Pocket Guide
19 places, grouped by neighborhood —
for visitors who don't read Chinese.
Taipei 101 Observatory
R03Taipei 101 / World Trade Center
臺北 101 觀景台
Xinyi Christmas Lights
R03Streets around Taipei 101
Winter only
信義區耶誕燈飾
Elephant Mountain Trail
R02Xiangshan — end of the red line
Steep stairs
象山親山步道
Honest warning: this is a steep, continuous stair climb, roughly 20–30 minutes to the famous view of Taipei 101. There's a smaller platform partway up that's much easier and still has a good view — turn around there with no regrets. If the stairs sound like too much, the 101 observatory gives you the skyline without the climb.
English-Language Church Services
BL17Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
SundayCheck times online
國父紀念館
Several congregations near Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall hold services in English or bilingually. Look up the current schedule before Sunday — venues and times change.
National Palace Museum
R16Shilin, then bus or taxi
Long on your feet
國立故宮博物院
Shilin Residence Gardens
R16Shilin
Chrysanthemum show: check dates
士林官邸
Shilin Night Market
R15Jiantan — not Shilin station
Big crowds
士林夜市
Note the trap: the night market is at Jiantan (R15), one stop before Shilin (R16), despite the name. The museum is a lot of standing — do it first while you're fresh, then the gardens, which are flat and have benches. The gardens host a chrysanthemum show most years in late autumn.
Presidential Office Building
R09NTU Hospital, Exit 1
Weekday AM onlyBring passport
總統府
Open Monday to Friday, 9am–12pm, last entry 11:30. Free, and small groups don't need a reservation — just queue up. Bring your passport; there's an ID check. Weekend open days were suspended in 2025, so don't plan this for a Saturday, and confirm on the day, since it closes for state visits. Ximen (BL11 / G12), Exit 3, also works.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
R08G10CKS Memorial Hall
中正紀念堂
Literally one stop from the Presidential Office — R09 to R08 — so pair them. The main hall has a long flight of steps out front; there's an elevator, ask a staff member.
Huashan 1914 Creative Park
BL14O07Zhongxiao Xinsheng
Check what's on
華山1914文化創意產業園區
An old distillery turned into galleries, shops, and cafés. Look up the exhibition schedule before you go — the shows rotate constantly, and whether it's worth a trip depends entirely on what's running that week. Flat, shaded, plenty of places to sit.
Guanghua Plaza & Syntrend
BL14O07Zhongxiao Xinsheng
光華商場、三創生活園區
Electronics, components, cameras, and gadgets, stacked floor on floor. Same station as Huashan, a few minutes' walk apart — indoors and air-conditioned, so the two make a good rainy-day pairing.
National Taiwan University Campus
G07Gongguan
臺灣大學（台大）
Gongguan Neighborhood
G07Gongguan
公館商圈
Lan Jia Gua Bao — steamed pork buns
G07Gongguan
藍家割包
請問藍家割包怎麼走？
The campus has a long tree-lined main avenue that's flat and quiet — a genuinely pleasant walk, and nothing like the tourist stops. Gua bao is a soft steamed bun folded around braised pork, pickled greens, and peanut powder. Check the hours before you go; small shops here keep their own schedule and close some days.
Ningxia Night Market
R12Shuanglian
Easiest of the three
寧夏夜市
Raohe Street Night Market
G19Songshan — end of the green line
饒河街觀光夜市
Christmasland, Banqiao
BL07Banqiao
Big crowdsWinter only
新北歡樂耶誕城
Ningxia is one short street — smaller, older, and far less of a scrum than Shilin. It's the one to choose if crowds wear you out. Christmasland runs from roughly mid-November into early January, but the dates are set fresh each year. Go on a weeknight; weekends are punishing.
Tamsui Old Street
R28Tamsui — end of the red line
Windy in winter
淡水老街
The red line runs all the way from Xinyi (R03) to the coast (R28) — no transfers, get on and stay on. Flat waterfront walking and famous sunsets. It runs colder and windier than downtown in winter, so bring a jacket.
Taipei Zoo & Maokong Gondola
BR01Taipei Zoo — end of the brown line
Zoo is hilly
臺北市立動物園
貓空纜車
The gondola station is right beside the zoo, so the two go together. The zoo is large and built on a slope — there's a shuttle train inside, use it. If you'd rather skip the zoo entirely, ride the gondola straight up to the tea houses at Maokong; the cable car does all the work.
Yehliu Geopark
Exposed & windy
野柳地質公園
Shifen — Sky Lanterns & Waterfall
十分老街、十分瀑布
Jiufen Old Street
Steep & crowded
九份老街
No station codes here — none of these are on the metro. Consider a private driver rather than a group tour: your pace, your schedule, no waiting on strangers. One caution — Jiufen is narrow stone stairways, shoulder to shoulder with other visitors, and it's the hardest walking on this list. The tea houses at the top are the reward. This coast is also the wettest part of the region in winter, so keep the day flexible.
Most of the list is flexible. These aren't.
Show the box, then point at the place name above. That's enough — people will help.
你好，請問這裡怎麼去？
Hello, how do I get here?
請載我到這裡，謝謝。
Please take me here, thank you. — for taxis
不好意思，我不會說中文。
Sorry, I don't speak Chinese.
請問這附近有電梯或手扶梯嗎？
Is there an elevator or escalator nearby?
請問廁所在哪裡？
Where is the restroom?
這個多少錢？
How much is this?
謝謝！
Thank you!
Late autumn and winter here are mild but damp: comfortable during the day, cool at night, with a real chance of drizzle. Cold fronts can drop the temperature quickly, so pack layers and a light rain jacket rather than a heavy coat.
The coast is a different story. Tamsui, Yehliu, and Jiufen all face the northeast monsoon and run noticeably colder, windier, and wetter than downtown. Keep those days flexible and swap in an indoor stop — the Palace Museum, Huashan, Syntrend — if the weather turns.
Taxis are cheap and everywhere. On a long day, skipping the metro for a short cab ride costs very little and saves your legs.
Google Maps works well here, including live bus arrivals. Searching a place in English also shows you its Chinese name, which you can then show a driver.
Convenience stores are everywhere — 7-Eleven and FamilyMart, on nearly every block. Clean restrooms, hot drinks, seating, and a place to duck out of the rain.
Tipping isn't expected in restaurants, taxis, or anywhere else.
Opening hours, seasonal events, and exhibition schedules change. Check official sources before you build a day around any single item here.