⚡ Before You Go — Essentials
Getting Around
Get an EasyCard (悠遊卡) at any MRT station or convenience store. Works on MRT, buses, YouBike, and most shops. Taipei MRT is world-class — clean, fast, cheap.
Money
Taiwan uses NT$ (New Taiwan Dollar). ~32 NT$ = $1 USD. Cash is king at night markets and small shops. 7-Eleven ATMs accept international cards.
SIM / Internet
Grab a prepaid SIM at Taoyuan Airport arrivals (Chunghwa Telecom recommended). 5-day unlimited data ~NT$300. Free WiFi (iTaiwan) available at MRT stations.
Language
Mandarin Chinese is the main language. English signage is excellent on MRT and major attractions. Google Translate camera mode works great for menus.
Weather (Late Feb–Early Mar)
Cool and occasionally rainy, 14–20°C (57–68°F). Pack layers and a compact umbrella. It's the tail end of winter — pleasant for walking.
Tipping
Not expected or customary in Taiwan. No tipping at restaurants, taxis, or hotels. Service charge (10%) is included at upscale restaurants.
Temples, History & Your First Night Market
Arrive and ease into Taipei's old soul — incense-filled temples, historic streets, and the electric buzz of Ximending after dark.
Taoyuan Airport → City Center
Take the Taoyuan Airport MRT Express to Taipei Main Station (~35 min, NT$160). Pick up your EasyCard at the airport MRT station.
Check In & Neighborhood Walk
Drop bags at your hotel (Ximending area recommended for solo travelers — walkable, safe, tons of food). Wander the pedestrian streets to get your bearings.
Longshan Temple (龍山寺)
Taipei's most important temple, founded in 1738. Watch locals perform traditional prayers with incense and moon blocks. The ornate roof carvings are stunning.
Bopiliao Historic Block (剥皮寮)
A beautifully preserved Qing Dynasty–era street just steps from Longshan Temple. Red brick facades, narrow lanes, rotating art exhibitions inside the old shophouses.
Ximending Pedestrian Zone
Taipei's Harajuku — neon-lit streets packed with bubble tea shops, street performers, indie boutiques, and tattoo parlors. Great for solo evening wandering.
Old Taipei, Tea Houses & Ningxia Night Market
Explore Taipei's historic trading quarter, browse Dihua Street's century-old shops, and eat your way through the most local night market in town.
Dihua Street (迪化街)
Taipei's oldest commercial street, dating to the 1850s. Browse traditional Chinese medicine shops, dried goods vendors, vintage fabric stores, and beautifully renovated Baroque-style shophouses.
Xiahai City God Temple (霞海城隍廟)
A tiny, incense-packed temple famous for its matchmaking god Yue Lao. Solo travelers come here to pray for love — even if you're skeptical, the atmosphere is electric.
ASW Tea House (有記名茶)
A fifth-generation tea house on Dihua Street. Take a seat for a proper Taiwanese oolong tasting — the roasting room in back is fascinating. Buy some high-mountain tea to bring home.
Zhongshan District Walk
Stroll down tree-lined Zhongshan North Road through the gallery district. Pop into Spot Taipei (housed in a former US ambassador's residence) for a coffee or browse the indie bookshops.
Beef Noodle Soup, Elephant Mountain & Raohe
The quintessential Taipei day — world-class beef noodle soup, a golden-hour hike with skyline views, then one of the city's most photogenic night markets.
Yongkang Street (永康街)
Taipei's most beloved food street. Even before the famous beef noodle soup, wander past mango shaved ice shops, dumpling houses, and independent cafés. Great for solo morning vibes.
Elephant Mountain (象山) Sunset Hike
A short but steep 20-minute climb up stone steps to the best free viewpoint in Taipei. Taipei 101 framed by lush green ridgeline, golden hour light painting the skyline. Arrive by 5:00 PM for the best light.
Golden Hillside Towns & Sky Lanterns
A full day trip to the misty mountain villages of the Northeast Coast — Jiufen's tea houses clinging to hillsides, Shifen's sky lanterns rising over railway tracks, and ocean views along the way.
Getting to Jiufen
Take the MRT to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, then bus 1062 directly to Jiufen Old Street (~90 min, NT$90). Or take the train to Ruifang and transfer to a local bus (~15 min).
Jiufen Old Street (九份老街)
A narrow, winding mountain village that inspired Spirited Away's otherworldly atmosphere. Red lanterns line the stone steps, tea houses perch on cliffsides overlooking the Pacific. Wander the lanes, sample taro balls, and soak in the fog.
A Mei Tea House (阿妹茶樓)
The most photographed building in Jiufen — a red-lanterned tea house cascading down the hillside. Order a pot of Oriental Beauty oolong and watch the clouds roll through the valley below. Pure magic for solo reflection.
Shifen Old Street & Sky Lanterns
Take a bus or taxi from Jiufen to Shifen (~30 min). Write your wishes on a sky lantern and release it from the railway tracks — a uniquely Taiwanese experience. The single-track rail line runs right through the market street.
Shifen Waterfall
Taiwan's widest waterfall, nicknamed 'Little Niagara.' A pleasant 15-minute walk from the Old Street through a tree-lined path. The horseshoe-shaped falls are genuinely impressive.
Hot Springs, Volcanic Trails & One Last Feast
Your final day mixes nature and city — morning hot springs in Beitou, volcanic landscapes in Yangmingshan, then a farewell sunset from Taipei 101's observation deck.
Beitou Hot Spring Valley (北投地熱谷)
Start with the surreal, jade-green sulfur springs of Thermal Valley — steam rising from the 80°C water in a misty forest setting. Then soak in the public hot springs nearby.
Millennium Hot Spring (千禧湯)
A gorgeous public outdoor hot spring with stone pools at different temperatures. Bring your own swimsuit and towel. At NT$40, it's the best deal in Taipei.
Xiaoyoukeng Trail (小油坑)
A short, dramatic trail through active fumaroles and sulfur vents. The landscape looks like another planet — steam hissing from cracks in the earth, yellow sulfur deposits everywhere. Easy 30-minute loop.
Taipei 101 Observatory
End your trip at the top — literally. The 89th-floor observatory offers 360° views of the city you've spent the week exploring. The 730-ton wind damper (the world's largest) is mesmerizing. Book tickets online to skip the line.
💰 Budget Breakdown
| Category | Budget | Mid | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (4 nights) | NT$4,000–8,000 | NT$6,000 | Hostels NT$800–1,200/night; boutique hotels NT$2,000+ |
| Food & Drinks | NT$2,500–5,000 | NT$3,500 | Night markets NT$200–400/visit; restaurants NT$200–600/meal |
| Transportation | NT$800–1,200 | NT$1,000 | EasyCard + MRT/bus; airport MRT NT$160 each way |
| Activities | NT$1,000–2,500 | NT$1,500 | Taipei 101 NT$600; tea tastings NT$200–300; hot springs NT$40 |
| Day Trip (Jiufen/Shifen) | NT$500–1,000 | NT$700 | Bus fare + sky lantern + taro balls + snacks |
| TOTAL | NT$8,800–17,700 | ~NT$12,700 | Approx $275–550 USD (excluding flights) |
📱 Essential Apps
- Google Maps — Works excellently in Taipei. Transit directions are accurate and real-time.
- EasyWallet — Check your EasyCard balance and transaction history.
- Bus Tracker Taipei — Real-time bus arrivals (helpful for Jiufen/Beitou routes).
- Google Translate — Camera mode for menus. Download Chinese offline pack.
🚇 MRT Tips
- No eating or drinking on MRT platforms or trains (NT$1,500 fine!)
- Last trains run around midnight. Check schedules for late-night returns.
- Priority seats are taken very seriously — don't sit in blue seats unless you need to.
- YouBike (public bikes) use the same EasyCard — great for short hops between MRT stations.
🏪 Convenience Store Culture
- 7-Eleven and FamilyMart are everywhere and are genuinely great — fresh onigiri, tea eggs, hot meals.
- You can pay bills, pick up packages, print documents, buy concert tickets, and even do laundry at convenience stores.
- The tea egg (茶葉蛋) at 7-Eleven is a real snack — don't sleep on it. NT$10.
- ibon kiosks at 7-Eleven can print boarding passes and buy train tickets.