Taipei City Exploration: A Comprehensive Tour of Historical Landmarks and Modern Attractions

Explore the historical landmarks and modern attractions of Taipei City on this comprehensive tour. Visit the National Palace Museum, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Lungshan Temple, and Taipei 101.

Duration: 9 hours, 10 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Grand Hotel Taipei - Meet your tour guide at MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station, then hit the road and take a short ride to the first stop of your full day tour in Taipei.

Your tour starts with a stop at the Grand Hotel Taipei, a historic hotel built in the 1950s, where the government hosted banquets for many foreign dignitaries who visited Taipei. The hotel features numerous art and opulent decors, including the ornate wall panels, paintings, carvings, etc, providing luxurious accommodation and dining experiences to the guests.

Here your tour guide will help you snap a group photo against the majestic building of this extravagant hotel, capturing your bright smiling faces. Nothing better than the smiles on the faces to welcome a fresh day!

  • National Palace Museum - After that, head off to the next stop on your Taipei day tour, the world-famous National Palace Museum, which is also one of the world’s largest museums.

With a collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, the museum showcases 8,000 years of Chinese art history spanning multiple dynasties. Two of the most famous artworks on display are “the Jadeite Cabbage” and “the Meat-Shaped Stone”, which are the must-sees in National Palace Museum.

  • Dihua Street - After the museum, your tour continues with a visit to Dadaocheng, a nostalgic area where tradition and modernity meets. The retro cafes and stores in the streets and alleys enhance the nostalgic atmosphere, making this place become a popular destination for hipsters.

The heart of Dadaocheng is Dihua Street, once the most prosperous place in Taipei more than a hundred years ago. Even now, it is still a popular spot to shop for dried goods and herbal medicines. Every year, the Chinese New Year Street Bazaar takes place in Dihua Street, and is always crowed with people getting ready for the coming new year.

Today, the streets and alleys are lined with traditional shops, alongside with chic cafés and mini art galleries housed in the in well-preserved historical buildings, giving off a vintage vibe.

  • Beimen - The part of the historical theme of the tour continues with a visit to Taipei City Wall-North Gate (Cheng’en Gate). This grand and impressive fortress gate is one of the five historic city gates in Taipei built in Qing Dynasty, along with the East Gate (Jingfu Gate), West Gate (Baocheng Gate), South Gate (Lizheng Gate) and Lesser South Gate (Chongxi Gate).
  • Ximending - By walking through the significant historic sites in Taipei, believe you have a good understanding of the city’s history and development. Your next stop will present to you the modernity and diversity of Taipei City.

Head off to Ximending Commercial District, one of the busiest shopping areas in Taipei, where packed with retail shops, restaurants, bars and street performers. This place is very popular among young people, so it is also known as the Taipei version of Tokyo’s Harajuku’s Takeshita Street. (lunch on your own arrangement)

  • Longshan Temple - After having lunch in Ximending, you will visit Lungshan Temple to experience Taiwan’s religious practice, where the local people go to pray for good luck or find inner peace.

The temple was built in 1738 and dedicated to Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy). The temple was severely damaged during Taipei Air Raid, but the statue of Guanyin survived the raid.

Besides the Goddess of Mercy, the temple devotes Yue Lao (the Matchmaker God), Wenchang Dijun (the God of Literature), Songzi Niangniang (the maiden who brings children) and many more. You can pray for yourself and your family, and even try asking the gods for advice by tossing divination blocks.

  • Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall - You 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 from 09:00 in the main hall.

In addition to the majestic main hall of the memorial, the exquisite Chinese garden around the building and the vast plaza are also worth taking a look. If you come here in the early morning, you can see some people doing Qigong there.

  • Taipei 101 - The last stop of your tour is Taipei 101 Mall, the fashion lovers’ paradise, which is located in the eastern side of Taipei. The mall houses hundreds of fashionable stores and restaurants, along with a food court and a supermarket. From luxury brands to fast fashion retailers, from Michelin star restaurants to cheap eats, you can always find something for your there.

The famous skyscraper, Taipei 101, stands right next to the mall. It was once the tallest building in the world that reaches a height of 508 meters, towering over the skyline of Taipei. The building has 101 stories, with an observatory deck on the 89th floor, where the visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Taipei City. Not only that, it has one of the top 3 fastest elevators in the world; from the 5th to the 89th floor, it only takes 37 seconds.

At the end of the tour, you may choose to disembark at MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station (arrive around 17:10) or Raohe Street Tourist Night Market (arrive around 17:00).

What's Included
  • Expert guidance in multiple languages (Mandarin, English, Japanese)
  • Included local General Liabilities Insurance for safety
  • National Palace Museum entry ticket provided
  • Comfortable in-vehicle air conditioning
  • Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off (with private option)
What's Not Included
  • Bottled water
  • Taipei 101 Observatory ticket
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drink
Additional Information

Planning your maiden voyage to Taipei and unsure where to begin? Schedule this quintessential Taipei one-day expedition to traverse the city’s significant historic sites and contemporary tourist locations.

On this journey, you’ll explore the globally acclaimed National Palace Museum, home to the greatest assembly of ancient Chinese relics, where the remarkable artefacts will captivate you. You’ll visit Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, an eminent monument epitomizing an important era of Taiwan’s past; the Lungshan Temple that encapsulates local spiritual customs; and renown high-rise, Taipei 101, representing the city’s advanced technology and its progression towards globalization. Of course, there’s much more to uncover which you’ll need to come see for yourself.

This narrated exploration reveals Taipei City’s yesteryears, the present moment, and the path ahead. With the assistance of your guide, you will gain deeper insight into each landmark during the journey and observe the city from an unusual viewpoint.

  • Wheelchair users need to bring their own folding wheelchairs, the vehicle is not able to accommodate power chairs.
  • Each guest is allowed to bring one piece of carry-on baggage.
  • If the group size is less than 7 people, your tour guide might also serve as the driver (driver-guide).
  • 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.
Location
Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station
Please meet your tour guide at MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station (BL14 /O07) at Exit 2. Please take the escalator to the ground level, your tour guide will be waiting for you near the exit with the tour operator's logo flag (EDISON TOURS).
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(34 Ratings)
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724roxanneb
Jul 20, 2024
A great insight into Taipei! - Our guide, David, was such a kind, considerate and helpful guide, who really brought Taipei to life for us! He was a fountain of knowledge and was enthusiastic in sharing insights into each place we visited. He happily took photos for me and eagerly showed me the best places to get things such as bubble tea from! He made this tour for me, he was a real gentleman and it’s people like David that will make me want to keep visiting Taiwan for the beautiful, hospitable people and the fascinating heritage this lovely country has to offer!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adamandlinds
Jul 5, 2024
An amazing introduction to Taipei - Thank you Edison Tours for an amazing Classic Taipei Landmarks Day Tour. When looking for a tour in Taiwan you should definitely use Edison Tours. The company was amazing to work with and our tour guide, Chiara was awesome. She was so knowledgeable and informative. We all learned so much from her and our girls loved the tour. Our girls are 5, 7 and 8 and this tour kept them engaged the entire day. The bus they provided was comfortable, spacious and most importantly well air conditioned. We were able to bring a backpack with some snacks and leave it on the bus. But we also had plenty of opportunities to buy snacks at stores along the way if we chose to. Some of their favorites from the day were watching The Changing of the Guard at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, seeing all the dragons at the Grand Hotel, and making a wish and asking the god if it would come true by throwing moon blocks at Lungshan Temple. It was such a fun day and we highly recommend Edison Tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert_w
Jul 5, 2024
Taipei Landmarks Day - The Grand Hotel and National Palace Museum are must see locations for their historical significance. The Lungshan Temple was unique and crowded with ardent worshippers, each seeking spiritual guidance or help with life situations. The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and change of guard was impressive. The full day with Edison Tours, and our Tour Guide Sharon, was definitely worth it. Sharon was very knowledgeable and eager to share the history and background at each tour stop. We would not hesitate to recommend Sharon and Edison Tours.
Review provided by Viator
Cristoph2010
Jun 24, 2024
I was a repeat client - At first, I tried their "Classic Taipei Landmarks Day Tour". It was a blast. Christina arrived on time to pick some of us up from the Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT station (Exit 2). The locations changed a little from the plan but we eventually covered all the locations listed e.g., the Grand Hotel Taipei, National Palace Museum, Dadaocheng, Dihua street, Cheng-en Gate, Lungshan temple, Taipei 101, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, and Raohe night market. The tour of the National Palace Museum felt a little rushed because we had to cover so many locations. So, if you'd like to slowly browse through, it's worth it to visit on your own time. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience that I booked another tour called "Yehliu, Jiufen, and Pingxi Tour" to visit the Yehliu Geopark, Shifen Old Street, and Shifen Waterfall. This time Chiara was our guide. Both guides were outstanding, kept us informed about each location, answered our questions, and made sure we had an unforgettable experience. I'd definitely recommend Edison Tours for any visitor visiting Taiwan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelle_a
May 24, 2024
Great tour - Our tour guide David was amazing. He had lots of information at each stop and offered terrific recommendations for food at our lunch spot. This was a full day but the pacing was perfect. If you want to see the highlights of Taipei, this is the tour for you.
Review provided by Viator
Leroy_d
May 19, 2024
Great time exploring Taipei - Had a great time with Yuki who was a delight. Really knows the history and brings it in a fun and engaging way.
Review provided by Viator
William_r
May 17, 2024
Best vacation tour ever. - I had an amazing time on this tour. The tour guide Sharon was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. She made taiwan feel like a second Home. I can't wait to return to taipei. PS Sharon is amazing at taking pictures. I've never been good at it but she's like a professional. I received the best vacation photos ever 😁
Review provided by Viator
Nazim_p
May 15, 2024
Great sites to visit on this tour with an informed guide - Visiting the Grand Hotel, the Temple and the Monument and surrounding area around it. The guide, Tony, provided context and history about the sites we visited. He was good. The driver drove very safely.
Review provided by Viator
Cynthia_e
May 12, 2024
Book the tour NOW!!! - I had such an amazing time with Sharon! The other group members ended up no-show so I got an impromptu private tour😁 Sharon is highly knowledgeable and being someone who is very curious and passionate about history and culture, she was able to answer all of my questions in depth. Added bonus, Sharon is a great photographer OMG!! I got some of the best vacation pictures I’ve ever taken in my travel experience. This is one for the books! Thank you so much Sharon!! I’m glad we crossed paths🥰
Review provided by Viator
Ecarnaje
Jun 27, 2024
A Visit in Taipei - A memorable experience is having a knowledgeable tour guide leading the way. The other tour participants made the experience unforgettable. I made friends, and the places we went to had rich historical beginnings. I like to listen to the stories of each site we visit.
Review provided by Viator
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September 2024
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