to Jiufen, Tamsui, or Yangmingshan — because Taipei’s beauty stretches far beyond the city grid
✈️ Your Taipei Starts Now
It’s a city of layers: modern but soulful, loud but deeply serene. You’ll get lost in it. You’ll eat something you can’t name. You’ll leave with steamed-up glasses and a full heart.
Planning your first trip to Taipei? Good. Because this is a place you’ll want to come back to — again and again.