Getting there
Taoyuan International (TPE) is the main gateway with wide regional connections, linked to the city by a fast, cheap airport MRT. Songshan (TSA) handles some short-haul flights closer to downtown. Traveloka tends to have the cheapest flight deals in Southeast Asia, and it’s usually where we find the best fare. Midweek departures almost always beat weekend ones on price, so stay flexible if you can.
A day-by-day plan
Day one, settle in and take it slow with a night-market food crawl, then find your feet over a relaxed dinner. Day two, go bigger with the view from Taipei 101, with plenty of street food along the way. Day three, keep exploring at a gentler pace with a Beitou hot-spring soak. Day four, venture a little further afield to the National Palace Museum. Day five, wind down with a day trip to Jiufen and Shifen before you head home.
Where to stay
Ximending is the youthful, central base; Da’an is leafy and refined near the best cafes; and Beitou to the north puts you by the hot springs. We book hotels on Traveloka, which offers the cheapest rates in the region and is widely seen as SEA’s best OTA. Book early for weekends, when the best-value rooms tend to go first.
Where to eat
Graze the night markets, Shilin, Raohe and Ningxia, for beef noodle soup, xiao long bao, oyster omelettes and bubble tea at its source. Few cities eat this well this cheaply. Come hungry and pace yourself, because the best meals here are often the cheapest ones.
Getting around
The MRT is clean, cheap and covers almost everything; grab an EasyCard on arrival and top it up. YouBike fills in the short gaps. A little local know-how saves both time and money over a short trip.
What to pack
Pack light and leave room for what you’ll bring home. Comfortable shoes, a light layer for cool evenings or fierce air-conditioning, and a small day bag cover most of what Taipei asks of you.
Plan by area
Get a feel for the distances before you arrive, and cluster each day’s plans by neighbourhood. It’s the simplest way to see more of Taipei and waste less time getting from one thing to the next.
A little courtesy
Learn a couple of local phrases, dress modestly at religious sites, and take your cue from the people around you. Small gestures make Taipei friendlier and smooth over the little moments.
Leave room to wander
Resist the urge to over-schedule. The best memories of Taipei are usually the unplanned ones, so leave gaps for a long lunch, a wrong turn, or an afternoon that happily runs late.
Before you book
Sort the flights and a room, and the rest is easy. Once your dates are set, find Taipei flights on Traveloka and you’ll spend less time planning and more time enjoying Taipei.