Layovers don’t have to be a bummer – just make sure they’re long enough to get out of the airport and into the destination. We spent 12 hours in Taipei on a layover between Japan and Australia and flew away wanting more, but totally energised from a day full of exploration. Here’s our ultimate one-day itinerary for Taipei. You might even call it “Taipei 101.”
TAIPEI IS A BRIGHT AND FRENETIC assault on the senses. It can overwhelm even the most seasoned traveller, and if you happen to be there on a stopover, don’t just stay in the airport scrolling on your phone while eating overpriced food. No, friends, my advice is to get onto the metro and submit yourself to the frantic nature of this modern Asian metropolis. Let yourself become consumed by the city’s lights, colour and sounds.
Taipei vibrates with the tones of Tokyo, the sophistication of Singapore and the alluring hedonism of Bangkok. I happened to find myself in the Taiwanese capital on a 12-hour layover between Okinawa, Japan, and Melbourne, Australia, with China Airlines, and it turned out to be a full day of fun. So, let me share my one-day itinerary in Taipei; if you have more time, good on you, but if not, this’ll give you a great taste of one of the world’s tastiest towns.
12:40 pm – Taipei Taoyuan Airport
Taipei Taoyuan Airport is pretty good as far as transfer airports go. The gates in the international transfer area are themed with different Taiwanese environmental or cultural adornments, making it a destination in and of itself. Still, you want to hot foot it out of there as quickly as possible after arriving because you’ve got a bit of a journey on the metro to reach Taipei 101 — and we’ve got a full itinerary to pile into just one day.
Taoyuan Airport MRT to Taipei Station = NT$160 (US$5.20)
www.tymetro.com.tw
2:15 pm – Taipei 101
For a short time, this colossal skyscraper held the title of the highest in the world until the Burj Khalifa in Dubai came along. Most impressive are the elevators, which transport you up 89 floors in just 37 seconds. With seating areas adorned with polar bears, floral arbours, and swings, all with 360-degree views of the city, this is a clear front runner for your first stop on a clear day. On a not-so-clear day, you can watch the giant steel ball at the centre of the building sway like a pendulum to counterbalance the movement of the skyscraper in high winds.
Taipei 101 Floor 89 = NT$600 (US$19.60)
stage.taipei101mall.com.tw
2:45 pm – kafeD Taipei 101 Shop
Baristas brew coffee on the 89th floor of Taipei 101 with scientific precision. A Salted Bonn Cherry Blossom Latte is hard to avoid. But really, any caffeine at this altitude is welcome and necessary, as you’ll need the energy for the rest of your whirlwind visit through Taipei.
Salted Bonn Cherry Blossom Latte = NT$180 (US$5.90)
www.kafed.com.tw
3:30 pm – Dihua Street
Dihua Street is the oldest street in Taipei, and the architecture throughout the Dadaocheng, Datong District is simply stunning. It’s a gorgeous spot for wandering in the early afternoon, traversing between laneways where century-old businesses and temples sit alongside modern cafes and beer bars. Don’t miss the City of God Temple on your visit, built-in 1859. This sacred Taoist temple has been beautifully maintained and is known as the temple for finding love.
4:45 pm – Twatutia Coffee Design & aLife Project
Around the cobblestoned corners of the historic Dihua Street, the city’s ambience consumes you in the fading afternoon light. Dihua is not a place for just textiles, old stores and traditional medicine. Scratch the surface a little further, and you’ll find young Taiwanese gathering around baked treats and cups of coffee beneath flickering Edison globes. The baristas and bartenders wouldn’t be out of place in Melbourne. Twatutia Coffee is a cafe-cum-homewears studio that roasts its beans and serves your coffee alongside traditional Taiwanese mooncakes with sweet taro yolk.
Romano Espresso (served with honey and soda) with a Taiwanese mooncake = NT$250 (US$8.15)
www.instagram.com/twatutia
6:00 pm – Ximending
Ximending is your chance to wander and look up in awe at the city above you. Only by looking at the buildings can you fully appreciate the city’s vast scale. The streets around Ximending are Taipei’s version of Shinjuku. The city’s main artery is simultaneously bustling with motorbike traffic and pedestrians, cafes, underground bars, gaming machines and flickering neon. Get lost in Ximending for 20 minutes, and you’ll fall in love with this city forever.
6:20 pm – 梁山泊小籠湯包 (Dumplings Ximending)
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Dumplings Ximending. Image Credit: Jeremy Drake
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Dumplings Ximending. Image Credit: Jeremy Drake
Blink, and you’ll miss this local, heaving market restaurant tucked in the side streets of Ximending. The only advice I can give is to plug the name into Google and follow your nose. There are two options for food here: “set menu a” or “set menu b.” Set menu b will unearth a pork dumpling experience that will genuinely change you. Consider this your warning – if you eat here, you’ll never enjoy another dumpling anywhere else again.
Set menu “b” = NT$120 (US$3.90)
www.tripadvisor.com.tw
7:00 pm – Ximen Beer Bar
They take their craft beer seriously in Taiwan. At Ximen Beer Bar, dozens of local draught beer options and cans are available in a self-service fridge, making it a magnet for young travellers and local beer lovers. There is a minimum service charge, but that’s OK because you’ll need to try at least three glasses of beer for the whole experience.
Minimum service charge = NT$350 (US$11.40)
www.facebook.com/XimenBeerBar
8:05 pm – HANKO#60 Bar
Might feel a bit early in the day for speakeasy vibes, but we’ve only got one shot on this Taipei tight itinerary and HANKO#60 deserves a drink (or two, if you drink fast). To find this hidden bar, you must first look for the innocuous Bruce Lee or Leonardo Di Caprio cinema posters on a dimly lit, grey wall. At first glance, it seems more like a fridge or factory door. When you peek through the small cut-out hole in the door, a doorkeeper should let you inside, where they will guide you to a tall table, and the madness of Hanko begins. Barmen flare their bottles of spirits and muddles across the room while silhouetted against deep red neon signs. Most cocktails are movie- or cinema-themed, so my True Blood cocktail came in a dry ice-wrapped blood donation bag.
True Blood Cocktail = NT$400 (US$13)
www.facebook.com/hanko60
9:00 pm – Taoyuan Airport MRT
You’ll want to return on the train no later than 9 p.m. for the 45-minute journey to Terminal 2 at Taipei Taoyuan Airport, so don’t linger at Hanko#60. Don’t let Taipei’s metro fool you either, as you’ll need to rush to Taipei Main Station before you get on the specific Airport MRT.
Taoyuan Airport MRT to Taipei Station = NT$160 (US$5.20)
www.tymetro.com.tw
9:50 pm – Arrive back at Taipei Airport
Remember you’ve already checked your bags onto your flight, and you should also have your boarding pass, so all you’ll need to do is head through airport security and go straight for the gate. If you’re flying with China Airlines and have Sky Priority status like me, one of the four China Airlines VIP lounges is a very comfortable spot to grab a shower and a Taiwan Lager before your departure to, for example, Australia at 11:50 p.m.
news.china-airlines.com/bvct/VipLounge
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