First time in Taiwan? There are many things to do in and near Taipei Main Station – the surrounding area is a great place to base yourself if you want to use the trains to do various Taipei day trips, or to use the Taiwan High Speed Rail to get to cities like Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
The area obviously has great transport links, tons of tasty Taiwan food spots, is walkable to Ximending plus there are lots of Taipei Main Station hotels big and small to suit all budgets.
This post may contain affiliate links to tours and hotels. These help us earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.
With lots of shopping malls and restaurants on your doorstep, there are also many interesting and historical places you can walk to if staying at Taipei Main Station hotels including the historic Dihua Street, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial House, 228 Peace Park and several museums, many of which are free.
From gorgeous green spaces to sprawling shopping malls, here is our guide to the best things to do near Taipei Main Station.
Taiwan checklist
We love using agoda.com (use the code TAIWANDERERS for a discount), expedia.com and booking.comย for researching and booking all our hotels.
For booking tours, transfers and buying SIM cards/eSIMs we recommend Klook,ย Get Your Guide,ย Viator or KK Day.
For booking rental cars visit Discover Cars. For private drivers and taxis, check out ourย Transfer guide >
Find safe storage spaces across Taiwan with Bounce (and get 5% discount).
For more recommendations, check out ourย Taiwan travel booking resources page >
All set for Taiwan? Do one final check with ourย Taipei first timers guide and our packing list guide. Travelling with kids? Check out our Taipei For Kids eBook >
Why choose hotels near Taipei Main Station to stay in?
Weโd recommend checking out our Taipei neighborhoods guide which lists 10+ different districts weโd suggest visiting or staying in whilst in Taipei.
However, in terms of the best places to stay in Taipei, Taipei Main Station is a good place to stay for transport links. It is very close / walkable to nearby Ximending and Zhongshan too.
There are some incredible places to eat nearby like a bounty of beef noodle soup shops (weโll recommend some shortly), plus there are lots of Taiwanese breakfast places and cheap Taiwan chain restaurants nearby Taipei Main Station.
Weโd also recommend a 20 minute walk to see the Changing of the Guard Ceremony outside Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the surrounding Democracy boulevard area.
Donโt forget Taiwanโs High Speed Rail (HSR) network goes from Taipei Main Station so if you want to see a lot of Taiwan but base yourself in Taipei throughout, you can be in Taichung in 1 hour and Kaohsiung in 1 hour 35 minutes.
Recommended Hotels Near Taipei Main Station
From high end and luxury Taipei Main Station hotels like the 5 star Palais de Chine Hotel and Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel, to mid priced hotels like citizenM North Gate Hotel and Mayer Inn, there is accommodation to suit all budgets including Taipei Main Station hostels.
If it is a family stay, you might want to stay in the fun themed Roaders Plus Hotel Taipei Station which directly overlooks the station itself – and it has so family friendly features from free snacks and movie nights to different themed rooms.
Check out our guide to the best hotels near Taipei Main Station for all budgets >
Getting to Taipei Main Station from Taoyuan International Airport
There are several ways to get from Taipei Airport to Taipei including private transfer, taxi and bus. However, the most common public transport to take from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei Main Station is the Taoyuan Airport MRT train.
Costing just NT$160 for a one way journey between Taiwan airport to Taipei Main Station, it is one of the cheapest international airport trains in the world. Yet another reason why we love Taiwan and Taipei so much!
From fares to train times plus how to purchase an airport EasyCard, here is our guide to getting Taoyuan Taipei Airport to Taipei city >
Things to do near Taipei Main Station
Taipei Underground / City Mall
This huge Taipei shopping mall is the largest underground street in Taiwan with nearly 200 stores, and runs all the way from Taipei Main Station to Beimen MRT Station.
The mall is divided into three separate sections โ cheap clothing, electronics and food.
The electronics part of the mall is known as the โAkihabara of Taipeiโ and is an otaku lover’s paradise with many gaming, gashapon, arcades, manga, anime and kawaii stores!
You can also find knife massage and fortune telling stores in the mall, plus the occasional live performance.
Taipei Underground Mall is open Monday to Friday 11am to 9.30pm, and Saturday to Sunday 11am to 10pm (although many shops close around 8pm).
We feature Taipei Underground Mall in our Taipei geek store guide >
2/28 Peace Memorial Park
One of the nicest urban parks in downtown Taipei, 2/28 Peace Memorial Park is a green oasis with pavilions, ponds and a memorial museum and located around an 8 minute walk from Taipei Main station exit M6.
Dedicated to the victims of the uprising in 1947, this is a solemn spot with many memorial plaques and sculptures dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives.
It is a quiet spot to walk around, sit on a bench with some takeaway food or just watch the world go by. If you are feeling flexible / brave (delete as appropriate), there is also a cobbled Reiki path you can walk on in your bare feet (we lasted all of 20 seconds โ ouch!).
Ximending neighbourhood
A walk to the Ximending neighbourhood takes around 15 minutes from Taipei Main Station exit Z10.
Taipeiโs Ximending is famous for its bright lights, evening bites and late nights, and the heart and soul of Taipeiโs Wanhua District. It is home to sublime street art, cool shops like Pop Mart and night-time entertainment.
Popular with tourists, young people and first time travellers to Taiwan, there are many things to do in Ximending at all hours of the day including photo booths, crazy claw-machines and late night eateries.
From Don Don Donki to milk sugar donuts, the Red House to Rainbow Six Crossing (plus the new Bugcat Capoo House and cool Ximen Undercity Mall), here is our guide to the top things to do in Ximending >
Taipei North Gate / Chengโen Gate
A short walk from Taipei Main Station exit Y13 or exit Y17, Taipei North Gate is a historical landmark dating back to the 1880s (built during the Qing Dynasty era) and located in Beimen North Gate Square.
A National Monument of Taiwan, the two storey North Gate is the best preserved of the Taipei City Wall gates and is free to visit (note you can only access the exterior).
The Taipei city gates were built originally as a measure of prosperity, to encourage others to build homes in Taipei City.
Nearby in Beimen MRT Underground station, you can also see various ancient relics and artifacts in glass cases that were uncovered when the station was being built.
Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei ่บๅ็ถไปฃ่่ก้คจ
Opened in 2001 and located in one of Taiwanโs famous red brick buildings, the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (map) started as an elementary school in the 1920s before later becoming Taipei City Hall.
These days, it houses one of Taiwanโs largest temporary art collections with permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions.
As of summer 2026, admission to the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei costs NT$100 per person (the equivalent of ยฃ2.40 or $3 USD). Take exit R4 or exit R5 from Taipei Main Station.
Cookinn
If you are a fan of Taiwanโs tasty xiao long bao soup dumplings, beef noodle soup or gua bao and want to recreate the dishes at home, then check out Cookinn cooking classes (Taiwan Main station exit Y9 or Y5 then a 3 minute walk).
They run a variety of cooking classes where you can learn to make Taiwanese cuisine from scratch – we took part in a special xiao long bao and beef noodle cooking class, hosted by Cookinnโs founder Chelsea Tsai.
Prices for the main cooking classes start from NTD$2,300 for adults (and NT$1,955 for children aged 7 to 11), and the lessons are conducted in English, Japanese and Mandarin languages
They also run other cheaper and shorter baking classes where you can make pineapple cakes, pork pepper buns, scallion pancakes and nougat crackers.
Check out these classes on their Cookinn website and use the code TAIWANDERERS for 5% off (code only valid by booking directly on their official website), or you can book their classes on Klook (use the code CKTRAVELS for a discount).
Q Square Mall
Located next to Taipei Main Station, Q Square Mall is very easy to get lost in as every floor looks a little similar โ there are 8 floors of food courts, young fashions and homewares.
Busy with commuters and workers (especially in the early evening as offices close), brands at Q Square Mall include Zara, Mango, NIKE, Skechers and Converse.
Each floor has a different theme from Feast Avenue on floor 4 to Youth Avenue on B1 plus Coldplay Avenue (!) on B2 (weโre presuming it is because Coldplay toured Taiwan in 2023 but who knows?)
Ri Xing Type Foundry
Taiwanese personalized stamps are a popular souvenir so you might want to head to Ri Xing Type Foundry located near Taipei Main Station exit Y13.
Founded in the late 1960s (with very few changes over the years), they have over 300,000 stamps) and it remains a family run business today.
Here you can create your own customised stamp in English, Japanese or traditional Chinese letters, starting from NT$360 including a case.
Find Ri Xing Type Foundry on Google Maps here >
Postal Museum Taipei Beimen Branch
Not only the best place to post Taiwan souvenirs home as it has so many counters and English speaking staff on the ground floor, this Ximen post office also has a free museum on the upper level.
At the time of writing, the Postal Museum Taipei Beimen has a super cute Bugcat Capoo exhibition where you can Chunghwa Post x Bugcat Capoo collaboration merchandise like plushies, stickers and stamps – plus there is a free ink souvenir stamp trail.
There is also the opportunity to make your postcard or print your photos in a stamp format, which you can send to friends. Take exit Z10 from Taipei Main station.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial House and Park
A free thing to do near Taipei Main Station exit M2, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial House ้ธไปๅ ฌๅ is a small wooden Japanese style house built around 1900 which was once a restaurant and later became a memorial house dedicated to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, who once stayed overnight here.
In the garden outside, there are small ponds with arch bridges and massive koi carp, making a nice photo spot and a respite from the nearby hustle and bustle of the city.
Dihua Street
Located a 10 minute walk away from Taipei Main Station exit Y27, the historic district of Dihua Street and Dadaocheng is perhaps most famous for its amazing architecture, traditional Chinese medicine shops and Lunar New Year celebrations โ however, in recent years, the area has welcomed an influx of coffee shops, fashion stores and craft beer bars.
A marvelous mix of new and traditional Taipei, the main Dihua Street and its opulent mansion houses were once Taipeiโs most prosperous area, built up in the 1850s – it has real charm and character and is one of the most interesting Taipei neighborhoods to visit.
Featuring historic markets and temple food courts, there are many things to do in Dihua Street, plus it is one of the best places to buy gifts in Taipei with a wide range of Taiwan souvenirs.
You might like our Dihua street and Dadaocheng area guide >
National Center of Photography and Image (NCPI)
Get snap happy as it is free admission to the National Center of Photography and Image, located close to Taipei Main station exit Z6 (or take K12 to use an escalator and then cross the street) and located in the old Osaka Merchant Ship Co. headquarters.
Open since 2021, Taiwanโs NCPI houses a collection of nationally important photos and prints, and behind the scenes, restores and preserves old images.
It houses a permanent gallery as well as temporary exhibitions. Please note the National Center of Photography and Image is closed on Mondays.
Bo-Ai Road (ๅๆ่ทฏ) / Camera street
A quick mention of nearby Taipei Camera Street, as it is primarily only of interest to photographers and camera enthusiasts.
Easily spotted due to all the photography brand signs and large film strips, Camera Street is renowned as the go to place for photography equipment and has the highest concentration of camera shops in Taiwan.
You can buy new and old apparatus and lenses here from brands such as Canon, Leika, Nikon and Sony. Take exit Z10 from Taipei Main Station.
Taipei Station K Underground Mall
Underneath Taipei Main Station is this utopia of pop up shops, clothes and accessory stores, cheap chain restaurants and convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and FamilyMart.
Taipei Station K Underground Mall (K ๅๅฐไธ่ก) seems to have something new every time we visit, and most recently, we noticed a new mini Pokemon Ola Go center had popped up here.
Also new for 2026, Taiwanโs first Hobby Off is now open beneath Taipei Main Station located in the K District Underground Mall in KB157-KB159 (handily close to other geek and toy shops), plus a Daiso.
Like Taipei Underground mall, it can be quite easy to get lost whilst walking around here so do plan ahead or keep an eye out for the handy maps!
National Taiwan Museum Railway Department Park
Just NT$100 to visit, the National Taiwan Museum Railway Department Park ๅ็ซ่บ็ฃๅ็ฉ้คจ้ต้้จๅๅ opened in 2020 and is the newest branch of the National Taiwan Museum – it is housed in the former offices of the Railway Department of the Japanese colonial Government.
From model trainsets to build your railway tours, this museum has detailed exhibits (some in English) plus video displays – please note this is mainly miniatures as opposed to life sized historic trains.
PS If you are a railway fan or Taiwan trainspotter, buy the NT$130 admission ticket which gives you access to all four Taiwan National Museum branches including the much bigger site in nearby Xinyi. Take exit Y13 from Taipei Main Station.
Yiguo Ramen 24 hour Korean instant ramen shop
Popularised in South Korea, there are now several unmanned 24 hour instant ramen kiosks and shops in Taipei that operate with an honesty policy (well that and a lot of CCTV cameras).
An inexpensive evening meal usually costing around NTD$40-$60 (plus any extra topping or side costs), you usually get to choose from a vast range of instant ramen noodles which you then add boiling water to.
A popular self serve ramen shop in Taipei is Yiguo Ramen with locations in Shilin and near Taipei Main Station (where we took these photos).
Ningxia Night Market – the closest night market to Taipei Main Station
A caveat – we know this isnโt next door to the station but if you are only in Taipei for 1 night and want to experience a true Taiwan night market, Ningxia Night Market is the closest to Taipei Main Station – just over 1km or around a 15 to 20 minute walk away.
Ningxia night market is one of Taipeiโs best night markets with hundreds of food stalls lined along one road, plus lots of famous oyster omelette restaurants.
Even though it is smaller than say Shilin Night Market or Raohe Night Market, it can get so busy especially on weekends and Friday night when it can take a LONG time to walk down the central aisle, as dozens of hungry customers wait for their food.
Many of the larger stalls have outdoor seating areas plus there are permanent restaurants dotted along either side of Ningxia Night Market. From beef noodles to Taiwanese pancakes, you will not go hungry here!
As well as food, youโll find lots of gaming / fun-fair style stalls for kids plus it seems to have the largest concentration of marble pinball machines and ring toss stalls of anywhere weโve seen.
Read more in our guide to Ningxia Night Market >
Beef Noodle Soup restaurants
Whilst in Taipei, one of the most delicious things to do near Main Station is try the local speciality dish, beef noodle soup. As it so happens, two of the best loved and most popular beef noodle soup restaurants are located a short walk away.
Our favourite beef noodle place in Taipei is ๅๅฑฑๆฑ็่้บต Liu Shandong Beef Noodles (map) and it is a 3 to 5 minute stroll from the station – the nearest exit to the restaurant is Z6 (via the Taipei Main Station Underground mall).
Hidden away in a back alley of Zhongzheng District, Liu Shandong Beef Noodles boasts juicy braised beef breast, extra thick noodles and an incredible meaty beef bone broth. It is so small inside that you often have to share tables with complete strangers – which can be fun!
Read our guide to Liu Shandong Beef Noodles >
Fuhong Beef Noodles Restaurant (map) is also one of the best – the queues can be big but it is worth it. We go here every time we stay near the station and most locals slurp away at their noodles whilst watching the news on the big TV and peeling garlic cloves.
Taipei Main Station Vegetarian Recommendations
If you are looking for veggie buffets or vegetarian restaurants near Taipei Main Station, we would recommend ๆ็ถๅฏ ๅฐๅๆฐๅ ็ซๅๅบ Fruitful Food (map) – is one of the best known Taipei vegetarian buffet chains.
There are several stations of hot and cold vegetarian food which you serve yourself plus a kitchen where chefs cooking up creations like faux beef noodles.
There is a cluster of veggie buffets and restaurants near Taipei Main Station along Huaining Street. Our favourite is Miao Yuan vegetarian restaurant ๅฆ็ทฃ็ด ้ฃ้คจ (map) – two huge plates (along with rice) came to $NT235 for two of us (so roughly $3.60 USD or ยฃ2.75 each).
Minder Vegetarian in QSquare Mall (map) is a cafeteria-style veggie buffet, sold by weight and all vegan.
You might like our best Taipei vegetarian and vegan restaurants guide >
Found this things to do in and near Taipei Main Station article helpful?
Did you enjoy our article? Let us know in the comments or by sharing it on social media.
You can follow Taiwanderers on:
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
Pinterest
