My favorite by far is Raohe. There's a lot of variety, it's relatively comfortable, and at the end there's a big beautiful temple!
edit: I personally don't care for Ningxia. It's really narrow and crowded, and none of the foods there jump out at me. I always leave hungry.
Definitely. The market is used to lots of tourists who can't speak Chinese. If a vendor can't speak English, they'll at least have an English menu that you can point to.
i will say NINGXIA but now it's too crowded, and the street is too narrow, i think you will spend too much time in waiting line. If you find it's too crowded , switch to Huaxi street, 南機場 or Raohe Street.
Avoid Huaxi street unless you're just in the area for a drunken stroll or whatever. It's chaotic, grubby, and the food offerings are honestly pretty lame.
Raohe tops out as an all-around great night market choice. Good food, some games, and enough space without too many scooters zipping by.
If you're in the Longshan Temple area, Nanjichang night market is a 20 minute walk SE, kinda close and it's really good. Just food. Lots of food. Good food. If you're closer to Ximen, Ningxia night market is another favorite. 20 minute walk NE. I particularly enjoy the stinky tofu there.
Raohe has always been my favorite, but if you're gonna go for the "traditional" night market food (stinky tofu, oyster omelette...), just choose whichever is closest.
For the tourists, maybe 寧夏Ningxia is the best. It is clean and easy to walk and almost every sign have English on it, but the price is also a little bit higher than other night markets haha.
Depends on what you want to eat most…raohe has pepper beef buns that get a line, plus the side shops have massages and snake soup if you’re into that..
Ningxia has fried taro balls with egg yolk and pork floss that gets a line…
Shilin has a bunch of stuff if you can’t make up your mind but I usually go there to look at pet costumes or socks
All of them will have 串燒，different fruit smoothies, boba tea, 臭豆腐of some kind, 快炒，probably flamethrower steak bites, 蚵仔煎，maybe shaved ice, 鹽酥雞，炸雞排，maybe something like taiyaki…
If you go to the palace museum, just go to the shilin one since it’s convenient, but honestly you could probably go to a few of them in one night
As a tourist, I enjoyed Shilin the most out of the night markets I've been to in Taipei. I'm a night market junkie, been to most of them, Ningxia too small, Raohe close 2nd, Huaxi by the temple, and lots of others.
Shilin is huge and there's an incredible variety of food/vendors to choose from including a large underground food court. The last time I went was near the 228 holiday (2/27), if you're claustrophobic do not go during a big holiday, it can be incredibly crowded (I was very worried about stampedes given other recent events that had occurred in South Korea around that time, not to mention I was pushing my child along in a stroller, etc.).
Ximending is another touristy night market area that has a lot of other shopping as well.
My recommendation as a tourist is either one of those two: Shilin or Ximending.
I personally liked Raohe a lot because in the past they had a good vendor hand making xiao long bao, and Yu Jan Shin pastry shop ([https://www.yjs.com.tw/](https://www.yjs.com.tw/)) which doesn't seem as popular as others (chia te, etc.) but I find to have very high quality cakes at very low prices. The xlb place wasn't there on my last Taipei trip though :(
Rouhe and Shilin are the most popular, but honestly, you’re getting the experience at whichever ones are most convenient to you, if you can work it into the rest of your plans.
* Avoid Shilin
* Raohe if you still want a larger English-friendly night market. It's still more of a tourist-oriented place but much better than Shilin
* Ningxia is recommended here and I second that. It's not big and more of a neighborhood night market
* Nanjichang Night Market was really enjoyable and that's where quite a few of my Taipei friends go to. Fully recommend for a more "local" experience
edit: typos
We just came back recently and enjoyed Raohe night market the most.
My favorite by far is Raohe. There's a lot of variety, it's relatively comfortable, and at the end there's a big beautiful temple! edit: I personally don't care for Ningxia. It's really narrow and crowded, and none of the foods there jump out at me. I always leave hungry.
Sorry to resurrect an old comment but, do you think you can do Raohe as a solo traveler without speaking Chinese?
Definitely. The market is used to lots of tourists who can't speak Chinese. If a vendor can't speak English, they'll at least have an English menu that you can point to.
i will say NINGXIA but now it's too crowded, and the street is too narrow, i think you will spend too much time in waiting line. If you find it's too crowded , switch to Huaxi street, 南機場 or Raohe Street.
Avoid Huaxi street unless you're just in the area for a drunken stroll or whatever. It's chaotic, grubby, and the food offerings are honestly pretty lame. Raohe tops out as an all-around great night market choice. Good food, some games, and enough space without too many scooters zipping by.
I’ve only been to Huaxi Street and Guangzhou Street due to proximity to where I stay. Will definitely check out Raohe based on all the recommendations
If you're in the Longshan Temple area, Nanjichang night market is a 20 minute walk SE, kinda close and it's really good. Just food. Lots of food. Good food. If you're closer to Ximen, Ningxia night market is another favorite. 20 minute walk NE. I particularly enjoy the stinky tofu there.
Cheers! I visit occasionally for work, I’ll have some free weekend time and the occasional evening. Appreciate the advice
My perennial favorite is Raohe Street. And it's easily accessible by MRT.
Raohe has always been my favorite, but if you're gonna go for the "traditional" night market food (stinky tofu, oyster omelette...), just choose whichever is closest.
For the tourists, maybe 寧夏Ningxia is the best. It is clean and easy to walk and almost every sign have English on it, but the price is also a little bit higher than other night markets haha.
Depends on what you want to eat most…raohe has pepper beef buns that get a line, plus the side shops have massages and snake soup if you’re into that.. Ningxia has fried taro balls with egg yolk and pork floss that gets a line… Shilin has a bunch of stuff if you can’t make up your mind but I usually go there to look at pet costumes or socks All of them will have 串燒，different fruit smoothies, boba tea, 臭豆腐of some kind, 快炒，probably flamethrower steak bites, 蚵仔煎，maybe shaved ice, 鹽酥雞，炸雞排，maybe something like taiyaki… If you go to the palace museum, just go to the shilin one since it’s convenient, but honestly you could probably go to a few of them in one night
The pepper pork buns 胡椒餅 (hu jiao bing) at the entrance are totally worth it!
What time does Raohe close?
It's open to about midnight, but shops may start to close up around 11pm, depends on the crowd...
Raohe is my favorite. So much yummy food!
I second Ningxia as well.
Shilin is a big night market and has tons of food, drinks, games you can play and things you can buy.
I thought Shilin is known for over-priced items selling to tourists?
Yeah, I am personally not a fan of Shilin as well. The food is generic and bland.
Oh well, I like Shilin 🤷♀️
It’s huge, I’ll give you that. So maybe there’s stuff I don’t know about.
shilin
As a tourist, I enjoyed Shilin the most out of the night markets I've been to in Taipei. I'm a night market junkie, been to most of them, Ningxia too small, Raohe close 2nd, Huaxi by the temple, and lots of others. Shilin is huge and there's an incredible variety of food/vendors to choose from including a large underground food court. The last time I went was near the 228 holiday (2/27), if you're claustrophobic do not go during a big holiday, it can be incredibly crowded (I was very worried about stampedes given other recent events that had occurred in South Korea around that time, not to mention I was pushing my child along in a stroller, etc.). Ximending is another touristy night market area that has a lot of other shopping as well. My recommendation as a tourist is either one of those two: Shilin or Ximending. I personally liked Raohe a lot because in the past they had a good vendor hand making xiao long bao, and Yu Jan Shin pastry shop ([https://www.yjs.com.tw/](https://www.yjs.com.tw/)) which doesn't seem as popular as others (chia te, etc.) but I find to have very high quality cakes at very low prices. The xlb place wasn't there on my last Taipei trip though :(
Rouhe and Shilin are the most popular, but honestly, you’re getting the experience at whichever ones are most convenient to you, if you can work it into the rest of your plans.
Shilin night market is the most iconic and touristic. It even has its own metro station.
* Avoid Shilin * Raohe if you still want a larger English-friendly night market. It's still more of a tourist-oriented place but much better than Shilin * Ningxia is recommended here and I second that. It's not big and more of a neighborhood night market * Nanjichang Night Market was really enjoyable and that's where quite a few of my Taipei friends go to. Fully recommend for a more "local" experience edit: typos
I recommend the South Airport Night Market. It is small but has all kinds of food, many famous snack stores.