It looks like there are many AI-generated posts these days, so I'm sharing a concise summary I put together.
I've organized it like a memo, making it easy to read at a glance. For restaurants, I've visited a mix of local hidden gems that I found myself. (See details below)
Share this with your friends before your trip!
Staying near Ximending is good. There's a lot of food. It's a tourist area, so it feels relatively safe.
- Pineapple cakes (Fengli酥)
- Nougat crackers
- Din Tai Fung
- Desserts at night markets
- Niu Rou Fan? Rice bowl topped with pork that's like braised pork knuckle
- Beef noodle soup
- Apple mangoes
- At Ximending: Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle's oyster vermicelli, Simi Restaurant's salmon sushi, Hot Star's large fried - - chicken cutlet (Ji Pai)
- Pan-fried tofu, oyster omelet, sausage, bubble tea (Zhenzhu Naicha), peanut ice cream, K.K. Orthodox Taste (Ke Kou Yuan), giant squid tempura,
- Tropical fruits
- Mango beer is really delicious~ If you like it, consider buying some as souvenirs.
- Mushrooms are good.
- <<Caution>>
Cilantro (Xiangcai), Stinky tofu (Chou Doufu).
<Itinerary & Things to Do>
- Taxi tour, Yehliu-Shifen-Jiufen (Yeshifenji) tour
- Taipei outskirts tour: Yehliu (Queen's Head Rock), Shifen (sky lantern release, fried rice in chicken wings), Jinguashi (touching gold, miner's bento box), Jiufen (night view photos)
- Shilin Night Market (Food court, shopping street, go in the evening) ***
- Xinbeitou (hot springs), Tamsui (sea, waves, good for taking photos) **
- National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (Changing of the guard ceremony, every hour until 5 PM) **
- Taipei 101 Observatory (night view, go in the evening, entrance fee around NT$500) ***
- Longshan Temple
- National Palace Museum *
- Huashan 1914 Creative Park (indie culture park) *
- Yongkang Street
- Ximending (like Myeongdong, safe until late at night)
- Elephant Mountain
- Uber taxi
- Delivery food available via Uber Eats (like Coupang Eats)
- Not much price gouging
- Bring an umbrella
- Use a Type A plug adapter (can often borrow from hotels), 3-prong
- Many places are closed on Mondays.
- Accommodation can often have poor soundproofing..., heating is central (can be cold).
- Large denomination bills can be easily broken at convenience stores.
- Small denomination coins are useful.
- Many places have Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi application available at information centers.
- Can buy a Chunghwa Telecom SIM card for unlimited 3G data for a small fee (cheap).
- Taiwanese people dislike mainland Chinese.
- Good areas for accommodation: Ximending, Zhongshan Station, Zhongxiao, Xinsheng.
- Airport to city: bus or taxi. There's also something like a subway.
- Taxi fare from Taoyuan Airport to the city is approximately KRW 50,000-60,000 one way.
- City transportation is mainly subway (MRT) (Use EasyCard (reloadable), check for support events before going).
- If possible, get an EasyCard for convenience — it allows transfers and can be purchased in advance via Klook, MyRealTrip, and similar platforms.
- Currency is New Taiwan Dollar (NTD). NT$1 is about KRW 40.
- Two airports: Songshan Airport is in the city, Taoyuan Airport is 1 hour away.
- English proficiency is not great. Knowing Chinese is a big plus.
- No eating or drinking allowed on the subway!! Big fines.
- Some hotels require a deposit upon check-in.
- The main MRT lines (red and blue) intersect at Taipei Main Station, which makes it easy to navigate.
- Prices are higher than expected, but still much cheaper than Korea.
- MRT single trip: NT$12-15
- Night market food: NT$10-30 (approx.)
- Very hot, frequent typhoons in summer, squally climate.
See up to here for a quick overview (the rest is more detailed information)
Day 1: Yehliu-Shifen-Jiufen Tour
Breakfast : Eat something quick, chicken wing fried rice and black pork sausage in between, coffee
Lunch: Coal mine bento box (pork ribs with rice)
Dinner: Snacks and various foods in Jiufen, then unlimited hot pot (Haggen-Dazs unlimited) - Mala Hot Pot (Xin Mala Hot Pot)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gkr7tKKy1KL4UsU87
Day 2: Beitou (Hot Spring Tour)
Breakfast: Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle, brown sugar milk tea, Ximending Rainbow Road (Rainbow Street)
Lunch: Local restaurant (see link below)
Dinner: San Xiong Mei (mango shaved ice, fruit shaved ice), then Banciao Night Market - oyster noodles (delicious), fried ribs
Day 3: National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei 101, Huashan 1914
Breakfast: Starbucks (hojicha latte), Yongkang Beef Noodles
Lunch: Drip coffee (good coffee), (ice cream noodles), Din Tai Fung (Taipei 101 branch)
Dinner:
The following is a detailed summary of the restaurants and itinerary I experienced.
First day: Yehliu-Shifen- Jinguashi- Jiufen our Taipei outskirts tour:
Yehliu (Queen's Head Rock), Shifen (sky lantern release, fried rice in chicken wings), Jinguashi (touching gold, miner's bento box), Jiufen (night view photos)
- This itinerary takes the whole day from early morning. It seems most people depart by bus from Ximending.
- Reservations can be made on sites like Klook and KKday, compare prices at the time. There are also private taxi tours, but taking the bus for Yeshifenji seems better.
1. Klook
2. KKday
3. MyRealTrip
- Personally, I highly recommend dedicating a day to this if you have enough time. Since it's mostly outdoor sightseeing, it's best to go on a day with good weather. (Consider the season, squally climate, frequent typhoons, bring an umbrella and raincoat)
- For your reference, you can buy nougat crackers etc. on this day. I bought all my souvenir snacks quickly at the red lantern street in Jiufen while eating.
I Will Recommend Cafe this posting
Ximending - Yehliu
Yehliu - A geological park located in Wanli District, New Taipei City, where you can see naturally formed rocks like mushroom rocks and the Queen's Head Rock.
(Amazing, but the Queen's Head Rock is getting thinner and could collapse at any time, tourists might accidentally break it...)
Shifen (Sky Lantern Release)
Shifen food: Chicken wing fried rice, black pork sausage
Shifen Waterfall
Shifen - A place with Shifen Waterfall and old coal mines. The usual course here is to release sky lanterns on the old railway tracks and eat chicken wings and other snacks. Depending on the tour, you might also visit a coal mine. (My wife and I didn't choose that option)
Cafe found in Shifen - https://maps.app.goo.gl/6ACew3exXuuGKTXU7?g_st=com.iwilab.KakaoTalk.Share
(Note that if you're on a tour, you'll have a tight schedule, so you'll need to release the lantern and walk back quickly)
(We were craving caffeine, so we quickly went and had some)
Jinguashi - Miner's Bento Box - Pretty Street
Jinguashi - An old mining town. We took many pictures because it was quite picturesque.
Honestly, the bento box wasn't that delicious... but we ate it as a souvenir.
If you want to eat something else, I usually search for good restaurants on Google Maps beforehand. I haven't been here, but it seems like a decent alternative... Reviews say food can be slow when it's crowded, so consider the situation.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/s6Hy7k4eHTEmNJBo9?g_st=com.iwilab.KakaoTalk.Share
Jiufen - Lots of food. It's like a night market. Crowded like Gwangjang Market. Various street foods are available. It's the last stop for sightseeing.
Buy souvenirs and snacks while eating at the lines. (We bought all our nougat crackers here)
- Also called the Spirited Away town (but the creator supposedly denies it)
- It gets crowded, so stick close to your companions.
- It's crowded, so manage your time well to get back on schedule.
- A-Mei Tea House
- Shrimp wontons
- Fish ball soup (Yuan Bo Zai)
- Fish ball soup (Zhang Ji Traditional Fish Ball)
- Old Window Oceanview Restaurant (good view)
- Has stinky tofu
- Jiufen Tea House
- Peanut ice cream
- Nougat crackers (several shops, went with the guide's recommendation)
- Grilled king oyster mushrooms (delicious)
- Oolong tea (I like tea, so I enjoyed it)
There's a long staircase with red lanterns in the middle, probably Shuqi Road.
<Dinner - Ximending>
After returning, we had dinner at Mala Hot Pot (Xin Mala Hot Pot) in Ximending.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gkr7tKKy1KL4UsU87
New Mala Hot Pot Kunming Branch · 108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, Kunming St, 37號2F
★★★★★ · Hot pot restaurant
Second day: Self-Guided Tour (Beitou)
- Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle (oyster vermicelli)
- Xing Fu Tang (brown sugar bubble tea)
(They are very close to each other, so we each stood in line to order and ate at one of the few seats available at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle)
(Note that if there are no seats, everyone eats standing nearby)
Review: Not bad for breakfast. It's oyster vermicelli, might be hit or miss depending on personal preference. It's thick, so it feels a bit like rice porridge? My wife and I enjoyed it.
Brown sugar milk tea is just that flavor.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qqvLhqDTbr85CpR47
Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle · No. 8-1號, Emei St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
★★★★☆ · Noodle shop
https://maps.app.goo.gl/roJvYMqFZ5eAybWu5
Xing Fu Tang Flagship · No. 101號, Hanzhong St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
★★★★★ · Bubble tea store
Photo Spot) Rainbow Street (Rainbow Road, Rainbow Crosswalk?)
Afterwards, we took the bus using our EasyCard.
We went to a local Korean church in Taipei since we are Christians. It's located near Zhongshan District - Zhuyuan.
Found a pretty mailbox on the way.
Taiwan's cities were cleaner than expected, and transportation was decent.
We then moved to Beitou for our hot spring tour.
Taiwanese? Chinese?
Lunch at a Beitou local Foodie Faves (really delicious) - I can't read the name accurately, so I'll just leave the location. (My wife complimented me) If you like Chinese food, you'll probably like it.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/TzZyWnHD4UKGMKoX9
喬園海鮮料理餐廳 · No. 512號, Daye Rd, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan 112
★★★★☆ · Seafood restaurant
Other places I found (Beitou):
(Cafe)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/knRdaX3PErGjtWsz7
高記茶莊 · No. 54號, Lane 25, Qingjiang Rd, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan 112
★★★★☆ · Ice cream and drink shop
Beef Noodles
https://maps.app.goo.gl/n3J4zfSBWRT1V69D6
Zhiming Beef Noodles (Beitou Main Branch) · 112, Taiwan, Taipei City, Beitou District, 中央北路一段228巷3號
★★★★☆ · Chinese noodle restaurant
(Places to go in Beitou)
Free public foot bath
https://maps.app.goo.gl/jCPfdz2CdbNYtanD9
Fuxing Hot Foot Spa · Zhonghe St, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan 112
★★★★☆ · Tourist attraction
Beitou Park
https://maps.app.goo.gl/i6TK45GC9pwVzSy38
Beitou Park · 112, Taiwan, Taipei City, Beitou District, Guangming Rd, 中山路
★★★★☆ · City park
Thermal Valley
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xUsdWw3eb6YntybE8
Thermal Valley · 112, Taiwan, Taipei City, Beitou District, Zhongshan Rd, 30號之10
★★★★☆ · Tourist attraction
Beitou Hot Spring Museum
https://maps.app.goo.gl/sfcYSVwgEfhChYy47
Beitou Hot Spring Museum · No. 2, Zhongshan Rd, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan 112
★★★★★ · Local history museum
So, the hot spring we went to was a hotel hot spring. (You can enjoy the hot spring water privately inside the hotel.)
Spring City Resort (check the internet for details)
My wife and I weren't particularly interested in the swimming facilities, so we found out about the private spaces.
Opening the door, you're immediately in front of a bathtub... it's a somewhat unusual experience.
We went without a reservation and were anxiously hoping for a spot.
While waiting, we walked to the nearby Thermal Valley.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ggjsuT15NitiZnwdA
Spring City Resort · No. 18號, Youya Rd, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan 112
★★★★☆ · Hotel
If you want to use separate baths for men and women for a reasonable price, Long Nice Hot Spring is also famous.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7Wz7D8J8ECjx6jFD9
Long Nice Hot Spring · No. 244, Guangming Rd, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan 112
★★★★☆ · Public bath
Taipei Main Station, luggage storage
(Taipei Main Station Luggage Storage)
We needed a place to store our luggage in between, so we used the luggage storage facility.
It's near Taipei Main Station.
You need to time it well. (I remember arriving just in time and being anxious)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/sr2MdM28zASME3Qx8
台鐵台北車站行李託運中心 · Beiping W Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
★★★★☆ · Shipping service
Banciao Night Market - Various snacks like large fried chicken cutlet (Ji Pai), fruit drinks, fried ribs, etc.
Oyster Noodles (this was delicious) - ***Local Tasty store
Stopped by Carrefour (supermarket) on the way back to try local beef instant noodles.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tkx2xegGKMpoJ9jy6
YuanQing Oyster · 220, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Banqiao District, Lane 29, Nanya E Rd, 2弄1號
★★★★☆ · Deli
Third day: Self-Guided Tour (Main City Tour)
From the third day, we stayed near Banciao Station. There's a real hidden gem Foodie Faves here (in the late-night food section).
First, coffee at Starbucks to try the hojicha latte, which is only available in Taiwan and Japan.Yongkang Beef Noodles - You have to queue. (Honestly, I remember it being quite greasy - not as good as expected).
As a coffee lover, I found a real drip coffee Foodie Faves (Taiwan has quite a few famous baristas).
Wow, this is how you brew drip coffee.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WX4qs3hB9JbRc8EK8
SODA by coffeeflair · 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District, Lane 86, Section 2, Xinyi Rd, 25號1樓
★★★★★ · Cafe
A size that defies perspective...
It's grand and well-built. If you go at the right time, you can see the performance-like changing of the guard ceremony, which we happened to catch. There was also an event with the Premier on the day we visited. It has a vast plaza, perfect for large events.
I remember there being a restaurant inside, but it was crowded and not great, so we quickly looked around and left. It's a tiring course on your feet.
<Taipei 101>
First, you need to make a reservation for Din Tai Fung. The queue is enormous. Then quickly go up to the observatory. We always seem to get foggy views from observatories, and this time was no different.
We ate a tofu pudding up there and came down (just a taste to try).
Note that you shouldn't just go straight down. Move to the lower or upper floor to see how the counterweight moves to dampen the building's shaking.
Din Tai Fung - Would be great if there wasn't a queue. It's expensive but delicious. Honestly, we could have eaten more, but we stopped when we were comfortably full.
Here's a photo spot for Taipei 101:
- Go out the main entrance.
- Find the "Love" sculpture.
- There's a parking lot across the street, go there to take the picture.
<Huashan 1914 Creative Park (Youth Area)>
Pop-up stores,
Art exhibitions,
There's a theater.
Returned to the hotel near Banciao Station.
A truly favorite, Real Foodie Restrant: a local skewer restaurant.
Didn't see any other Koreans, it was full of foreigners.
It operates relatively late in the local area.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JVxWj8dF9nsMTQBM6
品都串燒攤 板橋 · No. 63-1號, Guanqian E Rd, Banqiao District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 220
★★★★☆ · Grill
Fourth day: Self-Guided Tour (Going Home Day)
Near Banciao Station
Local breakfast spot.
We asked the hotel staff for directions.
It felt very local.
The drink was called Dou Jiang? (black bean soy milk). A local drink?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HScWKmyRx3SgevFF7
Moli Breakfast Restaurant · No. 144號, Section 1, Zhongshan Rd, Banqiao District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 22065
★★★★☆ · Brunch restaurant
<Ice Cream House, Hidden gem, before going to the airport>
I don't know if it's still there, but it was a place people lined up for.
My wife insisted we try it, and it was surprisingly delicious. I was like, "Oh wow?"
The purple one was grape flavor, I think, and it was good.
"Then, we leave for the airport."
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