Roavina

Country guide

Taiwan

A photograph of Taiwan
Photograph · Man Ng · CC BY 2.0

Taiwan is 394 km long and 144 km wide, and mountains take the eastern two-thirds of it — more than two hundred peaks above 3,000 m, the highest of them Yushan at 3,952 m. The 23,299,132 people counted in December 2025 are pressed into the western third, which is where the railway runs and where every city a visitor is likely to open sits: Taipei with New Taipei and Keelung at the north end, then Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung down the plain. The east coast is the other trip entirely, reached by crossing the ranges rather than skirting them.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Mandarin Chinese; Taiwanese Hokkien and other languages are widely used
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+886
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
New Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
110 police · 119 fire and ambulance
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and B · 110 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor drinking-water statement was recorded

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: no seasonality data recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: no seasonality data recorded
  12. December: no seasonality data recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Bangka Lungshan Temple Bangka Lungshan Temple
    02 30 min

    Bangka Lungshan Temple

    艋舺龍山寺

    Lungshan Temple, known locally as 艋舺龍山寺, is a historic Buddhist temple in Taipei's Wanhua District. Founded in 1738 by settlers from Fujian, it stands as one of Taiwan's oldest and most significant religious sites.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Taipei
  2. Raohe Night Market Raohe Night Market
    03 45 min

    Raohe Night Market

    饒河街觀光夜市

    Raohe Street Tourist Night Market is an evening street market on Raohe Street in Taipei’s Songshan District. Its Chinese name is 饒河街觀光夜市.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Taipei
  3. Yangmingshan National Park Yangmingshan National Park
    04 1 hour

    Yangmingshan National Park

    陽明山國家公園

    Yangmingshan National Park is a protected volcanic mountain area on the northern edge of Taipei Basin. Established in 1985, it encompasses dormant volcanoes, hot springs, fumaroles, and subtropical forest.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  4. Thermal Valley Thermal Valley
    05 45 min

    Thermal Valley

    Thermal Valley, or 地熱谷, is a geothermal landscape in Taipei’s Beitou District. Its defining feature is a steaming, sulphurous pool heated by volcanic activity beneath the area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  5. Shilin Night Market Shilin Night Market
    06 45 min

    Shilin Night Market

    士林夜市

    Shilin Night Market, known locally as 士林夜市, is a large evening market area in Taipei’s Shilin District rather than a single ticketed attraction.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  6. Ningxia Road Night Market Ningxia Road Night Market
    07 45 min

    Ningxia Road Night Market

    寧夏夜市

    Ningxia Night Market is a traditional Taiwanese food market on Ningxia Road in Taipei’s Datong District. It is an evening destination built around compact rows of food stalls and vendors.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Taipei
  7. Huashan 1914 Creative Park Huashan 1914 Creative Park
    08 45 min

    Huashan 1914 Creative Park

    華山文創園區

    Huashan 1914 Creative Park is a cultural and creative industries complex in Taipei, Taiwan. The site occupies former industrial premises originally established as a winery during the Japanese colonial period.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  8. Songshan Cultural and Creative Park Songshan Cultural and Creative Park
    09 45 min

    Songshan Cultural and Creative Park

    松山文創園區

    Songshan Cultural and Creative Park is a cultural destination in Taipei’s Songshan District, created within a repurposed industrial site. Former industrial buildings now support exhibitions, design activity, and creative-industry events.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  9. Presidential Office Building Presidential Office Building
    10 45 min

    Presidential Office Building

    中華民國總統府

    Taipei’s Presidential Office Building is a working seat of Taiwan’s presidential administration and a distinctive civic landmark in the capital. Its red-brick Renaissance-style façade, formal windows, and prominent corner tower give this government building a recognisable presence in central Taipei.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  10. Daan Forest Park Daan Forest Park
    11 1 hour

    Daan Forest Park

    大安森林公園

    Daan Forest Park is a large public green space in Taipei’s Daan District, known locally as 大安森林公園. The park gives the dense city a broad area for walking, resting, exercise, and everyday outdoor life.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  11. 228 Peace Memorial Park 228 Peace Memorial Park
    12 1 hour

    228 Peace Memorial Park

    二二八和平公園

    228 Peace Memorial Park is a central Taipei park devoted to remembrance and reflection. The site commemorates the events of February 28, 1947, an important and painful period in Taiwan’s modern history.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  12. National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine
    13 45 min

    National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine

    國民革命忠烈祠

    The National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine is a solemn Taipei memorial complex dedicated to military personnel and civilians who died in service to the Republic of China.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  13. Taipei Botanical Garden Taipei Botanical Garden
    14 1 hour

    Taipei Botanical Garden

    台北植物園

    Taipei Botanical Garden is an urban green space in Taipei, also known locally as 臺北植物園. It brings plant conservation, botanical research, education, and quiet outdoor recreation together within the city.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  14. Liberty Square Liberty Square
    15 45 min

    Liberty Square

    自由廣場

    Liberty Square, or 自由廣場, is a monumental public plaza in central Taipei. Its broad open space is framed by the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Theater, National Concert Hall, and a ceremonial entrance gate.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  15. National Concert Hall National Concert Hall
    16 1 hour

    National Concert Hall

    國家音樂廳

    National Concert Hall, or 國家音樂廳, is Taipei’s major venue for orchestral, classical and other musical performances. It stands within the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall complex, placing it in one of the city’s most recognizable cultural precincts.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Taipei
  16. National Theater National Theater
    17 1 hour

    National Theater

    國家戲劇院

    National Theater, known locally as 國家戲劇院, is a major performing arts venue in Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall complex.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Taipei
  17. Chi Nan Temple Chi Nan Temple
    18 30 min

    Chi Nan Temple

    指南宮

    Zhinan Temple, known locally as 指南宮, stands as a significant religious site in Taipei's Wenshan District. Perched on the slopes of Zhinan Mountain, this Taoist temple complex serves as an important center of worship and pilgrimage.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Taipei
  18. Guandu Nature Park Guandu Nature Park
    19 1 hour

    Guandu Nature Park

    關渡自然公園

    Guandu Nature Park is a protected wetland area in northern Taipei, known locally as 關渡自然公園. The park occupies a significant ecological zone where the Tamsui River meets the sea, creating a habitat of international importance for migratory birds.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  19. Guandu Temple Guandu Temple
    20 30 min

    Guandu Temple

    關渡宮

    Guandu Temple, known locally as 關渡宮, is an active place of worship in Taipei devoted to Mazu, the sea goddess.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Taipei
  20. 芝山文化生態綠園 芝山文化生態綠園
    21 1 hour

    芝山文化生態綠園

    Zhishan Cultural and Ecological Garden is a green Taipei attraction that brings cultural heritage and ecological observation together in the Zhishan area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  21. Taipei Story House Taipei Story House
    22 45 min

    Taipei Story House

    台北故事館

    Taipei Story House, locally called 台北故事館, is a small heritage house with a distinctly European-influenced appearance in Taipei’s museum district. Its steep roof, patterned half-timbering and intimate domestic scale make the building itself the central attraction.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  22. Dalongdong Baoan Temple Dalongdong Baoan Temple
    23 30 min

    Dalongdong Baoan Temple

    大龍峒保安宮

    Dalongdong Baoan Temple, also known as 大龍峒保安宮, is an active religious and cultural landmark in Taipei’s Dalongdong district. It is a place for worship as well as a meaningful stop for travelers interested in Taipei’s local traditions.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Taipei
  23. Hsing Tian Kong Hsing Tian Kong
    24 30 min

    Hsing Tian Kong

    行天宮

    Xingtian Temple, or 行天宮, is a prominent Taipei place of worship dedicated to Guan Yu, associated with war and righteousness in Chinese folk religion. It is an active religious site rather than a museum or staged attraction.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Taipei
  24. Ciyou Temple Ciyou Temple
    25 30 min

    Ciyou Temple

    松山慈祐宮

    Songshan Ciyou Temple, known locally as 松山慈祐宮, is an important religious site in Taipei’s Songshan district. Dedicated to Mazu, the sea goddess widely venerated in Taiwan, it offers travelers a close view of living temple culture within the urban cityscape.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Taipei
  25. Taipei Grand Mosque Taipei Grand Mosque
    26 30 min

    Taipei Grand Mosque

    臺北清真寺

    Taipei Grand Mosque is Taipei's principal Islamic house of worship and a significant cultural landmark in Taiwan's capital. Established to serve the Muslim community, it represents one of the most important Islamic institutions in the country.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Taipei
  26. Gongguan Night Market Gongguan Night Market
    27 45 min

    Gongguan Night Market

    公館夜市

    Gongguan Night Market is an evening food, shopping, and street-life destination in Taipei’s Gongguan area, near National Taiwan University. It brings together food stalls, small shops, casual dining, and the constant movement of a student-oriented urban district.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Taipei
  27. Linjiang Street Night Market Linjiang Street Night Market
    28 45 min

    Linjiang Street Night Market

    臨江街觀光夜市

    Linjiang Street Night Market, known locally as 臨江街觀光夜市, is an evening street market in Taipei’s urban fabric, with the visit unfolding along vendor fronts rather than inside one attraction building.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Taipei
  28. Nanjichang Night Market Nanjichang Night Market
    29 45 min

    Nanjichang Night Market

    南機場夜市

    Nanjichang Night Market, known locally as 南機場夜市, is a neighborhood night market in Taipei. It brings together food stalls and small independent businesses in an evening street setting.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Taipei
  29. Guangzhou Street Night Market Guangzhou Street Night Market
    30 45 min

    Guangzhou Street Night Market

    廣州街觀光夜市

    Guangzhou Street Night Market, locally called 廣州街觀光夜市, runs along Guangzhou Street in Taipei’s Wanhua District. It is a traditional street market with food stalls, snacks, and local businesses.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Taipei
  30. Taipei Fish Market Taipei Fish Market
    31 45 min

    Taipei Fish Market

    臺北魚市

    Taipei Fish Market, locally known as 台北魚市, is a working seafood marketplace in Taipei. It combines wholesale trade with retail activity, giving visitors a view of how seafood moves through an urban market rather than through a museum-style exhibition.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Taipei
  31. Yongkang Street Yongkang Street
    32 45 min

    Yongkang Street

    永康街

    Yongkang Street is a renowned commercial and dining destination in Taipei's Da'an District, officially recognized in the city's attraction inventory. The street has developed significant visitor appeal through its concentration of local eateries, specialty shops, and neighborhood atmosphere.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  32. Xinzhongshan Linear Park Xinzhongshan Linear Park
    33 1 hour

    Xinzhongshan Linear Park

    心中山線形公園

    Xinzhongshan Linear Park is a pedestrian green corridor shaped by the former surface alignment of the Taiwan Railway Administration railway between Zhongshan and Shuanglian. Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation began renovating the green space between the two MRT stations in 2017.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  33. The Red House The Red House
    34 1 hour

    The Red House

    西門紅樓

    The Red House, known locally as 西門紅樓, is a historic landmark in Taipei’s Ximending district. Built during Japanese colonial rule as a public market, it is recognised by its octagonal red-brick form and cruciform plan.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Taipei
  34. Bopiliao Bopiliao
    35 45 min

    Bopiliao

    剝皮寮歷史街區

    Bopiliao Historic Block, known locally as 剝皮寮歷史街區, preserves an old streetscape in Taipei’s Wanhua district. Its buildings and lanes connect visitors with the city’s Qing dynasty and Japanese colonial-era development.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  35. Manka Qingshan Temple Manka Qingshan Temple
    36 30 min

    Manka Qingshan Temple

    艋舺青山宮

    Qingshan Temple, known locally as 艋舺青山宮, is a historic place of worship in Taipei’s Wanhua district. The temple honours the Qingshan King, a deity traditionally associated with protection from plague and illness.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Taipei
  36. South Gate of Taipei City South Gate of Taipei City
    37 45 min

    South Gate of Taipei City

    臺北府城南門

    South Gate of Taipei, also known as 臺北府城南門, is the principal southern gate associated with the former Taipei Prefecture walls.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  37. Taipei City Wall-East Gate Taipei City Wall-East Gate
    38 45 min

    Taipei City Wall-East Gate

    臺北府城東門

    The East Gate of Taipei, known locally as 臺北府城東門, is a surviving remnant of the city’s historic fortifications.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  38. Little South Gate of Taipei City Little South Gate of Taipei City
    39 45 min

    Little South Gate of Taipei City

    臺北府城小南門

    Xiaonanmen is a preserved gate from old Taipei’s Qing-era city wall, known in Chinese as 臺北府城小南門. It gives a compact, highly visible glimpse of the fortified city that once shaped this part of Taipei.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  39. Miramar Entertainment Park Miramar Entertainment Park
    40 45 min

    Miramar Entertainment Park

    美麗華百樂園

    Miramar Entertainment Park, known in Chinese as 美麗華百樂園, is a large Taipei shopping and entertainment complex built around several kinds of urban leisure in one destination.

    • High
    • Market
    • Taipei
  40. ATT 4 FUN ATT 4 FUN
    41 45 min

    ATT 4 FUN

    ATT 4 FUN is a commercial entertainment complex in Taipei combining shopping, dining, and leisure in one urban destination. The complex suits travelers who want an indoor stop with several possible activities rather than a single museum or monument.

    • High
    • Market
    • Taipei
  41. Forty-four South Village Forty-four South Village
    42 45 min

    Forty-four South Village

    四四南村

    Four Four South Village, locally called 四四南村, is a preserved military dependents’ village in Taipei’s Xinyi District. The compact settlement represents residential quarters built for Nationalist military personnel and their families who arrived from mainland China in the late 1940s.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  42. Taipei 101 MALL Taipei 101 MALL
    43 45 min

    Taipei 101 MALL

    台北101購物中心

    Taipei 101 Mall occupies the lower floors of the Taipei 101 complex in Xinyi District. It is the shopping component of one of Taipei’s most recognizable towers, combining retail, dining, and access to the wider Taipei 101 experience.

    • High
    • Market
    • Taipei
  43. Kishu An Forest of Literature Kishu An Forest of Literature
    44 45 min

    Kishu An Forest of Literature

    紀州庵文學森林

    Kishu An Forest of Literature, known locally as 紀州庵文學森林, is a Taipei literary and cultural destination where Taiwanese literary heritage meets a public setting.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Taipei
  44. 擎天崗草原 擎天崗草原
    45 20 min

    擎天崗草原

    Qingtiangang Grassland, or 擎天崗草原, is an elevated meadow in Taipei’s Yangmingshan region, within Yangmingshan National Park. Its open pasture, rolling grass, and grazing cattle create a landscape very different from the dense city below.

    • High
    • Viewpoint
    • Taipei

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Taiwan be?

Seven to ten days can combine three or four days in Taipei with Tainan, Taichung or Kaohsiung on the western rail corridor. The east coast, central mountains and offshore islands require slower connections and should replace, rather than merely extend, that compact route.

What entry documents are needed for Taiwan?

Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency provides the current entry and online-arrival requirements. Check passport eligibility and permitted duration there, with consular guidance where relevant; do not assume a transit permission or previous visa exemption covers a different journey.

What is the best way to travel around Taiwan?

Taoyuan Airport connects to Taipei by airport metro, and high-speed rail makes western cities straightforward to combine. Conventional rail and buses reach the east and smaller places, but mountain roads take longer and are more vulnerable to weather disruption.

When is a practical time to visit Taiwan?

Spring and autumn often suit city and rail travel, while summer brings heat, heavy rain and typhoon risk. Mountain conditions can diverge sharply from Taipei or Kaohsiung, so check the Central Weather Administration outlook for the specific route.

What money and payment basics apply in Taiwan?

New Taiwan dollar is the recorded currency. Transit stations and urban shops increasingly support electronic payment, yet night markets and small regional businesses may prefer cash; withdraw TWD through recognised banking channels and verify any foreign-card fee.

What practical safety details should I save for Taiwan?

Use 110 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance; Taiwan uses Type A and B sockets at 110 V. Tap-water guidance is Not recorded here, and typhoon or earthquake instructions should be taken from official alerts rather than social-media summaries.