About this activity
| Operation Day | Tue to Sun |
| Departure | 8:30AM; Meet up at MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station (BL14 /O07), Exit 2 |
| Duration | 9 hrs |
| Group Size | Public Tour; Guaranteed departure with a minimum of 1 participant |
| Language | English / Mandarin / Japanese |
Overview
Planning on taking your first trip to Taipei but don’t know where to start? Book this classic day tour of Taipei to explore the city’s most iconic landmarks and must-visit destinations.
This tour will take you throughout a series of landmarks chosen for significance and diversity. Stops include: the world-renowned National Palace Museum, home to the largest collection of ancient Chinese artifacts in the world, including the world-famous Jadeite Cabbage; Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, a prominent and historically significant monument; Lungshan Temple, famous as the epicenter of Taipei’s folk religion; and Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest skyscraper and a monument to the island’s prosperity.
With the help of your informative tour guide, you will learn about and experience Taipei City’s past, present and future.
Highlight
- An ideal day tour for first-time visitors
- Learn about the history of Taipei’s historical landmarks
- Enjoy a guided tour of one of the world’s largest museums—National Palace Museum
- Watch the changing of the guard at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
- Visit one of the world’s tallest buildings—Taipei 101
- Guaranteed departure with a minimum of 1 participant
Description
The tour begins with a stop at the Grand Hotel Taipei, a historic hotel built in the 1950s, where the government hosted banquets for foreign dignitaries visiting Taipei. The hotel features opulent decor, including ornate wall panels, paintings, carvings and numerous pieces of art.
Here your tour guide will help you snap a group photo, capturing your bright smiling faces as you look on in awe appreciating the majestic facade of this extravagant hotel—nothing better than a smile to welcome a fresh day!
The next stop on your day tour of Taipei is the world-famous National Palace Museum—one of the largest museums in the world.
With a collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and art, the museum showcases 8,000 years of Chinese art history spanning multiple dynasties. While the “Jadeite Cabbage” and “Meat-Shaped Stone” are the most famous exhibits, each exhibit here is world-class and worth a closer look.
After the National Palace Museum, you will visit Dadaocheng, one of Taipei’s oldest and most historic districts. Here tradition and modernity meet to celebrate nostalgia in an endearing way—retro cafes and hip boutiques make their homes in ancient buildings and fashion meets history.
At the heart of Dadaocheng is Dihua Street. Once the most prosperous trade street in Taipei, it is still a popular spot to shop for dried goods and herbal medicines. In the weeks leading up to Lunar New Year, special vendors line the street selling all sorts of traditional Lunar New Year’s goods, snacks, and decorations, and the street becomes one of Taipei’s most popular shopping destinations.
The historic part of the tour continues with a visit to Taipei City Wall-North Gate (Cheng’en Gate). This grand and impressive gate is one of the five ancient city gates built during the Qing Dynasty, along with the East Gate (Jingfu Gate), West Gate (Baocheng Gate), South Gate (Lizheng Gate) and Lesser South Gate (Chongxi Gate).
Your next stop will shift to the present and showcase Taipei City’s modernity and diversity.
Ximending Commercial District is one of the busiest shopping areas in Taipei. Here retail shops, restaurants, bars and street performers create a perpetual youthful energy. Locally, Ximending is known as Taipei’s version of Tokyo’s Takeshita Street.
After lunch, the tour will continue to Wanhua, another one of Taipei’s oldest districts, to visit Lungshan Temple. The temple was built in 1738 and dedicated to Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy). While the temple was severely damaged during an air raid, the statue of Guanyin survived unscathed.
Besides the Goddess of Mercy, the temple also worships Yue Lao (the Matchmaker God), Wenchang Dijun (the God of Literature), Songzi Niangniang (a Taoist fertility God) and many more.
Local residents and pilgrims come here to pray for good luck or to find inner peace. Here your guide will introduce Taiwan’s folk religion. You are welcome to pray for yourself and your family, and can even try asking the gods for advice by tossing divination blocks.
Next, we will head off to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, an impressive monument in memory of the late President Chiang Kai-shek. Here the changing of the guard ceremony takes place every hour, on the hour, in the main hall. The main hall as well as the surrounding Chinese gardens are some of Taipei’s most happening public plazas, keep your eyes out for any impromptu events!
The final stop will be Taipei 101 Mall, known for its trendy fashion boutiques and international brands. From luxury brands to fast fashion retailers, and from Michelin-starred restaurants to cheap eats, there is something for everyone here.
Taipei 101, Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper, stands next to the mall. With a height of 508 meters, it was once the tallest building in the world. The building has 101 stories and features an observatory deck on the 89th floor, where the visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Taipei City. It also boasts one of the top 3 fastest elevators in the world; traveling from the 5th to the 89th floor only takes 37 seconds.
At the end of the tour, you may choose to disembark at MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station or Raohe Street Tourist Night Market.
<< READ LESS >>Inclusions
- Professional licensed tour guide (Mandarin / English / Japanese)
- Local transfer by air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance ticket (National Palace Museum)
- Local general liabilities insurance
Exclusions
- Food and Beverage
- Gratuities
- Taipei 101 Observatory ticket
Remarks
- Tour commentary will be provided in Mandarin, English and Japanese (Please note that Japanese commentary will only be available on Tuesdays and Saturdays.).
- Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
- The sequence and time of stay at tour stops may be adjusted according to the traffic/weather conditions.
- If the tour has to be canceled due to bad weather, we will contact you no later than the evening before the excursion day by email or SMS.
- Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes earlier than the pick-up time.
- Each guest is allowed to bring one piece of carry-on baggage.
- Ensure you carry enough cash with you to cover your expenses for meals, beverages, souvenirs, tips, etc. Convenience stores and most of the eateries in Taiwan don’t accept credit cards as a form of payment.
Rescheduling, Cancelations and Refunds
If you need to cancel or reschedule the activity for any reason, please contact us via email at info@getmetotaiwan.com. If you have any other questions, feel free to get in touch.
Cancelations made 48 hours or more prior to the departure time will be fully refunded.
Cancelations made less than 48 hours prior to the departure time will not receive refunds.
Please be aware Taiwan Time is (UTC +8 CST)
