Taipei keeps getting recommended by everyone who's been there and overlooked by everyone who hasn't. It doesn't have Tokyo's precision or Shanghai's scale. What it has is genuine warmth, extraordinary street food, and a pace that doesn't wear you down.
Night markets are the defining Taipei experience — loud, bright, full of things on sticks, and essentially designed for curious children.
No VPN required. No currency learning curve. You just arrive and it works.
Interactive City Map
Quick Facts
Taiwan (Republic of China). NST (UTC+8). No daylight saving.
New Taiwan Dollar (TWD). Cash widely used. EasyCard handles transit. ATMs abundant. Smaller night market stalls cash-only.
Mandarin Chinese. English significantly more common than mainland China — many younger Taiwanese speak functional English. Signs often bilingual.
October–December (autumn): cooler, clear, ideal. March–May (spring): pleasant but wetter.
June–September. Typhoon season, high heat, high humidity. Typhoons can cancel day trips at short notice.
$130–$220 USD per day for a family of four. Excellent value — notably cheaper than Japan or Europe.
Type A and B. Same as North America. No adapter needed.
No restrictions. Google, WhatsApp, Instagram all work. Local SIMs cheap at airport. Fast 4G coverage.
First 60 Minutes
Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) — about 40km west of central Taipei. Clean, well-organised, pleasant.
Get an EasyCard
Taipei's transit card — MRT, buses, YouBike, convenience stores. Pick up at the airport MRT station. Load NT$500–1,000 per person. This single action handles all transit for the entire trip.
Take the Airport MRT
Direct to Taipei Main Station. Express: ~35 min. Commuter: ~50 min. About NT$160/adult. Clean, air-conditioned, luggage racks. Connects to MRT Red and Blue Lines.
Getting Around
Taipei's MRT is clean, punctual, air-conditioned, and covers the city comprehensively. It's the backbone of every day.
🚇 The MRT
Five colour-coded lines, English and Chinese. Tap EasyCard in and out. Runs 6 a.m. to midnight. Stations are immaculate.
🚌 Buses
Extensive network. EasyCard works. Google Maps handles routing well in Taipei. Useful off the MRT network.
🚕 Taxis & Uber
Both reliable. Taxis metered and honest. Uber slightly cheaper. Good for night markets off MRT or day trip staging.
🚲 YouBike
Bike-share, docked citywide. EasyCard activates it. Extremely cheap. Great for adults and older children in flat areas.
No Eating or Drinking on the MRT
Including water. Including children's snacks. Strict, enforced, NT$7,500 fine. Finish before you enter. Bins are just outside the fare gates.
Etiquette That Matters
Taiwan is one of the most visitor-friendly places in Asia. The etiquette load is genuinely light.
Shoes off at some temples and traditional spaces. Look for the step and footwear at the entrance.
Taiwanese people are exceptionally hospitable. If someone approaches to help or practice English, it's almost always genuine. Accept graciously.
Queue for the MRT. Painted lines on platforms show where to stand. Follow them. Everyone does.
Tipping is not customary. No tip expected in restaurants or taxis. Round up if you like but it's not assumed.
Where to Stay
Da'an District
Best for FamiliesDa'an Forest Park, MRT Red and Green Lines. Fengda and Shida Night Markets walking distance. The park, the night markets, the central access — it holds up.
Zhongshan District
The Accessible CentreAround Taipei Main Station. Excellent MRT access every direction. Pleasant pedestrianised strip with cafes. Very convenient.
Xinyi District
Modern TaipeiTaipei 101 neighbourhood. Upscale malls, international hotels, Elephant Mountain trailhead nearby.
Songshan District
The Local PickRaohe Night Market, Songshan Creative Park, genuine residential feel. Good value. For return visitors.
72-Hour Plan
CKS Memorial Hall
Changing of the honour guard on the hour — precise, ceremonial, holds children's attention. One of the grandest public spaces in Asia. Free entry.
Longshan Temple
One of the oldest and most active temples — incense smoke, red lanterns, carved facades. An active religious site, not a museum piece. Genuinely interesting for children.
Ximending & Night Market
Taipei's youth district — street performers, bubble tea everywhere. Huaxi Street Night Market nearby for adventurous eating. Kids find it entertaining.
Taipei 101
509 metres. Indoor and outdoor observation decks on floors 89 and 91. The tuned mass damper — giant golden ball on floors 87–92 — is fascinating for kids interested in engineering. Book online.
Elephant Mountain
20–30 min hike up stone steps. Viewpoints frame Taipei 101 against mountains. Best at dusk when the city lights up. Accessible for most children.
Shilin Night Market
The largest and most famous in Taiwan. Stinky tofu, oyster omelettes, scallion pancakes, mango shaved ice. Let the kids point at things. Budget NT$300–500 per person.
Train to Ruifang + Bus to Jiufen
Train ~40 min (NT$41), then bus up the mountain. Jiufen: hillside gold mining town with narrow stone stairways, tea houses over the valley, red lanterns, ocean views. One of the most visually striking places in Taiwan.
Tea House & Taro Balls
Find a tea house with a valley view, order oolong. Walk to the top for the panorama. On the way back: taro balls — warm taro and sweet potato in clear broth. Go weekdays or arrive by 10 a.m. before tour groups.
Dad-Tested Picks for Taipei
EasyCard
Get it at the airport. Covers MRT, buses, YouBike. Load NT$1,000 per person. The single most useful piece of logistics.
Local SIM Card
Airport kiosks or convenience stores. Cheap, fast data. Taiwan's convenience stores are genuinely excellent.
Night Market Strategy
Go hungry with a budget and no plan. Point at things. The NT$300 per person challenge — how much can you try? — works well as a family game.
Convenience Stores
7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life — pay bills, buy MRT top-ups, hot food, print docs, find anything you forgot to pack.
Elephant Mountain
Entry-level Taipei hike, accessible by MRT. Or Maokong Gondola — the gondola does the climbing for you. Better for younger kids.
Taiwan HSR
Taipei to Kaohsiung, 90 min at 300 km/h. If anyone likes trains, the ride is the experience. Worth building in.
FAQ + Safety
Read Next
Shanghai City Guide
The other side of the Chinese experience.
Tokyo City Guide
Taipei's closest counterpart, different in specifics.
When 'Yes' Doesn't Mean Yes
Reading Asian business communication without embarrassing yourself.
Mike and Nina Explore China and Taiwan
Our kids' book adventure through China and Taiwan.
Taipei is the city that people don't plan to love and then can't stop recommending. The night markets, the kindness, the mountains visible from the middle of the city.
Go hungry. Stay curious. It earns it.
📍 Part of: Business Travel City Guides.