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Tips & Traps
Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
- TipA place or a move worth it
- TrapWhat to avoid, and how
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Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
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For a stay with day trips, base near Taipei Main Station, where the Airport MRT, high-speed rail, regular trains, buses and two metro lines meet. Zhongshan is one stop away and suits cafes and mid-range hotels. Treat Beitou as a one or two night hot spring add-on, since it is far from the central sights and daily…
The Grand Hotel, established in 1952 on Yuanshan hill, is a palace-style landmark with vermilion columns, golden tiles and views toward the river and city. Even if you do not sleep there, ask at the front desk about visiting the lobby, where professional performance groups give live music every day. Go in the late…
Each autumn Taipei hosts the Golden Horse Film Festival, which screens Chinese-language films with English subtitles and builds up to the Golden Horse Awards ceremony in November. Check the official festival site for the film schedule, and buy tickets online through the festival ticketing partner. It is a good…
The annual Taiwan LGBT+ Pride march takes place in Taipei in late October and starts and ends at Taipei City Hall Plaza. It is free with no registration, so visitors can simply join the crowd at the meeting area. Use the MRT, bring water, sun protection and a folding umbrella, and ask before taking close photos of…
Legacy Taipei is the flagship live-music room in Huashan 1914 Creative Park, set in a former winery complex, and has hosted indie, rock and touring acts since 2009. Smaller sister rooms such as Legacy Mini and Legacy MAX run under the same name, so check which room your show is in. Buy tickets ahead for popular acts…
Revolver is a bar near Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, set up by British expats around 2010. Its upstairs room holds about a hundred people and hosts bands and DJs, mostly punk, metal and indie rock. Check the lineup on the venue's social pages before you go and expect a small, close-up crowd. The street-level bar…
The Jianguo Holiday Jade Market under the Jianguo overpass runs on weekends only, until about 6 pm, and some stalls start closing after lunch, so go in the morning. Entry is free and browsing is welcome. From Daan Park MRT take Exit 6 and walk through the flower market to reach it. The Artists Corner next to the jade…
On weekday mornings, scooter riders stream down an off-ramp of Taipei Bridge in Datong, forming one of the city's best-known street scenes. The classic window is roughly 7 to 8 am, when riders pile up at the traffic lights. Shoot from the pavement or another safe spot and never step onto the road. Combine it with a…
Dadaocheng Wharf is a riverside spot on the Tamsui River where people gather for sunset, with the Sanchong skyline across the water. Arrive in the late afternoon and stay after dark, since the evening is when the riverside container bars come alive and the place can feel quiet at lunchtime. It is within walking…
Only about one percent of the National Palace Museum collection is on view at any time, and painting and calligraphy displays rotate roughly every three months. Some famous pieces also spend part of the year at the Southern Branch in Chiayi. Check the museum website for the current exhibits before you go, then choose…
The Confucius Temple and the Baoan Temple stand side by side in the Dalong Street area of Dadaocheng, a quieter temple stop than the big names. The Confucius Temple is free to enter and closed on Mondays, so plan around that. Walk about ten minutes from Yuanshan MRT. Every September 28 the Confucius Temple holds a…
Two airport trains leave Taipei Main Station and both cost the same, but the purple Express reaches Terminal 1 in about 35 minutes while the blue Commuter train stops at every station and takes close to 50. Check the colour and destination before boarding. If your airline offers in-town check-in at the station, you…
When a typhoon approaches, authorities can declare a typhoon day that closes schools and workplaces across Taipei, and attractions, ferries and mountain trails may close as well. A plan that looked fine the evening before can change overnight. Check the official announcement on the news or the city government site…
Eating, drinking and chewing gum are banned in Taipei MRT stations and trains, and the ban starts at the yellow line just inside the station entrance. Plain water counts, and fines apply, with a few exceptions for people who feel unwell. Finish your drink before you go in, and keep dark blue priority seats free for…
Locals ride the long riverside bike path that starts near Dadaocheng Wharf and follows the Tamsui River toward Tamsui, away from city traffic. YouBike bikes can be returned to any YouBike station, but sign-up is the catch for visitors, so sort out registration before you set out or ask your hotel desk to help. On…
The Four Beasts trail system links with the Nangang ridge, where Jiuwu Peak gives the first big panorama over the basin. Hikers who want views without the lookout crowds can extend the walk this way, since the ridge is much quieter than the famous Elephant Mountain viewpoint. Skip it after heavy rain because the stone…
Fuhang Soy Milk is on the second floor of Huashan Market, a short walk from Shandao Temple MRT, and serves a classic Taiwanese breakfast of soy milk, sesame flatbread and egg crepe. The line is shortest between 6 and 7 am and longest in the middle of the morning. Know your order before you reach the counter, say…
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