Things To Do In Taipei

There are many things to love about Taipei like its night markets and many museums. But beyond its attractions, what makes Taipei so alluring, is the city itself. With conveniences like a cheap but incredibly efficient metro system and its plethora of well-maintained public parks, it’s a city that clearly puts its people first. Let’s find out some interesting things to do in Taipei with Focus Asia Travel!

1. Get to Know the City on a Hop On Hop Off Tour

For many travelers, there’s no better way to get acquainted with a new city than a Hop On Hop Off Tour. Kkday offers 4- or 24-hour passes to the Taipei City Sightseeing Bus, where you can get on and off as often as you like for the duration of your pass. They ply set routes through Taipei’s top attractions like Taipei 101, National Palace Museum, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Ximending, and more. Not only is it the easiest way to see Taipei’s top sights, but you can also use it as a way of getting around the city. It can be the most popular among things to do in Taipei.

2. Get a Killer View of Taipei from the Taipei 101 Observatory

Once holding the distinction of being the world’s tallest building, there’s no better place to get a bird’s eye view of Taipei than from the Taipei 101 Observatory. Located on the 89th floor, the world’s fastest elevators will shoot you up to the observatory in a mind-numbing 37 seconds. It sure makes up for that 45-minute wait! Tickets normally cost NTD 600 but you can get them for just NTD 510 if you buy tickets through Kkday.

3. Eat Your Way Through Shilin and Raohe Night Markets

Taiwan is all about night markets. You can’t go to Taiwan without eating your way through at least one. There are several you can visit in Taipei, but Shilin and Raohe night markets are the city’s biggest and most popular. There you’ll find a dizzying array of delicious and cheap street food dishes like flame-torched beef, giant chicken chops, sausages, pepper buns, and a whole lot more. Aside from all the food, you’ll be tempted by, many night markets have shopping and game stalls as well, so there are plenty of other things to do in Taipei you can do aside from eating. Don’t be surprised if you wind up spending your whole evening at a Taiwanese night market.

4. Get Artsy at a Museum or Creative Park

There are plenty of museums you can visit in Taipei. But if you had time to visit just one museum in Taipei, it should probably be the National Palace Museum. It’s a gigantic museum with a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks.

If you’re into the arts but want something a little less conventional than a museum, then you can check out one of Taipei’s creative parks. Popular throughout Taiwan, creative parks are typically abandoned industrial spaces like factories and warehouses that have been repurposed into full-time arts and cultural venues. Apart from holding art exhibits and live cultural shows, they host fashion shows, product design expos, art seminars, and lifestyle bazaars all within a historic, industrial setting. Two of the most popular in Taipei include Huashan 1914 Creative Park and Songshan Cultural & Creative Park.

5. Go on a Free Walking Tour

Aside from the Hop On Hop Off Tour, another great way to get to know Taipei is to join a free walking tour. Like It Formosa offers three types of free walking tours – Historic, Modern, and Golden Age. The Historic Tour covers historical attractions like Longshan Temple, Bopiliao Historical Block, and Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. The Modern Tour takes you to more contemporary destinations like Taipei 101 while the Golden Age Tour brings you back to the 20s which was a period of much cultural and commercial growth in Taipei. All of these free tours are tip-based so give whatever amount you feel comfortable with.

6. Feel Tiny at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

This is one of the most iconic structures in Taipei. If you have a friend or relative who’s been to Taipei, then chances are they’ve posted a selfie on social media with these massive blue and white gates in the background. As you can probably guess, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a national monument and landmark built in honor of former ROC president and KMT general, Chiang Kai-shek. The sheer size of this place is remarkable. If you time your visit and come on the hour between 10 AM till 4 PM (till 6 PM on Wed), then you’ll get to see the changing of the guard.

7. Get a Killer View of Taipei 101 from Elephant Mountain

Now that you’ve gotten a killer view of the city from Taipei 101, how about getting a killer view of Taipei 101 from Elephant Mountain? If you’re in the mood for an easy hike, then you may want to climb up Elephant Mountain which is conveniently located at the edge of the city. Just take the MRT to Xiangshan Station (Red Line, Exit 2) and walk 10 minutes south to the start of the hiking trail. Don’t worry about your fitness level either. There are plenty of steps but it’s a relatively easy 15-30 minute hike to the top.

8. Shop Till You Drop in Ximending

Filled with trendy shops, boutiques, restaurants, and cafes, the Ximending area is where young Taiwan goes shopping and kill time. If you’re traveling to Taipei to go shopping, then you’ll probably be spending a lot of time here. The place is always buzzing with activity no matter what time of day it was, kind of like Myeongdong in Seoul. It’s especially fun at nights on weekends when young Taiwan flocks to the area to party. The atmosphere is electric.

9. Catch and Grill Your Own Shrimp

This is one of the quirkier things to do in Taipei but it’s also one of the most fun. Urban shrimping is a popular Taiwanese pastime where locals cast lines into indoor concrete pools filled with live shrimp. You pay to shrimp by the hour and whatever you catch within that time limit, you can barbecue and eat on the premises.

Find out more things to do in Taipei and some Taipei traveling tips here.