Taiwan is the destination TikTok can't stop talking about — and for good reason. It's cheaper than Japan, easier to navigate than mainland China, and arguably has the best street food in all of Asia. Taipei, the capital, packs temples, night markets, mountain trails, and a world-class food scene into a city that's shockingly easy to explore.
We built this itinerary entirely from TikToks and Reels we saved to Plotline over the past year. Every night market stall, every temple, every hole-in-the-wall noodle shop — it all started as a video we shared to the app while scrolling at midnight. Here's the three-day Taipei trip that came out of it.
Day 1 — Temples, Old Streets & Night Markets
Morning: Longshan Temple
Start your first morning at Longshan Temple, one of Taipei's most important and beautiful temples. Built in 1738, it's a working place of worship — not a museum — and you'll see locals lighting incense and praying alongside tourists snapping photos. The ornate roof carvings and dragon pillars are stunning in person, and this is one of those places that shows up in nearly every TikTok travel compilation about Taiwan. Get there early (before 9 AM) to beat the crowds and catch the morning light hitting the courtyard.
Mid-Morning: Bopiliao Historic Block
A short walk from Longshan, Bopiliao Historic Block is a beautifully preserved Qing Dynasty-era street that feels like stepping back 200 years. The red-brick buildings house small exhibits and art installations, and the whole block is wonderfully photogenic without the tourist crush you'll find at other historic sites. It's free to walk through and takes about 30-45 minutes.
Lunch: Din Tai Fung
Yes, the xiao long bao are worth the hype. Head to the original Din Tai Fung location in Xinyi for the soup dumplings that launched a global empire. The line can be long, so here's a local tip: go to the Yongkang Street branch instead — it's less crowded, the food is identical, and Yongkang Street itself is worth exploring. Order the truffle xiao long bao if they have them, plus the shrimp and pork wontons in chili oil.
Afternoon: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
After lunch, walk off those dumplings at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The grand white monument is massive — 76 meters tall — and the surrounding Liberty Square and gardens make for a peaceful afternoon stroll. Catch the changing of the guard ceremony at the top of the hour if your timing works out. The blue-and-white architecture against Taipei's skyline is iconic.
Late Afternoon: Yongkang Street
Head to Yongkang Street for the late afternoon. This tree-lined neighborhood is packed with boutiques, tea shops, and some of Taipei's best dessert spots. The move here is mango shaved ice — either at Ice Monster or Smoothie House. A mountain of shaved ice topped with fresh mango, condensed milk, and mango ice cream. It's the most refreshing thing you'll eat in Taipei, and it's been all over food TikTok for years.
Evening: Shilin Night Market
Your first night market should be the biggest and most famous: Shilin Night Market. This is the most TikTok'd night market in Asia, and it lives up to the hype. The sheer scale is overwhelming — hundreds of stalls spread across multiple blocks and an underground food court. Must-try items: pepper buns (hujiao bing) with flaky pastry and juicy pork filling, stinky tofu if you dare (it tastes better than it smells, we promise), oyster omelette with sweet sauce, and bubble tea from the source. Budget about 2-3 hours here and come hungry.
Day 2 — Jiufen, Tea & Mountain Views
Morning: Jiufen Old Street
Take the bus or train to Jiufen, about 1.5 hours from Taipei. This mountain village is famous as the place that inspired Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away — and when you see the narrow lantern-lit alleyways clinging to the mountainside, you'll understand why. Jiufen Old Street is packed with tea houses, souvenir shops, and food stalls selling taro balls, peanut ice cream rolls, and grilled mushrooms. Get there early to beat the day-trip crowds from Taipei.
Lunch: A-Mei Tea House
This is the one. A-Mei Tea House is the most Instagrammed spot in all of Taiwan — a multi-story wooden tea house perched on the mountainside with lanterns glowing against the misty valley below. Sit on the terrace, order a pot of oolong tea and a plate of traditional tea snacks, and just take it in. The views over the mountain valley and out to the ocean are extraordinary. Yes, it's touristy. Yes, it's still worth it.
Afternoon: Shifen Waterfall & Sky Lanterns
If time allows, continue from Jiufen to Shifen. Two draws here: Shifen Waterfall, Taiwan's broadest waterfall (sometimes called "Little Niagara"), is a 20-minute walk from the old street through a pleasant forest trail. And on Shifen Old Street itself, you can write wishes on a sky lantern and release it over the railway tracks. This is extremely TikTok-viral for a reason — watching hundreds of colorful lanterns float up into the sky above the mountains is genuinely magical.
Evening: Addiction Aquatic Development
Back in Taipei, dinner at Addiction Aquatic Development — a seafood complex in the Zhongshan district that's part fish market, part sashimi bar, part standing bar, part hot pot restaurant. The concept is wild: browse the freshest seafood you've ever seen, then eat it prepared a dozen different ways. The sashimi platters and grilled seafood are incredible. This place has gone massively viral on food TikTok, and the experience lives up to the content.
Night: Raohe Night Market
For your second night market, go to Raohe Night Market. It's smaller and more local than Shilin — a single long street rather than a sprawling complex — which makes it easier to navigate and arguably more charming. Don't miss the famous pepper buns at the entrance. The line is always long but moves fast, and these are widely considered the best pepper buns in Taipei. Also try the medicinal herbal ribs soup and the flame-torched beef cubes.
Day 3 — Nature, Art & Food
Early Morning: Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)
Set your alarm early for the Elephant Mountain hike. This is the spot for the iconic Taipei 101 skyline shot — the one you've seen in every Taiwan TikTok and Reel. The hike itself is only about 20 minutes up a series of stone steps, but the payoff is incredible: the entire Taipei skyline stretched out before you with Taipei 101 towering above everything. Go at sunrise or golden hour for the best light. It's a short enough hike that you'll be back down in time for breakfast.
Breakfast: Yonghe Soy Milk King
Experience a traditional Taiwanese breakfast at Yonghe Soy Milk King. Order the savory soy milk (xian dou jiang) — warm soy milk curdled with vinegar, topped with dried shrimp, pickled vegetables, and crispy fried dough. Add an egg crepe (dan bing) and fried dough sticks (you tiao) for dipping. This is what locals eat every morning, and it's one of those meals that makes you wonder why the rest of the world hasn't caught on yet.
Mid-Morning: Songshan Cultural & Creative Park
Songshan Cultural & Creative Park is a converted tobacco factory from the Japanese colonial era, now home to galleries, design shops, and local brand pop-ups. The industrial architecture is beautiful, the exhibitions rotate regularly, and it's a great place to discover Taiwanese designers and artists. The courtyard with its reflecting pool is particularly peaceful after the morning hike.
Lunch: Yongkang Beef Noodle
For your last full lunch in Taipei, it has to be Yongkang Beef Noodle. This place is legendary — consistently ranked among the best beef noodle soup in a city that takes beef noodle soup extremely seriously. The broth is rich and deeply savory, simmered for hours with tomatoes and spices. The beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender. Get the half-tendon, half-meat option for the best of both worlds. There will be a line. It will be worth it.
Afternoon: Taipei 101 & Xinyi District
You saw Taipei 101 from above this morning — now see it up close. The observation deck on the 89th floor offers panoramic views of the city (and on clear days, you can see the mountains surrounding Taipei). If you'd rather skip the tourist trap, the luxury mall at the base has excellent window shopping, and the surrounding Xinyi shopping district is Taipei's most modern neighborhood with malls, department stores, and street performers.
Late Afternoon: Huashan 1914 Creative Park
Huashan 1914 Creative Park is another beautifully converted industrial space — this one a former winery turned into art exhibitions, craft markets, independent bookshops, and small cafes. The vine-covered brick buildings are gorgeous, and there's usually something interesting happening in the exhibition halls. It's a perfect way to spend a late afternoon before your final dinner.
Evening: Final Night Dinner
For your last night, go big. If you managed to snag a reservation at RAW — Andre Chiang's Taipei restaurant — you're in for a modern Taiwanese tasting menu that reinterprets local ingredients in extraordinary ways. It's one of the hardest reservations in Asia, so book well in advance. If RAW isn't in the cards, Mala Hot Pot is an excellent alternative — a communal hotpot experience where you pick your broth, meats, and vegetables. It's social, it's fun, and the spicy mala broth will wake up every taste bud you have.
Night: Rooftop Drinks
End your Taipei trip with rooftop cocktails. Alchemy and Fourplay, both in the Da'an district, are excellent choices for well-crafted drinks with a view. Taipei's skyline at night — with Taipei 101 lit up and the mountains as a dark backdrop — is the perfect way to close out three days in one of Asia's most underrated cities.
Practical Tips for Taipei
- Budget: Taipei is very affordable. Night market meals run $2-5 USD, MRT rides are under $1, and a nice restaurant dinner is $20-30. You can eat incredibly well for very little money.
- Getting around: The Taipei MRT is excellent — clean, cheap, efficient, with English signage everywhere. Get an EasyCard at any convenience store or MRT station and load it up. It works on buses and at many shops too.
- Language: Mandarin is the primary language, but English is widely understood in tourist areas, MRT stations, and most restaurants. Google Translate works great for menus and signs.
- Best time to visit: October through December (warm but not humid) or March through May (spring). Summer is hot and typhoon season. Winter is mild but can be rainy.
- Cash vs. card: Night markets and smaller restaurants are cash-only. ATMs are everywhere, and 7-Elevens (which are on every block) have international ATMs.
- Convenience stores: Speaking of 7-Eleven — Taiwanese convenience stores are a destination in themselves. Hot meals, tea eggs, onigiri, and surprisingly good coffee. Don't sleep on them.
From Saved Videos to Boarding Passes
Taipei was one of those cities that kept appearing in our TikTok feed — a night market here, a temple there, that Spirited Away village. We shared every video to Plotline, and by the time we booked flights, our "Taipei" chapter had 30+ places mapped. Generating the itinerary took less time than picking which night market to hit first.
That's the thing about travel content on social media: the recommendations are genuinely good. People aren't posting about mediocre restaurants or boring temples. The problem was never the content — it was turning all those scattered saves into something you can actually use. Every place in this itinerary started as a TikTok or Reel that we tapped "share" on while lying on the couch. Plotline turned those saves into pins on a map, and the map turned into the trip.
If your Taipei saves folder is already overflowing, you're closer to this trip than you think.