{"id":2416,"date":"2020-01-15T14:34:47","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T06:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adventurefilledlife.com\/?p=2416"},"modified":"2020-03-03T11:08:50","modified_gmt":"2020-03-03T03:08:50","slug":"taipei-taiwan-itinerary-travel-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventurefilledlife.com\/taipei-taiwan-itinerary-travel-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Taiwan Travel: Taipei 3-Day Itinerary + Travel Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you planning your first trip to Taiwan? Planning out what to do can be time-consuming, especially if you’re the type of person who jumps enthusiastically into the planning phase (that’s certainly me). I decided to make this list of Taiwan’s highlights to help out anyone looking for a Taipei travel guide and making their first trip to Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing that first-time visitors to Taiwan underestimate is just how much there is to see and do. Seriously, after six years in Taiwan<\/strong><\/a>, I still have a lengthy to-visit-list that somehow keeps growing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This 3-day travel guide to Taiwan will focus on the most important things to see in and around Taipei. Three days is enough to get a taste of the island – although you will probably leave with plans of making a return visit. Let me know what you think of this travel guide, and what you’re looking forward to doing in Taiwan!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, we have a guide to Taiwanese SIM cards<\/strong><\/a> if you’re planning on getting a local SIM. It goes in-depth and explains how to choose the fastest and most affordable data plan for your visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day One<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Spend your first day in Taipei by seeing some of the highlights and trying some of the most famous food here. We will be making stops along the Red Line of Taipei’s metro system. Single rides start at 20ntd ($0.65) and go up based on distance. It is fairly affordable on its own, but if you plan on taking a lot of trips you can buy unlimited use passes ranging from 24-72 hours. You shouldn’t need it if you follow this schedule, but it is worth considering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start your day by grabbing some breakfast at the nearest breakfast shop – they are on every corner so you won’t have to go far to find one. You can find all kinds of sandwiches, dan bing<\/em>, and other breakfast food here. Dan Bing \u86cb\u9905 is an egg crepe that is wildly popular in Taiwan. It comes stuffed with your choice of various meats and vegetables. This type of breakfast shop is quite popular in Taiwan, so you can’t go wrong here. Check out this post (coming soon) for a breakdown of the food you can order – translated into English of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up, a trip to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. This massive monument was built in honor of Taiwan’s founder and is quite spectacular, although not without controversy. There are actually three main buildings here including the Main Hall, National Concert Hall, and National Theater. The changing of the guard at the Main Hall is worth checking out. It happens at the top of every hour so try and plan your visit around this. It gets crowded so I’d look at getting there at least 10 minutes early if you want to get a good look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After some photos and a walk around the plaza, it\u2019s time to move on. Head down the red line to the Taipei 101 station. As you might guess we are here to see Taiwan\u2019s tallest building. The Taipei 101 is 508 meters tall and can be seen from nearly anywhere in the city. It was designed in the shape of a stalk of bamboo. Can you see it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spend some time walking around Taipei\u2019s ritzy XinYi district which encompasses the Taipei 101 and surrounding areas. You can choose to take a trip up to the observation deck, or shop in the malls below. The ride up to the observation deck costs 500nt ($15). It is interesting to see Taipei from above but I wouldn’t recommend it on cloudy days. The view won’t be so great if it is rainy and overcast. There is a lot to check out around the Taipei 101 so prepare for some walking!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d recommend having lunch at Din Tai Fung located on the first floor of the Taipei 101. They are famous for their xiao long bao<\/em> (soup dumplings) which are totally worth trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you prefer a buffet, know that there will be plenty to choose from. My favorite has to be The Kitchen Table located on the 10th floor of the W Hotel. This was one of the best memories of my first trip to Taiwan in 2010. I have been back a few times since moving to Taiwan in 2013 and I\u2019d say it amazes every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you don\u2019t overeat too much though because our next activity is a moderately physical one. We will want to head to Xiangshan<\/em> Station the last stop on the red line. Xiangshan<\/em>, or Elephant Mountain in English, is a popular hiking spot for both locals and tourists. The way up is almost entirely stairs so prepare some good walking shoes. Xiangshan is one of the best places in Taipei<\/strong><\/a> so don’t miss it – as long as the weather is good!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 15-20 minutes you will come to a viewpoint that looks out over Taipei. This is a great place for capturing bird\u2019s-eye photos of the city. The path continues up, but the viewpoint is the main reason for hiking Elephant Mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019re down from the mountain I\u2019d recommend heading to Raohe Night Market. This is one of the largest night markets in Taipei and has a very distinct feel to it. The street starts at a temple and you can take a look inside and take some photos first before walking the night market. Just know that night photos of the temple don\u2019t always come out so well. The night market itself has all you could want in the way of food and snacks. In my opinion, this is the best way to spend your first night in Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day one itinerary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n