Taipei

A vibrant blend of old and new

Taipei is Taiwan’s capital and a city where modern life meets centuries-old traditions. Skyscrapers rise beside temples, while night markets buzz with street food smells. The city sits near mountains and the ocean, giving residents easy access to nature. Public transport runs smoothly, making it simple to explore neighborhoods like Ximending or visit landmarks such as Taipei 101. Parks offer quiet spaces for locals and visitors alike. With a mix of bustling streets and peaceful retreats, Taipei provides everyday experiences that feel genuine and accessible to anyone who visits.

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City in Taiwan

$$$

$	Cheap
$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

See price details

Safety: 8.4

General Safety:	9
Health & medical:	9
Accessibility:	7
Tap water:	4

Read details

3/5

Younger locals and people in tourism-related businesses generally speak English. However, in markets and smaller establishments, communication may be more challenging.

Highlights Attractions Getting there Hotels Tips Travel costs Safety Articles

Last update: 12 Oct 2026

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Taipei Summary

These place ratings give you a quick overview of how well a destination matches different types of trips.

‘Best for’ scores:
The specific interest scores show where this place really shines – whether it's ideal for hiking, food & drink experiences, museums or other activities. These highlights help you understand what makes the destination special at a glance.

‘Your personal’ scores:
This reflects how well a place matches your personal preferences. You can adjust the importances of travel topics or other personal requirements categories in your account settings.

‘Suited for’ badges:
These give you a quick overview of how well a destination suits specific types of travellers, to help you find the places that match your lifestyle, preferences or travel situation.

Read how our scores work

Excellent for food culture and city attractions. Explore night markets, visit historic temples, ride scenic cable cars, hike nearby mountains and enjoy modern shopping districts.

Place score

9.0

Best at:

Large cities

Street food

Local cuisine

Tea

Museums

Personal score

Suited for

👶 8

Families

🧓 7

Seniors

🥗 10

Vegetarian

👩 9

Solo

Taiwan – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	110 V, 60 Hz Plug: Type A , Type B Type A: Type B: Read about power adapters
Currency:	New Taiwan Dollar (TWD) £1 ≈ NT$43.16
Cashless info:	Rating 5/5 Cashless payments are widely accepted in Taiwan, especially in major cities. The EasyCard (a stored-value card for public transport and convenience stores) and mobile payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are common. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is not expected in Taiwan, and it is not common to leave tips in restaurants, taxis, or hotels.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is allowed in Taiwan, but alcohol is typically consumed in licensed venues such as bars and restaurants.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited in indoor public spaces, but there are designated smoking areas outdoors.

Lunar New Year (date varies)	Celebrated with family gatherings and feasts
National Day (10 October)	Taiwan’s National Day

Emergency contact:	Emergency Numbers: 110 (Police), 119 (Fire, Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, Taiwan Taxi
Other:	Taiwan is known for its night markets, beautiful mountains, and vibrant cities. It is a popular destination for food lovers and nature enthusiasts.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Taipei, Taiwan

☁️

Jan

⛈️

Feb

⛈️

Mar

⛈️

Apr

⛈️

May

⛈️

Jun

🌦️

Jul

⛈️

Aug

⛈️

Sep

🌦️

Oct

☁️

Nov

☁️

Dec

High season:	April, Oct. - Dec.
Shoulder season:	Jan. - March, May, Sep.
Crowdedness:	6 (Many tourists)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

Typhoon season July to October, flights and outdoor sights can be disrupted for a day or two

Lunar New Year, late January to mid February: many shops and restaurants close and transport is very busy

Taipei Lantern Festival, early to mid February to early March, ends the New Year period with lantern displays

Don't miss

🏙️ Take in the skyline views from the Taipei 101 observatory
🍢 Wander through the bustling Shilin Night Market and try local snacks
♨️ Relax and soak in the Beitou hot springs
⛩️ Explore the vibrant temples of Longshan and Bao’an
🖼️ Admire the treasures at the National Palace Museum
🌇 Hike Elephant Mountain for the perfect sunset view of Taipei

You've been here?

Why travel to Taipei?

Taipei is a dream for food lovers with its famous night markets and incredible street food. It’s also a city of contrasts – where you can explore tranquil temples, hike lush mountains and dive into buzzing nightlife, all in one day. The friendly locals and efficient public transport make exploring the city a breeze.

🏙️Cities & Regions

1 Beitou
A lively district in northern Taipei known for its hot springs and vibrant night markets. The area features historic temples, scenic parks and bustling streets filled with local food vendors and cultural attractions.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
2 Huashan 1914 Creative Park
3 Longshan Temple
4 National Palace Museum
5 Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall
6 Taipei 101

🎡Places for activities

1 Hot springs creek
2 Maokong Gondola
3 Taipei Water Park
4 Taipei Zoo
5 Zhongzheng Road

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Beitou Thermal Valley
2 Elephant Mountain
3 Erziping Trail
4 Guandu Nature Park
5 Tamsui River
6 Yangmingshan National Park

🛍️Shopping

1 Breeze Center
2 Dihua street
3 Miramar Entertainment Park
4 Raohe Night Market
5 Shilin Market
6 SOGO Department Store
7 Taipei 101 MALL
8 Station Front Metro Mall
9 Ximending Commercial Area

🎈Events

Taipei Lantern Festival
Taipei International Book Exhibition
Dragon Boat Festival
Taipei Film Festival
New Year’s Eve at Taipei 101
Taipei Biennial
Taipei Arts Festival
Taipei Fringe Festival
Double Ten Day
Ghost Month Festivities

Explore on map

Open map view

Knowledge before you go

Base yourself near Ximending or Taipei Main Station for convenience.
Get an EasyCard for tap-on MRT and buses, then focus evenings on night markets like Shilin or Raohe.
Combine Taipei 101 and Elephant Mountain for daytime city views and a sunset skyline hike on the same day.
Plan at least one day trip, such as Jiufen or Beitou hot springs, to experience mountains, coastal views or onsen-style bathing.

How to travel to Taipei

Taipei is served by Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) for international flights and Songshan Airport (TSA) for regional flights. The Airport MRT connects Taoyuan Airport directly to the city center.

Access summary

From Taoyuan Airport (TPE): Airport MRT express to Taipei Main, about 35–40 minutes.
From Taichung: High-speed rail to Taipei HSR station, usually around 1 hour.
From Kaohsiung: Taiwan HSR north to Taipei, typically about 1.5–2 hours.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Taipei

Taipei offers a wide range of accommodations from budget hostels in Ximending to luxury hotels near Taipei 101. Hot spring resorts in Beitou are also a unique experience.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

Caesar Park Hotel Banqiao

9.2

Caesar Metro Taipei

8.7

Hotel Midtown Richardson

8.2

HOTEL CHAM CHAM - Taipei

9.1

Caesar Park Hotel

8.4

Cosmos Hotel Taipei Main Station

8.7

Taipei Garden Hotel

8.9

Hotel Metropolitan Premier Taipei

9.3

citizenM Taipei North Gate

9.0

Hotel PaPa Whale

8.4

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Taipei

Taipei's public transport is excellent. The MRT (metro) is clean, safe and covers most attractions. Buses and the YouBike bike-sharing system are also good options. Taxis are affordable but keep an address in Chinese handy.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-46 %

Daily expenses in Taipei are around 46% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend a lot less on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-11 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to TWD) is 11% better than in recent years. That means travelling now is cheaper compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£41	£95	£264
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£19	£53	£135
🍝 Food per day	£19	£39	£115
🚕 Transportation per day	£3	£4	£14

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£17
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£4.80
🍟 Fast food combo	£4.10
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£8
☕ Cappuccino	£2.80
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£2.30

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£0.60
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£8
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£0.75

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£7.50
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£26
🤧 Cold medication	£7
💇 Basic haircut	£12.50

Safety information overview

General safety

Taipei is considered very safe for tourists. Petty crime is rare, but as in any busy city, stay mindful of your belongings, especially in crowded markets.

Health & Medical

Medical facilities are of high quality, with many hospitals offering international services. Tap water is safe, but bottled water is recommended for tourists.

Accessibility

Taipei is relatively accessible, with many MRT stations, attractions and public spaces designed for wheelchair access. However, some older areas may be more challenging.

Tap water

Tap water is safe but not commonly drunk directly. Most locals boil or filter water at home. Public water dispensers are available in many parks and MRT stations.