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 3 days

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

Three days is just enough for Taipei to stop being a checklist and start feeling like a city. Each day has its own neighbourhood and rhythm: the river and the National Palace Museum, political history and the Xinyi skyline, the hot springs of Beitou and the temples of Bangka at nightfall. It's a relaxed plan, built around eating well and trying several night markets.

Day 1Tea River and Imperial Art

Start first thing with “From Ximending to the River: Markets, Gates and Dadaocheng Tea”, from the Red House and Zhongshan Hall to Dihua Street and the wharf. Have lu rou fan for lunch, then give the afternoon to the National Palace Museum, by bus from Shilin. Without hurrying, head back to Jiantan station as it gets dark: Shilin Night Market is right next to it and makes the perfect dinner for your first evening.

  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

    National Palace Museum

    One of the world's great museums of Chinese art, with jade, bronzes, ceramics and painting from the imperial collections. The displays rotate, so see what's on before you go. Check opening hours and stick to a few galleries rather than trying to see everything.

    Directions

    Shilin Night Market

    Taipei's biggest and most famous night market, with food stalls, games and shops around the old covered market and its basement food court. It gets very crowded: arrive hungry and patient, and try the giant fried chicken or stinky tofu.

    Directions

Day 220th-Century Memory and a Hilltop View

In the morning, “City Walls, Governors and a Square for Freedom”: the National Taiwan Museum, the Presidential Office Building, East Gate and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the most monumental finale. Have oyster omelette for lunch, then take the MRT east to Xinyi, the city's modern business district. Go up Taipei 101 mid-afternoon and save Elephant Mountain for the end of the day: the tower lights up as the sun sets. For dinner, Raohe Night Market is only a few stops 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 O-a-jian, oyster omelette at Yuan Huan Bian (圓環邊蚵仔煎). Ningxia Rd. 46, Datong, Taipei

  3. Afternoon

    Taipei 101

    It was the world's tallest building for a few years and remains the city's symbol. From the indoor observatory you can see the damper that keeps it steady. Book ahead and go up on a clear day; there's a large shopping mall at the base.

    Directions

    Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)

    Taipei's most popular urban hike: short but steep stairs through tropical greenery up to rocks facing Taipei 101. Bring water and shoes with good grip, and aim to reach the top a little before sunset.

    Directions

Day 3Hot Springs and Bangka Ghosts

Spend the morning up north on the red MRT line. First Beitou, with its park, Thermal Valley and hot spring museum; on the way back, get off at Yuanshan and walk to Bao'an Temple and the Confucius Temple. Have xiaolongbao for lunch and rest at your hotel. At dusk, “Gods, Oracles and Ghosts of Old Bangka”: Tianhou Temple, Lungshan Temple, Bopiliao and Huaxi Street. To round off the trip, a bowl of beef noodle soup at Yong Kang.

  1. Morning

    Beitou Hot Springs

    Taipei's hot spring district since the Japanese era: a park with a steaming stream, Thermal Valley, a museum in a former bathhouse and a wooden library. There are public and hotel baths; check opening hours and etiquette before you get in.

    Directions

    Dalongdong Bao'an Temple

    A temple founded in the 18th century and dedicated to the god of medicine, with murals and carvings restored so carefully that UNESCO recognised the work. A few steps away, the Confucius Temple offers the contrast: quiet courtyards, with no statues or incense.

    Directions

  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. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Niu rou mian, beef noodle soup at Yong Kang Beef Noodles (永康牛肉麵). Jinshan S. Rd. Sec. 2, Lane 31, 17, Da'an, Taipei

The map

Taipei in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Taipei in 3 days

  • If you'd rather leave the city, swap the third morning for Jiufen and Shifen: you can get there by train or bus, and it's best to set off very early to beat the tour groups.
  • For Beitou, bring swimwear and a towel; public baths usually have rules on what to wear and showering first, and some close one day a week for cleaning.
  • With three days, try three different markets: Shilin on day one, Raohe on day two and Huaxi or Ningxia on day three. Carry cash, as many stalls don't take cards.

Questions

Taipei in 3 days: your questions

What can I see in 3 days in Taipei if I want a day trip?

The classic trip is to Jiufen, a hillside village of teahouses and stepped alleys, and Shifen, where people release sky lanterns beside the railway tracks. It takes a long day: swap it for the third morning and leave Bangka for the evening.

How far will I walk in 3 days?

The routes add up to about 6.4 km: 2.4 km on day one, 2.1 km on day two and 1.9 km on day three. With the extras, the National Palace Museum, Elephant Mountain and Beitou, the total is higher, but it's well spread out and the MRT covers the longer hops.

Is the Maokong Gondola worth it?

Yes, if you like tea: it rises from Taipei Zoo over green hills to teahouses with views of the city. It fits into the third afternoon instead of the rest at your hotel. Check that it's running before you go, as it stops for maintenance or bad weather.

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