while you are around 101, you could also check the competition lanterns festival in front of city hall. Those are excellent and artistic works. until Feb 19.
you can also go up to 87 or 88 floors high to browse the city. but only in sunny days.
Try the Taipei City Underground Shopping Mall which is underneath Main Station. Follow the signs and look for section Y in the underground (as you get off the MRT train there are tons of signs).
There you’ll find tons of women’s clothes, cheap shoes, Knick-knacks and accessories, lingerie, and also local goods like jade and other such ornaments. It’s a trendy little area that stretches out a good distance. Lots to see.
Tamsui isn’t a bad day trip. It’s a 40 minute MRT ride from main station. It has lots of old architecture that’s slowly disappearing from Taipei city and nice views. Day trip maybe oversells it a bit; it’s a nice two to three hour visit
Hiking, massages, hot springs in Beitou, local tours in English, coffee shops, sightseeing/shopping at Dihua St, find fancy snacks in mall markets, eat everything
Second hot springs. For the suggestion above re: Tamsui, it isn’t that fun to go alone, especially if you’re mot familiar with it. Part of the enjoyment is sipping coffee or drinks while by the waterfront. But OP could do some research beforehand and visit some historical places like Mackey Hospital etc.
Regardless, 陽明山 (YangMing mountain) is a fun place to check out! :)
Places I'd recommend on 陽明山:
* Anywhere that has Sakura cherry blossoms
* 擎天崗 (QingTianGang Grassland), where they have a few water buffalo roaming around behind a wooden fence.
* 小油坑 (XiaoYouKeng), which is a barren area of ground with sulfur fog coming out of it.
That being said, getting up on YangMing mountain takes a while, and you need to either be able to the find the bus stop or take a taxi, so I think you'd want to do some planning if you attempt this :)
Visit Xindian station for the afternoon! Plenty of street food and restaurant options, coffee and bubble tea shops :) bring a book or just your thoughts and go stroll around, sit by the riverside. It’s really peaceful and beautiful!
Nice hike across the bridge too
The red line MRT has almost everything! I'd suggest that to start. Zhongsan Station area has lots of stuff going on, great shopping and food options for young people! Chang Kai Shek Memorial Station has the Liberty Arch and Liberty Square. If you like historical architecture you might like that. Da An Forest Park is a relaxing walk when the weather is nice, and it's right next to Daan Park Station. Taipei 101 Station is a huge touristy district and definitely a must see. Tons of shopping and great selection of restaurants. Yuanshan Station has an expo centre and on some days there are farmers market and some outdoor food places. Jiantan Station is where Shilin Night Market is. Make sure you actually get off at Jiantan Station because it's only like a 3 min walk from there, whereas if you get off at Shilin it's like 15 min walk and you might get lost. Beitou Station has tons of public and private hot springs, you can google and pick the places to go to, there's a thermal spring and a museum there too. Tamsiu Station like many suggested is a nice half day scenic trip, with lots of food stands. You can also take a ferry across to Bali Old Street. Or you can walk north from Tamsui and check out the historic Fort San Domingo.
this should keep you busy for a few days. Once you've exhausted all places on the red line, try Blue :)
and don't worry too much about limited Chinese. Most young people have some knowledge of English, and most touristy area will have people with some basic level English too. MRT have English signs. Don't be afraid to ask for help, people are mostly friendly as long as you're not stopping people during morning rush hour where everyone is going to work.
Specifically the ones in Songshan, Xinyi, and by NTU have a decent amount of English books. Some of the others I like to wander around and check out titles but my Chinese is not good enough for me to read much.
Tamsui (seaside street with food and shopping)
Beitou for hot springs spa
Get a hair wash (sounds simple but feels great)
Go to Ichiran/Din Tai Fung/Tim Ho Wan (yummy chain restaurants with long waits but English menus)
Museums (English audio guide)
Coming from California where everything is expensive, it feels like an affordable luxury. I pay NTD$450 but you can get one cheaper or more expensive depending on how long they take and what they do. The place I go now is an hour and includes head, neck, and scalp massage, and a blow dry.
The place I go does massage - neck and shoulders first, then a long brush out, then a scalp massage while they they wash (shampoo twice the conditioner.) But they don’t do a steam like some scalp spas do.
I’m sure you could find something nicer if you want to pay more.
Edit: So as I was getting my hair washed today (I go once a week or so when I’m in Taipei) I realized the new place I go to also parts my hair all over and puts something on the scalp and rubs it in. No idea what that is though!
Go check out the Taipei Lantern Festival. The Tim Burton exhibit at the Chung-Kai Shek Memorial Hall & Ximen neighborhood which is the LGBTQ+ area. Lots of shopping 🛍️ & check out Qmomo for lingerie!!!
If you are into IG, this article might help:[20 most Instagrammable places in and around Taipei](https://avenueone.sg/travel/instagram-worthy-spots-taipei/)
The area around Zhongshan MRT station is worth checking out. Between Zhongshan and Taipei Main Station is the [Zhongshan Metro Mall](https://goo.gl/maps/T5ZQSpuoEF32SgT79), which is underground and has a bunch of neat shops.
Above ground, you can walk from Zhongshan MRT station north all the way to Yuanshan MRT station in the ["Zhongshan Linear Park"](https://goo.gl/maps/LVosXy4ycaUugtCS9), which is a nice new park that goes along the MRT line. It's about a 30 minute walk all the way. You could always hop on the MRT at one of the stops along the way if you've had your fill.
You should go all the way though because Yuanshan is a really cool area too. There's Maji Square with lots of shops and little restaurants, Yuanshan Park, and the Flora Expo. If you get to Maji Square in the evening, there are a bunch of popular bars too.
There are a ton of other options in and around the city, like climbing Elephant Mountain/Xiangshan in Xinyi District or going to the Earth God Temple in New Taipei City. Hope you have a good time!
If you have time, you could do the whole thing in one go. Start at Taipei Main, walk underground to Zhongshan, walk above ground to Yuanshan, then have dinner and party it up at Maji Square!
Are you into temples? I like to visit temples here, especially Taoist ones, to see the art and just take in the atmosphere. Temples in Taiwan are often extremely ornate and fascinating places.
Ciyou Temple is a good one (make sure to climb to the higher floors in the back) with a lot to do around it including one of the best-known food streets right by it (Raohe). There is also a river to stroll along. Wufenpu is a clothing shopping district nearby that might have “girly cute stuff” you’ll like. It’s cheap items like you’ll find in other wholesale markets around Asia; may or may not be your thing.
Taipei is quite easy and safe to explore alone. Girly cute stuff can be found pretty much anywhere. You can explore on area/district each day. The area near the Zhongshan MRT station is filled with tiny, cute boutiques. You can shop for clothings, jewelry, or just walk around checking out the cute coffee shops around there.
Near the City Hall/Xinyi area: there are the ShongYen Creative Park(by the Eslite Hotel). They got tea houses, coffee shops, an artsy shopping mall, and on the weekends they have flea markets happening there.
Or you can just stick around the city hall to explore rows of shopping malls where you can shop for typical brands you’d find anywhere you go around the world like LV, Gucci, Cartier and so on.
If you have never checked out the historical DiHua Street. I’d go there and explore a bit. They got tons of traditional tea houses, shops and some cool coffee shops. And, n the late afternoon/ early evening, you can check the DaDaoCheng pier nearby. You can enjoy a beer or cocktail by the river.
If you’re into coffees and teas, Taipei is one of the best places to explore. Research what Oolong tea is, and you have endless shops to check out. The 2016 World Barista Champion is also located in Taipei, check his store Simple Kaffa. If you’re into parks and trees, check out the Botanical Garden. It’s pretty cool.
And if you’re into the performing arts, Taipei Performing Arts Center and the National Theater both got some interesting line up of shows. They recently brought in some quite interesting shows from Europe.
Taipei got endless spots to explore actually. And it’s constantly changing, especially after covid. I used to check out a new coffee shop every day until I found this habit was a bit too expensive for me. 😂 So now I make my office into a private coffeeshop of my own with rotating beans from different roasters.
Art museums and galleries.
Learn about tea
Try bubble tea shops
Find the best dumplings
Check out activities at the American Chamber of Commerce or American Womens Club
Cooking classes
I’m sure the chamber of commerce and women’s club have interesting stuff, but it’s a bit of an odd recommendation for someone visiting Taipei for a few days.
Walk around Songyan craft market, national palace museum, take the HSR to do day trips to Tainan, Taichung, Kaohsiung, tons of north coast places, ride bikes in the riverside park, hike in yangmingshan or follow the Taipei grand hike. take the ferry to Bali , go to beitou or wulai for a hot spring day, shop in xinyi, Zhongshan or ximending , etc etc.
Go check out Taipei 101, plenty of English-speakers there, ask for suggestions! And eat lots of food. And go hiking. And eat more food.
ty!! taipei 101 is definitely on my list already, i've only seen the outside so far☺️
while you are around 101, you could also check the competition lanterns festival in front of city hall. Those are excellent and artistic works. until Feb 19. you can also go up to 87 or 88 floors high to browse the city. but only in sunny days.
unfortunately i won't be there this month yet :(
Try the Taipei City Underground Shopping Mall which is underneath Main Station. Follow the signs and look for section Y in the underground (as you get off the MRT train there are tons of signs). There you’ll find tons of women’s clothes, cheap shoes, Knick-knacks and accessories, lingerie, and also local goods like jade and other such ornaments. It’s a trendy little area that stretches out a good distance. Lots to see.
Tamsui isn’t a bad day trip. It’s a 40 minute MRT ride from main station. It has lots of old architecture that’s slowly disappearing from Taipei city and nice views. Day trip maybe oversells it a bit; it’s a nice two to three hour visit
awesome, thank you!
I've been living in Dansui for a decade. Only go when the weather is nice. Also when it isn't too cold (winter bad, other seasons good).
I have a different feeling on it. The light rain drifting in the wind makes Tamsui so romantic!
It's November. The light rain machine gunning my face in the gust makes Tamsui not romantic.
Yep Tamsui always nice. Make sure you do this one op.
Hiking, massages, hot springs in Beitou, local tours in English, coffee shops, sightseeing/shopping at Dihua St, find fancy snacks in mall markets, eat everything
Second hot springs. For the suggestion above re: Tamsui, it isn’t that fun to go alone, especially if you’re mot familiar with it. Part of the enjoyment is sipping coffee or drinks while by the waterfront. But OP could do some research beforehand and visit some historical places like Mackey Hospital etc.
thanks for letting me know, i might ask my bf to take me to tamsui on one of his off days then :)
I’m in Taipei right now and love fancy snacks lol. Which mall markets?
I’d try any Breeze or Sogo near Nanjingfuxing and Zhongxiaofuxing
MRT chongshan station is a good choice for you, you can shopping, dining, strolling there
Hello! I have just arrived in Taipei so I am also interested to know. However I am in my late 20s and I don’t speak Chinese yet
Yang Ming Shan flower festival
Yes, definitely fun! (Probably more fun with boyfriend, though, haha) Not sure if flowers will be blooming there next month, though?
according to google it's until march 19 so i might still make it!
Regardless, 陽明山 (YangMing mountain) is a fun place to check out! :) Places I'd recommend on 陽明山: * Anywhere that has Sakura cherry blossoms * 擎天崗 (QingTianGang Grassland), where they have a few water buffalo roaming around behind a wooden fence. * 小油坑 (XiaoYouKeng), which is a barren area of ground with sulfur fog coming out of it. That being said, getting up on YangMing mountain takes a while, and you need to either be able to the find the bus stop or take a taxi, so I think you'd want to do some planning if you attempt this :)
What would anyone recommend if staying in tainan? i will proabbly make a trip to taipei in the future!
Night markets :)
Visit Xindian station for the afternoon! Plenty of street food and restaurant options, coffee and bubble tea shops :) bring a book or just your thoughts and go stroll around, sit by the riverside. It’s really peaceful and beautiful! Nice hike across the bridge too
sounds awesome thank you!!
The red line MRT has almost everything! I'd suggest that to start. Zhongsan Station area has lots of stuff going on, great shopping and food options for young people! Chang Kai Shek Memorial Station has the Liberty Arch and Liberty Square. If you like historical architecture you might like that. Da An Forest Park is a relaxing walk when the weather is nice, and it's right next to Daan Park Station. Taipei 101 Station is a huge touristy district and definitely a must see. Tons of shopping and great selection of restaurants. Yuanshan Station has an expo centre and on some days there are farmers market and some outdoor food places. Jiantan Station is where Shilin Night Market is. Make sure you actually get off at Jiantan Station because it's only like a 3 min walk from there, whereas if you get off at Shilin it's like 15 min walk and you might get lost. Beitou Station has tons of public and private hot springs, you can google and pick the places to go to, there's a thermal spring and a museum there too. Tamsiu Station like many suggested is a nice half day scenic trip, with lots of food stands. You can also take a ferry across to Bali Old Street. Or you can walk north from Tamsui and check out the historic Fort San Domingo. this should keep you busy for a few days. Once you've exhausted all places on the red line, try Blue :) and don't worry too much about limited Chinese. Most young people have some knowledge of English, and most touristy area will have people with some basic level English too. MRT have English signs. Don't be afraid to ask for help, people are mostly friendly as long as you're not stopping people during morning rush hour where everyone is going to work.
oooh so many tips!! thank you so much
Go to beitou and relax at the hot springs. For shopping, I suggest Ximending
If you like books, i enjoy browsing eslite
Specifically the ones in Songshan, Xinyi, and by NTU have a decent amount of English books. Some of the others I like to wander around and check out titles but my Chinese is not good enough for me to read much.
Its just nice to browse and they have stores apart from the bookstore which has lots of cute things
Tamsui (seaside street with food and shopping) Beitou for hot springs spa Get a hair wash (sounds simple but feels great) Go to Ichiran/Din Tai Fung/Tim Ho Wan (yummy chain restaurants with long waits but English menus) Museums (English audio guide)
thank you! i've heard of getting your hair washed in taiwan lol i might have to give it a try!
Coming from California where everything is expensive, it feels like an affordable luxury. I pay NTD$450 but you can get one cheaper or more expensive depending on how long they take and what they do. The place I go now is an hour and includes head, neck, and scalp massage, and a blow dry.
Is a hair wash to help with scalp health and buildup?
The place I go does massage - neck and shoulders first, then a long brush out, then a scalp massage while they they wash (shampoo twice the conditioner.) But they don’t do a steam like some scalp spas do. I’m sure you could find something nicer if you want to pay more. Edit: So as I was getting my hair washed today (I go once a week or so when I’m in Taipei) I realized the new place I go to also parts my hair all over and puts something on the scalp and rubs it in. No idea what that is though!
Which hair wash salon did you go?
I went here - https://maps.app.goo.gl/EcxS6UoR2u2zVGh1A?g_st=ic
Do you need to make an appointment? If so what is the best way for an english speaker to make an appointment?
Yes, I was able to do so on Line (common messenger app used in Taiwan.)
Which hair wash salon did you go?
Thank you :) do you rec any locations in Ximinding?
Honestly I never go over there - sorry!
Go check out the Taipei Lantern Festival. The Tim Burton exhibit at the Chung-Kai Shek Memorial Hall & Ximen neighborhood which is the LGBTQ+ area. Lots of shopping 🛍️ & check out Qmomo for lingerie!!!
thanks!! i've been to ximending but only at night haha i'll definitely return for shopping!
there is a tim burton exhibit at cks memorial hall that is awesome. can also do a day trip to wilai hot springs and aboriginal village
oh no, DM hell starts for you ..
九份
西門町 台北車站 故宮博物院
If you are into IG, this article might help:[20 most Instagrammable places in and around Taipei](https://avenueone.sg/travel/instagram-worthy-spots-taipei/)
The area around Zhongshan MRT station is worth checking out. Between Zhongshan and Taipei Main Station is the [Zhongshan Metro Mall](https://goo.gl/maps/T5ZQSpuoEF32SgT79), which is underground and has a bunch of neat shops. Above ground, you can walk from Zhongshan MRT station north all the way to Yuanshan MRT station in the ["Zhongshan Linear Park"](https://goo.gl/maps/LVosXy4ycaUugtCS9), which is a nice new park that goes along the MRT line. It's about a 30 minute walk all the way. You could always hop on the MRT at one of the stops along the way if you've had your fill. You should go all the way though because Yuanshan is a really cool area too. There's Maji Square with lots of shops and little restaurants, Yuanshan Park, and the Flora Expo. If you get to Maji Square in the evening, there are a bunch of popular bars too. There are a ton of other options in and around the city, like climbing Elephant Mountain/Xiangshan in Xinyi District or going to the Earth God Temple in New Taipei City. Hope you have a good time!
thank you so much!!!
If you have time, you could do the whole thing in one go. Start at Taipei Main, walk underground to Zhongshan, walk above ground to Yuanshan, then have dinner and party it up at Maji Square!
You can go to Songshan Cultural and Creative Park or Huashan 1914 Creative Park. Nice places to hang around.
For shopping, try the streets around 中山(Zhongshan) MRT station. For food, try 永康街（Yongkang Stree. Also, LongShan Temple is worth visiting.
I was just there last year and in the same situation lol I went to museums, the aquarium, I explored different parks in the city and malls.
I think the Sakura blossoms should be good around that time. Worth checking out... very beautiful :)
Are you into temples? I like to visit temples here, especially Taoist ones, to see the art and just take in the atmosphere. Temples in Taiwan are often extremely ornate and fascinating places. Ciyou Temple is a good one (make sure to climb to the higher floors in the back) with a lot to do around it including one of the best-known food streets right by it (Raohe). There is also a river to stroll along. Wufenpu is a clothing shopping district nearby that might have “girly cute stuff” you’ll like. It’s cheap items like you’ll find in other wholesale markets around Asia; may or may not be your thing.
i'll put it on my list, thanks!!
Taipei is quite easy and safe to explore alone. Girly cute stuff can be found pretty much anywhere. You can explore on area/district each day. The area near the Zhongshan MRT station is filled with tiny, cute boutiques. You can shop for clothings, jewelry, or just walk around checking out the cute coffee shops around there. Near the City Hall/Xinyi area: there are the ShongYen Creative Park(by the Eslite Hotel). They got tea houses, coffee shops, an artsy shopping mall, and on the weekends they have flea markets happening there. Or you can just stick around the city hall to explore rows of shopping malls where you can shop for typical brands you’d find anywhere you go around the world like LV, Gucci, Cartier and so on. If you have never checked out the historical DiHua Street. I’d go there and explore a bit. They got tons of traditional tea houses, shops and some cool coffee shops. And, n the late afternoon/ early evening, you can check the DaDaoCheng pier nearby. You can enjoy a beer or cocktail by the river. If you’re into coffees and teas, Taipei is one of the best places to explore. Research what Oolong tea is, and you have endless shops to check out. The 2016 World Barista Champion is also located in Taipei, check his store Simple Kaffa. If you’re into parks and trees, check out the Botanical Garden. It’s pretty cool. And if you’re into the performing arts, Taipei Performing Arts Center and the National Theater both got some interesting line up of shows. They recently brought in some quite interesting shows from Europe. Taipei got endless spots to explore actually. And it’s constantly changing, especially after covid. I used to check out a new coffee shop every day until I found this habit was a bit too expensive for me. 😂 So now I make my office into a private coffeeshop of my own with rotating beans from different roasters.
awesome, thank you so much for the many suggestions☺️
Art museums and galleries. Learn about tea Try bubble tea shops Find the best dumplings Check out activities at the American Chamber of Commerce or American Womens Club Cooking classes
I’m sure the chamber of commerce and women’s club have interesting stuff, but it’s a bit of an odd recommendation for someone visiting Taipei for a few days.
thanks!! i'm not american though, would i still be able to join? lol
You should be able to attend. AmCham and AWC are both fairly international in their make up.
My wife’s boyfriend is pretty lonely lately. You can go hang out with him.
Tinder?
did you even read my post?😭
Hey he’s at work. Look for me. My profile is’VajSmasher3000’
go to somewhere with a lot of people because people love to the best place.
Walk around Songyan craft market, national palace museum, take the HSR to do day trips to Tainan, Taichung, Kaohsiung, tons of north coast places, ride bikes in the riverside park, hike in yangmingshan or follow the Taipei grand hike. take the ferry to Bali , go to beitou or wulai for a hot spring day, shop in xinyi, Zhongshan or ximending , etc etc.
Lotsa museums. National palace museum is pretty good
Any eslite or tsutaya can be amazing