10 Best Tours in Taipei

Visit a few of Taipei's top highlights for a quick introduction to the city and its unique place in Chinese history. A trip to Liberty Square lets you watch the changing of the guard at the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and then you can visit the monuments to soldiers and revolutionaries at the Martyrs' Shrine. The tour wraps up with a look at the National Palace Museum, home to one of the most exquisite collections of Chinese artifacts anywhere in the world.

Grab a meal at one of Taiwan's most renowned eateries and check out the city lights with a dazzling look at Taipei after dark. Your guide takes you to admire the intricate designs at the historic Longshan Temple, followed by a walk through Snake Alley to see the city's oldest night market. Then it's off to Din Tai Fung for some of the steamed meat buns that have made the restaurant an international sensation.

Get the lay of the land by admiring the scenery from atop one of the tallest buildings in the world. Taipei’s iconic skyscraper towers more than a quarter-mile above the surrounding city, giving you a truly panoramic view. One of the world's fastest elevators carries you up more than 383 metres in 37 seconds, and then you can look out from the observation decks fitted with high-powered binoculars, admire the immense pendulum-like wind damper that keeps the building stable, or check out a series of exhibits illustrating how this engineering marvel came to be.

Combine the delectable pastry culture of Shilin with the steamy hot springs of Beitou with a walk through the scenic districts of northern Taipei. At your first visit to the Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake, you can try your hand at crafting a Taiwanese pineapple cake, and then the Beitou Hot Spring Museum lets you in on the story of the region's famous thermal pools. And of course, you can explore the lush Beitou Park and visit one of the hot spring resorts for a chance to relax at the baths.

Head out along rocky shores and into the mountains just outside of Taipei for a trip that shows you a whole different side of the island. Stop along the coast to check out whimsically shaped formations of sandstone and coral on your way to the mountainside village of Jiufen, famous for its covered market and incredible scenery. Try some jasmine tea as you admire the view that's said to have inspired the mystical landscape of the film, Spirited Away.

A spectacular journey into the Maokong mountains puts you in the centre of Taiwan's tea industry, complete with your share of tastings. You can visit one of the largest tea plantations on the island, check out the vast terraced rows and trace the winding shores of Thousand Island Lake, and visit an old teahouse to learn the process of steeping the perfect pot. Your day ends with a ride on the Maokong Gondola, which gives you a terrific view of the landscape on your way up to the mountains' highest peak.

Traditional foods, tea, and hospitality await you on this trip to get to know the culture of Taiwan's Hakka people. You get a look at Taiwan's biggest traditional Hakka market, take a walk to the sights of Beipu Old Street, try out some favourite bites, and make some traditional Lei tea while you learn the unique story of the island's second-largest ethnicity. The tour ends with a chance to pick out some seasonal fruits, so you can take a bit of Taiwan's native taste back to your hotel.

Venerable landmarks and favourite haunts are the highlights of this journey through some of the oldest neighbourhoods in Taiwan. Your personal guide brings you the onetime manor home of one of the city's richest families – now the home of a Starbucks – and an 18th-century temple, along with well-preserved buildings along Bopiliao Old Street that date back to the days of the Qing dynasty. Dine out at a restaurant that's been serving local dishes for more than 60 years and reflect on just how much change this city has seen.

Head to the bustling Ningxia night market for a down-to-earth introduction to some of the best tastes of Taipei. This tour pairs you with an in-the-know guide who is an expert in navigating the crowds and picking out some of the tastiest selections from the cluster of cafes and stalls. From fresh seafood to sugary taro balls, you get a memorably delicious experience of the breadth of Taiwanese cuisine.