Things to do in Taipei

Landmark · Xinyi

The 508m green-glass icon that was once the world's tallest building, ringed by Taipei's glossiest malls, department stores and nightlife.

Local tip: Skip the pricey observatory queue and go up to the bar/restaurants instead, or — best of all — climb Elephant Mountain opposite for the postcard shot of 101 for free. New Year's Eve fireworks launch off the tower itself.

Nature · Xinyi (Xiangshan MRT)

A short, steep stone-step hike straight off the MRT that delivers the definitive skyline view of Taipei 101 and the basin beyond.

Local tip: Go ~90 minutes before sunset to grab a rock platform and watch the city light up. It's busy at golden hour; carry water — it's a sweaty 20-minute climb in summer. Free, open 24h.

Food · Shilin / Songshan

The temples of Taiwanese street food — oyster omelettes, stinky tofu, pepper buns, bubble tea and games, packed shoulder-to-shoulder after dark.

Local tip: Raohe (by Songshan station) is more compact and local than tourist-heavy Shilin — start at the Fuzhou pepper-bun stall by the temple entrance. Bring cash and an empty stomach; come hungry, graze widely.

Neighborhood · Da'an

The leafy, walkable heart of expat Taipei — Din Tai Fung's original home, mango-shaved-ice institutions, specialty coffee, boutiques and Da'an Forest Park.

Local tip: Queue at the original Din Tai Fung for xiao long bao, then cool off with mango shaved ice at Smoothie House. The lanes off Yongkang hide the city's best independent cafés and the calmest café-work spots.

Nature · Beitou (north Taipei)

A geothermal valley of steaming public and private hot-spring baths, a Japanese-era bathhouse museum and the milky-blue Thermal Valley — all on the MRT.

Local tip: The public Millennium Hot Spring is a bargain (~NT$60, bring a swimsuit); for privacy book a room at a hot-spring hotel. Pair with the Beitou Library and a stroll — an easy, restorative half-day from downtown.

Culture · Day trip (~1 hr northeast)

A former gold-mining town of red lanterns, teahouses and stepped alleys clinging to a mountainside over the sea — atmospheric, misty and cinematic.

Local tip: Go on a weekday and arrive late afternoon to see the lanterns glow after the tour buses leave; have tea on a balcony at the A-Mei Teahouse. Combine with Shifen (sky lanterns) or the Yinyang Sea by local bus/train.