Things to Do in Taipei — Taiwan: Top Attractions, Tours & Tickets

#1Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallMustZhongzheng & Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall4.5(83,000)

This is Taipei’s essential civic monument: a vast, formal memorial complex that helps make sense of the Nationalist-era layer of the city. Time it for the honor-guard ceremony, then use the surrounding grounds as a break between central-city sights.

1.3h FreeGo early morning for quieter grounds, or arrive shortly before a guard-change time.

Pairs with: 228 Peace Memorial Park · Huashan 1914 Creative Park · National Taiwan University

#2National Palace MuseumMustShilin & Tianmu4.6(64,000)

This is the one museum first-time visitors should not miss if they have any interest in Chinese art and history; its collection of paintings, scrolls, books and ceramics is exceptional. Do not try to see everything—choose a few galleries and allow time to look closely rather than rushing through.

3h Walk upArrive at opening, especially on weekends and during school holidays.

Pairs with: Shilin Night Market · Yangmingshan National Park

#3Lungshan TempleMustXimending4.5(50,000)

The city’s most atmospheric major temple is a working place of worship, not just an architectural stop. Visit when worshippers are present, watch respectfully, and pair it with a wander through old Taipei rather than treating it as a quick photo stop.

45m FreeLate afternoon or early evening is livelier; weekday mornings are calmer for photography.

Pairs with: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall · 228 Peace Memorial Park

#4Taipei 101MustDa’an, Yongkang Street & East District4.7(2,500)

Even without going up, Taipei 101 is the visual shorthand for modern Taipei and worth seeing from street level. Combine its exterior and surrounding Xinyi streets with a sunset viewpoint elsewhere, or use it as the anchor for an East District evening.

25m FreeSee it around dusk, when the building and the surrounding district are at their most photogenic.

Pairs with: Taipei 101 Observatory · Elephant Mountain · Songshan Cultural and Creative Park No 1. Warehouse

#5Songshan Raohe Night MarketMustSongshan & Raohe Night Market4.3(82,000)

Raohe is the best first night market choice for many visitors: compact enough to sample widely without making an entire evening feel like a logistical project. Start at Songshan Ciyou Temple, eat in small portions, and walk the whole market before committing to a second round.

2h FreeArrive near opening for shorter food queues, or later in the evening after the peak dinner crush.

Pairs with: Songshan Ciyou Temple · Songshan Cultural and Creative Park No 1. Warehouse

#6Elephant MountainMustDa’an, Yongkang Street & East District

This is the classic Taipei skyline walk: a steep climb rewarded by the view that puts Taipei 101 in its urban-and-mountain setting. It is a better use of sunset than the observatory for active travelers, though doing both reveals different sides of the city.

1.7h FreeStart well before sunset on a clear weekday; the most popular viewpoints fill up quickly near golden hour.

Pairs with: Taipei 101 · Taipei 101 Observatory · National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall

#7Huashan 1914 Creative ParkShouldZhongzheng & Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall4.5(75,000)

This former industrial site is useful less as a single blockbuster attraction than as a window into Taipei’s design, pop-up exhibition and independent-film culture. Come for a rotating show, browse the small shops, or use it as an easy coffee-and-stroll break between bigger sights.

1.3h FreeWeekday daytime is best; it gets busiest on weekend afternoons.

Pairs with: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall · 228 Peace Memorial Park · Miniatures Museum of Taiwan

#8Yangmingshan National ParkShouldBeitou Hot Springs4.5(26,000)

Yangmingshan is Taipei’s most rewarding quick escape into volcanic landscapes, hiking trails, sulphur vents and seasonal flowers. Choose one hike or one geothermal area rather than trying to cover the whole park in a rushed outing.

4h FreeStart early on a clear weekday; spring flower weekends bring heavy crowds and traffic.

Pairs with: Beitou Hot Spring Museum · National Palace Museum

#9National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial HallShouldDa’an, Yongkang Street & East District4.5(21,000)

This memorial hall offers another ceremonial honor-guard experience, but its greater advantage is its setting near Taipei 101 and its broad public grounds. It is worth a short stop if you are already exploring Xinyi, rather than a special cross-town trip after seeing Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

45m FreeVisit on a weekday morning or near a scheduled guard change.

Pairs with: Taipei 101 · Taipei 101 Observatory · Elephant Mountain

#10Taipei 101 ObservatoryShouldDa’an, Yongkang Street & East District4.5(40,000)

The observatory delivers the city’s most convenient high-altitude overview and lets you appreciate how Taipei sits between dense urban districts and mountains. It is most useful near sunset, though the value is in the view rather than the exhibits.

1.3h Timed entryChoose a clear weekday shortly before sunset; haze can matter more than crowds.

Book online for a sunset or weekend slot to reduce the chance of queues; same-day purchase is usually possible.

Pairs with: Taipei 101 · National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall · Songshan Cultural and Creative Park No 1. Warehouse

#11Beitou Hot Spring MuseumShouldBeitou Hot Springs4.5(12,000)

This small former bathhouse gives useful context to Beitou’s hot-spring culture and is an easy, atmospheric stop while walking the district. It is not a substitute for an actual soak—pair it with a public bath or hot-spring hotel if that is your aim.

40m Walk upGo on a weekday morning, then continue uphill before the area gets busy.

Pairs with: Yangmingshan National Park

#12Dalongdong Baoan TempleShould4.7(4,800)

Baoan Temple is a richly decorated Taoist temple with a more neighborhood-scale feel than Lungshan and rewards a slower look at its carvings and ritual life. It is especially worthwhile for travelers who want a second temple experience rather than another large memorial hall.

45m FreeVisit in the morning or around dusk, when light is best and the temple is less congested.

Pairs with: National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine · Shilin Night Market

#13Shilin Night MarketShouldShilin & Tianmu4.1(21,000)

Shilin is Taipei’s best-known night market and has the widest, most carnival-like range of food, snacks and games. It can feel more chaotic and less focused than Raohe, so treat it as the big-market experience rather than expecting every stall to be a culinary revelation.

2.3h FreeGo later on a weekday evening; weekend dinner hours are the most congested.

Pairs with: National Palace Museum · Taipei Children's Amusement Park

#14Songshan Ciyou TempleShouldSongshan & Raohe Night Market4.6(5,100)

This colorful temple is the ideal opening stop for Raohe Night Market and gives the food crawl a meaningful local anchor. Go inside briefly before eating; it is a working temple, not merely a market backdrop.

25m FreeVisit just before the night market opens, when it is easier to move through.

Pairs with: Songshan Raohe Night Market · Songshan Cultural and Creative Park No 1. Warehouse

#15Maokong GondolaShouldWenshan, Taipei Zoo & Maokong

The gondola is the easy, scenic route from the zoo into Maokong’s tea-growing hills and hilltop teahouses. It works best as a slow half-day outing: ride up, have tea with a view, and return before the evening queues build.

2.5h Walk upRide in the morning on a clear weekday; weather closures and long weekend queues are possible.

Pairs with: Taipei Zoo

#16228 Peace Memorial ParkShouldTaipei Main Station & North Gate

This central park is a valuable pause from Taipei’s traffic and a place to acknowledge the 228 Incident that shaped modern Taiwanese history. Combine the memorial landscape with its museums or use it as a reflective walk between the station area and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

45m FreeGo on a weekday morning for a quieter, more contemplative visit.

Pairs with: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall · Huashan 1914 Creative Park · Lungshan Temple

#17Taipei ZooIf timeWenshan, Taipei Zoo & Maokong4.6(79,000)

This is a good-value, leafy zoo with open-feeling enclosures and notable giant pandas, brown bears and gorillas. It is most worthwhile for families or animal enthusiasts, especially when combined with Maokong afterward.

3h Walk upGo at opening, before school groups and midday heat.

Pairs with: Maokong Gondola

#18National Revolutionary Martyrs' ShrineIf time4.4(5,800)

The shrine is a solemn memorial to Taiwan’s war dead and another place to see precision honor guards. Its ceremonial formality and grand setting make it worthwhile if that history interests you, but it is less essential than the two principal memorial halls.

45m FreeTime your visit around a guard change and avoid arriving with large tour groups.

Pairs with: Dalongdong Baoan Temple · National Palace Museum

#19Guandu TempleIf timeBeitou Hot Springs4.7(6,700)

Guandu Temple is a rewarding destination for travelers interested in active folk religion, elaborate decoration and a less central side of Taipei. It is best approached as a deliberate temple excursion, not squeezed into a first short city stay.

50m FreeWeekday mornings are quietest and make it easier to appreciate the details.

Pairs with: Beitou Hot Spring Museum · Yangmingshan National Park

#20Songshan Cultural and Creative Park No 1. WarehouseIf timeDa’an, Yongkang Street & East District4.5(3,200)

This is part of the larger Songshan creative complex, where former industrial buildings now host design shops and changing exhibitions. It is a pleasant, low-pressure complement to Taipei 101 and Raohe, though the quality of any visit depends on what is on that day.

1h FreeWeekday afternoons are calmer; check current exhibitions before making a special trip.

Pairs with: Taipei 101 · Taipei 101 Observatory · Songshan Raohe Night Market

#21National Taiwan UniversityIf timeGongguan & Shida4.6(7,400)

Taiwan’s leading university is worth a relaxed walk for its leafy campus atmosphere and the student-oriented Gongguan area around it. It is not a sightseeing essential, but it offers a welcome everyday-city contrast to monuments and museums.

1h FreeLate afternoon on a weekday gives the campus its most lived-in feel.

Pairs with: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall · Huashan 1914 Creative Park

#22Taipei Children's Amusement ParkNicheShilin & Tianmu4.5(38,000)

This is a straightforward, family-oriented amusement park rather than a city-defining Taipei sight. It is a sensible choice with younger children, but most adult first-timers should give the time to the Palace Museum, Beitou, or a mountain view instead.

3h Walk upWeekday mornings have the shortest ride waits.

Pairs with: National Palace Museum · Shilin Night Market

#23Miniatures Museum of TaiwanNicheZhongshan & Nanjing Fuxing4.4(6,600)

This quirky private museum is a genuinely absorbing detour for miniature-model fans and travelers needing an indoor, compact activity. It is highly specialized rather than essential Taipei, so choose it for the subject matter rather than its place on a general checklist.

1.3h Walk upWeekday mornings are quietest for viewing the detailed displays.

Pairs with: Huashan 1914 Creative Park · National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall