Taipei in 4 days: city lanes and mountain-town evenings

Airport rail, old Taipei and Ximending

1. 01Arrive at TPE around 14:00 and allow 60–90 minutes for immigration and luggage. Find the Airport MRT station for your terminal.
2. 02Take an express service toward Taipei Main Station if it suits your arrival. Allow approximately 35–40 minutes on the train, plus walks through the airport and station. Check current fares with Taoyuan Metro.
3. 03Check in or store your bags, then use the city MRT toward Longshan Temple (龍山寺). Visit only if there is comfortable time left; Bopiliao's historic streets are an optional nearby stop.
4. 04Continue to Ximending (西門町) for a light meal at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle if open, followed by a short pedestrian-street walk.
5. 05Return to your hotel before the first evening becomes tiring. A delayed flight is a reason to skip the temple, not to rush through the city.

The Airport MRT and Taipei's city MRT are different services, with a walk between parts of the Main Station complex. Include that transfer time when traveling with luggage.

Breakfast, central Taipei and Taipei 101

1. 01If open that day, try Fu Hang Soy Milk around 06:30. A long queue can take 30–60 minutes or more; use a nearby breakfast alternative if needed.
2. 02Continue to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂), aiming for the morning opening. Check current access and any ceremony arrangements on the official site.
3. 03Head toward Dongmen and Yongkang Street for a walk and lunch. If choosing Din Tai Fung, check the exact currently operating dine-in branch and queue before committing to a time.
4. 04Spend the afternoon around Taipei 101 and Xinyi, with a café or hotel break. Reserve a suitable observatory slot only after checking ticket conditions and the weather.
5. 05If you still have energy, take the MRT to Songshan for Raohe Street Night Market and a pepper bun. Otherwise eat closer to your hotel.

This is the fullest city day. The observatory and night market need not both happen if queues or fatigue have already used your spare time.

Shifen first, Jiufen later

1. 01Plan an early departure from Taipei Main Station, around 07:30 if the day's schedule supports it. Take a suitable TRA train toward Ruifang (瑞芳), allowing roughly 40–50 minutes plus waiting.
2. 02Check Pingxi Line service and transfer times before continuing to Shifen (十分). Do not treat a sample arrival time as a reserved connection.
3. 03Allow around 25–30 minutes each way to walk from Shifen station to the waterfall, plus time at the viewpoint and old street. Keep clear of operating railway tracks and obey staff instructions.
4. 04Take a suitable train back to Ruifang, then find the correct Jiufen-bound bus stop. Allow roughly 15–25 minutes on the bus, plus queues and traffic.
5. 05Spend the later afternoon around Jiufen Old Street (九份老街) and the stepped lanes. Check the day's route 965 service toward Ximen, including the last departure; allow roughly 70–90 minutes or more for the return.

Check the return options before leaving Taipei. If the Pingxi Line is disrupted or the connection is unsuitable, simplify to Jiufen or stay in the city. Do not plan around an unverified last bus, and do not add a lantern activity on active tracks.

Dihua Street, then the airport

1. 01Check out around 08:30 and leave your bags at the hotel if luggage storage is available.
2. 02Take a short Dihua Street (迪化街) and Dadaocheng walk around 09:00–11:00. Some shops open later than the streets themselves, so do not rely on an early shopping stop.
3. 03Return for your bags and a simple lunch, allowing time to reach the Airport MRT platform.
4. 04For a flight after 16:00, aim for an airport train around 12:30, adjusted to your terminal and actual timetable. Target airport arrival at least three hours before the international flight.
5. 05For an earlier departure, drop Dihua Street. Confirm terminal, baggage and check-in requirements directly with your airline.

A room near Taipei 101 requires an extra city transfer compared with the Main Station base. Do not copy the same hotel departure time without adding that journey.