Top Things To Do In Taipei

Tailoring each tour to your wishes by locals who love their city

Local guide posing with tourists on a family tour of Taipei

Top things to do in Taipei

From exploring cool neighborhoods to eating with the locals to seeing iconic sites, these are some of our favorite experiences

When in Osaka
make sure to try
“kushikatsu”!

See the city like
you would with a friend who lives there

See all

When in Osaka
make sure to try
“kushikatsu”!

See the city like
you would with a friend who lives there

Wondering what to do in Taipei?

A kaleidoscope of cultures, with traditional Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian, and western influences, Taiwan’s capital city is as diverse as its endless list of things to do. Taipei at first glance appears to be a modern metropolis, but the true spirit of the city bubbles below the surface of its futuristic facade. In fact, Taipei can at times feel like an open-air museum with its multitude of Taoist temples dotted amongst towering skyscrapers, museums filled with treasures dating back 5000 years, and old merchant villas transformed into museums or shops. Between the old and new halves of this dynamic city, the things to do in Taipei are anything but ordinary.

Meet some of our Taipei local hosts

Like the people who travel with us, they have different backgrounds and interests – but they’re all so passionate about the place they call home, they choose to spend their free time sharing it with the like-minded travelers matched to them.

We’ve handpicked them and we’ll match you to your perfect one!

Local guide showing a couple of tourists the city highlights of Taipei

Tangible history

At 300 years old, Taipei is one of the youngest cities in Asia. Even so, the city’s history is remarkable – in its lifetime, Taipei has been a Chinese tea-trading post, a Japanese colony, and a KMT base. Exploring the things to do in Taipei will likely lead you to a wealth of landmarks that illustrate the city’s storied past. From centuries-old Taoist temples to Japanese-era mansions to old merchant villas, the historic sights are embedded in the fabric of the modern city – it’s impossible to separate the two. Today, the things to do in Taipei reflect a city filled with centuries of stories.

Tourists enjoying the view of the city skyline and Taipei 101 from Elephant Mountain in Taipei

The great outdoors

Break away from the frenetic city center and you might be surprised to discover pristine wilderness on Taipei’s doorstep. The city’s gorgeous natural surroundings offer a wealth of incredible things to do in Taipei, with cliff-hugging hiking trails through densely forested mountains leading to all sorts of natural wonders. The most memorable things to do in Taipei aren’t limited to inside the city limits, and lovers of the outdoors are spoiled for choice. You could go surfing at a nearby beach, mountain biking through a forested trail, climbing up cliffs, or even hiking among tea plantations.

Local vendor selling fresh fruit at a typical street stall in Taipei

Midnight snacking

When the sun sets, the list of things to do in Taipei gets even longer. The city’s nightlife is buzzing with cool clubs and crowded bars, but you’ll likely find most locals spending their evenings elsewhere. Above all else, dusk signals the start of the city’s iconic night market scene, and crowds descend on the colorful, chaotic, crisscrossing lanes of late-night food markets spilling out onto the streets. If the aromas of local specialties wafting from hundreds of street food stalls are too difficult to ignore, spend your night like the locals do – midnight snacking as a social event.

Taipei travel tips and inspiration from our Travel Magazine

Find essential city info, travel tips and the best things to do in Taipei and around the world recommended by our local hosts

Latest reviews from our guests

With just several hours in Taipei, Daphne made those hours fun and memorable and gave us a sense of the City. Daphne is a wonderful ambassador for Taipei and Taiwan-we can’t thank her enough.

September 2023

Patti T
Daphne was easy to contact and very patient to assist us and answer questions. She is very reassuring beyond I can take. May i suggest though that you guys provide the list of places to see so we know what to expect. Thank you

September 2023

Corazon L
Daphne was Amazing to say the least. She had us on perfect time for each of the venue's. We arrived at Chiang Kai-Shek and saw the statue and then the doors started to close as we were about to leave. So that was perfect. Then we saw the guards marching down to bring the flag down for the evening all while the sun was setting. We saw the Taoist Temple and the Ocean Goddess Mazu. Learned about the details on the prayer and each of the items used and how it is done. She was very knowledgeable. We then did my favorite thing in tasting all the local food at the street market. She told us of the must have's and we tried a few of them till we got full. The entire place was beautiful and clean. We then went to the shopping district and saw how vast the place really is. My wife and girls were completely amazed with the entire place. I would HIGHLY recommend Requesting Daphne. Could not have been any better with the time we had. She schedule the perfect pickup with a private car, the car and driver were very clean and the drive was kind. He was safe and was on time both for the pickup and drop off. Amazing time for a layover. We would have not been able to see so much without Daphne.

August 2023

Thomas C
Daphne was Amazing to say the least. She had us on perfect time for each of the venue's. We arrived at Chiang Kai-Shek and saw the statue and then the doors started to close as we were about to leave. So that was perfect. Then we saw the guards marching down to bring the flag down for the evening all while the sun was setting. We saw the Taoist Temple and the Ocean Goddess Mazu. Learned about the details on the prayer and each of the items used and how it is done. She was very knowledgeable. We then did my favorite thing in tasting all the local food at the street market. She told us of the must have's and we tried a few of them till we got full. The entire place was beautiful and clean. We then went to the shopping district and saw how vast the place really is. My wife and girls were completely amazed with the entire place. I would HIGHLY recommend Requesting Daphne. Could not have been any better with the time we had. She schedule the perfect pickup with a private car, the car and driver were very clean and the drive was kind. He was safe and was on time both for the pickup and drop off. Amazing time for a layover. We would have not been able to see so much without Daphne.

August 2023

Thomas C