We have just wrapped up another trip to Taipei, yes, not even a year after our last one because we just felt like there was still a lot about the city that we had not explored yet.
In this article, we’re listing out the most IG-worthy attractions or the trendiest spots that are a hit among locals and tourists alike, or both!
Note: This is not in any particular order. The numbers are just there for easier reference.
1. Qingtiangang Grassland
When I first saw photos of this place online, it took me a while before I realized it was located in Taipei. It looks a bit like a Studio Ghubli scene, a bit like a K-drama location, and a bit like our very own Batanes. But this is Qingtiangang Grassland. And yes, it really is within the Taipei City limits.
Perched about 800 meters above sea level in Yangmingshan National Park, Qingtiangang Grassland is a sprawling plateau formed by ancient volcanic lava flows. But today, this is a scenic park where locals gather for picnics, tourists enjoy a leisurely stroll, and cows peacefully graze. Yes, you’ll find lots of cows here, often lowkey but sometimes photobombing tourist selfies.
They say that these almost endless green hills are in its most aesthetic state when slightly covered in fog, fostering a more cinematic atmosphere. When we visited, however, it was clear and sunny as clear and sunny could be, but it was still wonderful because it meant sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and the concrete jungle that is Taipei City in the distance.
There’s also a well-maintained walking trail that scribbles the grassland, perfect for casual walkers, reluctant hikers, and people who packed cute outfits instead of trekking gear for that slightly-leaning-on-the-fence poses. Just don’t expect a quiet moment on weekends, when it gets packed. For fewer crowds and clearer paths, aim for a weekday morning like we did! We visited on a Wednesday morning and it was pretty chill.
How to Get to Qingtiangang Grassland
- From Taipei City Center: Take the MRT or bus to Jiantan Station. From the station, catch Bus S15 to Qingtiangang. Then, walk to the park.
Travel Time: 1-1.5 hours- From Yangmingshan Bus Terminal: Board Bus 108, then hop off at the Qingtiangang stop.
Travel Time: around 35 minutesIf public transpo feels like too much work, a taxi or Uber can take you straight to the trailhead.
2. Datun Falls
This is still part of the Yangmingshan National Park. To be honest with you, our intended destination here was the Yangmingshan Flower Clock, a giant clock artwork in the garden by the western entrance. However, during our visit, they had just removed the flowers to replace it for the next season. Thankfully, there’s another picturesque site not too far away. Enter Datun Falls, a multi-tiered waterfall tucked into Yangmingshan’s back trails.
To get here, you’ll have to walk for 10 minutes, and along the way, you’ll see a platform, which is a great lookout. Then, after that, you’ll stroll through an enchanting mossy arcade that will make you feel like you’re stepping into another world.
It’s not a single waterfall but a charming series of cascades, each tumbling over boulders. The main upper falls tumble nearly three stories high, while lower tiers are perfect for dramatic close-ups or even daring foot dips. It looks best in the rainy season but since it was peak summer when we visited, it wasn’t as splashy as usual. But it’s still so photogenic, especially the arch bridge straddling it. And you can also use this bridge as your vantage point for shots with the falls in the backdrop. Either way, they make for fantastic photos.
You can reach Datun Falls via public transport. Take bus lines 128, 129, S8, S9, or the 260 series to the Yangmingshan Park area, then walk to the falls. It’s a very easy trail.
How to Get to Datun Falls: Make your way to Yangmingshan Bus Terminal, then catch Bus S8 or S9 to Yangmingshan Park area (Hushan Road Sec 2). Travel on foot for 10 minutes to Datun Falls. You’ll find plenty of signs along the way.
3. Bamboo Lake
If Qingtiangang and Datun Falls can be described as vibey and moody, Bamboo Lake, also known as Zhuzihu, is the total opposite. It’s an explosion of color, like a pastel garden fiesta — flower power at its most Instagrammable. Tucked into a volcanic valley, this former lava-formed lake is now a lush field occupied by independently run gardens. Some grows calla lilies, some cosmos, hydrangeas, daylilies, and more, on rotation depending on the season.
From March to May, white calla lilies dominate the scene. Then, from May to June, violet hydrangeas and orange daylilies paint the valley in brighter hues. We visited in July, and it was mostly hydrangeas. At Liang Chien Garden, you can follow a path in between hydrangeas. Other gardens have their own installations for photos too, some even have their own café. Entrance fee is usually NTD 100 per garden.
But if you want a proper meal, head over to nearby Shanzhongyuan Wild Herb Restaurant, which serves mostly Taiwanese favorites including Hakka stir-fry, which is pork belly, dried tofu, leeks or spring onions, and garlic in soy sauce; pineapple shrimp balls, which are battered and fried shrimps with pineapples, drizzled with tasty mayonnaise and spinkled with, uhm, oddly enough, sprinkles, it’s like a party plate.
We also enjoyed the stir-fried white water snowflake stems. It’s like water spinach or morning glory, but firmer and thinner, and had a nice crunch to it and retains the flavor of its sauce really well. We also had mapo tofu, which we also liked because it wasn’t overpowered by Sichuan peppers.
How to Get to Bamboo Lake: From Yangmingshan Bus Terminal, catch Buses S8 or S9.
Travel Time: 40–60 minutes
4. Taipei Botanical Garden
The first three I mentioned are all in Yangmingshan National Park and within the city limits, but if you’re looking for something within the city center, look no further than the Taipei Botanical Garden.
It’s so green and tranquil inside that it’ll be hard to believe you haven’t left the bustling city. Yet, here we are, surrounded by nature right smack in the heart of Taipei. Established as a nursery in 1896 and officially becoming Taiwan’s first botanical garden in 1921, this eight-hectare oasis now hosts over 2,000 plants scattered along well-marked paths and wooden boardwalks through 17 themed zones, usually by plant type. There’s also a Buddhism garden. But the main attractions here are its lotus ponds, which lie just next to the National Museum of History.
On the other end of the park stands the Guest House for the Imperial Envoy, which is a historical landmark. Unfortunately, it’s temporary closed, so we could only admire its beautifully painted gates for now.
Whether you’re after a botanical immersion or a bit of history or just some good old peace and quiet, the Taipei Botanical Garden can give you a city escape packed with scenery.
In case you need a drink, you’ll be glad to know that just outside the garden are a couple of good coffee shops: the library-esque Peloso Coffee Roasters and the understated FF.Coffeeholic. We’ll discuss these in detail in a separate Where to Eat in Taipei article.
Opening Hours: Daily, 5:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Entrance Fee: FREEHow to Get to Taipei Botanical Garden: Take the MRT to Xiaonanmen Station (Exit 3), then walk for 10 minutes.
5. Dihua Street
This is said to be Taipei’s oldest street, dating back to the 1850s! This wasn’t our first time here, we’d been here just a couple of years ago. But this is our first time exploring it in style! And by style, I mean wearing traditional attires, which you can use for FREE. Just head to the Dadaocheng Visitor Center, then you just need to give a deposit worth NTD 1000, which is refundable as long as you return the garments without damage.
You can choose from any of their wide selection of attires, and you also get an accessory, which can be a bag, a pipe, or a hat. And while in your period drama era, explore the historic street, which is flanked by shophouses selling traditional medicine, tea, herbs, fabric, and more. It has always been like this for centuries! But today, you’ll also find more modern cafes and milk tea stalls.
One of the largest buildings here houses the Yongle Market. Built in 1896, this kaleidoscope of textiles spans multiple floors filled with silks, satins, lace, and tailor services. The street-level wet market is where you’ll find freshest produce, herbal teas, and snacks, too.
On the 8th floor of the same building, you’ll find Dadaocheng Theater, a branch of the Taipei Cultural Center. This is a great venue for performances, and even to this day, you can catch traditional puppet plays here. There’s also a mini-museum showcasing the various types of puppets and the history of puppetry in Taipei.
Then, just down the street is the small but extremely popular Xia Hai City God Temple. Completed in 1859 in honor of the the City God, Chenghuang, who ensures local peace and prosperity. Later on, a statue of his wife was added. Today, many visitors, especially tourists come here to pray for a happy love life.
So whether you’re hunting delicate fabric rolls, seeking divine romantic luck, or slipping into vintage threads for a retro shoot, Dihua Street is the place for you — with layers of culture, color, and charisma.
Traditional Attire Use: Rental Fee, NONE/FREE; Deposit, NTD 1000 (refundable)
6. Dadaocheng Wharf
Depending on which part of Dihua Street you’re coming from, walk for 5-10 minutes westward and you’ll eventually find Dadaocheng Wharf Plaza. From its origins as a bustling trade pier on the Tamsui River to its 21st-century renaissance as a riverside hangout, it mixes history with modern fun.
The murals on its super lengthy wall are top-notch, depicting various scenes of Taipei. You can even bike alongside it. YouBike stations and bike rental shops are available, offering an easy way to explore the 18 km riverside cycling route, which leads to Guandu or back to the city. Bike rental costs NTD 80 per hour. YouBike is much cheaper. By the way, Guandu is another underrated attraction in the city. You can read more of that and other under-the-radar places in Taipei here.
If biking isn’t your thing, how about a boat cruise? Here, you can hop on a sunset‐time river cruise heading upriver toward Tamsui and beyond. A ride offers a scenic drifting shot of iconic bridges, lush riverside parks, and of course, Taipei’s skyline, which is magnificent at sunset. You can even spot Taipei 101 from here! And it’s surprisingly affordable too, at only NTD 300 for an hour-long cruise.
It’s best to visit in late afternoon and evening, when the wharf really comes to life, especially at the Pier-5 Container Food Park, where you’ll find dozens of stalls pumping out craft beer, boba, burgers, seafood, Thai, Korean, and Italian. Grab a table seat (some atop containers!), let the river breeze flow, and snap those casual food shots as city lights glimmer across the water.
Bike Rental: NTD 80/hour
Boat Cruise: NTD 300/hour
Closest MRT Stations: Beimen or Daqiaotou StationHow to Get to Dadaocheng Wharf:
- From either Beimen or Daqiaotou Station, you can get there on foot in five minutes.
- From Dihua Street, it’s a 5-10-minute walk.
7. Huashan 1914 Creative Park
Once a 1914 winery turned art-lovers’ playground, Huashan 1914 Creative Park is Taipei’s ultimate blend of industrial charm, indie creativity, and pop-culture chic. Wandering through its weathered brick warehouses and green lawns, you’ll find everything from laid-back cafes and indie cinemas to spontaneous performances and street-art backdrops — an endless scroll of photo ops waiting to happen.
And it changes a lot! Last year, when we visited, there was a completely different set of pop-up stores and attractions. This time around, Doraemon was dominating the site. There was an ongoing 100% Doraemon and Friends exhibition and a gigantic 12-meter inflatable Doraemon attracting kids and kids at heart alike.
Next door, a whimsical Tomica toy car pop-up revved up nostalgia with mini-streets and model-display zones.
Our new friend Andrea also brought us to Legacy, the park’s signature music venue inside one of the old red-brick warehouses. She said don’t expect a mainstream club or pop scene, though, because it mostly showcases homegrown indie rock bands and performers.
Just a stone’s throw away is Syntrend Creative Park, Taipei’s go-to gadget mall packed with tech stalls selling phones, tablets, cameras, drones, and even home appliances. And when you need a caffeine recharge, Simple Kaffa Huashan Flagship is the chicest pick. Again, we’ll be discussing this more in a separate article.
8. Xinzhongshan Linear Park & Chifeng Street
Another site that we made sure to return to this trip is the Xinzhongshan Linear Park. On the surface, it’s adorned with sculptural benches, floating walkways, and seasonal blooms. But underneath is a whole new world. Welcome to the Zhongshan Underground Book Street, a hidden treasure trove of literary finds, mostly in Chinese but you’ll also find English books.
Then right across is the Eslite Underground Music Store (anchoring the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi mall), which is a paradise for music lovers looking for specific records. There are vinyls, CDs, DVDs, and others, ranging from contemporary pop acts like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappel Roan to legends like Michael Jackson and David Bowie. There’s Milli Vanilli, too!
A few steps off the path lies Chifeng Street, once the town’s auto-parts alley but has reinvented itself as a hipster sanctuary of vintage boutiques and indie cafés. Andrea highly recommended her favorite shop here called PAR Store, which sells garments, accessories, and music records. We also visited Mitty, which sells pre-loved vintage clothes.
But the real reason we came back here was the FOOD! One of the most iconic here is Mian Xian Ding, which serves bowl after bowl of piping hot mee sua or rice flour noodles and Master Spicy Noodle Zhongshan Restaurant, famous for its well, spicy noodles and beef noodle soup.
Also within the area is the highly underrated Tiao Tong, which is Taipei’s “Little Tokyo” as it is lined with Japanese restaurants, ramen bars, izakayas and even kawaii-culture and trinket shops like Gacha Hunter (扭蛋獵人), with wall-to-wall gachapon or capsule vending machines and blind-box collectibles on display.
The Xinzhongshan Linear Park and Chifeng Street is sandwiched by the MRT Zhongshan and Shuanglian Stations, so depending on your target attraction, either could do. Tiaotong and Underground Book Street is closer to Zhongshan Station.
Closest MRT Stations: Underground Book Street (Zhongshan Station); Chifeng Street (Zhongshan or Shuanglian Station); Tiao Tong (Zhongshan)
9. Ximending
This list won’t be complete without the OG IG paradise — Ximending. I mean, I can’t think of any other free site that attracts more social media natives than the rainbow six crosswalk right by the entrance to Ximen Walker. And it’s not difficult to understand why.
Ximending is where Taipei shows up in full color — think Harajuku with a Taiwanese twist. It’s loud, it’s crowded, it’s chaotic…and it’s a vibe! This pedestrian zone is packed with fashion shops, sneaker stores, street food, and more selfie backdrops than your phone can handle. Yes, it’s gotten so touristy these days — but let’s be real, it’s trendy for a reason.
This is where local teens still hang out, artists perform, cosplayers gather, and subcultures thrive in full technicolor. But that’s not to say there are no quiet corners.
Just walk a bit further and you’ll reach Taipei Cinema Park, a chill spot with street art-covered walls, outdoor installations, and an open space where skaters, dancers, and lowkey photographers hang out. It’s way less crowded than the main square and gives off serious indie-cool energy.
There are lots of food spots, too!
Closest MRT Station: Ximen Station
10. Taipei 101 and Xinyi District
You can’t visit Taipei and not see Taipei 101. This 508-meter, bamboo-inspired mega-skyscraper once held the title of tallest building in the world, and it’s still the undisputed icon of the city. Whether you want to take photos of it or take photos from it, Taipei 101 is going to be involved in your camera roll one way or another.
Inside, 101’s lower floors are decked out with luxury brands, art installations, and one of the world’s fastest elevators that’ll shoot you to the top in just 37 seconds.
I remember my very first visit climbing to the 89th floor observatory more than a decade ago. It was mostly the view and the tuned mass damper, that 660-ton golden ball which holds the building together in shaky times. But these days, the observation deck is also bursting with installations and photo spots and it changes every time I visit.
If you wish to go up to the observation deck, you can secure your ticket in advance online through accredited booking sites like Klook!
✅ GET YOUR TAIPEI 101 TICKET HERE!
Outside, cross the road to the Xinyi Shopping District, which is a complex of malls, bursting at the seams with all sorts of shops and restaurants. This pedestrian-friendly zone is lined with gleaming malls like ATT 4 FUN, Breeze, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, and Eslite Spectrum, where you can shop, dine, and strut. And oh, the Apple Store at Xinyi A13 is also just around the corner. Two stories of minimalist shop with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, floating staircases, and those crisp, clean displays that make you want to splurge.
By the way, Taipei is a bona-fide shopping destination. It’s not just the number of malls or the diversity of the shops, but also the competitive prices. We always find that the costs here — be it perfumes, luxury items, or even the usual chains — are much lower than in most other countries. Yes, cheaper than the Philippines, too.
And I almost forgot, don’t leave without getting that “mandatory” low-angle shot of Taipei 101!
Where to Stay in Taipei
Here’s a list of the hotels and hostels we tried in Taipei:
Search for more Taipei Hotels!
Have Peace of Mind While Traveling!
Getting a travel insurance is optional, but we highly recommend this, especially when traveling abroad. Travel can be unpredictable, and though we hope we’ll never use it, having it gives us peace of mind in case of unexpected delays, cancellations, or emergencies.
For international destinations, consider PGA Sompo’s TravelJOY Plus insurance. You can GET IT HERE. Don’t forget to use WORTHIT for a special affordable rate.
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