Travel guides
Preparation, transfers, sample itineraries and shopping. Written once and kept current.
GuideTaipei
Taoyuan Airport to Taipei: Airport MRT, Bus, Taxi and the HSR Connection
Checked September 2026: how to get from Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) into Taipei by Airport MRT (NT$160, 35 to 39 minutes), the 24-hour 1819 bus, a metered taxi, or straight onto the High Speed Rail for Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, plus what to do when you land after the last train.
- Transport
- Budget
GuideTaipei
Taipei Metro and EasyCard Guide 2026: Fares, Day Passes, Bank Card Tap-In, Buses and YouBike
Checked September 2026: how to pay for Taipei's metro (NT$20 to 65 by ticket, EasyCard or a contactless bank card), where to buy and cash out an EasyCard, when the NT$150 One-Day Pass or 24 to 72-hour passes pay off, how to tap on and off city buses, how visitors rent YouBike 2.0, and the NT$1,500 no-drinking rule.
- Transport
- Budget
GuideTaipei
Taipei 4-day itinerary for first-timers: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Palace Museum, Jiufen and Taipei 101 by MRT
A day-by-day plan for four days in Taipei: which MRT station to get off at, opening hours and ticket prices checked on the official sites in September 2026, what to eat in each neighbourhood, and the swaps that save you a wasted Monday or a rained-out sunset.
- Itineraries
- Food
- Culture
GuideTaipei
Jiufen, Shifen and Yehliu in one day: the public-transport route from Taipei
How to see Yehliu Geopark, the sky lanterns of Shifen on the Pingxi line and Jiufen's lantern-lit old street in a single day using buses and trains from Taipei, with the fares we verified in September 2026, where to buy tickets, and when a day tour is the better deal.
- Transport
- Itineraries
- Nature
GuideTaipei
Taipei night markets: Shilin, Raohe, Ningxia, Tonghua and Nanjichang, with MRT exits, hours and the Michelin stalls
How to pick a Taipei night market and eat your way through it: the nearest MRT station and exit, official hours, what to order and how to say it, paying and queueing, when to beat the crowds, and the stalls the city lists as Michelin Bib Gourmand picks, checked in September 2026.
- Food
- Culture
- Nightlife
GuideKaohsiung
Kaohsiung in 3 Days: Pier-2, the Cijin Ferry, Lotus Pond, Night Markets and Fo Guang Shan
A three-day Kaohsiung plan checked on the official sites in September 2026: HSR to Zuoying and the metro from the airport, light rail and ferry fares, Pier-2, Hamasen and Cijin, Lotus Pond and the old city gates, Ruifeng or Liuhe night market, and bus E02 to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, with closing days and a Meinong alternative.
- Itineraries
- Food
- Culture
GuideTaipei
Where to Stay in Taipei: Six Areas Compared by MRT Time, Airport Access and Budget
Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan, Ximending, Xinyi, Da'an, Songshan or Beitou? MRT times and fares to both airports checked in September 2026, what a late Taoyuan landing changes, and how to confirm a hotel is licensed on the government's Taiwan Stay site.
- Budget
- Hotels
GuideTaipei
Beitou and Wulai Hot Springs: Public Baths, Thermal Valley and Bus 849
How to do Taipei's two hot-spring valleys on an EasyCard: Beitou's public outdoor bath (closed for rebuilding until late September 2026), the free Thermal Valley and Hot Spring Museum, then Wulai by MRT and bus 849, with the etiquette for swimsuit baths, nude baths and tattoos.
- Seasonal
- Culture
- Nature
GuideTaipei
Taipei from Above: Taipei 101 Observatory, Elephant Mountain, Maokong Gondola and Free Sunset Spots
Six places to see Taipei's skyline in 2026 and how to reach each by MRT: Taipei 101 observatory tickets and hours, the Elephant Mountain trail and its closures until April 2027, Maokong Gondola fares and maintenance Mondays, Qingtiangang by bus, and free sunset views at Jiannan Road and Dadaocheng Wharf.
- Itineraries
- Viewpoints
GuideTaichung
Taichung and Sun Moon Lake in Two Days: HSR, Bus 6670, Boats, the Ropeway and the Gaomei Sunset
A two-day plan for Taichung and Sun Moon Lake checked in September 2026: HSR from Taipei and the train and MRT links into downtown, Miyahara, the Second Market and Shenji New Village, the sunset bus to the Gaomei Wetlands, then Nantou Bus 6670 to the lake with current boat, ropeway, round-the-lake bus and package prices.
- Transport
- Itineraries
- Nature
GuideTainan
Tainan in Two Days: Old Town, Anping and a Beef-Soup Breakfast
A checked two-day Tainan itinerary for 2026: getting in from THSR Tainan Station or Kaohsiung with exact fares, day one in the old town, day two in Anping, the 98 tourist bus and city bus 2, scooter-rental rules, and how to eat beef soup the way locals do.
- Itineraries
- Food
- Culture