TW
Taipei
The Night Market Capital
The Night Market Capital
Taipei 101 Observatory (from TWD 600; daily 9am–10pm; the best 508m supertower Level 89 Observation Deck; the finest 360-degree Taipei basin, Yangmingshan, and coastal mountain panorama; the 730-tonne wind damper gallery (Level 88); buy online at taipei-101.com.tw) is the best skyscraper experience in East Asia.
💡 Taipei 101 Observatory (from TWD 600; daily 9am–10pm; book online (taipei-101.com.tw); the finest 508m Level 89 Observation Deck; the finest 360-degree Taipei basin, Yangmingshan, and coastal mountain panorama; the 730-tonne wind damper gallery (Level 88)).
Shilin Night Market (free to enter; Jiantan MRT exit 1; daily 4pm–midnight; the finest 500-stall night market in any accessible Taiwanese capital city; oyster omelette from TWD 50, stinky tofu from TWD 50, scallion pancake from TWD 40, papaya milk from TWD 60) is the best night market experience in East Asia.
💡 Shilin Night Market (free; Jiantan MRT exit 1; daily 4pm–midnight; the finest 500-stall night market in any accessible Taiwanese capital city; oyster omelette TWD 50, stinky tofu TWD 50, scallion pancake TWD 40, papaya milk TWD 60).
National Palace Museum (from TWD 350; Tue–Sun 9am–5pm; Fri–Sat 9am–9pm; Shilin District; the finest Chinese imperial jade, bronze, and painting collection in the world; the Jadeite Cabbage and the Mao Gong Ding bronze cauldron) is the best imperial art museum experience in the world.
💡 National Palace Museum (from TWD 350; Tue–Sun 9am–5pm; Fri–Sat 9am–9pm; Shilin District; the finest Chinese imperial jade, bronze, and painting collection in the world; the Jadeite Cabbage and the Mao Gong Ding bronze cauldron).
Elephant Mountain (free; Xiangshan MRT exit 2; the finest 20-min hike to the Taipei 101 backdrop photograph from the 183m observation rocks; the finest Taipei 101 sunset silhouette at 7pm) and Ximending (free; the finest Taipei youth pedestrian mall and street food precinct) are the finest urban hiking and food experiences in Taipei.
💡 Elephant Mountain (free; Xiangshan MRT exit 2; the finest 20-min hike to the Taipei 101 backdrop photograph at the 183m rock formation; the finest Taipei 101 sunset silhouette at 7pm) and Ximending (free; the finest Taipei youth pedestrian mall and street food precinct).
Taipei dining centres on the night market tradition and Taiwanese comfort food: the oyster omelette (the best fried oyster with egg, sweet potato starch, and spring onion in a savoury sauce in any accessible Taipei night market (from TWD 50 at any Shilin or Raohe Night Market seafood stall)); the beef noodle soup (the best Taiwanese braised beef shank in spicy broth with hand-pulled noodles in any accessible Taipei noodle restaurant; from TWD 120 per bowl at any Zhongzheng or Zhongshan noodle shop); the scallion pancake (cong you bing; from TWD 40 at any Taipei street cart or night market); and the Taiwanese bubble tea (zhenzhu naicha; the best boba milk tea with tapioca pearls; from TWD 55 at any Gong Cha, Tiger Sugar, or Chun Shui Tang Taipei location).
The EasyCard (NT$100 deposit; all MRT stations; reloadable) covers Taipei MRT, buses, and YouBike bicycle rentals. Load NT$500 for 3–4 days of transport.
Taipei 101 Observatory (NT$600; opens 9am; buy online at taipei-101.com.tw) is best at 9am on a clear Tuesday–Thursday morning before haze builds over the Taipei Basin.
Shilin Night Market (MRT Jiantan; from 5pm; peak crowd 7–9pm) is easiest to navigate before 6pm when stalls are serving but the crowd hasn’t arrived.
Bus 1062 from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT (NT$96; 90 min) goes directly to Jiufen Old Street. The tourist shuttle from Ruifang costs more and takes longer. Leave Jiufen by 4pm.
Taipei 101 Observatory (from TWD 600; 9am–10pm; the finest Level 89 360-degree Taipei panorama; buy online). Ximending pedestrian mall (free; the finest Taipei youth street food; scallion pancake TWD 40, bubble tea TWD 55; nightly pedestrian scene). Shilin Night Market (free; Jiantan MRT exit 1; 4pm–midnight; oyster omelette TWD 50, stinky tofu TWD 50, papaya milk TWD 60).
💡 The Taipei 101 sunset visit (the best skyscraper experience in East Asia; book online at taipei-101.com.tw (from TWD 600; daily 9am–10pm; the best advance online booking to skip the Taipei 101 ticket queue)); visit at 5pm (the best Taipei 101 Level 89 Observation Deck golden-hour Taipei basin panorama at 5pm; the best 730-tonne wind damper on Level 88; the best Taipei 101 sunset silhouette from the observation window at 7pm in June–September).
National Palace Museum (from TWD 350; Tue–Sun 9am–5pm; Fri–Sat 9am–9pm; Shilin District; the finest Chinese imperial jade collection; the Jadeite Cabbage). Elephant Mountain (free; Xiangshan MRT exit 2; 20-min hike; the finest Taipei 101 backdrop photograph at the 183m rocks; sunset silhouette at 7pm). Taipei beef noodle soup dinner at any Zhongzheng noodle shop (from TWD 120 per bowl).
💡 The Elephant Mountain sunrise (the best Taipei 101 city skyline hiking viewpoint in any accessible Taipei urban hiking trail; free; Xiangshan MRT (exit 2)): the best 5:30am pre-dawn departure from Xiangshan MRT exit 2 for the finest 6am Taipei 101 sunrise silhouette from the Elephant Mountain 183m rock formation (the finest single East Asian city sunrise photograph from any accessible Taipei hillside viewpoint); the 20-min uphill hike reaches the finest third and fourth rock formation positions for the finest Taipei 101 backdrop photograph.
Penang is the most affordable single Malaysian UNESCO heritage destination: the Georgetown street art (free), the hawker meal.
The Georgetown street art + Penang Hill funicular (MYR 30) + Kek Lok Si (free) + full hawker circuit.
The Eastern & Oriental Hotel (10 Lebuh Farquhar; the 1885-founding single Penang heritage hotel: the Raffles-equivalent single Penang colonial hotel; the Noel-Coward-and-Rudyard-Kipling single literary-guest Penang hotel; MYR 350–1,200/night)
Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing and delivery super-app — cashless and reliable.
Free
Hawker food guide — where to find the best char kway teow and laksa.
Free
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