About Taipei Escape
Taipei Escape is an independent travel guide dedicated to Taipei and its surroundings — the northern coast (Jiufen, Shifen, Yehliu, Jinshan, Jinguashi), the Pingxi valley (sky lanterns, Houtong cat village), the hot-spring towns (Beitou, Wulai), Yangmingshan National Park, Tamsui and Keelung, and extended escapes to Sun Moon Lake, Taroko Gorge, Yilan and Taichung. Our mission: help you plan the trip you actually want, honestly — including which night market is worth the travel time, how to reach Jiufen without the tour group, and whether Taroko really needs two days or can be done in one.
The base+escapes model
Taipei is one of Asia's most underrated city breaks — an outstanding food and night-market scene, the world-class National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, and some of the continent's most accessible prices. But its real power is as a basecamp: Jiufen is under an hour by bus, Shifen a 90-minute train ride, Beitou 30 minutes by MRT. This site is built around that logic: we give you depth on Taipei itself, then show you exactly how to reach and time every day trip — MRT connections, realistic travel times, combo itineraries, and what to skip.
Our approach
Every guide, itinerary and recommendation on this site is built on first-hand research. We name real restaurants (Din Tai Fung, RAW, Yong Kang Beef Noodle), real neighbourhoods (Xinyi, Ximending, Dadaocheng, Da'an), real transit options (Taoyuan Airport MRT ~35 min, ~160 TWD; EasyCard for unlimited MRT; bus 788 to Jiufen). We quote real prices in both TWD and USD, we flag the tourist traps honestly — overpriced tour packages to Jiufen, the lantern-lighting gimmick at commercial venues vs. the real thing at Shifen, unlicensed taxis from Taoyuan — and we give you the straight story on Taipei's can't-miss experiences versus what you can confidently skip. If something is overpriced or not worth the detour, we say so.
What we cover
Taipei Escape covers the capital in real depth — Taipei 101 and Xinyi District, the traditional Longshan Temple and Dadaocheng historic quarter, the Shilin and Raohe night markets, the National Palace Museum's collection of Chinese imperial treasures, Ximending youth culture, and the practical logistics that other guides gloss over. Beyond the city: Jiufen's hillside teahouses and gold-rush history, Shifen's sky lanterns and waterfall, Yehliu Geopark's otherworldly rock formations, Pingxi valley, Houtong's cat colony, Beitou's hot-spring public baths, Yangmingshan's volcanic trails, Tamsui's colonial riverside, Keelung's harbour night market, and the extended escapes to Sun Moon Lake and Taroko Gorge on Taiwan's spectacular east coast.
How we earn revenue
Taipei Escape is a free resource. We earn commissions when you book tours and activities through our affiliate links with GetYourGuide (partner ID LDXYA0P) and Viator (Partner ID P00305208, a Tripadvisor company). This costs you nothing extra and helps us keep our guides free and up to date. We do not run our own tours, we have no financial relationship with hotels, restaurants or transport operators, and we have no hotel booking affiliations. GetYourGuide and Viator commissions are our only revenue streams — which is why we can be honest about what is and isn't worth your money in Taipei and Taiwan. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
Currency and practical notes
Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar (TWD). As of mid-2026, 1 USD ≈ 32 TWD and 1 EUR ≈ 35 TWD. Cards are widely accepted in Taipei, but cash is still useful for night markets, small local restaurants and rural areas. Most nationalities (EU, US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and many more) receive visa-free entry for 90 days. An EasyCard (rechargeable contactless card) covers MRT, buses and some convenience store purchases — get one at any MRT station. We cover all of this in our planning guides and tools.
Available in 8 languages
Taipei Escape publishes in English (canonical), French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch and Polish. Content is written natively in each language — not auto-translated — because Taiwan tourism is increasingly attracting visitors from across Europe and we want each audience to get genuinely useful, correctly phrased information.
Contact
Email: agencexen@gmail.com
Hosting
Infomaniak Network SA, Geneva, Switzerland