Things to Do in Taipei, Taiwan: Night Markets, Hot Springs and Day Trips (2026 Guide)

Taipei is one of Asia’s most livable and delicious capitals: efficient and friendly, with a night market on almost every corner, hot springs inside the city limits, and mountains and old mining villages a short ride away. It also holds one of the world’s greatest collections of Chinese art. Here is how to spend your time.

The best things to do in Taipei

1. Taipei 101

Once the tallest building in the world, from 2004 to 2010, Taipei 101 still defines the skyline. Take the elevator to the observation deck for views over the city, best at sunset. A cheaper trick: have a coffee in the café on the 88th floor and enjoy the view from there. Reserve in advance online for popular times.

2. National Palace Museum

Home to some 700,000 Chinese imperial artifacts, from jade cabbage to bronze vessels, brought from Beijing’s Forbidden City. Allow half a day, and hire a guide to see the highlights without wandering through endless galleries.

3. Shilin Night Market

Taipei’s biggest and most famous market, next to Jiantan MRT station, packed with food stalls: grilled squid skewers, oyster omelets, stinky tofu, bubble tea and giant fried chicken. Go hungry and bring cash.

4. Beitou hot springs

A quick MRT ride from the city center, Beitou is a hillside district of Japanese-era bathhouses and steaming thermal valley. Visit the free Hot Springs Museum, then soak in a hotel’s private spring pool.

5. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Longshan Temple

The white-and-blue memorial hall with its changing of the guard, and Taipei’s most atmospheric temple, busy with incense and worshippers, in the old Wanhua district.

6. Ximending and Dihua Street

Ximending is Taipei’s youthful pedestrian shopping district; Dihua Street is the old-fashioned heart of the dried goods and tea trade, with heritage shophouses and crafts.

7. Elephant Mountain sunset hike

A 20-minute climb of stone steps rewards you with Taipei 101 rising above the city lights. Go about an hour before sunset.

8. Tamsui at sunset

Ride the MRT north to the fishing port of Tamsui for the riverfront promenade, old fort and seafood, then watch the sun set over the Taiwan Strait.

Day trips from Taipei

• Jiufen and Shifen: Jiufen is a hillside former gold-mining town of red lanterns and tea houses; Shifen is known for releasing wishing lanterns beside the train tracks. Most travelers combine them in one day, but start early, since Jiufen gets very crowded by midday.
• Yangmingshan National Park: volcanic hot springs, grasslands and hiking trails, on the northern edge of the city.
• Taroko Gorge: Taiwan’s most spectacular scenery, a marble canyon on the east coast, a short flight or train ride from Taipei.

What to eat in Taipei

Try beef noodle soup, xiaolongbao soup dumplings, oyster omelets, scallion pancakes, pineapple cakes and bubble tea, which was born in Taiwan. Din Tai Fung, Taipei’s famous dumpling house, is a good place to start; for the real thing, try a local night market.

One day in Taipei

1. Morning: National Palace Museum.
2. Lunch: soup dumplings.
3. Afternoon: Longshan Temple and Dihua Street.
4. Sunset: Elephant Mountain or Taipei 101.
5. Evening: Shilin Night Market.

When to visit Taipei

October to April is generally best, with cooler, drier weather; October and November are particularly pleasant. Summers are hot and humid, with typhoon risk from July to September, and winters can be damp but mild.

Where to stay in Taipei

Choose the Xinyi district for Taipei 101 and luxury hotels, or the Zhongshan area for a central location with boutique hotels. A night in Beitou for the hot springs is a lovely addition. Our favorite luxury stay is the Mandarin Oriental Taipei.

Taipei on a private Taiwan tour

A private guide makes the museum, the night markets and the east coast far easier to navigate. Explore our Taiwan tours and places to visit in Taiwan, and let our specialists combine Taipei with Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake and Tainan.

Things to do in Taipei: FAQ

How many days do you need in Taipei?

Three days covers the main sights, a night market and a day trip to Jiufen and Shifen.

What is Taipei best known for?

Night markets, Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum, bubble tea and hot springs.

What is the best night market in Taipei?

Shilin is the largest and most famous; Raohe and Ningxia are smaller and easier.

Is Jiufen worth visiting?

Yes, for its lantern-lit lanes and tea houses, but go early or on a weekday to avoid the crowds.

When is the best time to visit Taipei?

October to April, with October and November especially pleasant.