I have been to Taipei twice in my adult life before this current one. I was confined to going around in only a few places that time, also perhaps because I was not really free in the afternoons to explore much. This time though, I came with my friends Erika and Lesley, and we were able to go around. We stayed in the majestic Shangrila Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, which was very strategically located and has a fantastic rooftop bar and pool that has the best view of Taipei.
Photo by @LesleyTan629
So here is a summary of things to do in Taipei in 24 hours, if you have no plans of going sightseeing the whole day (though sightseeing in the morning is also highly recommended, but lol we didn’t do it).
Early morning, visit the National Palace Museum and the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial or check out Taipei 101 up close (don’t bother checking out the mall inside, it is disappointing).
Come lunchtime, go have xiao long bao (truffle and taro are so awesome) at the original Din Tai Fung on Xinyi District by Yong Kang Street.
I also recommend the wine chicken there because it is delicious! Expect a wait for a table if you come during peak meal hours.
After a highly satisying meal, take a taxi (or Uber) to Chongqing North Road in Datong Fistrict for a spot of shopping. Oh yes your $ will go a looong way here! There are super cute specialty shops as well as stores that sell merchandise “wholesale” at remarkable prices.
We walked away with Disney (yes, licensed) merchandise– bags, pouches, & the like at “Rebecca 100% shop” (Tel. 02-25582351).
There are also accessories stores in the area, but we zeroed in on the foldable, reusable pouches rack which belonged to this shop that had no name, but here is the Tel. 02- 2550202 — they have big- sized reusable totes which we had been looking for, as they are perfect for jaunts to the supermarket.
I’m ashamed to say that we hoarded lol. They also have cute animal coin purses and even kitschy luggage tags. But seriously our haul though heavy, is soooo worth its weight!
Weiwei (Tel. 02- 25557511) is not a shop you’ll miss because of its façade. The 2- level shop sells a lot of Swarovski crystals- encrusted accessories– from hair clips to bracelets.
Romantic Shop (Tel. 02- 25559814) has sooo many things, from select Sanrio things like water canteens, bags to Peter Rabbit merchandise. They also have different kinds of cute face towels and china– yes, plates! It is a shop that is worth visiting.
Another bag and accessories place worth checking out is Hello Dolly, located within the area. This is Taiwan’s answer to Cath Kidston. I like their cute prints and had actually bought a bag from this brand for my niece once ?
After your craaazy shopping, you might wanna drop all your loot back to your hotel and head to Khaki Cafe- Bar (along Ren’ai Road in the Da’an District) opened by local designer Isabelle Wen who also has her shop located right next door.
It is a beautiful space– every corner is so photo- friendly.
They also have a little outdoor deck for al fresco dining.
I ordered a plate of fried chicken salad with greens and pea sprouts, and it was very good.
My friend Lesley said the coffee and iced milk tea were quite nice too.
A short walk from Khaki Cafe is Eslite (in Dunhua Road, Da’an District), the largest one in Taipei. It is a multi- level store which has a bookstore, a huge stationery section, as well as 3 floors of curated fashion, beauty and accessories boutiques. There was even a nature boutique that sells fossils (think megalodon tooth and the like) as well as crystals. We spent hours in Eslite (which also happens to be open 24 hours). And sorry, no photos to show for lol.
When hunger strikes, there’s the famous Yong Kang Noodle House (in Yong Kang Street, Xinyi District) which has been open since the early 1960s!
They must be doing something right to be open for so long, right? And yup I had to taste the beef- tendon noodle soup to find out for myself. And I also ordered a side of pork entrails (they called it large hog intestines… lol I know, the translation is a total appetite killer ).
And yes it was that good!
There are also some cute shops along that road, so do explore after dinner.
I liked this shop called No26 in particular. The shop sells handmade soaps.
Beautiful store design with great product!
Right when we were taking a taxi a street off the restaurant, I saw this bag shop.
Looking at the photos now, I wish I had bought a backpack there! Hmm next time ?
And if you are still not tired, the NingXi Night Market might be an appealing place to visit to you. I have been told this was a pretty solid one and unlike Raohe Market, it has more merchandise to see and buy. Raohe had a cute edible takeaway though– this My Melody- shaped cotton candy!
I no longer went to the NingXi night market because we are dead tired and well, we were already done with shopping ?
Taipei in 24 hours is definitely doable!
P.S. If you happen to read this within 24 hours after I published this, try to catch my travel snaps and video on my Instagram Stories or on my Snapchat: THE_BAGHAG ?
x
TheBagHag