Taipei was my favorite destination as a female solo traveler! It is criminally underrated, and I can't recommend it enough. I came alone for New Year's but was fortunate to meet some friendly locals and celebrated with them. I miss the night markets so much. Be sure to try the squid, quail eggs, sweet potato balls, and bubble tea!

If you're visiting Taipei, I highly recommend sparing 1-2 days to explore Beitou! It's super easy to reach Beitou via public transit. I stayed at the Golden Hot Spring Hotel and had an amazing room with a private hot spring bath, and breakfast was also included! It was a great value for a significantly more comfortable experience in comparison to public hot springs. Be sure to book in advance if you're visiting during the holidays because the hot springs hotels in Beitou fill up quickly.

I think that 4-6 days is enough to see Taipei's most important sights. 8 days was more than enough time, and I saw all of the central attractions at a comfortable pace. If I had an extra day, I would have visited Tamsui district as well.

8-Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - 0:00
- Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
- 228 Peace Park
- National Taiwan University
- Raohe Night Market - my favorite night market with a lot of variety and amazing vibes

Day 2 - 1:30
- Taipei Botanical Garden
- Longshan Temple
- Shilin Night Market - most famous night market but very touristy, a bit far from the city center
- Hanko 60 - speakeasy bar

Day 3 - 2:44
- Ximending - popular shopping district and LGBTQ hub
- Luxe Cinema
- Cinema Park
- OMNI Club

Day 4 - 4:33
- Elephant Mountain Hike
- Taipei 101
- Ningxia Night Market - my 2nd favorite night market, moderate size with great variety, central location

Day 5 - 6:08
- Jianguo Holiday Flower/Jade Market - only open on weekends
- Daan Park
- Huashan 1914 Creative Park
- Man Fu Tang
- Goodbeitao

Day 6 - 7:00
- Din Tai Fung
- National Palace Museum
- Taipei Rose Garden
- Bao'an Temple

Day 7 - 7:44
- Qixingshan Trail to reach Qixing Mountain, the highest peak in Taipei - Take the S9 bus from Beitou Park to Yangmingshan National Park Management. Be sure to bring a rain jacket because it rains spontaneously and gets significantly colder as you climb toward the peak. Try to pick a non-rainy day! At the time I went, the storm at the top wasn't visible from the base of the mountain, and hiking became quite dangerous in the heavy rain and wind gusts.
- Beitou Museum
- Beitou Hot Spring Museum

Day 8 - 9:42
- Hell Valley
- Beitou Public Library
- Shipai Night Market