What should I do with 3 days in Taipei?

Spend day one on the old west side (Longshan Temple, Ximending, Dadaocheng), day two on the east side (Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Yongkang Street, Taipei 101, Elephant Mountain), and day three in the north at the National Palace Museum, the Beitou hot springs and Shilin Night Market.

Is the National Palace Museum open on Mondays?

Mostly not. It is closed on Mondays except for a list of special opening days that the museum publishes each year, so check before you plan your museum day.

Should I choose Beitou or Maokong on my third day?

Beitou for a hot spring soak, paired with the National Palace Museum and Shilin Night Market. Maokong for tea and views from the gondola, which leaves from Taipei Zoo Station and is closed most Mondays.

How do I get from Taipei to Tainan?

The high speed rail is the easiest way. Inside Taipei's Taipei to Tainan page and Inside Tainan cover the trip and what to do when you arrive.

3 Days in Taipei: A Three-Day Itinerary by MRT

Three days is the sweet spot for a first visit to Taipei. The first two days follow our two-day plan: the old west side, then the modern east. Day three heads north up the Red Line for the treasures of the National Palace Museum, a hot spring soak in Beitou and Taipei's most famous night market. If you would rather swap the museum for tea in the hills, the Maokong Gondola is the alternative.

Before you start

Check which day is a Monday. The National Palace Museum is closed on Mondays apart from a list of special opening days, and the Maokong Gondola is closed most Mondays. Move day three if you need to.
Pack a small towel for Beitou. → Beitou hot springs
EasyCard topped up. → EasyCard

Day 1: The old west side

Morning: Longshan Temple. MRT: Longshan Temple (Blue Line, BL10), 5 minutes from Taipei Main Station. → Guide
Late morning: Ximending. MRT: Ximen (BL11, G12), one stop, 2 minutes. → Guide
Afternoon: Dadaocheng and Dihua Street. MRT: Beimen (Green Line, G13), one stop from Ximen, 2 minutes, then walk. → Guide
Early evening: Zhongshan. MRT: Zhongshan (R11, G14), 6 minutes from Daqiaotou (O12). → Guide
Evening: Ningxia Night Market. MRT: Shuanglian (Red Line, R12), 1 minute from Zhongshan. → Night markets

Day 2: The east side

Morning: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. MRT: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (G10, R08), 3 minutes from Taipei Main Station. → Guide
Lunch: Yongkang Street. MRT: Dongmen (R07, O06), one stop, 3 minutes. → Guide
Afternoon: Taipei 101. MRT: Taipei 101/World Trade Center (Red Line, R03), 7 minutes from Dongmen. → Guide
Sunset: Elephant Mountain. MRT: Xiangshan (Red Line, R02), one stop, 2 minutes. → Guide
Evening: Raohe Street Night Market. MRT: Songshan (Green Line, G19), 23 minutes from Xiangshan. → Night markets

The full version, with what to do at each stop: → The 2-day plan

Day 3: North to the museum and the hot springs

Morning: National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院)

MRT: Shilin Station (Red Line, R16), then a short bus ride. From Taipei Main Station to Shilin, 12 minutes, NT$25.

One of the world's great collections of Chinese art, far too big for one visit, so pick a few galleries and go early. The guide page has the buses from Shilin and the ticket details. → National Palace Museum guide · More museums

Afternoon: Beitou hot springs (北投)

MRT: Xinbeitou Station (Red Line branch, R22A). Back to Shilin, then 16 minutes and NT$25 to Xinbeitou, changing to the short branch line at Beitou (R22).

A hot spring valley inside the city limits, with a park, a library and old bathhouses, and plenty of places for a soak. → Beitou guide

Evening: Shilin Night Market (士林夜市)

MRT: Jiantan Station (Red Line, R15). From Xinbeitou, 20 minutes, NT$25.

Taipei's best-known night market, a short walk from the station. Back to Taipei Main Station from Jiantan: 9 minutes, NT$20. → Night markets · Shilin on NightMarket.tw

Or: tea in the hills on the Maokong Gondola

MRT: Taipei Zoo Station (Brown Line, BR01). From Taipei Main Station, 25 minutes, NT$35.

Swap the museum and Beitou for an afternoon on the Maokong Gondola (貓空纜車), which climbs from beside the zoo station to the tea fields of Maokong. Have tea with a view, ride down after dark, and catch the Brown Line back to Zhongxiao Fuxing (BR10) in 17 minutes. The gondola is closed most Mondays. → Maokong guide

Evening options for any day

Taipei after dark is about more than night markets. Book a concert, a play or a dance performance, or find a rooftop bar or a live house. → Concerts · Performing arts · How to buy tickets · Nightlife

A fourth day?

Get out of the city. Jiufen, Tamsui, the Pingxi Line, Yehliu and Wulai are all easy days out by MRT, train or bus. → Day trips from Taipei

Heading south?

Taipei and Tainan pair beautifully: the capital's energy, then the old south's temples, lanes and street food, an easy high speed rail ride apart. Tainan is where we live, so we're biased. → Taipei to Tainan · Tainan itineraries on Inside Tainan

Sources

Ride times and single-journey adult fares come from Taipei Metro's fare and travel time search (time on the train only, so add a few minutes for walking and changing lines). National Palace Museum Monday closures from its visiting hours; Maokong Gondola Monday closures from its hours of operation. Hours, tickets and directions for each sight are on the linked guide pages, each with its own sources. Checked October 2026.

Three Days in Taipei