Whilst Taiwan is amazing, the Taipei weather can sometimes be a little unpredictable – thankfully there are lots of Taipei rainy day activities to suit all ages and budgets.
From photo booths to Pokemon, dinner buffets to dance, there are lots of things to do in Taipei on wet weather days – plus at night, you can go crazy for karaoke, visit temples or go to a covered night market.
If you want to stay in one place, one of the best Taipei rainy day spots is Ximending. From the anime and sneaker shops of the Wannian Building to the artisan gifts found in the historic Red House, Ximending is shopping central on a rainy day and one of Taipei’s best shopping districts – read our dedicated Ximending rainy day guide here >
Elsewhere in Taipei, we have lots of shopping mall recommendations, chain family restaurants plus perhaps the best beef noodles in town.
Here is our guide to the best Taipei rainy day activities in 2025.
Taiwan checklist
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For booking rental cars visit Discover Cars. For private drivers and taxis, check out our Transfer guide >
For more recommendations, check out our Taiwan travel booking resources page >
All set for Taiwan? Do one final check with our Taipei first timers guide and our packing list guide. Travelling with kids? Check out our Taipei For Kids eBook >
Things to do in Taipei on a rainy day
1. Taipei Shopping
OK, we start with a very obvious Taipei rainy day activity but where to shop in Taipei? From underground shopping malls to supersized shopping centers, there are many Taipei shopping streets and malls to explore all over the city.
From the famous Miramar Taipei mall complete with a ferris wheel on the roof to several supersize shopping centers in Xinyi, Taipei is retail heaven.
There are also lots of quirky shopping malls in Taipei from Zhongshan Underground Book Street to the kid’s rooftop park at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A8 shopping center.
Currently in 2025, the coolest shopping mall in Taipei has to be Syntrend Creative Park, with 13 floors of technology, digital goods, pop-ups plus whole floors dedicated to anime and manga merchandise plus a Pop Mart store.
Check out our guide to Taipei shopping malls >
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2. Visit the world’s oldest cat cafe (or many other cat cafes)
Taiwan’s first cat cafe Kitten Coffee Garden is one of the most ‘purr-fect’ things to do in Taipei on a rainy day – ‘fur’ real. It also holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest / first cat cafe that is still open today.
Opened in 1998 and currently located in Shilin, Taipei’s Kitten Coffee Garden is a cute coffee shop home to 13 cute cats and two adorable dogs.
It feels very homely inside and it was nice to see the cafe’s cats and dogs sleeping, eating and playing together – try to time your visit with the cat feeding time too!
From admission / drink prices to how to get to the cafe, here is our guide to the world’s oldest cat cafe >
You’ll find several other popular cat cafes in Taipei including Fufu Cat cafe in Ximending plus straight from Japan, the brand new Cat Cafe Mocha Taipei in Xinyi at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi Place A8.
You might also like our guide to Capybara Knight, Taipei’s capybara cafe >
3. Pokémon Center Taipei
Pop along to the new Pokémen Center in Xinyi, located in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi Place A11, one of Taipei’s best shopping malls.
Opened in 2023, Taiwan’s biggest Pokémon Center in Taipei ( 寶可夢中心台北) is packed full of all your favorite Pokémon characters including exclusive Taiwan merchandise, trading card games, Pokémon Ga Ole machines plus Pokédex, Pokémon App Gallery and more.
You may sometimes need to queue for an entry ticket at weekends (especially when it is wet) or when there is a limited edition release.
From all the cute merchandise to the awesome arcade machines, here is our guide to visiting the Pokémon Center Taipei in Xinyi >
Check out our Taipei neighbourhoods guides:
Beitou >
Dihua Street and Dadaocheng >
Gongguan and Longquan >
Tamsui >
Ximending >
Xinyi >
Zhongshan >
Also check out our guide to the best neighbourhoods in Taipei >
4. Go to Baseball Game under a covered roof at Taipei Dome
We wouldn’t usually suggest watching a Taiwan baseball game during a rainy day in Taipei BUT the new (ish) Taipei Dome has a retractable roof so you can watch in all weather.
Taiwan baseball is a ‘big-hitter’ and one of the country’s most popular sports. The season usually starts in May and runs until October, across two seasons.
The Taiwan baseball / CPBL games can usually be seen 6 days a week during baseball season – it is only Monday when there are no baseball games played (and the odd other day).
Alternatively if you can’t get tickets or you fancy a bar to escape the rain, all CPBL Taiwan baseball games are televised – most Taipei bars also show the live or recorded baseball games.
Check our our Taiwan baseball guide plus how to get tickets >
5. Craft Beer Bars
Escape the rain and say ‘Ganbei’ to the Taipei craft beer scene and Taiwan brewery bars.
From beautiful beer taprooms like Taihu Brewing to shopping mall brewery bars like Hit Cat Brewing, you’ll find plenty of great beer to drink on wet weather days in Taipei.
Taipei has loads to offer craft beer connoisseurs and drinkers in Taiwan, from booze and gyoza at Rongjin Gorgeous Time to Taipei night market craft beer bars.
On a recent trip to Taipei, we also discovered the Floating Taipei bar near Dihua Street, which shows Mr Bean cartoons as you sip beer. Nice!
Featuring international taprooms like Mikkeller Taipei to local Taiwan breweries like Zhangmen Brewing, here is our guide to the best Taipei craft beer bars >
6. Taipei themed 7-Elevens
The world is never short of 7-Eleven convenience stores but did you know there are over 100 themed 7-Elevens all over Taiwan, most of which are in Taipei?
Children (and big kids like us) will love the cute cartoon themed 7-Eleven stores from Taiwan’s most famous blue cat; Bugcat Capoo or go (Pea)-nuts about the Snoopy 7-Eleven stores (one even has a super cool Snoopy themed seating area complete with a school bus and huge Snoopy plushies).
Check out our guide to the best themed 7-Elevens in Taipei or our 7-Eleven Taiwan food guide.
7. Korean photo booths
Found in busy Taipei neighborhoods like Ximending or Xinyi, this is a Taipei rainy day activity suitable for all ages – time to take a super-cute selfie in a Korean style photo booth.
In recent years, these photo booth stores have popped up in lots of vacant Taipei shops that closed down during the COVID pandemic. On our last count, there were around 20 or so Korean photo booth shops in Ximending alone including Cut Cut, Snapshot and Kr4cut.
We recently visited Taiwan’s very first subway style photo booth located at Plan B Studio in Ximending. It has several themed photo areas including a laundry, tunnel and elevator sets.
We opted for the subway Korean photo booth as it seemed the most fun. Four images cost us NT$300 and it is a unique souvenir from Taiwan, plus a great way to escape the rain in Taipei.
You might like – Our first timer’s guide to Taipei including the online arrival card
8. Yongkang Street Restaurant Hopping
Taipei’s tastiest neighborhood, Yongkang Street is one of the yummiest things to do in Taiwan when the weather is inclement – it is packed full of cool cafes, decadent desserts and oodles of noodle shops and delicious dumplings.
From the terrific Tian Jin Scallion Flaky Pancakes to xiao long bao and beef noodles, there is something to suit all tastes (and budgets) along Yongkang Street – and don’t forget tofu pudding for dessert!
And it isn’t just food, as there are cute gift shops and craft beer bars to enjoy and shelter from the rain in.
One of Taipei’s top food destinations and best neighborhoods to visit, here is our ultimate guide to Yongkang Street >
You might like – 40+ things to do in Taipei at night >
9. Devour some Din Tai Fung indoors
Trying Din Tai Fung’s delicious soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) is a tasty Taiwan traveller rite of passage – with new Din Tai Fung restaurants popping up all over the world, there is no better place than to try them at the ‘source’ in Taiwan.
Din Tai Fung in Taiwan is a mid-range Taiwan chain restaurant that is famous for its excellent xiao long bao and noodle dishes. Given its popularity, don’t be surprised if you have to queue although they have a simple-to-use ticket waiting system and app; they’ve thought of everything!
From how to eat xiao long bao soup dumplings to the cheapest Din Tai Fung prices in the world and their menu highlights, here is our ultimate guide to dining in Din Tai Fung >
10. The Red House
One of Taipei’s most iconic buildings located in Ximending, the Red House is a beautiful old building that has served many purposes over the years since it opened in 1908.
From awesome artisan crafts to pop-up shops and cute cafes, there are many things to do at the Red House on rainy days.
Whilst shopping heaven in the daytime, Red House reinvents itself at night with an array of LBGTQ+ bars opening in the courtyard (all of which have covered terraces outdoors).
From crafts to clothing, bars to brownies, here is our ultimate guide to Red House Taipei >
11. NET Stores for Rain Macs
Need some wet weather clothes in Taipei or have been unexpectedly caught out by Taiwan’s changeable weather?We’re throwing the ‘NET’ to find the best budget fashion stores in Taiwan!
One of the main Taiwan fashion shops that gets mentioned in NET. With over 150 NET fashion stores around Taiwan, it is a clothing chain that is similar in style to UNIQLO and GAP…but much MUCH cheaper.
Often with late store opening hours and several floors of fashion, here is our guide to Taiwan’s NET clothing stores >
Incidentally, most Taiwan supermarkets like Carrefour sell cheap umbrellas and macs as do Taiwan 7-Eleven.
12. Ximending Movie Cinema Street (Wuchang Street)
You (probably) didn’t come to Taipei to watch movies, but on a rainy day you could always catch up with the latest movie release.
Most Taipei cinemas show western movies in their original English format (with Mandarin subtitles) plus many cinemas also serve beer and popcorn – cheers!
There are around 15 cinemas in the Ximending area including epic IMAX screens, but the biggest concentration can be found here along Ximending movie theater street (Wuchang Street).
Alternatively and away from Ximending, head to the rather unique ‘SPOT – Taipei Film House’ (map) in Zhongshan.
Housed in the opulent former US ambassador’s residence, SPOT – Taipei Film House is a super spot to grab some coffee or watch local and international movies.
You might like – Our 1 day Taipei itinerary and 3 day best of Taipei itinerary
13. Go Souvenir Shopping
Although there are lots of great Taipei malls, the concentration of gift shops in Ximending, Shilin Night Market or Dihua Street is so high that it is quite easy to walk from store to store without getting too wet (plus many streets have covered awnings above the shops).
No trip to Taiwan is complete without some form of Taiwan souvenir to take home, from tasty treats like pineapple cake to more lasting treasures like a Taiwan tea set or ‘gaji’ bag.
Here is our guide to best Taiwan souvenirs to buy plus the best places in Taipei to buy souvenirs.
14. Sit down in a Family Restaurant
We’d usually recommend Taipei night markets like Raohe, Ningxia or Shilin for an epic evening of great Taiwan eats but when it is raining, you might just want to sit down in the dry.
Eating out in Taiwan doesn’t have to be costly or a chore – if you’re on a budget, have a big family or just want a cheap and cheerful meal, there is a Taiwan chain restaurant for you.
From delicious dumplings at Din Tai Fung to flavoursome food at TKK Chicken or Formosa Chang, there is a Taiwan chain restaurant or cafe to suit your tastes (and budget).
As well as chains unique to Taiwan, there are also international chain restaurants in Taiwan (many of which are Japanese like Sushiro and Sukiya).
Here is our guide to the biggest and best Taiwan chain restaurants and cafes >
15. TaipeiEYE Traditional Chinese Dance Performance
If you are looking for a spectacular theater performance and dance show in Taipei at night, take a look at TaipeiEYE.
A traditional Chinese dance show that boasts spectacular costumes, you’ll witness dance, acrobatics and martial arts accompanied by live traditional music.
You can also interact and take photos with the performers plus subtitles are displayed on screens at the side of the stage.
Performances take place every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Book your Taipei eye tickets with Klook or KK Day.
16. Cooking Class
If you are a fan of Taiwan’s tasty xiao long bao soup dumplings, beef noodle soup or gua bao and want to recreate the dishes at home, then check out the cooking classes with CookInn.
They run a variety of cooking classes where you can learn to make Taiwanese cuisine from scratch with locations in Ximending and Zhongshan.
Prices for the main cooking classes start from NTD$2,200 for adults (half price for children), 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 and use the code ‘TAIWANDERERS’ for 5% off.
17. Taipei Karaoke
Party time in Taipei on a rainy day Time for a little song after traipsing around the rain drenched streets of Taipei all day. There are karaoke booths all over Taipei but PARTYWORLD KTV is the go-to place in Ximen for karaoke and is open until 6am.
With dozens of private booths and colossal catalogs of songs, croon to your heart’s content accompanied with beers, spirits and snacks.
Private karaoke booths are charged on an hourly rate (prices vary depending on the time of day) and they sometimes do special tourist discounts at PARTYWORLD if you show your overseas ID or passport.
You might like – Our guide to the 25 best Taiwan phone apps to download >
18. Shilin Night Market Underground Food Court
Recently reopened in 2025, perhaps the best night market in Taipei to go in rainy weather is Shilin Night Market as it has a newly refurnished underground food court.
Yes, it is popular with tourists but hey, so are other night markets and as well as some fine food stalls, it has lots of fun carnival style games and a beautiful temple lit up at night.
It is also home to the famous Taipei tiger 3D billboard and numerous garment, gadget and gachapon stalls.
From stinky tofu to teppanyaki, Fuzhou black pepper buns to Hot-Star Chicken, you’ll find something at Shilin Night Market 士林夜市 to suit all tastes (literally) and budgets – here is our guide to Shilin Night Market >
19. Go to the Top of Taipei 101 on the cheap
As Taipei 101 observatory admission prices are quite expensive, we wouldn’t recommend you pay the full price on a rainy day in Taipei.
A ‘simple’ (Kaffa) way to get Taipei 101 views without paying the full admission price, Simple Kaffa Sola is the new Taipei 101 cafe and coffee shop located on the 88th floor of the Taipei 101 tower.
Whilst admission to Taipei 101 starts from NT$600 (located one floor above the cafe on level 89), you can save money (and enjoy a drink) by buying a NT$240 Simple Kaffa coffee, which gains you admission to their 88th floor cafe.
For the ultimate Taipei brews with views, here is our guide to visiting Simple Kaffa Taipei 101 including how to get reservation tickets >
20. Taipei Dinner Buffets
There are lots of great dinner buffets in Taipei but two of the best are A Joy buffet in Taipei 101 plus the Taipei Grand Hyatt evening buffet next door.
We dined at the Grand Hyatt buffet in early 2025 and it had a fantastic selection of food. We loved the deep fried scallops, sashimi, mussels and prawns, plus some of the tasty meats such as roast beef and lamb chops. The truffle risotto was also delightful.
There was so much food to choose from. One thing we did note was that if you are vegetarian, then the hot food selection isn’t that great.
One of the most recommended Taipei buffets in our Taiwan Travel Tips Facebook group is A Joy Buffet on the 86th floor of Taipei 101. Whilst not cheap, the views are amazing and the seafood here is something else. So if you love lobster or evening dinner with a view, be sure to book A Joy buffet >
We tried several Taipei buffets when we won Lucky Land Accommodation vouchers and highly recommend the buffets at the Taipei Regent Hotel and the Grand Hyatt Taipei – check out some fine foodie pictures on our Lucky Land Accommodation voucher guide >
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21. Thrift shopping or boutique stores in Zhongshan
Taipei’s trendiest district and hipster hangout, Zhongshan is the Taipei neighborhood for boutique shops and second-hand stores.
Every side street in Zhongshan is packed with a treasure trove of thrift stores and fine fashion shops – they are all quite close so it should be OK with an umbrella (or a buy one from a thrift store)!
For the best boutique shopping in Taipei, head to Zhongshan 6 Lane 20, section 2. Literally every other shop is a clothing store or skincare shop, with fantastic fashion shops like Tonya, Motherhouse, Air Space Lady, Lab22 and Hama Boutique.
Some of the best Taipei vintage shops in this neighborhood include Damn It! Vintage (hard to spot because of all the camouflage gear and houseplants out the front), Travis Vintage and Mana.
Check out our full Zhongshan District guide >
22. National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall – temporarily closed in 2025
2025 update – National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall closed its doors in February and will reopen in 2026.
The restoration will cost NT$1.6 billion and will renovate all the inner halls as well as create a brand new reflective pool outdoors.
Opened in 1972, The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is dedicated to the former president of the Republic of China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, whose large statue can be found in the main hall.
Largely indoors, other facilities include a large library plus permanent galleries and exhibitions.
You might like – 25 unusual things to do in Taipei >
23. Pop Mart
Pop Mart Taiwan’s four storey flagship store in Ximending is one of Taipei’s top toy-stores, open rain or shine until 10pm every night – it is a great place for buying blind boxes in bad weather!
One of Ximending’s newest ‘attractions’ and a cool collectible toy shop in Taipei, Pop Mart Ximen spans four floors and even has an exhibition space, VIP lounge and recording studio (not to mention thousands of blind boxes and collectibles).
Even the Pop Mart Ximen building looks the part, with vintage movie theater vibes inside and out. From the Pop Mart range to a floor by floor overview, here is our ultimate guide to what to expect instore >
24. Try Taipei’s best beef noodles
One of Taiwan’s most famous dishes, there are many fine beef noodle soup shops in Taipei – but which are the best beef noodles?
Hidden away in a back alley of Zhongzheng District near Taipei Main Station, Liu Shandong Beef Noodles 劉山東牛肉麵 is surely a contender. It has been around since the 1950s and for our money and taste, is the best beef noodle soup in Taipei (possibly Taiwan).
These days, locals and tourists come from miles around to eat at Liu Shandong Beef Noodles and a large queue often forms outside the shop for most of the day.
Closer to Ximending, we also love Lao Shan Dong Homemade Noodles in the basement of the Wannian Building, plus the nearby Fuhong Beef Noodle Restaurant.
Read our Liu Shandong Beef Noodles guide (we guarantee it will make you hungry) >
25. 7-Eleven bars
We’ve already talked about Taipei craft beer bars but if you fancy something cheaper, did you also know some 7-Elevens in Taiwan have their own bars where you can enjoy draft beers, cocktails and wine with food bought in store?
We’ve been asked about Taipei 7-Eleven bars quite a few times in our Taiwan Travel Tips (TTT) – Facebook group, and it turns out one of the biggest in Taiwan is less than 10 minutes walk away from Gongguan Night Market (7-ELEVEN 博源門市) located – in the Gongguan / University District (NTU).
Local students congregate here for cheap beers and this boozy 7-Eleven has a huge indoor seating area and outdoor terrace that is packed at weekends with supping students. This thirsty Taipei 7-Eleven can be found here on Google maps >
Check out our guide to Taiwan 7-Eleven bars here >
26. Jianguo Jade Market and Holiday Flower Market (weekends only)
A ‘gem’ of a Taipei weekend market, Jianguo Jade Market and Holiday Flower Market (建國玉市) takes place every Saturday and Sunday in Taipei’s Da’an District.
It is located beneath an underpass so it is very dry and a great place to shelter, especially if you’ve been caught in the rain at Da’an Park.
Located beneath an overpass below one of Taipei’s busiest roads, Jianguo Jade Market and flower market is full of colour, from beautiful flowers to gorgeous jewelry like green jade necklaces.
Even if you aren’t in the market for buying jewelry, it is a top Taipei weekend market to visit as it is an all weather affair (it is covered) and always bustling with locals, many of whom are accompanied by their beloved dogs in prams!
From opening hours to different stall types, here is our guide to Jianguo Jade Market and Holiday Flower Market in Taipei >
27. Songshan Cultural and Creative Park
One of Taipei’s best cultural hubs, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Xinyi is largely indoors and chock full of cool coffee shops, craft shops and pop-up exhibitions as well as the permanent home of the Taiwan Design Museum.
A former Taipei tobacco factory transformed into one of the capital’s most liveliest lifestyle centers and cool shopping centers, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park is free to visit and a short walk from Taipei Dome, National Dr Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall and Taipei 101.
Next door, you will also find one of Taipei’s largest Eslite stores, a beautiful bookshop and stationery shop packed full of unique Taiwan souvenirs.
Here is our full guide to Songshan Cultural and Creative Park >
28. PopSmile Popcorn Tourism Factory
Pop (pop) along to Bali’s PopSmile Popcorn Tourism Factory, one of Taiwan’s most famous popcorn brands (you’ll see it in 7-Eleven and other convenience stores in Taipei).
Fun for all the family, you get to go along on a guided tour of the factory watching how popcorn is made before getting to make your own popcorn with flavors of your choosing (including kimchi and corn soup)!
Billed as Asia’s ‘first popcorn factory’, admission to PopSmile Popcorn Tourism Factory starts from NT$250 which includes a tour, DIY popcorn session plus a NT$50 voucher to spend in the shop.
Check out our guide to more things to do in Bali, Taipei >
29. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall / Changing of the Guard
Easily one of the most popular things to do in Taipei, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is free to visit with a museum on the lower levels.
The building is a national Taiwan monument and built in the memory of former President Chiang Kai-shek – the grounds are extensive but a lot is outdoors so do bring an umbrella too.
Please note that in 2025, the famous changing of the guard ceremony inside Chiang Kai-shek Memorial has now stopped and is now performed hourly outside the memorial hall from 9am to 5pm, read our Taipei changing of the guards guide >
Once you’ve explored, there are several gift stores and indoor cafes / restaurants inside to grab some food (including the vegetarian restaurant Agarwood).
Our final rainy day Taipei activity
30. Modern Toilet Restaurant
We’ve written about a lot of themed restaurants in Taiwan but Modern Toilet is certainly one of the most weird and wonderful things to do in Taipei.
The Modern Toilet themed restaurants in Taipei (in Ximending and Shilin) are so popular, they are ‘flushed’ with success and children (plus big kids like us) love the crazy menu and sitting down on a toilet at the table.
A meal at Modern Toilet is like no other, with food and drinks served in toilets. The poo shaped ice-cream (chocolate of course) presented in a squat toilet shaped plastic bowl is loved by kids and particularly memorable.
The restaurant interior is kitted out like an interior of a bathroom, with wall tiles decorated with poo shaped cartoon characters. The soup starter dish was served in toilet shaped mugs too!,
Read our guide to Taiwan’s Modern Toilet restaurant >
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