A private guide changes how Taipei works. Tickets and transport are handled for you, so your time goes on the sights instead of the logistics. This page shows a full-day route and two half-day options, and how to ask for a shorter block of guide time if a whole day is more than you need.
| Option | Plan | Opening hours to plan around |
|---|---|---|
| Full day | National Palace Museum, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei 101 | Museum Tue to Sun 9:00 to 17:00 (closed Mon); memorial hall daily 9:00 to 18:00; observatory daily 10:00 to 21:00 |
| Half day, morning | National Palace Museum | Opens 9:00, last ticket 16:30 |
| Half day, afternoon | Memorial hall, then Taipei 101 at sunset | Guard ceremony on the hour 9:00 to 17:00 |
A full day with a private guide
Start at the National Palace Museum at 9:00 when it opens. A guide can pick out the pieces worth your limited time, so you don’t walk past the famous objects without knowing what they are. A general ticket is NT$350. Next, go to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, open daily 9:00 to 18:00, and time your visit for the hourly honor guard ceremony, about 15 minutes long and not held in rain. End at Taipei 101, whose observatory is open 10:00 to 21:00, and go up around sunset. The museum is closed on Mondays except special opening days, so on a Monday the day starts at the memorial hall.
Half-day options
If you’d rather not spend a whole day, split it. A morning at the museum starts when it opens at 9:00 and leaves your afternoon free. The afternoon option takes the memorial hall and Taipei 101 together, and suits a day when you land late in the morning.
Asking for a shorter block of guide time
Some travelers want a guide for just a few hours, for example to get through one museum or to orient themselves on the first afternoon. We don’t publish hourly guide rates here, because we haven’t confirmed them. Tell us the hours you’d like and the sights you want to see, and we’ll reply with what we can arrange and the price.
Tipping a private guide
Taiwan has no tipping culture in restaurants and taxis, but a private guide is the usual exception. One Taipei travel site suggests NT$300 to 500 per person per day for a guide and NT$500 to 1,000 per day for a driver, as a rough range. See our tipping in Taiwan guide.
Beyond the city
For a longer plan that adds Taroko, Sun Moon Lake and Alishan, read our Taiwan itinerary, and for what to see beyond the museums, our guide to things to do in Taipei. If you’re unsure about length, see how many days in Taiwan.
Planning with Absolute Asia Tours
Look at our Taiwan tour packages or tell us your dates, and we’ll plan the Taipei days with a private guide and driver.
Sources (read in Chinese): National Palace Museum opening hours and ticket pages; Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall opening hours; Taipei 101 observatory page; Taipei Tourism (taipeitourism.org) on guide tipping, a commercial site. Last checked 9 November 2026.
Taipei private tour: FAQ
How long does a private Taipei city tour take?
A full day covers the Palace Museum, the memorial hall and Taipei 101. Half-day tours take one or two of them.
Can I book a guide for just a few hours?
Tell us the hours and sights you want, and we’ll reply with what we can arrange and the price.
When is the National Palace Museum closed?
Mondays, apart from special opening days. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00.
Should I tip a private guide in Taiwan?
It’s common. One Taipei travel site suggests NT$300 to 500 per person per day, but there’s no official rate.