Taiwan

Submit the Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) online within 3 days before you fly. At the airport, withdraw cash at a Bank of Taiwan ATM (fee-free) and buy an EasyCard for about NT$100 ($3) at 7-Eleven; it covers the MRT, buses, the gondola, and YouBike. Take the airport MRT to Taipei Main Station. One scam note from a traveler: ignore unlicensed drivers soliciting rides at arrivals; use the MRT, official taxis, or a pre-booked transfer.

The night market travelers name first, and the one locals point visitors to over Shilin. Walk the 600-meter street and start at the Fuzhou Shizu pepper bun stall by the entrance: pork and scallion buns baked in charcoal clay ovens, NT$70 ($2) each, eaten hot. Then graze: Chairman Chen herbal mutton soup (Bib Gourmand), Yu Pin Yuan peanut and sesame tang yuan on shaved ice (NT$100, $3), grilled king oyster mushrooms, cheung fun rice rolls. Bring cash; most stalls do not take cards.

The ornate temple glowing gold, red, and blue at Raohe's entrance is worth the stop on its own. After the market, walk to Rainbow Bridge over the Keelung River for a short night stroll along the water. It is the calm comedown after the market crush.

Taipei's most atmospheric temple, and travelers say to go in the morning when locals gather to offer flowers and fruit. Ornate red-and-gold halls, dragon pillars, incense, and a koi pond garden, all free. Founded in 1738, it survived WWII bombing. It is an active place of worship, not a photo set; be respectful.

The most named beef noodle shop in Taipei: Michelin Bib Gourmand 2016 through 2024, open since 1949, handmade knife-cut noodles in herbal broth with melting-tender beef. It hides in the B1 food court of the Wan Nian Building in Ximending and is cash only. One dissenting traveler called the broth bland, so tastes vary; the locals' counter-pick is Yongkang Beef Noodle on Jinshan South Road.

Taipei's oldest street, parts dating to the 1600s: herb and dried-goods shops, fabric stores, tea houses, and brick shop-houses. Wander down to the Dadaocheng Wharf for the riverside sunset. Many shops close early evening and English is limited, so go in the afternoon.

Small (300 meters, about 150 stalls) but travelers call it the highest concentration of Michelin Bib Gourmand stalls in Taipei. The two names that come up most: Liu Yu Zi for fried taro balls with salted egg and pork floss, and Yuen Huan Pien (46 Ningxia Road, since 1965) for giant oyster omelets off a huge griddle (NT$90, $3). The oyster omelet's look draws mixed reactions, so know your own squeamishness level.