How To Spend a 12-Hour Layover in Taipei, Taiwan
In January 2025, I embarked on my first trip back to Asia since leaving China in 2020. I decided to book a one-way ticket from Toronto to Bangkok, with a stopover in Taipei. I had the option of a quick 4-hour layover, or a 16-hour layover - one of which would allow me to see the city (I’d never been to Taiwan before) - so the choice was easy!
This article outlines everything I was able to see and do in Taipei for your next quick trip.
The TLDR is that you can see a surprising amount of the city in such a short period of time, and although I was tired from the 16-hour flight there, it was so incredibly worth it.
Getting Into the City from the Airport
Freshening Up
I landed at Taiwan Taoyuan Airport at 5:00 AM local time. After 16 hours on a plane from Toronto, the first step was to freshen up a bit before going out for the day. Soon, I’ll be posting an article about everything you can find in my carry-on bag for situations like this.
Storing Your Items for the Day
There are small self-serve storage lockers conveniently located in the Arrivals area of the airport, and you can pay a small fee to store your items for the day - amazing!
Internet
When exploring a new city, you need to have data to get yourself around. Since I was only there for one day, I opted for an e-SIM for Taiwan. The company I use is called Saily which provides different plans, from one-day e-SIMs to a full month, and it works great!
Visas
When leaving the airport, you have to get a visa for Taiwan. For Canadians, this is very simple - you just fill out the form provided at the passport control area, and you get a 90-day visa on the spot right in your passport. Be sure to check the rules for your country beforehand!
Transportation
Taipei’s city center is located around 50km from the airport. To get to the city center, I used their metro system, which is extremely convenient, fast, and clean. What I did and suggest is to take the Airport Line Express to Taipei Main Station. It is just a few stops and will take around 30 - 40 minutes and costs 160NT or around $5USD.
Exploring The City
Getting a Traditional Taiwanese Breakfast
Food in Taiwan is somewhat similar to mainland China, which was so nostalgic for me and I love it so much. For breakfast, I stopped at a local spot called Sihai Soy Milk serving traditional Taiwanese breakfast: Dòujiāng (豆浆), which is soy milk, and Yóutiáo (油条), a traditional fried Chinese bread. They have many other things on their menu as well, such as bao buns and rice “sandwiches” all with different fillings.
Everything on the menu is written in Mandarin, so you’ll want to use the photos on the menu to order.
Taking a Stroll Down Dihua Old Street and Exploring Datong District
After breakfast, it was time to do some exploring. Dihua Old Street is one of the main tourist attractions in Taipei, where you’ll find many vendors selling all types of things from snacks and teas to household items and everything in between.
Visiting Lungshan Temple, Herb Lane, and the Wanhua District
Next on my list was to pay a visit to the famous Lungshan Temple, which was built in the 1700s and honours both Buddhist and Taoist Gods. The temple itself is stunning and full of intricate details. There you’ll find local people and tourists alike, and it can get quite busy!
Herb Lane is a tiny alleyway that’s famous for selling fresh herbs and spices. I spent a good hour exploring the temple, Herb Lane and the surrounding area in the Wanhua District of Taipei - it was truly stunning.
Time for Lunch
After all of this walking around, I worked up quite an appetite. So, it was time for another delicious meal! There are so many different places to eat in Taipei, but for lunch, I decided on this local vegetarian restaurant. Sadly, at the time of writing, it has now closed down. Howeve,r when I was there, I went all out and ordered the vegan xiǎo lóng bāo (小笼包) or soup dumplings and shāo mài (烧卖), a type of steamed dumpling that is typical in dim sum; both were delicious. Before going vegan, when I was living in China, xiao long bao was my absolute favourite dish to eat, so I was so happy to find a vegan version.
Hiking Around Xiangshan
After lunch, it was time to choose my last activity for the day. The options included visiting the infamous Taipei 101 building, the National Palace Museum, or Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain). While I had read amazing things about all three, I decided to go up Xiangshan mountain, because I would get a view of Taipei 101 at the same time, and to save the National Palace Museum for another visit.
To get there, I hopped back on the metro from the city center. I decided to get off at the Taipei 101 metro stop and walk my way up. The hike was moderately challenging, but the view from the mountain was stunning. I didn’t make it to the final peak as I ran out of time, but even half-way was incredible.
Stopping for Dinner
After spending a few hours hiking around the area, it was time for my final meal in Taipei before heading back to the airport to catch my flight to Bangkok at 9:00 pm.
I decided on a vegan buffet back in the city center, and hopped back on the metro to get there. The food at this place was absolutely delicious. They had a huge range of veggies, plant-based protein, and other items like spring rolls and soups to choose from.
Dinner cost me around $2.30 for a full plate - couldn’t recommend enough.
Heading Back
Spending this layover in Taipei was an unforgettable experience. The food was amazing, the city is full of life, the locals are incredibly friendly and helpful, and the views were breathtaking. If you’re considering spending some time in Taipei, I 100% recommend you do
Other Top-Rated Activities to Consider
If you want some additional ideas for things to do during your time in Taipei, these were the other activities that were on my list but that I didn’t have time for:
Visit the National Palace Museum
Go Up Taipei 101
Visit Huashan 1914 Creative Park
Visit Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Take a Stroll Around Shilin Night Market
