This is my Taipei Taiwan travel guide for first timers and if you’ve clicked on this article that’s YOU!
Taipei is the capital of Taiwan and truly is one of my favourite cities as it uniquely blends technology, culture, history, amazing food and some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met!
It is also in my opinion severely underrated in comparison to other Asia cities like Japan and Korea
That being said heading there for the first time can be daunting due to many reasons which can include language barriers. I have travelled to Taipei well over a dozen times and in this video I am going to be covering a list of things you need to know before and during your travels to Taipei
I am going topics such as what you need to bring or prepare, when the best time to go and how to navigate their public transportation and EVEN cover some basic mandarin to equip you for your upcoming travels to Taipei
By the way this article is basically an excerpt of my YouTube video which you can watch below if you prefer your information in video form
With that out of the way let’s get into it!
Tip 1: The Best Time to Visit Taipei, Taiwan
Lets start off this Taipei travel guide with the best time to go!
Taipei Taiwan is country with four seasons – Winter December to March, Spring April to June, Summer July to September and Autumn in October to December
Unsurprisingly the seasons in between the extreme colds of winter and the summer heat aka Spring and Autumn are traditionally the busiest times to go to Taipei
I mean apart the optimal temperatures spring also offers up the opportunity to see cherry blossoms in bloom while autumn will see the city bathed in the signature red and yellow foliage
That being said though Taipei is a popular city to visit pretty much all year round and is generally much less crowded in comparison to other popular destinations like Japan or Korea
The only time of the year that you may want to avoid is around June to August aka typhoon season and even then the city is super well equipped to deal with this season and you will still be able to find plenty of things to do
Tip 2: Cheapest time to Visit Taipei, Taiwan
That being said if you’re looking at it from a budget perspective you may want to avoid cheery blossom season and autumn
and personally if you ask me I would say try going in winter, which is something I have done many times, its actually not as bad as you think as Taipei winter is not as extreme as say Japan or Korea
I mean on average the lowest temperature Taipei will go to in winter is 13 degrees whereas I’ve experienced negative, NEGATIVE 20 degrees celsius in Seoul winter before
Visiting outside of the peak tourist seasons will also mean lower flight and hotel fares
With that being said you should also look out cheap flight offers from low cost carriers such as AirAsia and Jetstar which offer reasonably priced flight tickets almost all year round. I would recommend signing up for the newsletters of these carriers so you can keep track for their latest sales
Tip 3: What to Pack for Your Trip to Taipei
Ok you’ve sorted out your flight and accommodation, lets now talk about the part of this Taipei travel guide that contains what you need to pack, prepare or fill in before your trip to Taipei!
And I would strongly recommend the first thing you throw into your luggage to be a comfortable pair of walking shoes because you are going to be walking
I was finishing the day on 20-30 thousand steps easy traversing through the city, most of the time even locating your platform within a station can be a little walking adventure
Aside from that what to pack attire wise is fairly straightforward for all other seasons apart from winter
The only thing I would add though is one of these fans if you’re headed there during summer, trust me you wont regret packing one of these as Taipei summer temperatures can go all the way up to the last 30s!
If you are headed there for winter definitely bring a good waterproof jacket
My go to brand, and this is totally not sponsored is Uniqlo, the Japanese just do it better
This uniqlo jacket as its pretty solid, you can see its quite thick whilst still managing to be very light and can easily be compressed to fit into your check in or hand carry luggage
And I always have one of these in my luggage in case I do some shopping, it is a collapsible bag that gives me instant extra luggage space
Tip 4 - Internet Connectivity
The most essential thing that you need to NOT forget in this Taipei travel guide is that you need to bring your PHONE!
Your smartphone is going to be your best friend during your travels to Taipei but to use if you will need internet or mobile data connection
There are a few options – you could just activate your international roaming BUT make sure to check with your telco provider for their international roaming plans before doing so as this could otherwise end up being a very expensive option
Wireless Data Hotspot Device
You could also pick up a wireless wifi device, those are often unlimited data and is great option if you’re traveling with multiple people as it can connect up to 10 devices
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ESim
My personal go to for mobile data though is always esim
For those who dont know, Esim is a virtual sim card slot that allows your phone to take on another network at the same time so you dont have to purchase an additional physical sim card OR spend many unnecessary dollars on roaming
Another advantage of the esim option is being able to keep your existing sim card in your phone to keep receiving calls and SMS’es
Just make sure you turn data roaming off
You can use your phone as a hotspot for your other devices as well!
Most phones come with an esim slot – to see if your phone is esim compatible simply check if your phone has an EID which is generally under the About section in the setting of your phone – look like this
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But whats the use of internet connectivity when your phone battery is dead!
This is why a power bank or two is a must
I like this 4 in 1 charger from snap wireless as it allows me to charge multiple devices at once and I typically get at least 2 charges of my phone from this device when its fully charged
It can also via magsafe and it can even be used as a replacement of your laptop adapter
If you are like me where your phone always eats first though I also recommend you get something like this that snaps right on to your phone so that it is charging while you’re using it
If you’re interested in these gadgets they are from SNAP wireless – I have been using them for a few years now and am confident enough to recommend them for you
Tip 5 - Apps you Need - Navigation and Language Barriers
Speaking of your phone here are some apps you probably want to make sure you download before your trip
If you are looking to save some money by not purchasing any of the above options for mobile data connection or perhaps you want to reduce the data usage on your roaming plan youre gonna wanna download WifiMap which shows all the free and paid Wi-Fi hotspots in you proximity.
Do not though that the connection is going to be intermittent especially if youre on the go so I’d still recommend combining this with one of the options above
Google Maps is an absolute must to travel through the city, if you plan on taking a cab or asking for directions most cab drivers and some locals dont speak english so just scroll down your destination point in Google and show them the address in Chinese
OR even copy paste that address into Google Translate which is the next app you need and do THIS!
In fact, one of the first chinese addresses I would recommend you get and save onto your phone is the address of your hotel or accommodation
Keep this with you at all times so that if you’re ever lost you can use this piece of information to communicate
Speaking of Google translate, a lot of the restaurant and cafe menus especially if youre at places where the locals go will not be in English but not to worry just place open your Google translate app, press camera and voila you are ready to order
Tip 6 - Bring Cash
Moving on here’s my first tip – have some Taiwan dollar in hand.
Yes most places like shopping malls and hotels will take cards but if you plan to visiting places like the night markets most if not ALL of the stalls there will be cash only
If you don’t already have some when you enter Taipei don’t worry you can exchange once you exit the customs
Tip 7 - Taipei Entry Requirements 2024
Speaking of customs lets now talk entry requirements
This can differ depending on your country of origin but in most cases you do not need a visa to enter taipei taiwan if you’re only planing to stay for up to 90 days for tourism or business, have a return or onward ticket and have at least 6 months validity on your passport
If youre not sure whether you fall into the visa free category it is always good to check the Taiwan immigration website for more details, link here and in my description box
Aside from the visa you can also fill in their entry forms online before heading in to make the immigration process more seamless, again I’ve placed the link here and in my description box
Tip 8 - How to Get from Taoyuan Airport Taipei to City
Alrighty we are now in Taipei, welcome to Taipei, lets now tackle how to get from the airport to your accommodation as you have several options
Starting with the fastest way which is via the Taoyuan Airport MRT Express line, there is one every 15 minutes and will take you from the Taoyuan Airport terminal 1 to the Taipei main station in just 38 minutes
The express MRT line also has wireless charging and free wifi onboard
Tickets are also cheap at 160 taiwan dollars or under $5 US or around 7.50 aussie dollars and all you need to do once get to the arrivals is to follow the signs for the train station, the signs point the way in both English and Chinese, so don’t worry about getting lost.
If your accommodation is not close to the Taipei main station you will need to transfer, just use Google Maps to find your platform
Do also note that airport MRT only operates from 6am to 11pm so if you arrive outside of these hours you may want to consider other options such as taking a bus, here are the bus options
There are three buses to choose from: 1819, 1960 and the 1961 and their services run slightly longer until 11.50pm, with tickets costing around 140 taiwan dollars
The bus option will however take long at around an hour BUT it may be a better option depending on where you’re staying
You see the 1819 will take you to the Taipei Main station aka same as the express MRT option BUT the 1960 will take you to the Taipei 101 or Taipei City Hall area
The buses also come every 30 minutes so you might have to wait a bit if you’ve just missed the the last one
These options though in my opinion are more suited towards solo travelers who travel light
If you are travelling with family or with many luggage bags the above options will only be feasible if you get someone to deliver your luggage bags to your accommodation , I had a look and its like $20 a bag so in this case I would actually recommend for you to catch a cab instead
Taoyuan is a 50 km distance away from Taipei and a cab ride would cost, depending on where you’re going, around 1200-1500 taiwan dollars aka around 37 to 46 US dollars or 56 to 70 Aussie dollars which I think is pretty acceptable especially if you’re travelling with kids or elderly family members.
Tip 9 - Public Transportation 101 and Getting an Easy Card
Once you’re all checked in and ready to explore the city I would recommend you head to your closest convenience store or metro station to get your hands on an Easy Card otherwise known in Taipei as a Yo Yo Card 悠遊卡 (Yōuyóu kǎ)
It will cost you NT$100 ($3.60) to purchase and has zero balance. You can top up the balance at the same machine you bought the card from or at any convenience store
It is basically a cash card that will allow you to travel on all Taipei public transportation and even cabs.
You can also use it as a payment method at any place that has the easy card logo listed under payment methods which is basically most places such as convenience stores and shopping malls
Tip 10 - Train Etiquette
Equipped with the Easy card you are now ready to explore the city
You will be using Taipei train system and so in this next section I just wanted to highlight some basic train etiquette that you will need to be aware of
Trains known as Jie Yun (捷运) in Taipei are immaculately maintained and as such, gum, food and drinks are banned.
There are organized lines to get onto the trains, you will have to line up and not get in the way of the passengers who are getting off
Please also avoid loud conversations and also
HOT TIP- the dark blue seats are specially reserved for those in need, including the elderly, pregnant and people with disabilities so refrain from sitting on those unless you fall into those categories
Whilst not as bad as Japan peak hour train rides in Taipei can also mean very full carriages so if possible try to avoid travelling during these time periods
Tip 11 - Tap Water
Most major cities in Taiwan which includes Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung, have excellent tap water quality that meets or exceeds international safety and taste standards. This means that yes their tap water is definitely drinkable
Tip 12 - Earthquakes
One other thing to know before going is that earthquakes do happen every now and then in Taipei
However not to worry as the city infrastructure is built to be earthquake proof
Simply follow the earthquake protocol of duck over and hold if it does happen while youre there
Tip 13 - Things to Do Taipei Taiwan
Looking for things to do in Taipei? There are so MANY!
If you have budgets constraints I have previously done a video highlighting 14 free or cheap things that you can do in Taipei and you can watch that video here.
If you like food night markets are a must, there are 3 night markets that are MUST VISITS for first time visitors and that is Shilin, Raohe and Ningxia.
Outro
I do hope that you have enjoyed this Taipei Taiwan travel guide, if you have any further questions or anything else you wanna say dont forget to leave me a comment in the comment section of the YouTube video or follow me on Instagram and Tiktok!
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