Eat, shop, sleep, repeat!
This piece was written in collaboration with Skyscanner.
We all know and love Taipei for various reasons – the delicious night market food, the beautiful Taipei 101 and of course, SHOPPING! Here are 10 places you can shop till you drop in Taipei that all shoppaholics will definitely love. With local shopping malls, luxury brands and even wholesale markets, finding things to buy won’t be hard.
P.S. You will be needing that extra luggage space. Plus, if you end up with more luggage that you can handle, just Klook an airport luggage service and let us take care of your excess baggage.
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1. Shilin Night Market
For the uninitiated, Shilin Night Market is Taipei’s biggest and probably most famous night market. The many small streets and alleys are packed with street food you can probably smell from a mile away. Apart from there, you can pick up almost any kind of product you want. From electronics, bags, shoes, jewelry and of course some of the trendiest clothes!
Address: No. 101, Jihe Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111
Nearest station: Jiantan MRT Station
Opening hours: Most stalls start setting up their stalls at 4pm but we recommend going between 9pm to midnight where the market is in full swing.
2. Wu Fen Pu
If Bangkok has Platinum Mall, Taipei’s equivalent is Wu Fen Pu! This wholesale shopping area is the place to score some of the cheapest loots in Taipei. With over a hundred stores selling apparel, it’s not hard to find a whole new wardrobe here. When we say cheap, we mean cheap. You can buy a T shirt for as low was USD 3.50!
P.S. We hear the best day to visit is a Tuesday. You should definitely also avoid Mondays as that is the day they are usually busy restocking.
Address: Yongji Street, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
Nearest Station: Song Shan MRT Station
3. Ximending
Ximending, helmed the Harajuku of Taipei, is the best place to get the trendiest items! With stores like Uniqlo and ABC Mart as well as local brands at every turn, you’ll be spoilt for choice. If you’re an unwilling friend who got dragged to go shopping, don’t worry! There are bars, tattoo alleys and even IMAX theatres for you to kill time while the rest shop away.
Cure those hunger pangs and make your way to Ah Chong Mian Xian and get a taste of the Flour Rice Noodle, a famous Taiwanese meal loved by both locals and tourists alike!
Address: Shi-men Ting, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
Nearest station: Xi Men MRT Station
4. East Metro Mall
The East Metro Mall is conveniently located near 2 MRT stations, making it extremely convenient to squeeze in a quick shopping pit stop. This huge underground mall is home to cheap boutiques selling apparel, cute novelty items and so much more. Some say prices here are even cheaper than night markets.
Visitors who’re in for a food trip will have no problem finding delicious selections here as well! For breakfast, Well Cafe offers fluffy pancakes and fresh juices to kickstart your morning. For an authentic Taiwanese cuisine experience, Beef One Beef Noodles happens to be a local favorite. Alternatively, you can also opt to just pop in Cuiqu Coffee for a cup of joe!
Address: No. 77, Section 1, Zhongxiao East Rd., Da-an Dist, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Nearest station: Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station or Zhongxiao Donghua MRT Station
5. Guanghua Market
If you’re not into apparel and rather shop for gadgets then Guanghua Market is the place for you. This six story building has a mind-boggling range of electronic products. If you’re a techie, this will be your heaven.
P.S. Don’t forget to bargain to get the best price!
Address: No. 8, Section 3, Civic Blvd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
Nearest station: Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT Station
6. Eslite Xin Yi
For the bookworms, we haven’t forgotten about you! Your pilgrimage to Eslite Xin Yi, the biggest bookstore in Taiwan might just be your favorite part of the trip. This 24 hour bookstore is located near the Taipei 101 and we’d definitely suggest grabbing a book to read before heading up to the observatory and waiting for the sunset.
This mega bookstore houses a Japanese bookstore, an arts bookstore, a children’s bookstore, a discovery museum and even a themed restaurant.
But before you venture out into a seemingly endless world of books. you might want to indulge in some tasty options surrounding Eslit Xin Yi! For some recommendations, check out Mucho Happiness or 7TeaHouse for some milk tea and dessert, Red 99 or Mu Chili Hotpot for some spicy hot pot and Hu Tao Traditional Taiwanese Cuisine!
Address: No. 11, Songgao Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
Nearest station: Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT Station
7. Taipei Handicraft Promotion Center
Photo credit: Meet Taiwan
After you return from a long trip, while people always like to ask how the trip was, they’re probably just trying to suss out if you’ve got them any souvenirs! Well, not to worry, the Taipei Handicraft Promotion Centre just might be the best place to buy some. This non profit centre has a huge array of handicrafts on display that we’re sure every family member, colleague or friend will love.
Address: No. 1, Xuzhou Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
Nearest station: NTU Hospital MRT Station
8. Longshan Temple Underground Shopping Bazaar
Image credit: Frozen Light
Longshan Temple is more than just an ancient temple! This giant underground shopping bazaar is the perfect place to pick up traditional trinkets you won’t find anywhere else. A highlight for us is definitely the row of fortune tellers. If you’re curious about your future, just slide some cash across and you’ll find out!
P.S. Klook will not be responsible for any wrongly told fortunes.
Address: No. 211, Guangzhou Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 10853
Nearest station: Longshan Temple MRT Station
9. Taipei 101
Apart from the tallest building in Taipei and offering some killer panoramic views of the city, the shops at Taipei 101 are pretty impressive too. With the likes for Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior in the building, you can live out your lavish lifestyles for a day and shop like a crazy rich asian!
P.S. Skip the lines with Klook as you collect your ticket from the self service ticket machine.
Address: No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Rd, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
Nearest station: Taipei 101 MRT Station
Taipei Essentials
If you need a quick escape from the city, head over to Jiufen and Shifen to see the famous tea houses or release a paper lantern into the sky. Soaking in a hot spring is also a great way to unwind on your holiday to Taipei!
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