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 | 508 m, 101 floors, opened 2004 |
|---|---|
| National Palace Museum | about 700,000 objects, opened in Taipei 1965 |
| Longshan Temple | built 1738 to 1740 |
| Elephant Mountain | 184 m, about 30 minutes to climb |
| Beitou Thermal Valley | developed 1911, up to 90 °C |
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.
Getting around Taipei: the Metro and the EasyCard
Taipei’s metro opened on 28 March 1996. Chinese Wikipedia counts five main lines and two single-station branches, 138.3 kilometers of track and 118 stations, covering both Taipei and New Taipei City. Since 12 June 2002 the metro has worked with the EasyCard, a contactless smart card that also pays for city buses, and today it’s accepted on the Taiwan Railway, other cities’ metros and buses, and in some shops. A standard EasyCard is sold at the four main convenience-store chains (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life and OK Mart) and at the metro stations. In March 2026 the metro began offering QR-code single-ride tickets, and the older plastic-token tickets were due to be retired in July 2026, so check what the ticket machines offer when you arrive.
Three days in Taipei
The questions travelers ask most are how to spend two or three days. This plan keeps each day in one area, with the options at the end.
| Day | Area | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Central and Xinyi | Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in the morning, then Elephant Mountain and Taipei 101 late in the day, and dinner at Raohe Street Night Market |
| Day 2 | Old Taipei (Wanhua) | Longshan Temple and the Bopiliao Historic Block, then a night market of your choice |
| Day 3 | Day trip | Option A: Jiufen hillside town. Option B: the National Palace Museum and the Beitou hot springs, then Shilin Night Market |
Day 1: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Elephant Mountain and Taipei 101
The memorial hall site covers 250,000 square meters, and its main hall is 70 meters high. The changing of the guard takes place on the hour in front of the main hall, and it isn’t held in the rain. Take the metro to Xiangshan for the 184-meter Elephant Mountain, about 30 minutes up, and finish at Taipei 101 or Raohe Street Night Market, a tourist night market since 1987.
Day 2: Longshan Temple and Bopiliao
Longshan Temple was built between 1738 and 1740. A short walk away, the Bopiliao Historic Block is one of the few Qing-era streets left in Taipei. The name appears in land deeds from 1763, and the city registered it as a historic building on 29 March 2010. The west side was restored in 2009 and is used for exhibitions.
Day 3: Jiufen, or the museum and Beitou
Jiufen is a hillside town that grew rich on gold, which was found there in 1892. Mining ended in 1971, and the town became a tourist draw after the 1989 film A City of Sadness was shot here. Its steep main stairway has more than 300 stone steps. If you prefer a museum day, the National Palace Museum is in Shilin, followed by the hot springs at Beitou and the night market at Shilin.
With only two days, do Day 1 and Day 3, Option B, or Day 1 and Day 2. Carry cash for night-market stalls, since many don’t take cards.
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): 臺北市, 台北101, 國立故宮博物院, 艋舺龍山寺, 北投區. Itinerary and transport facts: Chinese Wikipedia on the Taipei Metro, the EasyCard, Jiufen, the Bopiliao Historic Block and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Last checked November 2026.
Things to do in Taipei: FAQ
How many days do you need in Taipei?
Two days cover the highlights and three days let you add a day trip. See the plan above.
What is the EasyCard?
A contactless card for the Taipei metro and buses, in use since June 2002. It’s sold at the main convenience-store chains and at metro stations.
How big is the Taipei metro?
Five main lines and two single-station branches, 138.3 kilometers and 118 stations, according to Chinese Wikipedia.
What is the best day trip from Taipei?
Jiufen, a former gold-mining town, or the Beitou hot springs together with the National Palace Museum.
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.
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