Taipei Museum Guide – Discover the Best Museums in Taipei 臺北博物館指南

Brief Historical Background of Taipei:

The land on which Taipei now stands 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-1800s 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:

• There is no need to tip in Taiwan. It is not part of the culture here.
• Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar, and many transactions such as for street food still require cash. For more information, check out our guide to the New Taiwan Dollar here.
• Get yourself a SIM card or portable WiFi such as from Klook here so you can stay connected and don’t get lost in the city.
• The electrical voltage is 110V.
• Get yourself an Easy Card, so you can travel easily on the MRT, Train, HSR, Youbike, and even shop at convenience stores. You can also book a Taiwan travel pass on Klook here. 
• For more travel tips, check out our foreigner survival guide here. 

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.
Cherry blossoms can be seen in the park from February to late March. Check out our full guide to Cherry Blossom Season in Taiwan here. 
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 or Agoda here). We have also stayed at and recommend the Grand Hyatt (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here), Marriot (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here), Sheraton (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here), Shangri-la (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here), and Regent (book on Booking.com here or Agoda 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 or Agoda here).
Budget Hotels:
We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com 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 or Agoda 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.

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 Klook here or KKday here.

Activities in Taipei:

Don’t forget that there are many activities available in Taipei such as 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, and more on Klook here or KKday here.

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 purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT from Klook here or KKday here. ​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? You can search on Klook here or KKday 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 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. â€‹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. 

Taipei Museum Map:

Please see a map of the museums we will share in this blog below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fort San Domingo 紅毛城

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also be sure to check out our full guide to Taipei here.                   
You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.