Taipei

At 508 metres, Taipei 101 held the title of world's tallest building from its 2004 opening until Dubai's Burj Khalifa surpassed it in 2010, and its distinctive segmented, pagoda-inspired design (nodding to traditional Chinese architecture while using a massive tuned mass damper to withstand typhoons and earthquakes) still dominates Taipei's skyline. The indoor observatory (89th floor) and outdoor deck (91st floor) offer panoramic city views, best on clear days or after sunset when the city lights spread out below. The surrounding Xinyi district has grown into Taipei's premier shopping and dining core — department stores, international boutiques, and a dense restaurant scene cluster within walking distance of the tower, alongside Taipei's World Trade Center convention facilities. New Year's Eve fireworks launched from Taipei 101 itself are one of the city's signature annual events, drawing huge crowds to the surrounding streets and parks.

Shilin Night Market, Taipei's largest and most famous, sprawls across a dense grid of alleys near Jiantan MRT station, with hundreds of stalls serving everything from oyster omelets and stinky tofu to grilled squid and bubble tea — arrive hungry and expect crowds, especially on weekends. Raohe Street Night Market, more compact and linear, is bookended by temple gates at both ends and carries a slightly more traditional, less tourist-heavy atmosphere, with a strong reputation for its braised pork rice and pepper buns baked in a tandoor-style oven. Ningxia Night Market, smaller still, leans heavily into classic Taiwanese comfort food and is often cited by locals as having the most authentic, least diluted lineup of any of Taipei's major markets. All three operate nightly and are reachable directly by MRT, making a multi-market night entirely feasible for a food-focused visit.

The National Palace Museum holds one of the world's most significant collections of Chinese art and imperial artifacts — jade, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings spanning thousands of years, much of it transported from Beijing's Forbidden City collection during the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The collection is large enough that even a focused visit benefits from targeting specific galleries (the Jadeite Cabbage and Meat-Shaped Stone are the most famous single pieces, and both draw crowds). Longshan Temple, in the older Wanhua district, offers a different register of history — a working Buddhist and Taoist temple since 1738, with dense, intricate roof carvings and courtyards filled with the smoke of incense burned by worshippers rather than a museum-piece stillness. The surrounding Wanhua streets carry some of Taipei's oldest surviving urban fabric, a useful contrast to Xinyi's glass towers a few MRT stops away.

Beitou, a short MRT ride north of central Taipei, sits atop a volcanic thermal valley that has supplied natural hot springs to the district for over a century — Japanese colonial-era bathhouses first developed the area into a resort town, and that heritage is still visible in Beitou's architecture. Thermal Valley (Dixiore), a steaming, sulfurous pool that feeds many of the district's spring sources, anchors a short walking loop past the Beitou Hot Spring Museum (a restored 1913 Japanese-era public bathhouse) and Plum Garden, a preserved Japanese-style villa. Both public bathhouses and private hotel spas operate throughout Beitou, ranging from simple public pools to higher-end resort facilities — a genuinely relaxing half-day or evening trip that feels distinctly removed from central Taipei despite being only 20-30 minutes away by MRT.

Elephant Mountain's hiking trail, accessible directly from Xiangshan MRT station (the end of the Xinyi line), climbs a short but genuinely steep set of stone steps to a viewpoint that delivers one of Taipei's best skyline photographs — Taipei 101 rising directly across from the summit, especially striking at sunset or after dark when the tower and surrounding city light up. The climb takes 20-40 minutes depending on pace and stops for photos. Ximending, on the opposite side of the city near the older Wanhua district, is Taipei's pedestrianized youth-culture hub — heavily influenced by Japanese street fashion and pop culture, with karaoke, arcades, street performers, and a dense concentration of trendy food stalls and boutiques. The contrast between Ximending's energetic youth-culture scene and Elephant Mountain's quiet nature trail captures something genuine about Taipei's range within a small geographic footprint.

Jiufen, a former gold-mining town in the hills above the northeast coast, has become one of Taiwan's most popular day trips for its narrow, lantern-lit stepped alleys and teahouses overlooking the sea — reachable by bus in about an hour, with the atmosphere at its most striking in early evening as the red lanterns illuminate against the fading light. Yehliu Geopark, further along the coast, protects a stretch of wind- and wave-eroded rock formations, most famously the mushroom-shaped “Queen's Head” formation, across an easily walkable coastal boardwalk. Wulai, south of Taipei in the mountains, combines its own hot springs with waterfalls and an aboriginal Atayal cultural heritage, reachable by bus in under an hour — a quieter, greener alternative to Beitou's more developed hot-spring district. All three are manageable as half-day or full-day trips from central Taipei without an overnight stay.

The Taipei MRT covers the city thoroughly, with English signage throughout, frequent trains, and the contactless EasyCard covering MRT, buses and even some convenience-store purchases — a single card is genuinely all most visitors need for getting around. Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), Taipei's main international gateway, sits about 40km from the city center and connects via a dedicated Airport MRT line running directly into the city in roughly 35-50 minutes. Convenience stores (7-Eleven and FamilyMart especially) are ubiquitous and useful well beyond snacks — ATMs, bill payment, ticket printing and parcel services all run through them. Tipping is not customary in Taiwan. The subtropical climate means hot, humid summers (June-August) and mild winters, with spring and autumn generally the most comfortable seasons for extensive walking and outdoor day trips.