What to See
6 highlights📍 Tap the pin for directions
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 was the world's tallest building until 2010 and remains the defining icon of the Taipei skyline. The observation deck on the 89th floor offers a stunning 360° panorama of the city and surrounding mountains.
Din Tai Fung — Glass Kitchen, World-Famous Dumplings
A world-renowned Thaiwanese restaurant chain. The Xinyi branch (near Taipei 101) is the most famous, and the kitchen is deliberately open and visible so guests can watch the dumpling-making process in real time. The dim sum chefs are trained to extraordinary precision — each xiaolongbao (soup dumpling) must weigh exactly 21 grams with exactly 18 folds. The restaurant is iconic enough to have expanded worldwide, but the Taipei original is where it started. Expect a queue; they manage it well. Order the xiaolongbao, pork chop fried rice, and shrimp fried rice.
Tongan Street (Da'an District) — The Street You Kept Going Back To
Tongan Street in the Da'an District is a classic local Taipei street — lined with independent restaurants, cafés, noodle shops, and convenience stores that sustain the residential neighborhood around it. The fact that you kept returning says everything: it's the kind of street that doesn't have one famous thing but has a dozen reliable, honest food options within a few minutes' walk. The Da'an District overall is one of Taipei's most pleasant neighborhoods — tree-lined, walkable, and genuinely local in character. Good base for exploring the city.
Raohe Night Market
One of Taipei's oldest and most celebrated night markets — a 600-meter pedestrian street packed with food stalls, games, and vendors from early evening until midnight. Must eat: the Black Pepper Bun (hújiāo bǐng) from the stall at the temple entrance — a thick, doughy bun filled with black pepper pork, baked in a tandoor-style oven. The queue is always long but moves fast and it's worth it. Also try: stinky tofu (polarizing but emblematic), oyster vermicelli, and freshly made tanghulu (candied fruit skewers).
Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) — Best Free Taipei View
A 20-minute hike from Xiangshan MRT station (exit 2) up a stone staircase through dense jungle leads to a series of rock outcroppings with arguably the best view of Taipei and Taipei 101. Free, dramatic, and genuinely spectacular at sunset or after dark when the city lights up. The hike is popular and the main viewpoint gets crowded — go on a weekday or arrive early. The staircase is steep but short; most people reach the first viewpoint in 15–20 minutes.
Longshan Temple
Taipei's most famous and atmospheric traditional temple, in the Wanhua district — a working Taiwanese folk religion temple with incense smoke, worshippers, elaborate carved interiors, and a genuine sense of active spiritual life rather than tourist spectacle. Visit in the morning or evening when local worshippers come to pray. Free to enter. The surrounding Hua Xi Street Night Market (Snake Alley) is nearby for adventurous eaters.