One Week in Taipei: The Complete 7-Day Itinerary

Before You Go: Logistics That Actually Matter

Most international flights land at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), roughly 40 km west of central Taipei. The Airport MRT connects Taoyuan to Taipei Main Station in around 35 minutes and is by far the cheapest and most reliable option. Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA), located inside the city, handles domestic routes and a handful of regional flights to Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai.

Pick up an EasyCard at any MRT station or convenience store (7-Eleven, FamilyMart). It works on the MRT, city buses, YouBike rental stations, and even some convenience stores. Single-journey MRT tickets start around NT$20 for short hops; a cross-city trip rarely exceeds NT$65. Keep the card topped up and you will almost never need cash for transport.

Taiwan has visa-free entry arrangements for many nationalities, but eligibility changes by passport and policy. Check with the Bureau of Consular Affairs before booking flights. The local emergency numbers are 110 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance.

When to Visit: Picking the Right Week

Taipei has a humid subtropical climate with an average annual temperature around 23°C. That sounds pleasant until you arrive in July to 35°C heat with 85% humidity. For a week-long trip, timing matters more than most travelers expect. The two best windows are October to November and March to April. Full details are in the best time to visit Taipei guide, but the short version: autumn is the most consistently comfortable season, with stable weather, reduced typhoon risk, and temperatures in the 20–28°C range.

• October–November (Best Overall) Cooler temperatures, low rainfall, typhoon season winding down. Ideal for hiking and day trips. Outdoor attractions are comfortable all day.
• March–April (Strong Second Choice) Spring blossoms on Yangmingshan, mild temperatures, occasional drizzle. Cherry blossoms peak in late February to early March.
• December–February (Cool and Quiet) Temperatures drop to 12–18°C with damp, overcast days common. Fewer tourists, good for museums and hot springs. Pack layers.
• June–September (Avoid if Possible) Oppressive heat, heavy rain, and typhoon season. Outdoor day trips can be cancelled at short notice. Not recommended for a first visit.

Days 1–2: The Historic Core

Start in Wanhua and Zhongzheng, the oldest parts of the city. Longshan Temple is the obvious anchor: built in 1738, heavily restored after World War II bombing, and still an active place of worship. Arrive before 9am to see morning rituals without the tour group crowds. A short walk north brings you to Bopiliao Historic Block, a preserved Qing and Japanese colonial-era street that most visitors skip entirely.

Spend your second morning at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the surrounding Liberty Square. The changing of the guard ceremony now runs outdoors on Democracy Boulevard at the top of each hour between 9am and 5pm, lasts about 15 minutes, and is cancelled in rain — precise, theatrical, and worth seeing once. The square itself is one of the largest public plazas in Asia at 240,000 square meters. In the afternoon, walk north to the National Taiwan Museum near NTU Hospital MRT station, Taiwan's oldest natural history museum.

Days 3–4: Neighborhoods, Markets, and Modern Taipei

Day 3 works well as a neighborhood day. Start in Dadaocheng, Taipei's old merchant quarter along the Danshui River. The main artery is Dihua Street, lined with late 19th-century Baroque and Southern Fujian-style shophouses now occupied by tea merchants, fabric sellers, herbal medicine shops, and a growing cluster of design studios. This area is particularly interesting in the weeks before Lunar New Year when the wholesale markets stock seasonal goods.

Spend the afternoon in Ximending or head east to Da'an District for Yongkang Street's concentration of restaurants, tea houses, and independent shops. That evening, choose a night market: Raohe Street Night Market is more manageable in size than Shilin and has a good concentration of traditional Taiwanese snacks without feeling like a theme park. The black pepper buns from the Fuzhou stall at the temple entrance are the reference point.

Day 4: spend the morning at the National Palace Museum in Shilin. The collection of over 700,000 artifacts from China's imperial history is genuinely world-class. Realistically, budget 3 to 4 hours to see the permanent highlights without rushing. Take the MRT Red Line (Tamsui-Xinyi Line) to Shilin Station Exit 1, then bus R30, 255, or 304 to the museum. Adult admission is NT$350, with discounts available for students and children. In the afternoon, head to Elephant Mountain in Xinyi for the classic Taipei 101 skyline view at sunset.

Days 5–6: Day Trips Worth the Journey

Taipei's position in northern Taiwan puts several exceptional day trips within reach. The most popular is Jiufen and the northeast coast. The old hillside mining town of Jiufen, with its red lantern-lit teahouses and steep stone stairways, has become extremely famous in recent years. Go on a weekday if possible: weekend afternoon crowds in the main alley can make the experience genuinely unpleasant. Combine it with a stop at Shifen for the waterfall and sky lanterns, or continue to Jinguashi for the gold museum and former mining complex.

For Day 6, choose based on your interests. Hikers should consider Yangmingshan National Park: the Qixing Mountain trail to the park's highest peak takes 2 to 3 hours round trip and rewards with views of the entire Taipei basin on clear days. Hot spring seekers can take the MRT to Beitou where the Xinbeitou hot spring area has public baths starting around NT$40 and private room options in the NT$200–600 range per hour. The Taipei hot springs guide covers the options in detail.

• Jiufen + Shifen: Take Keelung Bus 1062 from Zhongxiao Fuxing Station or a direct bus from Taipei City Hall Bus Station. Allow 8–10 hours total for both stops.
• Yangmingshan: Bus S15 from Jiantan MRT or bus 260 from Zhongshan Junior High School MRT. Sulfur vents, hot spring streams, and volcano crater views.
• Beitou Hot Springs: MRT Red Line to Xinbeitou — around 30–40 minutes from central Taipei, no transfers needed.
• Tamsui: MRT Red Line terminus, around 35–40 minutes from Zhongshan. Historic fort, riverside promenade, and good seafood.

Day 7: Slow Down and Fill the Gaps

The last day works best as a flexible buffer rather than another packed schedule. If you have not yet explored Da'an Forest Park for a morning walk, or spent time at Huashan 1914 Creative Park for coffee and design shops, this is when those fit naturally. If you have not visited Taipei 101, consider the indoor observation deck on the 89th floor (adult tickets around NT$600). The open-air Skyline 460 deck on the 101st floor costs extra and is subject to weather closures, so check conditions before paying the premium.

For a final dinner, the Taipei food scene rewards a longer sit-down meal rather than another market run. Yongkang Street in Da'an has reliable Taiwanese beef noodle shops, Din Tai Fung's original branch (expect 30–60 minute waits at peak hours), and a concentration of cafes worth lingering in. The Tonghua Night Market nearby is less touristy than Shilin and a reasonable last-night option.