Taipei seen from Elephant Mountain, with the Taipei 101 tower on the left and the city spread out below
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Taipei in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 6.4 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

Two days let you join old Taipei with the city on the postcards. Day one runs from the river to the temples of Dalongdong and the vast imperial collection of the National Palace Museum; day two, from the political history of the 20th century to Taipei 101 and the skyline from Elephant Mountain. The pace is brisk, but there's time for a proper sit-down lunch.

Day 1Tea, Temples and Imperial Treasures

Set off early with “From Ximending to the River: Markets, Gates and Dadaocheng Tea”: North Gate, Dihua Street and Dadaocheng Wharf. Have lu rou fan for lunch and carry on north to Dalongdong, where Bao'an Temple and the Confucius Temple stand side by side. From Shilin station, a bus drops you at the National Palace Museum. Ride the MRT back to Longshan Temple station for “Gods, Oracles and Ghosts of Old Bangka” at dusk, with Qingshui Temple and Huaxi Street, then have oyster omelette at Ningxia.

  1. Morning

    From Ximending to the River: Markets, Gates and Dadaocheng Tea

    Mixed · 2.4 km · 2 h 5 min

    1. Red House (Ximen Red House)An octagonal brick market built in 1908 on a former cemetery, the seed of Taipei's youngest neighbourhood.
    2. Zhongshan HallThe hall where, on 25 October 1945, fifty years of Japanese rule in Taiwan came to an end.
    3. North Gate (Beimen)The only one of Taipei's five city gates that still looks as it did in 1884.
    4. Dihua StreetTaipei's oldest street, where tea, herbs and fabrics made several generations of merchants rich.
    5. Taipei Xia-Hai City God TempleA tiny temple where, tradition says, the Old Man under the Moon ties lovers together with a red thread.
    6. Dadaocheng WharfThe old tea port, today the best place in Taipei to watch the sun go down over the river.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Lu rou fan, braised pork rice at Jin Feng (金峰魯肉飯). Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 1, 10, Zhongzheng, Taipei

  3. Afternoon

    Dalongdong Bao'an Temple

    One of Taipei's most beautiful temples, dedicated to the god of medicine Baosheng Dadi, with carvings, murals and a restoration that won a UNESCO award. Next door, the Confucius Temple is calm and incense-free: allow an hour for both.

    Directions

    National Palace Museum

    Home to one of the world's largest collections of Chinese imperial art: jade, bronzes, porcelain, calligraphy and painting that once belonged to the Forbidden City. It's huge, so pick two or three galleries. Take a bus from Shilin MRT and check opening hours.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Gods, Oracles and Ghosts of Old Bangka

    Mysteries & legends · 1.9 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Ximending Tianhou TempleA Chinese sea goddess living in a former Japanese Buddhist temple, with the monk Kūkai still inside.
    2. Bangka Qingshui TempleThe statue of Master Qingshui, whose nose, tradition says, falls off to warn that disaster is coming.
    3. Bopiliao Historic BlockAn 18th-century street with an unsettling name, «the shed where skin is stripped», that nobody has fully explained.
    4. Bangka Lungshan TempleTaipei's most famous temple was born, tradition says, from a little incense pouch that glowed in the dark.
    5. Bangka Qingshan TempleThe god who came to stop an epidemic and who, every autumn, goes out at night to hunt spirits through the streets of Wanhua.
    6. Huaxi Street Night Market and Ghost MonthA former red-light district turned night market, and the rules for not disturbing the ghosts of the seventh month.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try O-a-jian, oyster omelette at Yuan Huan Bian (圓環邊蚵仔煎). Ningxia Rd. 46, Datong, Taipei

Day 2From Martial Law to Taipei 101

Spend the morning on “City Walls, Governors and a Square for Freedom”, from the National Taiwan Museum and the 228 Memorial Museum to Liberty Square and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Close by, on Xinyi Road, have xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung. In the afternoon, take the MRT to Xinyi: go up Taipei 101, then, as sunset approaches, climb Elephant Mountain to watch the tower light up. If you still have energy, Raohe Night Market is a short ride away.

  1. Morning

    City Walls, Governors and a Square for Freedom

    History · 2.1 km · 2 h

    1. National Taiwan MuseumA Greek temple at the end of the avenue, built on the ruins of a shrine to the goddess of the sea.
    2. 228 Peace Memorial Park and 228 Memorial MuseumThe radio station from which, in February 1947, Taipei's protest reached the whole island.
    3. Presidential Office BuildingThe red-brick palace built by the Japanese governors, now home to Taiwan's presidency.
    4. East Gate (Jingfu Gate)A gate without a wall in the middle of a roundabout: what remains of the Qing walled city.
    5. Liberty Square, National Theater and Concert HallThe vast plaza where, in March 1990, thousands of students carrying a white lily called for free elections.
    6. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallA white marble monument with a blue roof and 89 steps, which Taiwan is still debating how to remember.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Xiaolongbao, soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung, Xinyi (鼎泰豐 信義店). Xinyi Rd. Sec. 2, 194, Da'an, Taipei

  3. Afternoon

    Taipei 101

    The 101-storey skyscraper that dominates the city, shaped like a stalk of bamboo, with a giant tuned mass damper against typhoons and earthquakes that you can see from the observatory. Book ahead and pick a clear day.

    Directions

    Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)

    A jungle-covered hill on the edge of Xinyi with the best view of Taipei 101. It's twenty to thirty minutes of steep steps from Xiangshan station: go up with water before sunset and come down by phone torchlight.

    Directions

The map

Taipei in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

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Before you go

Tips for Taipei in 2 days

  • Check the forecast before choosing your Taipei 101 and Elephant Mountain day: in fog or rain the view vanishes, and it's better to swap the days around.
  • Your EasyCard usually works on the bus to the National Palace Museum too; check the route on the map at Shilin station and keep enough credit on it.
  • The National Palace Museum and Taipei 101 are air-conditioned and ideal for the hottest hours or afternoon downpours; the temples and Elephant Mountain are best in softer light.

Questions

Taipei in 2 days: your questions

Are 2 days in Taipei enough?

Yes, to see the essentials without rushing: the old neighbourhoods and their temples, the National Palace Museum and the view of Taipei 101. Beitou, Maokong and day trips to Jiufen or Shifen are left out; if they appeal, the 3-day plan adds another morning.

How far will I walk in 2 days?

The routes add up to about 6.4 km: 4.3 km on day one and 2.1 km on day two. Add the extras and, above all, the Elephant Mountain steps, which tire you more than plenty of flat kilometres. Longer journeys are by MRT.

Is Taipei 101 worth it if I'm climbing Elephant Mountain?

They're different experiences: from the 101 observatory you see the whole city and the giant damper; from Elephant Mountain you see the tower itself, which is the photo everyone wants. If you can only choose one and enjoy walking, Elephant Mountain is free.

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