Quick answer: For a 4-day trip to Taipei, budget about EUR 80 per day (mid-range). Best time: October-December and March-April - mild and relatively dry; summer is hot with typhoon risk. Visa: Visa-free entry up to 90 days for EU/US/UK passports - always check current rules for your passport.
Taipei is Asia's most underrated capital: night markets that go all evening, hot springs inside the city limits at Beitou, and a hikeable peak with a skyline view 20 minutes from the metro. Climb Elephant Mountain at sunset for the Taipei 101 shot, then eat your way down Raohe Street Night Market. It is friendly, cheap and absurdly easy to get around.
Best timeOctober-December and March-April - mild and relatively dry; summer is hot with typhoon risk
Budget / day~EUR 80
Suggested length4 days
VisaVisa-free entry up to 90 days for EU/US/UK passports - always check current rules for your passport.
4-day Taipei itinerary
- Day 1: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Yongkang Street for lunch, Taipei 101 area, sunset hike up Elephant Mountain, dinner in Xinyi
- Day 2: Longshan Temple, Bopiliao Historic Block, Ximending youth district, evening at Shilin Night Market
- Day 3: National Palace Museum in the morning, Beitou hot springs and the Thermal Valley, evening at Raohe Street Night Market with a pepper bun at the entrance gate
- Day 4: Maokong Gondola and tea houses above the city, Taipei Zoo area, back for a final round of Da'an cafes and Dongmen dumplings
Where to stay: neighborhoods that make sense
- Ximendingneon, street performers and cheap hotels; Taipei's Shibuya and the liveliest base
- Da'anleafy streets, Yongkang food strip and boutique stays; the comfortable central choice
- Zhongshanstylish mid-range hotels, good metro links and quiet lanes full of coffee shops
- Xinyimodern high-rise district around Taipei 101; best for malls and skyline views, less character
What to eat in Taipei
- Xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung (original Xinyi Road branch)a basket plus sides for about 10-14 EUR
- Beef noodle soup at Lin Dong Fang or Yong Kang Beef Noodlethe national dish, about 5-7 EUR
- Pepper buns (hu jiao bing) at Raohe Night Market's entrance stall - about 1.80 EUR
- Stinky tofu at any night marketbraver than it smells, about 2 EUR
- Bubble tea from Chun Shui Tang, which claims to have invented it - about 2 EUR
Mistakes most first-timers make
- Eating or drinking on the MRTit is fined, and locals take the rule seriously
- Doing only night marketsthe old town around Longshan Temple and the teahouses of Maokong show a different city
- Carrying no cashnight market stalls and many small eateries do not take foreign cards
- Skipping the day tripsJiufen and the northeast coast are the region's highlight and easy without a tour
Worth leaving the city for
- Jiufen (1-1.5h by bus or train plus bus)lantern-lined teahouse village on a mountainside, magical at dusk on a weekday
- Yehliu Geopark (1.5h)surreal mushroom-rock coastline, combine with Jiufen in one loop
- Wulai (1h)aboriginal Atayal village with hot springs and a waterfall, the quiet alternative to Beitou
Getting around
The Taoyuan Airport MRT reaches Taipei Main Station in 36-50 min for about 4.50 EUR. In town, buy an EasyCard and use the immaculate MRT; most rides cost 0.60-1 EUR and YouBike shared bicycles fill the gaps.
Why this plan won't send you to a closed café
Almawander is an AI travel planner that remembers you across trips - it learns your pace, budget, diet and taste, checks places are still open, and bakes in your passport's visa rules.