Last updated August 13, 2026 · Editorial policy
Things to Do in Taipei, Taiwan: What Is Actually Worth Your Time
Quick answer: This is an honest look at Taipei, Taiwan: which popular attraction to think twice about, what to do with that time instead, and the spot most visitors never reach.
Plenty of Taipei guides push the same paid view, but the Taipei 101 observatory is the easiest thing to skip. The better move sits right behind it: the Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain) trail is a roughly 20-minute climb that costs nothing and puts the tower itself in your photo rather than hiding it under your feet. Go around an hour before sunset so you catch both the daytime skyline and the lights coming on.
The under-the-radar pick most visitors miss is Beitou, a short branch-line ride to Xinbeitou Station. Beitou Thermal Valley is free to walk, the public library is one of the quietest reading spots in the city, and you can soak in a public hot-spring bath for a few coins instead of booking a pricey hotel pool.
Two smart calls on food and money:
- Skip Shilin Night Market, which has drifted toward souvenir stalls, and ride the green line to Songshan Station Exit 5 for Raohe Street Night Market, a roughly 600-meter run of vendors beside the old Ciyou Temple, with several Michelin Bib Gourmand stalls.
- Load an EasyCard before you ride anything; transferring between the MRT and a city bus within an hour shaves about NT$8 off the bus fare, and the same card covers convenience stores.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
