How to spend an afternoon in Xinyi District
Skyscrapers, skyline views, shopping, and plenty of food options
Glitzy Xinyi District is one of the easiest parts of Taipei to spend an afternoon in, with landmarks, shopping, restaurants, and hiking all packed into a relatively small area.
If you have an afternoon to kill, we recommend heading there and wandering around Taipei 101 and its surrounding streets. There's plenty of shops to browse too, if that's your thing.
Afterwards, escape the bustling area and head up Elephant Mountain for one of the city’s best skyline views, before returning and indulging in the district's food scene.
#1: Wander near Taipei 101
Shopping around the country's most famous skyscraper
Xinyi District is Taipei at its most polished. It's packed with skyscrapers, malls, plazas, and great opportunities for people-watching.
We recommend taking the metro to Tapei City Hall MRT Station and wandering toward Taipei 101 along the pedestrianized paths between the malls.
If high-end brands are your thing, this is the place to be. Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, Breeze, ATT 4 FUN, and Taipei 101 Mall cover everything from international luxury brands to Taiwanese labels, cosmetics, electronics, and souvenirs.
The area is busy any time of day, but we recommend visiting late afternoon, as workers start spilling out and the district shifts into evening mode.
Taipei 101 is the centerpiece. You can head up to the observatory for great city views, but if you don't want to pay the NT$600 ticket price to ascend the skyscraper, there's plenty of places nearby to get good views of the building itself, including the 44 South Military Village.
Another great option, and our recommendation, is to keep walking toward Elephant Mountain, also called Xiangshan, for arguably the more impressive view — Taipei 101 itself as part of the skyline.
#2: Elephant Mountain
Hike up for one of Taipei’s best skyline views
For one of Taipei's most recognizable views, head to Elephant Mountain, also known as Xiangshan. The trailhead is around a 15-minute walk from Taipei 101, or if you really don't fancy walking for that long you could take the metro from Taipei 101 for one stop to Xiangshan MRT Station.
The start of the climb is pretty brutal, with lots of stairs. A few minutes in you will pass a place on your left that sells tea and also offers massages. We recommend passing by for now and perhaps indulging on your way down.
The climb is steep, but there's places to rest along the way, including cute Elephant-shaped benches and photo platforms.
Several viewpoints along the way look directly across Xinyi District, with Taipei 101 rising above the surrounding buildings.
Allow roughly an hour if you just want to hike up, take in the view, and come back down. Otherwise, we recommend waiting around until sunset when the skyscrapers begin lighting up.
#3: Eat
From dumplings and hot pot to high-end dining
After wandering back from Elephant Mountain, you will likely feel it's time for dinner. And there's no shortage of options.
The district has everything from Taiwanese restaurants and sushi chains to hot pot and Western-style brunch, mainly located around Taipei 101 and the surrounding malls.
Kuaichao or Sinchao Rice Shoppe are good choices for Taiwanese food, particularly if you’re eating with a group and want to order several dishes to share, but would like a slightly polished environment.
For something more famous, Din Tai Fung has a branch inside Taipei 101. The Taiwanese chain is best known for its xiaolongbao, with baskets of these steamed soup dumplings prepared in an open kitchen visible from the restaurant. Note that wait times can be long.
If you fancy hot pot, Haidilao gives you the full experience. Diners choose their soup bases, meat, vegetables, noodles, and other ingredients before cooking everything at the table, with the restaurant also known for its unusually attentive service.
At the other end of the scale, the district also has plenty of high-end dining, including steakhouses such as Smith & Wollensky and upscale Indian restaurant Saffron 46.
