Taipei, Taiwan 4-day Itinerary
How to get from airport to the city?
- Taxi costs around 1000 NT or ~35 USD
- Airport Express costs 150 NT - It stops at Taipei Main Train Station. Then you have to exit and transfer to a metro (for additional costs)
You can buy a single fare journey, get an easy card (non-refundable 100 NT), or get a day or fun pass. A ride is usually 15 NT for buses and 20 NT (or more) for Metros, so check which one you can save more.
Hotel?
- Roader's Hotel (map)
- Pretty convenient to get to Ximending (or around 10-12 minute walk to Taipei Main Train station)
- I like that they have "arcade games" in the reception area, free noodles, ramen, etc,
- They have washing machine and dryer - you can make reservation
- Downside - if you lose a key, you pay 200 NT for a lost key card.
- Room is pretty small too
Itinerary
Day 1:
- Arrived after lunch
- Roamed around Ximending (night) market
- Tried Ay-chung Flour Rice Noodle
- Chang Kai Shek Memorial
- Shilin Market
Day 2
- Day Tour of Klook to Jiufen, Yehliu, and Shifen
- Raohe Market
Day 3
- Original Branch of Din Tai Fung
- Taipei 101 and the malls around it
- Chia De
- Just walking around Ximending
Day 4
- We opted to just stay in Ximending but you might want to try to go to Tamsui, Taiwan's Fisherman's wharf
- Back Home
Day 1
Chang Kai Shek Memorial
Definitely you need to check this out since this is a memorial for their first president, the found of the republic of Taiwan! Also make sure to see the changing of the guards which is done hourly.
Ximending (night) market
Prolly the biggest pederstrian market in Taipei and really a good mix of food, restaurants, and shopping. It is different from Shaolin and Raohe which is all about Food Stalls (and small shops). This is really a shopping and food district.
Chang Kai Shek Memorial
Obviously, a must visit for Taiwan, and see the memorial for their first President and the one that led them to Freedrom from China and start the Republic of Taiwan.
Try to check out the Changing of Guards, it is is usually every hour (when the clock strikes the hour)
Ay Chung Flour Rice Noodle
They are known for their Mee-sua, it is very cheap. I just ordered a small one fro like 30 NT and it was already very filling
XifuTang
This is the original branch. It is funny that there is another small Xingfutang in Ximending but has no lines. What we tried here was their special "Gold Foil Brown Sugar Milk Tea". Normal brown sugar costs like 55 NT but this one costs 3X = 168 NT.
Expect the lines to be very long even late at night
Hot Star Fried Chicken
They are know for their huge Taiwanese Chicken. Cheap and Good! 140 NT a piece.
Cheng Du Star Fruit Ice
Tried their pineapple and starfruit shaved ice dessert. Pineapple was pretty normal but the star fruit was sort of like pickled star fruit - it is prolly more of an acquired taste.
Mala Hotpot
Cheap hot pot costing around 600 NT (545 + service charge) for lunch. They have a few branches and one we tried is in Ximendig area.They have good options of meat, bottomless Haagen Daaz and Move N Pick.
Note: Make sure you make reservations. The wait can be very long.
Shilin Market
A huge food market, it was really confusing going around. There were food stalls beside the road and inside.
The first Hot Star Fried Chicken is in Shilin Market but the lines is also long. Alternatively, you can go to Ximending but the lines are long. This is now a chain though, so I guess you can buy it in many places.
The first Hot Star Fried Chicken is in Shilin Market but the lines is also long. Alternatively, you can go to Ximending but the lines are long. This is now a chain though, so I guess you can buy it in many places.
Day 2
Day Tour
Klook's Day Tour of Yehliu, Jiufen, and Shifen (NT 699 or ~23 USD). Read more here.
Please NOTE:
- This was really very packed agenda and NOT for old and slow people. We didn't get to see much since we only had an hour or less per area.
- Also, I would advise against taking this on weekends, since tour buses can't go to Jiufen on Sat and Sundays and that means extra time to transfer to a commuter bus and pay 15 NT one-way. This also means that this may cut on your time to go around Jiufen. We didn't even get to the end of Jiufen and see the famous tea house.
- Also, weekends seem to be OVERCROWDED than normal.
Raohe Market
This was really much easier to get around that Shilin since it was just one main street, Raohe street. Take Exit 5 from Songshan Metro Station.
Also: the Xifutang Brown Sugar Milk Tea place does NOT have a line here unlike in Ximending which has a long line.
Checked out the Michelin Bib Gourmand Stalls here.
The First / Original Branch of DTF (it can be a bit of a wait) so try to go when they open, otherwise, you can grab a number and get your dessert in ice monster or go around somewhere. Map here. We waited around 1.5 hours arriving at around 11 am.
It was around 220 NT (7.5 USD) for their famous Pork XLB (10 pcs).
Big Chain in Taiwan, and famous for their Mango Shaved Ice!
Used to be the tallest till 2010, before Burj Khalifa took its crown of being the tallest building in the world, but this is still worth a visit. There is an observatory ... or if you dont' want to pay, you can go to starbucks at the 35th F (check out how to get a reservation there). There is a minimum of 250 NT per person.
Do check out the mall here, it's gorgeous!
Also: the Xifutang Brown Sugar Milk Tea place does NOT have a line here unlike in Ximending which has a long line.
Checked out the Michelin Bib Gourmand Stalls here.
Famous Stalls
See maps here and some are actually Bib Gourmand
Fuzhou Pepper Buns
Right at the entrance when you get off from Songshan station. You will notice it since there is already a line snaking at the main entrance. It's kinda interesting, reminds me how they cook Naan, and they use similar oven and you can see the folks making the bun in front of you, so it's definitely fresh and good. It only cost 55 NT per bun, so less than 2$.
Chen Dong Pork Ribs Medical Herbs Soup
This is yummy pork ribs (80 NT or less than 3$) stewed in Chinese Medicinal Herb with Goji Berries. It goes well with their Rice topped with Braised Pork (30 NT or 1$).
NOTE: There is no English translation or sign so I have to find the actual sign and the price has already changed from the picture that I saw. I guess with being a Bib Gourmand, they can increase their price! :)
Xifutang
Famous for their Brown Sugar Milk Tea (actually no tea) and it was relatively cheap, cheaper than in Share tea or others. 55 NT (or less than 2 USD) for a regular cup. They torched the top of it so it has caramelized taste and tastes like smores!
Also no lines here unlike the long lines in their original branch in Ximending!
Day 3
Din Tai Fung Xinyi
The First / Original Branch of DTF (it can be a bit of a wait) so try to go when they open, otherwise, you can grab a number and get your dessert in ice monster or go around somewhere. Map here. We waited around 1.5 hours arriving at around 11 am.
It was around 220 NT (7.5 USD) for their famous Pork XLB (10 pcs).
Ice Monster
Big Chain in Taiwan, and famous for their Mango Shaved Ice!
Taipei 101
Used to be the tallest till 2010, before Burj Khalifa took its crown of being the tallest building in the world, but this is still worth a visit. There is an observatory ... or if you dont' want to pay, you can go to starbucks at the 35th F (check out how to get a reservation there). There is a minimum of 250 NT per person.
Do check out the mall here, it's gorgeous!
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