A trip in Taipei was really a memorable experience in our lifetime. We have has a satisfied trip ever in this amazing city. We can't wait to come back again. This is our Taipei trip report, hopefully it will be useful for you.
- Date of Tour : 4/3– 4/10/ 2015
- Day spent: 7 days
- No of travelers: 4 adults (friends)
- Estimated cost: $830 per person including returned flight
- Number of places visited: places
- Number of cities visited: 02 (Taipei, Hualien)
- Airline: Jetstar
- Plan link: https://www.justgola.com/plan/a-wonderful-trip-to-taipei-16593
Photo By Alexander Synaptic
1. Where We’ve Been
Day 1: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, CityInn Hotel, Din Tai Fung Dumpling House, Smoothie House, Little Three (小三美日), National Palace Museum, San Hsi Tang Teahouse
Photo By Brady Montz
Day 2 : Hualien City
Photo By Aude
Day 3: Cosmos Hotel Taipei, Grand View Resort Beitou, Taipei 101, Shin Yeh 101, SOGO (Fuxing)
Photo By David Villa
Day 4: Cosmos Hotel Taipei, Ruifang District, Jiufen Old Street, Pingxi, Shifen Old Street, Shifen Waterfall.
Photo By Justgola
Day 5: Cosmos Hotel Taipei, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Photo By 0625tracy
2. Top Favorite Places and Activities
These are the highlights ofour the trip. We would recommend them to you!
Din Tai Fung Dumpling House
Little Three (小三美日)
National Palace Museum
Grand View Resort Beitou
Taipei 101
Shin Yeh 101
Ruifang District
Jiufen Old Street
Pingxi
Shifen Old Street
3. Transport in Taipei- Cost of Transports
MRT
Photo By Meow
Transport in Taipei is very easy and convenient. We traveled around Taipei mostly by MRT. It’s the fast and cheap way to use. They linked well with many attractions. We could get to almost of Taipei attractions using MRT without any trouble.
You can find auto ticketing machines at all MRT stations, providing ticketing services. Single-journey ticket prices range from NT$20 to NT$65 depending on travel distance.
You can buy an NT$150 one-day pass purchased from A service booth which allows unlimited travels on all MRT lines within one day.
Taxi
We sometimes used taxi during our trip here. Taipei Taxis are nothing special - like anywhere else, they are mostly yellow. Taxis in Taiwan are very cheap by international standards, and traveling across Taipei City won't be much more than NT$250 (around US$8).
There is no tipping for taxis in Taiwan or Taipei, but if you're generous nobody will refuse your money.
Walking
Photo By Tiffany
Walking was our favorite way to explore many Taipei Old Streets. The only thing to keep in mind is that many smaller streets and alleys in Taipei have small to non-existent sidewalks, and scooters and cars still blast through regardless. Therefore, you should be careful.
4. WHERE TO NEXT?
These are other must visit places in Taipei and Taipei’s remote areas.
Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area
The Northeast Coast National Scenic Area is located in the northeast corner of Taiwan, stretching 102.5 kilometers from Nanya District in New Taipei City
Longdong Bay
Long Cave (Longdong) is the largest bay on the Northeast Coast. It is favored with clear water and abundant marine life, including large numbers of colorful tropical fish
Beitou Thermal Valley
The Beitou Thermal Valley or Geothermal Valley（地熱谷) is a volcanic crater filled with the steaming natural sulfuric hot spring water.
Alishan National Scenic Area
Alishan is an ideal suggestion for all tourist to take a stroll around Taipei and fully enjoy the relaxing atmosphere on this picturesque mountain.
New Jin Mountain (Jinshan) Beach
Jinshan (金山鄉) is a 40 minute scooter ride over Yaming Mountain. There are two beaches in Jinshan: The surf beach lies West of Jinshan
5. Tips On Travel In Taipei
Customs and etiquette
You should avoid pointing at cemeteries or mausoleums and don’t forget to remove shoes before entering temples and shrines.
People use chopsticks for noodles and spoon for rice dishes and tea is served throughout a meal. Tipping is not needed in Taipei outside of swanky restaurants. Some restaurants may already add a service charge in your bills.
Money
The New Taiwan dollar (TWD, NT$) is the currency in Taiwan. It's best to have some cash on hand and cards when visiting Taipei as many places won't accept credit cards.
ATMs are in abundance and can be found out easily
You should keep in mind that Taipei is super-expensive for hotels and fine dining. It’s among one of Asia's most expensive cities
Weather
Photo By Akito Lin
Taiwan city is hot and humid for most of the year. Dry season is from November to February when temperatures hover around the 20s (°C). February through April is also not too bad but summers here are uncomfortably hot and muggy.
The typhoon season is from June to October. August and September are the most likely months for extreme wet and windy weather.
Use the MRT to travel around Taipei
The Taipei metro is easy to use, it's cheap and fast. It can take you near most major attraction in the city. You can take a free Taipei MRT map at Taoyuan Airport.
Save money on food
Photo By Lian Chang
Restaurant in Taipei is very expensive. If you want to save some money, don’t add them to your plan. Taipei is a heaven of food which lots of stalls along many streets where you can find every cheap but really good food
Taipei has very many Night markets which are packed with cheap snacks. The food court in the Taipei 101 building is also a great option to sample cheap high-quality food.
Avoid the crowds
Avoiding the crowds is the best way to stay safe in this bustle city. You should avoid huge groups of tourists at the main sights in Taipei by visit them during the week day or in the morning. If you can manage not to go there in holiday and weekends, it’s best.
Don't get wet!
Photo By Alexander Synaptic
Due to its location is surrounded by mountains and near the ocean, Taipei has rainfall every week. You can’t get when it rains at any time on a day. Therefore, you should always bring an umbrella or a rain coat in case you need it.
Stay safe on the road
Photo By Jorge Gonzalez
People in Taipei ride their scooters like maniacs. Thus, you have to be very carefully before crossing the street, even if the light is green.
You don’t walk around with loud music on your ears, always pay attention to the traffic.
Book your plane ticket in advance
You should book your plane ticket in advance, don’t wait until the last minutes .You might not need a visa to visit Taipei. You can enter Taiwan on a free 30-day or 90-day visa-exempt permit. You get this permit at Taoyuan International Airport.
Take the bus from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
You don’t need to take a taxi at 1000NT$ to get to Taipei City from Taoyuan International Airport. To save more money, you can take a bus instead. Buses leave for Taipei every 30 minutes and only cost 150NT$.
Travel Fast
If you want to travel to other parts and remote areas of Taipei, you can take the fast train (HSR). The High Speed Rail can take you to Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan, and
Kaohsiung at much faster speedrather than the normal train or bus.
Emergency Telephone Number
- Police :110 Crimes, traffic accidents, and other incidents for which police assistance is needed
- Fire : 119 Fire, injury or accident, or other urgent matters for which emergency relief is needed
- Women and Children Protection
- Hotline : 113 24-hour emergency, legal information, and psychological services for victims of domestic violence and/or sexual abuse/attack
- Scam Watch : 165 Reporting fraud/Free consultation for fraud victims
6. Cost of Accommodation
CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III
Photo By cityinn.com
CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III was our choice inTaipei for 1 night before going to HuaLien City.
Review:
- It’s has fantastic location and walking distance from the Taipei main train/bus station and also the Zhongshan Station.
- Apart from the food and location, two thumbs up for every staff there. Theywere so attentive.Staff was warm and friendly, helpful with any advice we required.
- Despite the relatively small size of the room, we were generally pleased with the level of cleanliness, its simple and modern design as well as the amenities provided.
- Price range from $45- $162 depend on the standard of the rooms.
Cosmos Hotel Taipei
Photo By cosmoshotel
On day 3, after coming back Taipei from Hualien, we stayed at Cosmos hotel. The main reason for the choice of Cosmos Hotel Taipei was its incredible location.
Review:
- Compared to the CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III , Cosmos Hotel Taipei was so much more convenient.
- Cosmos Hotel Taipei was located mere steps away from the M3 entrance to the Taipei Main Station
- There were many shops and small eateries so you can have late night dinner or snack.
- Cosmos Hotel Taipei is linked to Taipei Train Station via an underground tunnel, which has many shops too! It is also accessible from the ground level.
- The staff was very helpful, they help us to find a box for all our shopping to be ship back to our country.
- Price range from $96- $157 depend on the standard of rooms
7. Food In Taipei
Photo By Rue216
Taiwan is a city that never sleeps with many bustle night markets offering a wide variety of foods. It’s really a foody heaven. If you don’t have much time to explore many night markets which are the most popular food places in Taipei, Ding Tai Fung and some café shop is your safe choice as they are among the most famous restaurantsin the world.
We had great eating experience in Din Tai Fung Dumpling House which has many branches in Taipei. We prefer the one in Yong Kang Street. Coming here, one thing you absolutely cannot miss is their Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) and steamed chicken soup is also a must try
People wandering on Yang Kang street area never missSmoothie House as the place serves the best mango shaved ice, a very popular food in Taipei.
Jiufen Old Street is where you can find many café shops and restaurants offering lots of Taipei specialties.
These are some specialties that must be tried in Taipei
1. Egg pancakes (danbien | 蛋餅)
It’s a flour crepe made with a thin layer of beaten egg, and sprinkled with chopped green onions. All are rolled up nicely. For more tastes, additional meats can be added.
Photo by Norio NAKAYAMA
Where to eat:
- Add: no.1,6alley,yongkang street, taipei, taiwan
2. Pork belly rice (lurou fan | 滷肉飯)
Pork belly rice is rounded out with pickled mustard greens and a braised egg. You can add a bit chili sauce then mix them together. The pork belly rice can be found in almost taiwanese street markets.
Photo by insatiablemunch
Where to eat:
- Add: jinfeng braised meat rice, no. 10, section 1, rooseveltrd, zhongzheng district taipei city, taiwan 100
3. Taiwanese sausage (xiangchang | 香腸)
If you want to eat like locals and with locals, you can gobble it up with raw garlic bites on the side. The sweetiness and fattiness of sausage go perfectly with garlic, which will satisfy your stomach!
Photo by Matt_Weibo
You can find a sausage stand in many night markets in taipei.
4. Guabao (割包)
Guabao is a taiwanese snack food consisting of a slice of stewed meat and other condiments sandwiched between flat steamed bread. The traditional filling for guabao is a slice of red-cooked porkbelly, typically dressed with pickled mustard, cilantro, and ground peanuts.
Photo by insatiablemunch
Where to eat
The food can be found at most night markets, but 藍家割包 (lanjia guar bao) at roosevelt road in zhongzen district claimed to make the best one.
5. Stinky tofu (chou do fu | 臭豆腐 )
Photo by Diana Tsang
The famous stink is a result of fermentation of the tofu, but don’t worry, it’s much better than it tastes (or looks). Stinky tofu made from fermented milk, vegetables, and meat; the brine can also includes dried shrimp, amaranth greens, mustard greens, bamboo shoots, and chinese herbs.
6. Pork blood cake (zhuxuegao | 豬血糕)
Pork blood cake is the combination between sticky rice and pork blood. The rice is drenched in pig blood, steamed, bathed in a pork soy broth and rolled with peanut flour. Cilantro is put on top of this cake.
Photo by Ruocaled
Where to eat:
- Add: no. 3, alley 8, lane 316, section 3, roosevelt road, taipei city
You can explore more about 27 must try foods and where to eat in Taipei at this site: https://www.justgola.com/blog/top-27-must-try-food-in-taipei_1-86#
8. Shopping In Taipei
Little Three
Little Three is great shopping place for girls as they offer a lot of beauty products, especially it’s a shopping haven for any woman who is serious about beauty and skincare.
We had a wonderful time browsing through the products. Most of the brands and packaging were in Chinese which makes it difficult for us to read.
The only advantage of purchasing it here at Little Three is that they sell it loose by per sheet as well.
We highly recommend the Sake Yeast Mask which we think very good product for our skin beauty.
Taipei 101
Photo By Jiang
We visited Taipei 101 as it’s one of the most luxurious shopping center in Taipei. We had comfortable shopping time at this place.
The place is quite big, you should know its structure to shop more easily and conveniently
B1 Food court and individual shops
1F World class boutiques
2F Sky-bridge to other shopping mall and more boutiques
3F Luxurious shops from around the world
4F Over 500 square meters interior space with restaurants and café
5F Financial, digital products and banquet service with the elevator that goes to up to the 101 observatory
Jiufen Old Street
Photo By Dienoon
Jiufen Old Street is a eating and shopping center in Taipei. Jiufen is a wonderful place to shop for food souvenirs - there is a great selection of pineapple tarts, mochi, puddings and confectionery.
Shi Cheng Tao Di shop on the street was hard to miss with its crowds of tourists and we supposed is one of the most famous shops in Jiufen.
There were so many shops selling different small things as gifts that was so interesting to see.
Other shopping places in Taipei
Qingguang Market
The Qingguang (Sunlight) Market, located in the area bordering Zhongshan North Road and Nongan Street of the Zhongshan District in Taipei is well known for local delicacies and snacks, fashion boutiques, a night market
Shuanglian Market
A local Chinese market. A must to see! You can buy anything from fresh food to clothing, flowers etc. Or just walk around and have a look.
Linjiang Street (Tonghua) Night Market
Linjiang Street Night Market is located in a residential area of Da-an District. The market opened about eight years ago and today is populated with nearly 200 stalls
Taipei City Mall (Taipei Underground Market)
Opened in 2000, this underground mall links the Taipei Main Station with other transportation systems, bringing a steady stream of commuters to the stores here. Various events a
Ximending Night Market
Ximending Night Market is about 7 kilometers west of the Taipei 101 on MRT Line (Bannan Line).
Gongguan Shopping Area
Gongguan Shopping Area is one of the busiest shopping streets in Taiwan. This spot has all you need for an amazing shopping day.
9. Top 5 Must Do In Taipei
1. Visiting Jiu Fen old street-the Santorini of Taiwan
The old street was very beautiful and peaceful. There were all old wooden houses along the street together with sightsee of mountains and ocean in the distance.
We wandered around the old streets, enjoyed the fresh air and relaxed in tea or coffee shops or many traditional places
It’s also a great place to sample the typical street food such as: egg pudding sold right at Jiu Fen bus station, fishballnoddles soup, Ah Ma Orh Yi-a taro ball sweet soup and pancake with the filling of ice cream.
Jiufen Old Street
Jiufen, also spelled Jiufen or Chiufen, is a mountain area in the Ruifang District of New Taipei City near Keelung, Taiwan.
2. Taipei 101
We added this place to our list as it’s one of the most famous places that people never miss when coming to Taipei.
We had great fun experience at this amazing building tower. We did some shopping, tried some food and watched the best view of the city from above. It’s perfect!
The MRT station was so near from the foot of Taipei 101. It was a good point for tourists to move around easily.
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 (formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center), a landmark supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District became the tallest and largest green building in the world in 2011.
3. Release sky lantern at Shi Fen Old Street
Shi Fen Old Street is a very peaceful and romantic place. We went there to experience the most famous activity that people never miss which is sky lantern release. And the experience was amazing.
These lanterns are made of bamboo sticks and oil paper with many different colors which means different meanings of wishes.
You can buy lanterns at any souvenir shop on the old street then write down you wishes on it and together with your beloved, friends or family members release the lantern fly up to the sky.
Apart from the sky lantern, do forget to walk around this place to catch some unique old corners that only exist in Shi Fen.
Shifen Old Street
Shifen Old Street is a very famous tourist attraction where visitors go to release sky lanterns with wishlist written on it as they believe that they will make their dreams come true
4. Visit Shilin night market
Shilin is Taipei’s largest and best-known night market in Shilin district with the convenience of an MRT Station nearby.
The market is now a very popular attraction of all tourists to Taipei where you can sample many interesting street foods and get some gift to bring home
Shilin Night market
The Shilin Night Market is one of the well-organized and most popular night markets. It is separated into two major sections. One sector covers the streets surro
5. Beitou Geothermal valley
Beitou Geothermal valley is a must visit place in Taipei. This is famous for the hot springs that have the temperature of the water can be up to 100 Celsius. The amazing temperature of water here makes tourists entering the Xinbeitou park feel as they are going to a fairy land.
You can know more about top things to do in Taipei at this site: https://www.justgola.com/blog/top-10-things-to-do-in-taipei_1-113
10. Itinerary
DAY 1 - ITINERARY 7 places
Day 1: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, CityInn Hotel, Din Tai Fung Dumpling House, Smoothie House, Little Three (小三美日), National Palace Museum, San Hsi Tang Teahouse
05:30 Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
No. 9, Hangzhan S Rd, Dayuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan 33758
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Traditional: 台灣桃園國際機場 or 臺灣桃園國際機場; common pinyin: Taiwan Taoyuan GuojiJichǎng), previously known as the International Airport shek.
- A pair of return "FLY" tickets to Taipei costs us SGD $254.56 per person
- Light Meals are also available as a combo set (SGD $15).
- Hot Set Meals cost SGD $18 and includes Coke/ Green Tea
- We arrive at 桃園國際機場 Terminal 1, then we took Kuo Kwang (國光客運) 1819 Bus to Taipei Train Station
- We reached Reach Taipei Train Station (台北火車站) and found our hotel
- The air port provides free wifi
- Take a bus/train to CityInn Hotel 40 mins41.59 km
07:45 CityInn Hotel
No. 81, Chang'an West Road, Datong District
CityInn Hotel is located at No. 81, Chang'an West Road, Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan
- The hotel is closed to Taipei Train Station (台北火車站)
- Note that CityInn Hotel has 2 other branches near Taipei Train Station (台北火車站), i.e. City Inn Hotel I and II.
- CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III is supposedly the latest in their Taipei Train Station (台北火車站) chain of hotels
- City Inn Hotel is also available at Ximenting (Taipei) and Tai Chung Station (台中车站).
- The hotel staff were always friendly and quick to volunteer information when asked.
- Although it is called a hotel, it feels much more like a well-kept motel instead.
- The CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III is located near many shops, cafes and amenities, which is very convenient.
- Take a bus/train to Din Tai Fung Dumpling House 15 mins8.21 km
09:00 Din Tai Fung Dumpling House
台北101購物中心 Din Tai Fung, Shifu Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Photo by Kevin Ly
Din Tai Fung Dumpling House offers Taipei's best Shanghai-style dumpling. The New York Times once called it one of the 10 best restaurants in the world
- We took a metro to Dongmen Station (東門捷運站) to get to Din Tai Fung. From the station, take exit 5 to go to Yong Kang Street. Once we come out from the station via the escalator, Din Tai Fung is somewhere right in front
- There are lots of Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐) outlets in Taipei - there’s one at the iconic Taipei 101 as well
- We were interested in was at Yong Kang Street
- At Din Tai Fung, the one thing you absolutely cannot miss is their Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings).
Note that the xiao long bao comes in 2 sizes - basket of 5 or basket of 10.
- Xiao Long Bao comes with an instruction manual (in English translation as well) on how to tackle that piping hot bundle of soup.
- House steamed chicken soup (NT200 = SGD$8.70) also is a must try
- You can buy some gifts there
- Take a bus/train to Smoothie House 15 mins4.91 km
11:00 Smoothie House 4.0 United States Dollar (USD)
No. 15, Yongkang St, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Smoothie Housse is an original Mango Snowflake Ice Shop on YongKang Street!
One of those must try food (other than Din Tai Fung) in Taipei is mango shaved ice in Smoothy House
- Smoothie House is unmistakable even from a distance. It actually has two sections - an open air cafe at ground level, and one at an upper floor, but which only opens at 11am.
- Its a must-try if you are on Yong Kang Street.
- Shaved ice, so finely created that it melts in your mouth, topped with mango sorbet, mango syrup and fresh mango, is a must try
- Walk to Little Three (小三美日) 0.01 km
12:15 Little Three (小三美日) 5.0 United States Dollar (USD)
Yong Kang Street Taipei, Taiwan
- Little Three (小三美日) ) is the place where the local Taiwanese pick up their beauty products.
- Little Three (小三美日) is the place where the local Taiwanese shop for beauty products
- The outlet at Yong Kang Street opens only at 11am
- Little Three (小三美日) is a shopping haven for any woman who is serious about beauty and skincare.
- Take a bus/train to National Palace Museum 35 mins15.33 km
14:00 National Palace Museum 31.0 United States Dollar (USD)
National Palace Museum
This extraordinary collection of historic art treasures, fascinating for its depth and breadth, has miraculously escaped destruction over hundreds of years. Some pieces date back to the tenth century.
- We took a metro to Shilin Station (士林捷運站) to visit this place
- Take bus RED 30 to National Palace Museum (国立故宫博物院)
- The official directions to the National Palace Museum (故宫博物院): Exit Shilin Station (士林捷運站) from Exit 1, and take one of the following buses - Red 30, 304, 255, or 815.
- There are lots of shops, small cafes and restaurants lining both sides of Exit 1.
- Photography was not allowed in the National Palace Museum
- Pickup a taxi to San Hsi Tang Teahouse 0.41 km
16:00 San Hsi Tang Teahouse 4.0 United States Dollar (USD)
4th Floor, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
Sanxitang Teahouse (三希堂) is a contemporary tea house located on the 4th floor of a prominent Taipei tourist attraction, the National Palace Museum
- Food is so-so though although the environment is quite pleasant.
- San-hsi-tang (三希堂) is a good place to rest your tired body and feet when you are at the National Palace Museum.
- At the top floor of the National Palace Museum is a teahouse restaurant called San-hsi-tang (三希堂),
- If you have a seat near the windows, you will be able to enjoy panoramic views of the surroundings.
DAY 2 - ITINERARY1 place
Day 2 : Hualien City
08:00 Hualien City
Photo by tonykuoli
Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan 970, Taipei
- Hualien (花蓮, Huālián) is eastern Taiwan's second largest city and one of the more pleasant small towns in Taiwan.
- Check-out CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III (新驛旅店)
- Taroko Gorge (太魯閣國家公園) 1 Day Tour: Qingshui Cliff (清水斷崖) - Shakadang Trail (砂卡礑步道) + Lunch - Eternal Spring Shrine (長春寺) - Swallow Grotto (燕子口) - Buluowan Recreation Area (布洛灣) - Seven Stars Lake (七星潭)
- Cab Pick up at Hualien Train Station (花蓮車站)
- Board Puyuma (普悠瑪號) 408 Train to Hualien
- Visit ZiQiang Night Market (自强夜市)
- Check in Hotel Bayview Hualien (七星潭渡假飯店)
- Visit Jin San Jiao Shopping Area (金三角商圈鬧)
DAY 3 - ITINERARY5 places
Day 3: Cosmos Hotel Taipei, Grand View Resort Beitou, Taipei 101, Shin Yeh 101, SOGO (Fuxing)
11:00 Cosmos Hotel Taipei
No. 43, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Zhongzheng District
台北天成大飯店Cosmos Hotel Taipei is located at No. 43, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan
- From Hualien, we got to Taipei Main Station and checked in Cosmos Hotel (台北天成大飯店)
- Cosmos Hotel Taipei is located mere steps away from the M3 entrance to the Taipei Main Station (台北車站).
- Shun Chen Bakery (順成蛋糕), famous for its pineapple tarts.
- The main reason for the choice of Cosmos Hotel Taipei was its incredible location.
- Lining the way from the train station exit to the Cosmos Hotel Taipei are shops and small eateries - no problem for a late night dinner or snack.
- Across the street from Cosmos Hotel Taipei is the famous Hong Kong dim sum restaurant Tim Ho Wan.
- Staff at Cosmos Hotel Taipei are however quick and efficient and the queue clears after a short time.
- Cosmos Hotel Taipei is linked to Taipei Train Station via an underground tunnel, which has many shops too
- They gave us a gift to welcome us to the hotel
- Take a bus/train to 北投麗禧溫泉酒店 Grand View Resort Beitou 30 mins13.94 km
12:30 北投麗禧溫泉酒店 Grand View Resort Beitou
No. 30, Youya Road, Beitou District
北投麗禧溫泉酒店 Grand View Resort Beitou is located at No. 30, Youya Road, Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan
- Priced at NT2300 (approximately SGD $100) for a 90 minute experience at one of its private hot spring tub, it was certainly a high price to pay.
- Then we took a metro to Beitou Station (北投站) and used complimentary Shuttle to Grand View Resort Beitou (北投麗禧溫泉酒店)
- During peak tourist periods, reservation of a hot tub room is strongly encouraged, and you can email the resort directly to do so.
- You can choose a room with an outdoor tub if you prefer some sunlight.
- The hot spring experience at the Grand View Resort Beitou was simply summarised by one word - amazing.
- Take a bus/train to Taipei 101 40 mins19.6 km
16:00 Taipei 101 16.0 United States Dollar (USD)
Taipei 101 Observatory
Taipei 101 (formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center), a landmark supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District became the tallest and largest green building in the world in 2011.
- We took a metro to Taipei Main Station and then to Taipei 101 Station (台北101站)
- We spent some hours shopping at this place
- It offers awesome view from the top!
- The food court has a good number of vendors and the supermarket is wonderful!
- Pickup a taxi to Shin Yeh 101 5 mins1.02 km
18:00 Shin Yeh 101 30.0 United States Dollar (USD)
85F-1, No. 7, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi Dist. Taipei City, Taiwan
Shin Yeh 101 is perfect for a romantic dinner when you can enjoy top qualified food and observe the beauty of Taipei from the 85th floor of Taipei 101 tower.
- Shin Yeh @ Taipei 101 is its exclusive dining experience which offers a view of the entire Taipei city.
- The best time to come is actually at 5:30 pm, when the restaurant is just open for the dinner session.
- At that time, you can catch the day view of Taipei city and watch the sky outside darken as you have dinner.
- This is as good as watching the city scape at the Taipei 101 Observatory without needing to pay admissions fees of NT500 (SGD$22) per pax.
- Formosa set menu at NT1700 (SGD$74) per person. There were 8 dishes included in this set
- Take a bus/train to SOGO (Fuxing) 15 mins4.5 km
20:00 SOGO (Fuxing) 15.0 United States Dollar (USD)
Photo by soeperbaby
No. 300, Section 3, Zhongxiao E Rd, 大安區台北市 Taiwan 106
Taiwan's first SOGO Department Store, the Zhongxiao store sports a Tokyo-made. "It is Small World" clock above the front gate.
- It's good place to do some shopping
- Then we took a metro to ZhongxiaoFuxing (忠孝复兴站)
- The price is not cheap
DAY 4 - ITINERARY 6 places
Day 4: Cosmos Hotel Taipei, Ruifang District, Jiufen Old Street, Pingxi, Shifen Old Street, Shifen Waterfall.
08:00 台北天成大飯店Cosmos Hotel Taipei
No. 43, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Zhongzheng District
台北天成大飯店Cosmos Hotel Taipei is located at No. 43, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan
- Breakfast at Cosmos Hotel Taipei is at their Chinese restaurant, which is perpetually packed with guests.
- You should head off for breakfast as early as you can before the large tour groups comes along - the buffet lines will be crowded
- The cuisines are predominately chinese, with some local delights thrown in, and some western dishes for variety.
- Take a bus/train to Ruifang District , 40 mins35.8 km
09:00 Ruifang District
Photo by Alexander Synaptic
Ruifang District, New Taipei City
Shuinandong, Jinguashi, and Jiufen are former mining towns in Ruifang District, New Taipei City. The three towns present living records of the history and culture of Taiwan's mining industry
- After reaching Ruifang Train Station (瑞芳火車站) 0945, we took a Cab from Ruifang to Jiufen Old Street (九份老街)
- After breakfast, we took Tze-Chiang Limited Express (自強號) 416 to Ruifang
- Pickup a taxi to Jiufen Old Street 15 mins6.31 km
10:00 Jiufen Old Street
Jishan St., Ruifang Dist., New Taipei City 224, Taiwan
Jiufen, also spelled Jiufen or Chiufen, is a mountain area in the Ruifang District of New Taipei City near Keelung, Taiwan.
- You should go there early, even if some of the shops are not open yet, otherwise you will find the narrow streets packed really badly with tourists
- Jiufen is not just a shopping haven, but also a paradise for Taiwanese food and snacks.
- Other shops down the street usually do not sell the same stuff and there just isn’t enough time to walk back to find a shop.
- Jiufen is a wonderful place to shop for food souvenirs - there is a great selection of pineapple tarts, mochi, puddings and confectionery.
- Take a bus/train to Pingxi 50 mins29.58 km
12:00 Pingxi
Pingxi District New Taipei City, Taiwan 226
Pingxi and Shifen are just two of several towns alongside highway 106, a narrow back road that runs between southern Taipei and southern Keelung.
- The Ping Xi District is world famous for its sky lanterns
- Then we took a Cab back to Ruifang 1205 and travel by train 4722 from Ruifang (瑞芳) to Pingxi (平溪)
- You can release sky lanterns at these place but we decided to do it at shifenold street. So let go there!
- Both Ping Xi (平溪) and Shi Fen (十份) are located along the Pingxi Line (平溪線) of the train system accessible from Ruifang (瑞芳).
- We took the train 4727 from here 平溪 to Shifen (十分)
- Take a bus/train to Shifen Old Street 35 mins28.92 km
15:15 Shifen Old Street 2.5 United States Dollar (USD)
Shifen Old Street, Xinbei, Taiwan
Shifen Old Street is a very famous tourist attraction where visitors go to release sky lanterns with wishlist written on it as they believe that they will make their dreams come true
- The Taiwanese believe that the wishes written down on the sky lanterns gets to the celestial beings residing in heaven, who will grant your wishes when they read them.
- We randomly chose one of the shops along the railway track to get a sky lantern - they cost as little as NT150 (SGD$6.50) for a single-colored sky lantern and NT200 (SGD$8.60) for a multicoloured one.
- It is quite safe, because the train only comes in once every hour
- Each color symbolises a different aspect of your life, and you can choose a single-colored sky lantern and limit yourself to praying for one aspect of your life only, or a multi-colored one combining the various aspects that you wish to pray for.
- Take a bus/train to Shifen Waterfall 45 mins33.71 km
15:45 Shifen Waterfall 2.5 United States Dollar (USD)
No. 10號, 乾坑路, Pingxi District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Shifen Waterfall (Chinese: 十分大瀑布; pinyin: ShífēnDàPùbù) is a scenic waterfall located in Pingxi District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, on the upper reaches of the Keelung River.
- Shifen waterfall is not far from Shifenold street.
- Visiting waterfall before old street is recommended as you want food and drink after hiking.
- Then we took the Chu-Kuang Express (莒光號) 527 to Taipei Train Station 1955 and reached Taipei Station
- Then we came back to hotel
- We took the train 4733 from Shifen十分 to back to Ruifang瑞芳
DAY 5 - ITINERARY2 places
Day 5: Cosmos Hotel Taipei, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
08:30 台北天成大飯店Cosmos Hotel Taipei
No. 43, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Zhongzheng District
台北天成大飯店Cosmos Hotel Taipei is located at No. 43, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan
- Pickup a taxi to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport 35 mins41.88 km
12:30 Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
No. 9, Hangzhan S Rd, Dayuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan 33758
- Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Traditional: 台灣桃園國際機場 or 臺灣桃園國際機場; common pinyin: Taiwan Taoyuan GuojiJichǎng), previously known as the International Airport shek.
Cost of our trip
- Air ticket: USD 300
- Hotel: USD 300
- Transport: USD 30
- Food: USD 120
- Sightseeing & Souvenir: USD 80
- Total: USD 830
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