A modern city with a great museum, an old temple and hot springs on its edge

Taipei is a modern, walkable city with a great museum, old temples, night markets and hot springs on its northern edge. It’s the gateway to Taiwan for most travelers and an easy city to enjoy in two or three days.

Taipei 101

Taipei 101 is 508 meters tall, with 101 floors above ground. When it opened on 31 December 2004 it was the tallest building in the world, a title it held until January 2010, and it was the first building to pass 500 meters. The two observatory elevators climb from the 5th to the 89th floor in 37 seconds. One of the tower’s best-known features is a giant steel pendulum, a tuned mass damper that steadies it against typhoons and earthquakes, and it’s the first of its kind that visitors can see.

For the classic photograph of the tower, climb Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) in the Xinyi district. It’s only 184 meters high, and the walk to the top takes about 30 minutes. The Xiangshan MRT station is at the trailhead.

National Palace Museum

The National Palace Museum in Shilin district holds nearly 700,000 objects spanning 8,000 years, most of them from the imperial collections of the Forbidden City in Beijing. They were moved to Taiwan from 1948, during the civil war, and the museum opened at its present site in Taipei on 12 November 1965. Only about 7,000 items are shown at one time. Paintings and calligraphy are rotated every three months, and other objects every six months to two years, so a second visit can be different from the first. The strongest parts of the collection are early bronzes with long inscriptions, early paintings and calligraphy, rare books and official porcelain.

Longshan Temple

Longshan Temple in the old Bangka district was built between 1738 and 1740 by settlers from Quanzhou on China’s Fujian coast, and it’s dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Guanyin. It was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1815, and it’s still an active temple, so visit as a guest: keep your voice down, don’t photograph worshippers, and follow the local custom for incense. Mornings are quieter.

Beitou hot springs

On the northern edge of the city, the Beitou district has three kinds of hot spring water. The “green sulfur” water at Thermal Valley is strongly acidic, with a pH of around 1.4 and temperatures as high as 90 °C, and it’s too hot to bathe in. The valley was first developed as a resort in 1911. The “white sulfur” water used in baths is milder, but doctors advise soaking for no more than about 20 minutes. The Beitou Hot Spring Museum is a good first stop, and it’s reached by MRT.

Shilin Night Market

Shilin is the largest night market in Taipei and one of the most popular in Taiwan. It’s centered on the old Shilin public market building, which is a city-designated monument, and food stalls fill the surrounding lanes. It gets very crowded on weekends, so go on a weeknight or early in the evening. See our guide to Taiwan night markets for more.

When to go and how long to stay

Three days cover the museum, Taipei 101, a temple, a night market and a half-day in Beitou. Add day trips to the coast and mountains, and see our guides to Hualien, Taroko National Park, Sun Moon Lake and Alishan. Our Taiwan travel guides link them into routes.

Planning Taipei with Absolute Asia Tours

Absolute Asia Tours has planned private trips in Asia since 1989. In Taipei that means a private guide at the National Palace Museum who can pick out the highlights from a collection of 700,000 objects, a driver for Beitou and the temples, and an evening plan for the night markets. We’re rated 4.8 out of 5 across about 900 traveler reviews. Have a look at our Taiwan tours or tell us your dates.

Sources (read in Chinese): Chinese Wikipedia entries on Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum, Longshan Temple, Shilin Night Market, Beitou hot springs and Elephant Mountain. Last checked November 2026.

Things to do in Taipei: FAQ

How many days do you need in Taipei?

Three days for the main sights. Add more for day trips.

How tall is Taipei 101?

508 meters, with 101 floors above ground. It was the world’s tallest building from 2004 to 2010.

What is in the National Palace Museum?

Nearly 700,000 objects spanning 8,000 years, mostly from the imperial collections moved from Beijing. About 7,000 are on display at a time.

Where is the best view of Taipei 101?

From Elephant Mountain, a 30-minute walk from the Xiangshan MRT station.

Is Beitou worth visiting?

Yes, for the hot springs and the museum. It’s a short MRT ride from the center.

When is Shilin Night Market busiest?

Weekend evenings. Weeknights and early evenings are quieter.

Photo: Gregg Tavares, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.