Taipei hums in layers. Temples waft incense beside neon arcades. Locals start their days with scallion pancakes or hot soy milk, and end them with a cocktail behind an unmarked door. It's a place where centuries-old rituals coexist with pop culture kitsch. Every alley seems to lead to a shrine, a cat, or an unforgettable steaming bowl of deliciousness.

What makes Taipei special isn't just landmarks: its contrasts add meaning and surprise us at every corner.

Dumpling shops share walls with vinyl bars. Japanese-style bathhouses sit down the street from Bauhaus cafes. Old military villages become artist communes. This five-day guide is for the curious traveller, someone who wants their itinerary served with a side of chaos and charm. You'll wander from teahouses to techno clubs, hike a mountain before breakfast, and maybe have your fortune told… by a bird!

And yes, there is an abandoned UFO village. It's real, weird, and oddly beautiful in that retro-futurist, crumbling-coastline way. Welcome to Taipei: modern yet timeless, fast yet thoughtful, with just enough eccentricity to help explore taipei in 5 days in ways that will feed stories you'll retell for years.

Taipei is often overlooked on "cool cities" lists, but it shouldn't be. This 5-day, 4-night itinerary blends iconic sights with local secrets and surreal diversions. You'll start midweek and finish with a weekend buzz, when the city leans into its creative energy and caffeinated charm.

Before you go: Where to stay

The city's MRT makes everything accessible, so base yourself on your vibe. For cafes, leafy streets, and a mellow pace, stay in Da'an or Dongmen. If you're into night markets and karaoke bars, try Ximending, where youth culture glows past midnight. In case you rather a mix of the above, Zhongshan has design hotels, riverside paths, and low-key speakeasies. And if hot springs or forest trails are more appealling to you, Beitou offers a retreat feel, just 30 minutes from the city centre.

Day 1: Peaks, parks & hidden pours

Start your Taipei adventure above it all. A short walk from Xiangshan MRT leads to Elephant Mountain, a brisk 20-minute climb rewarding you with a jaw-dropping panorama of the city, with Taipei 101 rising like a steel bamboo shoot. Go early for a soft morning light. It's an energising first glimpse into Taipei's love affair with contrasts.

From peak to past, descend into Sisi South Village, a low-slung warren of repurposed military homes just minutes away. Now a creative space, it blends indie shops, vintage memorabilia, and quiet courtyards with an unbeatable photo op: crumbling walls in the foreground, Taipei 101 towering just behind. Grab breakfast here — we suggest soy milk and a flaky shaobing — at a village cafe.

After a rewarding uphill walk, it's time to explore Taipei's flavours

Come midday, head over to Yongkang Street, a micro-neighbourhood punching above its weight in flavour. Start with a steaming bowl of beef noodle soup, Lan Jia Gua Bao or Yong Kang Beef Noodles spark local debates, then follow with icy mango shaved ice or a flaky scallion pancake from a curbside stall. Taipei eats best when you graze.

Refuelled, dive into the creative chaos of Huashan 1914 Creative Park, a former sake distillery turned cultural powerhouse. Stroll among ivy-covered warehouses now home to design studios, pop-up installations, experimental bookstores, and even an upside down house! It's industrial bones with a creative heartbeat.

As evening sets in, wander towards Ningxia Night Market, a more compact and local alternative to Shilin. Follow your nose toward sizzling taro balls, flame-grilled squid, and chewy oyster omelets. The pace is frenzied, and the flavors unapologetically bold.

Cap your night with a cocktail behind a curtain. HANKO 60, hidden in plain sight as a vintage cinema façade in Ximending, leads into a moody speakeasy with jazz notes and retro glamour. This is Taipei's night in a nutshell, just enough mystery, just enough magic.

Day 2: Urban oddities & neon dreams

Start your second day with a step into the miniature. Tucked away in Zhongshan, the Miniatures Museum of Taiwan is a gem filled with painstakingly crafted dollhouses, pocket-sized palaces, and entire storybook towns rendered in meticulous detail. There's a surprising stillness to the experience.

From tiny to ridiculous, head to Modern Toilet Restaurant in Ximending for lunch. This parody of fine dining invites you to sit on actual toilet seats while being served curry in miniature commodes and soft-serve swirled into tiny urinals. It's toilet humour at its most photogenic, the selfies are non-negotiable.

 

 

 

 

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Back outside, dive into Ximending itself. This pedestrian-only playground is Taipei's hub of youth culture: equal parts open-air catwalk and street art gallery. Hunt down niche fashion boutiques, pause for bubble tea, and catch live performances. Every alley pulses with colour and chaos.

Or for something gentler, wind down at Capybara Knight, a cosy cafe where the world's largest rodents roam freely. It's a surprisingly serene moment: cappuccino in hand, capybara by your feet.

When lights go down, they go big at Shilin Night Market, Taipei's largest. Towering fried chicken cutlets, sizzling oyster omelets, sugar-dusted mochi. You'll smell it all before you see it. If you still have energy, end with a nightcap at a tucked-away speakeasy like Ounce or Bar PUN, where cocktail theatre plays out behind hidden doors.

Day 3: Coastal curiosities & imperial treasures

Shake off the city for a morning of strange architecture and sea air. Head north to the area around Wanli UFO Village, a half-forgotten relic of 1970s sci-fi optimism. Originally a beachfront resort with pod-shaped Futuro and Venturo houses, the project was later abandoned. While many structures are gone or inaccessible, some remaining alien domes offer a glimpse into this surreal past.

Note: Some structures are demolished or privately owned and may still be lived in. Being respectful is advised, as well as staying outside fences, and only taking photos. Access is limited and should be treated with care.

Just south along the coast, Yehliu Geopark offers an entirely different natural strangeness. Wind and wave erosion have sculpted the shoreline into a geological sculpture park: mushroom rocks, honeycomb craters, and the famous Queen's Head. It's both alien and earthly, walking the trails feels like pacing through nature's art exhibit.

By late afternoon, swap wind for dynasty at the National Palace Museum. Back in Taipei, this giant holds over 600,000 artifacts from China's imperial past: jade carvings, scrolls, bronze, delicate porcelain. It's a vault of millennia. Don't miss the jadeite cabbage and the curiously famous meat-shaped stone.

For dinner, nearby Shilin offers refined Taiwanese staples, such as three-cup chicken or braised pork belly in polished, quiet restaurants. And if you're not ready to rush home, consider winding down at The Malt (near Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT). This cosy, low-lit whisky bar offers a sophisticated atmosphere with an extensive selection of spirits, perfect for a relaxed evening and a quiet conversation. It's the perfect counterbalance to a day of coastlines, time capsules, and dynastic wonder.

Day 4: Grand statements & riverside revelry

Start the day with grandeur. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, crowned with its blue-and-white pagoda roof and flanked by sweeping staircases, is one of Taipei's most iconic landmarks. From 9am to 5pm, you can catch the changing of the guard on the hour: a solemn, balletic ritual that draws crowds. Beyond the central hall, roam among the beautiful surrounding gardens and lotus ponds.

Late morning calls for a detour into Taipei's flea market underworld. Beneath the Fúhe Bridge, the air buzzes with barter and the scent of vintage vinyl. This gritty, sprawling market is a trove of randomness: jade bracelets, second-hand cameras, army jackets. It's dusty, chaotic, and deliciously local. Perfect for treasure hunters or people-watchers.

Grab a late lunch from a humble vendor nearby or head back toward the east side for an afternoon among neon and nostalgia at the Taipei Pop Music Centre. This angular structure in Nangang celebrates Mandopop with immersive exhibits and striking architecture. Whether you're a Jay Chou fan or not, the vibe is electric and modern.

Bike hauling: a great way to explore the city

As the sky softens, hop on a YouBike and follow the riverside trail. The path from Songshan to Rainbow Riverside Park offers a lesser-seen angle on Taipei 101, framed by bridges, basketball courts, and sweeping water views. By twilight, Rainbow Bridge glows to life: a curve of LED colour floating over the Keelung River. Sunset here hits different.

Wrap the day with dinner in the Songshan District, whether it's beef noodle soup or dry-aged yakitori. But before you call it a night, try your luck with one of Taipei's most eccentric divinations: fortune telling by a bird. Found near temples like Songshan Ciyou or tucked in night market corners, this delightful ritual involves a songbird picking a card revealing your fate. Strange? Definitely. But also a poetic end to a day that balanced power, play, and perspective.

Day 5: Brunch & Bon Voyage

Ease into your final morning with one of Taipei's quiet rituals: a traditional breakfast. Skip the hotel buffet and find a local favourite like Fuhang Soy Milk. There, a spread of warm soy milk (doujiang), flaky scallion pancakes, and freshly fried youtiao (dough sticks) offers more than sustenance, it's Taipei's heartbeat in edible form.

For a last-minute stroll and souvenir fix, Dihua Street in Dadaocheng is a strong contender. Morning light filters over baroque shophouses filled with tea canisters, handmade soaps, dried fruits, and craft shops. You'll find it relaxed, walkable, and just the right blend of heritage and hip for a final wander.

Whether flying from Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) or Songshan Airport (TSA), the MRT and airport buses make getting there painless. Just leave enough time to grab a last-minute pineapple cake or two.

Until next time, Taipei

This 5-day itinerary has swept from mountaintop sunrises to riverside neon, from imperial art to fried chicken alleys, and from cats in cafes to birds that tell your fortune. It's less about checking off landmarks and more about collecting moments, collecting memories that smell like soy broth or sound like laughter bouncing off a karaoke bar's brick walls.

A short trip as such gives just enough time to find a rhythm. But don't be surprised if you leave with plans already brewing, whether it's to soak in Beitou's hot springs, hike Yangmingshan's volcanic trails, or track down more of those secret bars.

Taipei lingers. In the details, in the snacks, in the strangeness. And if you've made it this far, chances are… you'll be back in no time.

This article was first published in City Nomads.