Taipei has some amazing old streets waiting to be discovered by you. Each one of the old streets around Taipei has a special story to tell that can help you understand more about Taiwan's History and Culture.
What is an "Old Street?" Taiwan's old streets can be difficult to define. There are technically "old streets" in every town in Taiwan, but what makes them famous enough to become known as the old street of the town? One can say that if there are enough historical buildings preservice in one spot, this can be considered an old street. However sometimes old streets are put together by the local government and turned into a market, selling food and snacks and attracting lots of tourists. This is the kind of old street that most people want to visit, but we will cover both non-touristy old streets and touristy old streets in this blog. Brief Historical Background of Taipei: The land on which Taipei now stands on what was once part of Basay tribal land. The Basay people had lived on the land for thousands of years before the first Chinese settlers ever came. Chinese settlers from Fujian began living here during the Dutch rule in the 1600s. The first Chinese settlers came to the area in the mid-1800's during the Qing Dynasty. They created a public area for drying rice and grain, called Dadaocheng (大稻埕) which also became the central market in the area. The earliest trading shops were built in 1851, mainly selling rice, sugar, camphor, and tea. Dihua Street (迪化街) was created around this time, making it the oldest street in Taipei. Most of the buildings were one story and made of red brick in Fujian style, and later western style houses were built. The walls and gates of Taipei were completed in 1884. In 1891, the first train connecting Keelung and Taipei was completed. During the Japanese era, in 1904 the walls of Taipei were destroyed after less than 30 years, and Taipei was re-planned into the capital of Taiwan. After the ROC took control of Taiwan, Taipei continued as the capital city, as well as the financial hub of Taiwan. During the Taiwan miracle, many rural families moved from southern Taiwan to factories and offices in Taipei, making Taipei the most populous urban area in Taiwan. Currently, Taipei is the most advanced and affluent city in Taiwan. It also has Taiwan's most advanced public transportation system, making it easy for millions of commuters to live outside the city where rents are cheaper. Now, most of Taiwan's economic activity is based in this city. Basic Taipei Travel Tips:
When should you go to Taipei? In my opinion, the best weather in Taipei is from March-May, and October - November, when the temperatures stay around 26 degrees Celsius and there is not as much rain. Summers are also nice, with the most sunny weather, but also hot and rainy. Winters can be cold (but not below freezing) and usually wet. Overall, there is no wrong answer as to what time of year you should visit Taipei. You will have a great time here at any time of year. Hotels in Taipei: High end: We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). We have also stayed at and recommend the Grand Hyatt (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here), Marriot (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here), Sheraton (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here), Shangri-la (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here), and Regent (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here), which are all very high quality hotels in the middle of Taipei City. We also recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). Budget Hotels: We have stayed at and recommend and also Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. Tours in Taipei: There are many tour itineraries that you can enjoy in Taipei that will take you to multiple destinations and arrange transportation. For more information, you can check out Tripadvisor here, KKday here or Klook here, which are both great tour websites that can connect you with the right tour and tour guide for you. Here are some of the post popular tours of Taipei on Tripadvisor:
Attractions in Taipei: There are many attractions that you can enjoy in Taipei such as Taipei 101 Observatory, Taipei 101 460 Skyline Observatory, Taipei Children's Amusement Park, Maokong Gondola, National Palace Museum, Yehliu Ocean World, Yehliu Geopark, National Museum of Marine Science and Biology, i-ride 5D cinema, Astronomical Museum, Miniatures Museum of Taiwan, Double Decker Sightseeing Bus, Miramar Ferris Wheel Ticket, Taipei Zoo, Heping Island Park, Ju Ming Museum, Yuanshan Hotel Secret Road, National Taiwan Museum, New Taipei Gold Museum, Futian Leisure Farm, Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence, Chi Po-lin Museaum, Beitou Museum, Tsao Wonderland, Railway Museum, Fort San Domingo, 13 Levels Archaeology Museum, Austin Land, Museum of World Religions, Formosan Aboriginies Museum, ASE Parent-child Park, teamLab Future Park, Yukids Island, VR Experience, Bat Cave, Neidong Waterfall, Candlestick Islet, Jurassic Snow Park, Zhonghe High5 Amusement Park, Longshan Temple, Xingtian Temple, Ningxia Night Market, Yansan Night Market, Meteor Garden, Yingge Old Street, and many more attractions on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. Activities in Taipei: Indoor Skiing, Rock Climbing, Hiking, Wakeboarding, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking, River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Cooking Class, Archery, Ice Skating, Roller Skating, Tree Climbing, Urban Camping, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Dragon Boat Racing, Escape Room, Shen'ao Rail Bike, Laser Gun Experience, Batting Cages, Bowling, Paintball, Flight Simulation Experience, Taipei Tram Driving Experience, Rail Simulation Experience, Taipei 101 Observation Deck activity, Strawberry Picking, Professional Photo Shoot, Body Relaxation SPA, Night Tour, Calligraphy Workshop rand more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. Some of the Klook links may not work if you are using an Ad blocker. You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. How to get there: The only way to get to Taiwan is via airplane. Planes leave daily from Taipei's Songshan and Toayuan Airport. Taoyuan Airport: Taoyuan is Taiwan's largest airport and typically has cheaper flights and more flight times to choose from. It's about an hour's journey from Taoyuan Airport to the center of Taipei. You can travel via MRT, HSR, bus, or taxi to get to Taipei. You can get 30% off the Taoyuan Airport VIP lounge on KKday here. Songshan Airport: Songshan is a small airport in Taipei's city center, and can be a convenient option for people traveling within Asia. The airport is right on the Taipei MRT brown line. You can book cheap flights to Taiwan on KKday here, Trip.com here, CheapO Air here, or Kiwi here. How to get around in Taipei: Taipei's transportation system is convenient and safe. There are many options you can consider to get around in Taipei below: By Train: Gets you to the city center of all major cities in Taiwan. It is about 800NT to get from Taipei to Kaohsiung. Roughly half the price of the HSR. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here. By HSR: (High-Speed Rail) – Gets you quickly from north to south. Besides Taipei and Kaohsiung, most of the stations are far from city centers. It costs about 1500NT to get from Taipei to Kaohsiung. You can book tickets to the high-speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here. By MRT: (Mass Rapid Transit, Metro train, subway) – Easily gets you around Taipei and Kaohsiung. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. By Bus: Buses can be tricky. Long-range buses such as Ubus and King Bus are easier to understand and cheaper than the local train. They can take you to the city center of every city throughout Taiwan and to remote tourist destinations such as sun moon lake. A long-range bus from Taipei to Kaohsiung is about 500 NT. You can also book tickets to travel to Shifen via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can also book a Taipei Sightseeing: Hop On, Hop Off Open Top Bus on TripAdvisor here. By Taxi: You can take short rides for about 150 NT, or hire a Taxi for a day for around 150 USD. By Car: If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. By Scooter: Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? Click here or here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike bike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. Tourist Site Map: Check out our map below of tourist sites in Taiwan, which is constantly updated: Let's get this list started! Dihua Street and Dadaocheng 迪化街及大稻 
Dihua Street is Taipei City's biggest and oldest Old Street. Here you can find a large area with historical buildings and unique old-style shops. Also, there are many art spaces, museums, and restaurants to explore in the area. You should definitely make a stop in this historically rich area on your trip to Taipei...(read more)
You can also book a Private Walking Tour or Changing Cheongsam Tour at Dadaocheng on TripAdvisor here. Check out our full blog on Daodaocheng here. Tamsui Old Street 淡水老街 
Tamsui Old Street (aka Danshui Old Street or Tamshui Old Street) is a street in Tamsui District of New Taipei famous for its delicious food and historical atmosphere. It is one of the most popular and well-known old streets in all of Taiwan. Some local delicacies here include A-gei, iron eggs, fried squid, and other seafood...(read more)
You can book a tour of Tamsui on TripAdvisor here or Klook here. You can also book a sailing experience on the Tamsui River on KKday here. Check out our full guide to Tamsui Old Street here. Bali Old Street 八里老街 
Bali Old Street (aka Bali Ferry Dock Old Street 八里渡輪頭老街) is a shopping area near Bali Wharf, connecting with Tamui Old Street via ferry and bicycle route. It is one of the oldest ports in Taiwan, with a long history of businesses and great seafood nearby...(read more)
You can also book a SUP / sand bar digging experience near Bali Old Street on KKday here. You can also book a sailing experience on the Tamsui River on KKday here. Check out our full guide to Bali Old Street here. Jinshan Old Street 金山老街 
Jinshan Old Street (aka Jinbaoli Old Street 金包里老街 Jīnbāolǐ lǎojiē) is a popular historical street in Jinshan District of New Taipei. The most famous delicacy here is duck but you can also find other traditional Taiwanese snacks among the numerous shops and restaurants here. It is definitely worth a stop on your trip to Taiwan's Northern Coast...(read more)
You can book a walking tour to Jinshan Old Street on Klook here or KKday here. Check out our full guide to Jinshan Old Street here. Jiufen Old Street 九份老街 
Jiufen is an old mountain village in Ruifang District of New Taipei City, and has perhaps the best old street in all of Taiwan, with authentic Taiwanese food, sloping steps, traditional Chinese architecture, and great views of Su Ao and Keelung Harbors. There are also multiple historical sights within the town. The entire village is built on a mountain slope, so that you can enjoy views of Taiwan's north coast from basically anywhere in the city...(read more)
You can book a tour of Jiufen Old Street with TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. Check out our full blog to Jiufen here. Ruifang Old Street 瑞芳老街 
Ruifang Old Street is a long old street extending out of Ruifang Train Station. Ruifang Station sits on the terminus to the Pingxi Railway, and provides direct bus service to Jiufen and Jinguashi, making it a must stop (literally) destination for tourists travelling to nearby tourist destinations.
The food on Ruifang Old Street is plentiful and delicious, and you will not regret a brief pit stop here. Houtong Station 猴硐車站 
Houtong is a cat paradise, with many cat loving citizens proposing to bring abandoned cats to the village for a better life. The town has been a hub for cat lovers and enthusiasts.
Visitors can enjoy the town's rich history as well as hundreds of cats and cat related shops around the village. You can book a tour of Houtong Cat Village on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. For our full blog on Houtong Cat Village click here. Shifen Old Street 十分老街 
Shifen Old Street is the largest and busiest old street on the Pingxi Railway line, famous for setting off lanterns into the sky, and for visiting the famous Shifen Waterfall nearby. Here one can enjoy delicious food, and beautiful scenery, and learn about the mining history of the area. The sky lanterns have become a major environmental issue, but because of the allure to tourists the practice doesn't seem like it will end soon...(read more)
You can book a tour to Shifen on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. For our full blog on Shifen Old Street click here Lingjiao Old Street 嶺腳老街 
Lingjiao Old Street is a small street next to Lingjiao Station and the famous Lingjiao Waterfall.The old street has not been commercialized like the other popular old streets on the Piongxi Railway. Now that the Taiwan coal mining boom is over, the old street is a relic of the past that has stayed basically unchanged from those times.
For our full blog on Lingjiao Old Street click here. Pingxi Old Street 平溪老街 
Pingxi Old Street has the second largest old street in Pingxi District and is full of delicious food, souvenirs, and opportunities to light off sky lanterns. From Pingxi station you can walk down to the historic streets in the small town, and take selfies with the train tracks and bridges that cross the two rivers passing through the town. It is definitely a must-see stop along the Pingxi Railway...(read more)
You can book a tour of Pingxi on Klook here or KKday here. For our full blog on Pingxi Old Street click here. Jingtong Old Street 菁桐老街 
Jingtong Old Street is the heart of the historic mining town of Jingtong, in Pingxi District of New Taipei City, which once had the largest mine in Taiwan. It has a long street with delicious food and souvenirs, sky lanterns, and many historical buildings nearby. As the last stop on the Pingxi Railway, you should definitely get off the train and check it out...(read more)
You can book a tour to Jingtong on Klook here or KKday here. For our full blog on Jingtong Old Street click here. Bopiliao Old Street 剝皮寮老街 
Bopiliao Old Street (aka Bopiliao Historical District/Street 剝皮寮歷史街區) is a historical street in Taipei, made almost completely of one or two story brick buildings, many dating over 200 years ago and was one of the earliest commercial districts in northern Taiwan. Here you can find museums, shops, food options, and art exhibitions. It is definitely worth a stop on your trip to Taipei...(read more)
You can book a walking tour of Bopiliao Old Street on Klook here. Check out our full guide to Bopiliao Old Street here. Shenkeng Old Street 深坑老街 
Shenkeng Old Street is one of the largest and busiest old streets in New Taipei, known for its famous tofu delicacies, and old Taiwan feel. Here one can enjoy delicious food, beautiful scenery, and buy nostalgic Taiwan related souvenirs. The Tofu here is truly incredible; Shenkeng is known as the Tofu capital of Taiwan, so you should definitely stop by here on your next trip to Taipei...(read more)
You can book Maokong Tea & Shenkeng Stinky Tofu Private Day Tour on TripAdvisor here. Check out our full guide to Shenkeng Old Street here. Shiding Old Street 石碇老街 
Shiding Old Street (aka Shiding East Street) is a small street in the busiest part of the mountainous Shiding District in New Taipei. There are some great restaurants here, an old mining town feel, great views of old multi story houses towering over the rivers, and beautiful surrounding mountains. Also, there are some great hiking trails and scenery nearby.
You can book a tour to Shiding Old Street on TripAdvisor here, Klook here or KKday here. Check out our full guide to Shiding Old Street here. Pinglin Old Street 坪林老街 
Pinglin Old Street (also known as Pinglin Shopping District 坪林商圈) is a small street in the mountainous Pinglin District in New Taipei. There are some great tea shops here, a tea museum, Qing dynasty stone houses, and beautiful views of the Beishi River and surrounding mountains. Also, there are some great hiking trails and camp sites nearby. If you love tea, Pinglin is the place for you...(read more)
You can also book a tour to Pinglin on TripAdvisor here. Here you can river trace, SUP / Paddleboard, and more on KKday here. Check out our full blog to Pinglin Old Street here. Wulai Old Street 烏來老街 
Wulai Old Street has become a major tourist attraction, partly because of its close proximity to Taipei. It has museums, waterfalls, a gondola, a train, an old street night market, and most of all hot springs. It has an old Japanese era coal mining railroad track which has been restored with a working train. In addition there are hikes, wildlife, and endless mountain scenery to explore...(read more)
You can book a Taiwan Wulai Aboriginal Tribe afternoon Tour on TripAdvisor here. You can book a tour to Wulai on KKday here. You can also book a ticket on the Wulai Train on Klook here, or a river tracing experience in Wulai on Klook here. Check out our full blog on Wulai Old Street here. Daxi Old Street 大溪老街 
Daxi Old Street is one of the largest and busiest old streets in Taiwan, known for its dried tofu delicacies, and old Taiwan feel. Here one can enjoy delicious food, beautiful scenery, and buy nostalgic Taiwan-related souvenirs. This may be the biggest and best old street in Taiwan, so you should definitely stop by here on your next trip to northern Taiwan...(read more)
You can book a tour to Daxi Old Street on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. Check out our full guide to Daxi Old Street here. 76. Sanxia Old Street 三峽老街 
Sanxia Old Street is beautiful and one of the best Old Streets in greater Taipei. Here you can eat sausages, ice cream, stinky tofu, and some Ox Horn Bread which is the delicacy of Sanxia...(read more)
You can book a day tour to Sanxia on TripAdvisor here or KKday here. You can also book a river tracing experience in Sanxia on Klook here. Check out our full guide to Sanxia Old Street here. Check out our Taipei Museum Guide here. Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
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Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
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