Taipei
4D3N: Although I was born in Taiwan, I did not grow up in Taipei. So, I make a point to visit Taipei and its surroundings whenever I am back in the motherland. Taoyuan Airport (TPE, 35 minutes away from Taipei) is a major airport in Asia, and it is also the connecting point to many cities in Southeast Asia. A friend of mine once referred to Taiwan as the mini Japan..it retained much of the culture from the Japanese colonial era but at a much lower cost of living. You can continue to explore Taiwan by taking the High-Speed Rail (HSR) to visit Central Taiwan, Southern Taiwan, and Eastern parts of Taiwan, such as Hualien and Yilan. The itinerary below includes all the highlights for a first-time visitor to Taipei.
*Highly Recommended food & drinks
Day 1 (City Center):
Early morning arrival in TPE
Airport MRT to Taipei Main Station (35 mins on the express train)
Check-in @ Regent Taipei (luxury) / CityInn Hotel Taipei Station III (moderate) / Chaiin Hotel - Dongmen (moderate)
Lunch @ Sushi Express or food courts at the department store
Metro/Walk to 2-28 Peace Park / Presidential Palace (photo only)
Walk to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Walk/Metro to Ximending:
Dinner @ Addiction Aquatic Development*
Speakeasy @ PUN* (Best speakeasy in Taipei)
Day 2 (Tamsui & Beitou):
Brunch @ Din Tai Fung* (Inside SOGO, B2F)
MRT to Tamsui:
Fort San Domingo 紅毛城
Must try snack - “A-Gei” 阿给 (fried bean curd stuffed with glass noodles) & Fishball soup
Beitou Hot Springs:
MRT to Xinbeitou
Beitou Hot Spring Museum (Free admission; open ‘till 6 pm)
Hot Springs experience (options below):
Free foot spa @ Fuxing Hot Foot Spa
Paid full-body hot springs @ Beitou Public Hotspring or Long Nice Hot Spring
Stay overnight at one of the hotels with the hot springs
MRT to Jiantan for Shihlin Night Market (40 mins ride, opens at 4 pm)
Massage @ Royal Paris Massage
Day 3
Visit Jiufen (九份) & Shifen (十分) (suggested duration 8 hrs)
MRT Muzha station ---> bus 795 towards Shifen (takes about 100 mins; NT45 one-way)
Get off at Jingtong 菁桐坑: old rail station and railway museum
Train to Shifen (runs every hour; ~20 mins; NT15)
Visit the waterfall (free)
Release sky lantern on an active train track (~NT200 for 4 colors)
Train to Jiufen (Shifen ---> train 4727 to Ruifang ---> Houtong Station 侯硐車站)
Walk around Cat Village Houtong
Train back to Ruifang and take the Keelung transit bus to Jiufen
Visit Juifen Old Street
Bus to Ruifang ---> switch train to Taipei Main Station ---> MRT to hotel
Dinner @ James Kitchen*
Mango ice cream @ Smoothie House*
Day 4
Soybean breakfast @ Fuhang soy milk阜杭豆漿* (lines go by fast)
Visit Qidong St. Japanese Houses:
Qi Dong Poetry Salon 齊東詩舍 (No. 25 & No. 27)
Taipei Qin Hall 中華古琴學會-臺北琴道舘
Take the cable car to Maokong Mountain
KTV @ New CB Party (NT419/person; comes with buffet food; ~3hr)
Take Taiwan Railways to Songshan stop for Raohe Street Night Market
Massage @ Thousand-mile massage center* (Free shuttle for 3+ people)
Other points of interest & food:
Lunch @ Kao Chi YongKang Main Restaurant 高記, Tim Ho Wan, 大稻埕魯肉飯 (Braised pork over rice), MAJI Square
Sushi @ 柳月居酒屋 りゅうげつ, 真真庵壽司割烹, 鮨崤, 明壽司, 揚日式料理
Dinner @ Kanpai, Ramen Nagi Ximen Restaurant, Xiang Duck Taipei Jinshan South Branch, Indulge Experimental Bistro
Drink @ AQ Casa, Li Tun, That Fucking Place, Alchemy speakeasy, Kavalan Whisky Bar
Dessert @ Hello Kitty Kitchen & Dining, Beans Village
Stinky Tofu @ 連城臭豆腐
Tips:
Find your everyday beauty needs and pharmaceutical needs @ Watson’s or Cosmed
7-11 is like the super deli in Taiwan, and you can pay for bills and parking fees, pick up HSR tickets, and fulfill your midnight snack! Definitely visit whenever you need to pick up something cold for the road.
For any electronic needs, stop by Guanghwa Digital Plaza and Snytrend Center.
Don't forget to grab some bubble tea (a Taiwanese specialty drink)
You can buy HSR tickets for 30 days ahead online
Apply for TPE-Free/iTaiwan wifi at the information booth (near the Taipei Main MRT)
