No Taipei travel guide would be complete without mentioning Taipei 101. Once the tallest building in the world, this 508-meter bamboo-inspired skyscraper remains the defining symbol of modern Taipei. The high-speed elevator — one of the fastest in the world — whisks visitors to the indoor observation deck on the 89th floor in under 40 seconds.

The views from the top are genuinely spectacular, especially on clear days when the surrounding mountain ranges are visible. An outdoor observation deck on the 91st floor offers an even more dramatic vantage point. Inside the building, a massive tuned mass damper — an 800-ton gold sphere — is visible and serves as a crowd-pleasing engineering exhibit.

The surrounding Xinyi district is Taipei's most upscale shopping and entertainment zone, making Taipei 101 a natural starting point for exploring the neighborhood's restaurants, boutiques, and riverside parks.

Practical tip: Visiting on weekday mornings reduces crowds significantly. Sunset visits are popular for good reason — the city lights at dusk are particularly photogenic.

Founded in 1738, Longshan Temple in the Wanhua district is one of Taipei's oldest and most important religious sites. It serves as a place of active worship for followers of Buddhism, Taoism, and traditional Taiwanese folk religion — a reflection of Taiwan's uniquely syncretic spiritual culture.

The temple complex is architecturally stunning, featuring intricately carved stone pillars, ornate roof ridges adorned with ceramic figures, and a serene central courtyard where incense smoke drifts through shafts of natural light. Visitors are welcome at all hours, and the atmosphere — especially during evening prayer sessions — is deeply atmospheric.

Longshan Temple is not a museum piece. Devotees genuinely come here to pray, consult oracle blocks, and seek guidance from deities. Travelers interested in understanding authentic Taiwanese religious life will find it one of the most immersive cultural experiences in the city.

The surrounding Wanhua neighborhood, one of Taipei's oldest, offers additional historical interest. Huaxi Street Night Market is nearby, and the area along the riverside has been developed into pleasant parkland.

While technically located outside Taipei city limits (approximately one hour by bus), the hillside village of Jiufen is one of the most popular day trips from Taipei and deserves a prominent place in any Taipei travel guide for first-time visitors.

Jiufen rose to prominence during Taiwan's gold rush era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After decades of decline, it was rediscovered in the 1980s and has since become one of Taiwan's most photographed destinations. Its narrow stone stairways, red lantern-lit teahouses, and dramatic ocean views over the rugged northeast coast create an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Taiwan.

Many visitors draw comparisons to the animated film Spirited Away, and while the film's director Hayao Miyazaki has not officially confirmed Jiufen as an inspiration, the visual resemblance to certain scenes is undeniable and adds a layer of whimsy to the experience.

The best time to visit Jiufen is late afternoon, arriving before sunset and staying into the evening when the lanterns illuminate the hillside. Taro balls (芋圓), a local specialty, are a must-try snack available at numerous stalls along the main alley.

For many travelers, experiencing a Taiwanese night market ranks among the best things to do in Taipei — and Shilin Night Market is the largest and most famous of them all. Located in the Shilin district and easily accessible by MRT, Shilin draws both locals and tourists every evening with its seemingly endless stalls of street food, games, clothing, and accessories.

The underground food court houses dozens of vendors selling Taiwanese classics: stinky tofu (臭豆腐), oyster vermicelli (蚵仔麵線), grilled corn, scallion pancakes, and the market's most famous export — the enormous Shilin-style fried chicken cutlet (雞排), pounded thin and fried until golden.

Beyond the food, Shilin offers carnival-style games, affordable fashion, and a genuine slice of Taiwanese popular culture. The market typically runs from late afternoon until midnight, though food stalls begin shutting down around 11 PM.

Practical tip: Arrive hungry, wear comfortable shoes, and bring cash. Most stalls are cash-only, and ATMs are available near the MRT station entrance.

For travelers seeking outdoor activities in Taipei, Elephant Mountain — known locally as Xiangshan (象山) — offers one of the city's most rewarding and accessible hiking experiences. The trailhead is a short walk from Xiangshan MRT Station, and the main viewing platform can be reached in approximately 20 to 30 minutes of moderate hiking.

The reward at the top is a direct, unobstructed view of Taipei 101 framed by the surrounding cityscape — arguably the most iconic photograph taken in Taipei. The hike traverses large, smooth granite boulders and passes through dense subtropical forest, offering a genuine sense of escape from the urban environment below.

Elephant Mountain is particularly popular at sunset and at night, when the illuminated Taipei 101 and city lights create a dramatic scene. The trail is well-maintained and lit in sections, making evening hikes feasible for reasonably fit visitors.

For those seeking a longer walk, the Taipei Grand Trail connects Elephant Mountain to a broader network of mountain trails encircling the city.

No discussion of eating in Taipei is complete without mentioning Din Tai Fung, the restaurant that put Taiwanese soup dumplings (xiao long bao / 小籠包) on the world map. The original branch on Xinyi Road has earned a Michelin star and attracted decades of dedicated pilgrims.

Din Tai Fung's dumplings are extraordinary in their precision — each one contains exactly 18 folds and a measured amount of pork and gelatinized broth that melts into soup when steamed. Beyond the dumplings, the shrimp fried rice, steamed pork chops, and red bean dumplings are equally celebrated.

Lines at the original Xinyi Road location can be long, particularly on weekends. Arriving when the restaurant opens or visiting on a weekday afternoon significantly reduces wait times. Multiple branches exist throughout the city, including a large location in the basement of Taipei 101.

Yongkang Street and its surrounding alleyways in the Da'an district form what many food critics consider Taipei's most rewarding culinary neighborhood. Within a few blocks, visitors can find everything from the legendary beef noodle soup at Jin Feng (金峰), one of the city's most respected practitioners of this Taiwanese classic, to innovative modern cafes, Japanese ramen shops, and traditional shaved ice dessert parlors.

The neighborhood has a relaxed, tree-lined atmosphere quite different from the sensory intensity of the night markets. It is an ideal area for a leisurely afternoon of grazing, cafe-hopping, and exploring independent boutiques.