10 ESSENTIALS IN TAIPEI TOUR

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall

For tourists or travellers who will have a very limited time in Taipei, I came up with a travel plan that won’t eat a lot of your time. It’s hassle-free and easy to follow. But before you begin your tour, you should take note of the following essentials.

1. Itinerary

I divided these itineraries into 3 categories based on a handful of factors like proximity of the attractions, MRT line, and time when to enjoy a particular place. Certainly, each requires one whole day to accomplish this tour plan.

Types:

Itinerary 1 – DIY Travel Guide in Taipei, Taiwan

Itinerary 2 – When East Meets West

Itinerary 3 – The Lantern of Nature

Tips:

- Of course, you should have a copy of the itinerary I made because it contains the name of the attractions in particular order, instructions, time when the attraction is open, and MRT line to use. You may print it or download the pdf file on your mobile phones.

2. MRT Ticket

There are practical methods to enjoy MRT. One is by tickets, either by card or using token for one-time trips. The fare is usually determined by distance which ranges from NTD 20 to NTD 40 per ride. Just remember to check the balance when using the card. Another way is by having your Taipei Fun Pass. This card doesn’t only give you unlimited rides on MRT, but also on city buses (not including the bus with more than 4 digits) and five Taiwan Tourist shuttle routes within the validity period.

Variants:

1 DAY - $ 180 

1 DAY (Gondola version) - $ 250 

(allows 3 trips on Maokong Gondola)

2 DAY - $ 310

3 DAY - $ 440

5 DAY - $ 700

Tips:

- Purchase Taipei Fun Pass according to the number of days you will tour around Taipei. For me, this type of ticket is the most affordable and very practical for short-term travellers. It gives us less hassle of checking the load every now and then and queuing to re-load the card. It surely a money-saver because the rides are unlimited.  
- It is available at the airport on particular schedule. They are close at 10 pm.
- You can buy them in all MRT stations.

3. Navigation Tools

It would be better if you have wi-fi with you. You can rent a mobile wi-fi unit at the airport, but it’s a bit costly.

Using navigation apps like Google map, Waze, HERE Wego, and so on, is a very favourable tool to fulfill wanderlust. It vividly shows your current location, gives you simple direction, and indicates various ways to reach your destination. In the contrary, you don’t need to worry if you don’t have one. You can use a map which is available almost everywhere in the city free of charge, especially at the airport, MRT stations, convenient stores, and ticket office of most tourist attractions.

Courtesy of Google Map

Tips:

- Based on my experience, for a faster and greater ease of navigation, I used both. But most of the time, I tend to use the map so I am able to magnify the entire city and jot down some vital notes.

4. Money

Majority of the sites in Taipei has free admission, but bringing some extra money is a must.

New Taiwan Dollar (NDT)

Tips:

- You can practically make any transactions either by cash or credit card, but each has an advantage. If you are a type of person who shops a lot, then credit card is perfect for you. In the contrary, you still need to have some cash on hand. Some admission fees and small stores must be paid in and receive cash respectively.

5. Comfy Clothing

Another important thing you need to take into consideration wherever you travel is the appropriate attire. Taiwan has tropical climate with hot and rainy summer from May to September. It also has spring in April until early May, autumn from October to December, and mild winter in January.

Altonie and Princess wearing their trendy but comfy OTTD

Tips:

- It was summer and the weather was unpredictable when I was in Taipei. There were times that it was sunny in the morning then it would rain until evening, so a small umbrella is another essential.

- Wear light clothing preferably cotton fibre. Short pants and a shirt can do.

- You must wear a very comfortable pair of trainers or rubber shoes. Expect that you’ll do lots of walking on this tour.

- You can wear a cap and sunglasses whenever necessary.

6. Gadgets

Make sure that all of your gadgets are fully-charged so you won’t be missing anything. You can bring a power bank as well if in case socket is unavailable in some areas.

Tips:

- If you’re not using your wi-fi or mobile data in you smart phone, put it on airplane mode. By this way, it won’t run out of battery easily.   

7. Small Handy Bag

In any forms of travel activities, you never forget to bring a bag. Of course, you need to secure some of your stuffs like your wallet, passport, map, gadgets, and store something to bite and drink.

Tips:

- Remember! You won’t be carrying anything that adds up to your load. Again, you’ll be walking the entire day, so there’s no way for you to stop your journey due to carrying heavy things.

- Choose a multi-functional bag. When I say multi-functional, you can carry it with your hand, wear it with a crossbody strap, or just put it on your shoulder. There are numerous multifunctional bags out in the market now, some are available online.

- It should be water proof and expandable.

8. Sunscreen Lotion

There’s no doubt that you’ll be toasted under the heat of the scorching sun. Putting some sunscreen lotion or cream is essential to avoid sun burn and wrinkles. What I like about Taiwan’s sunny weather is its less humidity. You never go as damp and oily as easily compared to the Philippines.’

Tips:

- Nowadays, sunscreen lotions are in the form of spray. I prefer this one because it distributes the lotion on your skin evenly.

9. Energy Snacks

In case food is not present in few places such as temples and memorial shrines, bringing a handful of snacks is a brilliant idea. At least you have something to munch when you get exhausted or hungry during the tour.

Tips:

- There are some food that provide you instant source of energy whenever possible such as raisins, energy bar, peanut, and some oatmeal cookies with various flavours. You can easily see them in supermarket or convenience stores.

10. Open Mind

You will not be able to accomplish the itineraries I made without this in yourself. Basically, some travellers would be very eager to see new places, meet new people, and try authentic cuisine, but more often than not, they are ignorant of the custom or the culture that they will have to encounter. Unfortunately, they go home frustrated and dissatisfied because of unmet expectations.

Tips:

- Try to search do’s and dont's in meeting the locals. You can obtain them in Google.

- Go out and try new cuisine. There’s no harm in trying anyway.

- Learn a little bit of their language. A bit of hello or good morning in their mother tongue will surely brighten their day. You might not know, they can teach you their language without any extra cost. Surely, it will be useful in haggling at the market.

- Don’t compare their culture to anything when having a conversation with them. It’s a big no no or you may end up in big trouble.

- Don’t argue with some sensitive talks about religion, politics, sex, and gender. There’s always the right time and venue for that. You can talk about these topics discretely, but with your close Taiwanese friend.

Local Taiwanese food

Next Topic(s): 
Money Changer in Taipei
Taipei DIY Travel Guide - Itinerary 01