Taipei vs Taichung: Which Suits a First Taiwan Trip?

The short answer

Taipei is a city where the MRT covers most sights. You can see the National Palace Museum, the Elephant Mountain viewpoint and Shilin Night Market, then head out to Jiufen or Beitou Hot Springs. It is a good fit for a short break or a first trip to Asia.

Taichung is central Taiwan's big city, with milder weather and an easygoing mix of night markets, cafes and bubble tea. See sunset at Gaomei Wetlands, the mural-covered Rainbow Village and the curved architecture of the National Taichung Theater, and take a day trip to Sun Moon Lake.

Best for: Taipei suits travelers who want to go straight from the airport into town and fill each day with museums, viewpoints and nearby towns by MRT. Taichung suits those who want to reach wetland and lake scenery by bus or taxi, and take Fengjia Night Market and bubble tea slowly.

• Full Taipei travel guide →
• Full Taichung travel guide →
• Incheon → Taipei route info →

From the airport to the city: both start at Taoyuan

Both cities can be reached from Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). For Taipei, the purple Express train on the Airport MRT reaches Taipei Main Station in about 35-40 minutes. There is also the airport bus (about 50-70 minutes) and taxis from the official rank (about 40-60 minutes, metered). If you land at Songshan Airport (TSA), which sits in the city, the brown Wenhu Line gets you into town in about 10-20 minutes.

For Taichung, take the Airport MRT from Taoyuan International Airport to HSR Taoyuan station, then the high-speed rail to HSR Taichung station. This is how many international travelers arrive. The high-speed rail leg takes about 30-50 minutes, about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours from the airport in total. HSR Taichung station is outside the center, so you still need about 15-30 minutes by the MRT Green Line, a regular train from neighboring Xinwuri station, or bus; check the link to your hotel in advance.

Taichung International Airport (RMQ) lies northwest of the city. It is about an hour by bus or about 30-50 minutes by taxi to the center. Check official airport information for bus routes and times, and with luggage use the official taxi rank.

• Taipei Airport MRT Express: about 35-40 min to Taipei Main Station, about NT$150-160
• Taipei Songshan Airport MRT: about 10-20 min to the city, about NT$20-30
• Taichung via Airport MRT + HSR reserved seat: about 1 hour 30 min to 2 hours from the airport, about NT$550-650
• HSR Taichung station → central Taichung: about 15-30 min, about NT$20-50
• Taxi from Taichung International Airport (RMQ): about 30-50 min to the city, about NT$500-800

How many days, budget and getting around

Plan on 3 to 4 days for either. Daily budgets come out a little lower in Taichung: the mid-range figure is about NT$3,500-4,500 per day in Taipei (3-4 star hotel, restaurant meals) and about NT$3,000-4,000 per day in Taichung (city hotel, restaurant meals, some taxis). For Taichung, though, the airport transfer by Airport MRT plus HSR reserved seat is about NT$550-650, and you take the high-speed rail back to the airport on the last day too.

Food prices are similar. Night market snacks are about NT$50-100 each in both cities, and lu rou fan is about NT$40-70 a bowl. Beef noodle soup is about NT$150-300 a bowl in Taipei and about NT$150-250 in Taichung. Bubble tea is about NT$50-80 in Taipei and about NT$50-90 in Taichung, one of the cities credited with inventing it. Night markets and small eateries are often cash only, so carry Taiwan dollars.

Getting around is the biggest difference. In Taipei the MRT covers most sights, and an EasyCard works on the MRT, buses and YouBike. In Taichung buses are the main way around, and the MRT is a single line, the Green Line, from HSR Taichung station to the northern districts. Find bus routes in a map app and tap your transit card (EasyCard or iPASS) when boarding and getting off. For the wetlands and out-of-town sights, taxis or a ride-hailing app are easiest. In both cities there is no eating or drinking in MRT stations or on trains.

• Suggested length: 3 to 4 days in either city
• Budget per day: Taipei about NT$1,500-2,000 (hostel, night markets, MRT), Taichung about NT$1,300-1,800 (guesthouse, night markets, buses)
• Mid-range per day: Taipei about NT$3,500-4,500, Taichung about NT$3,000-4,000
• Upscale per day: Taipei about NT$8,000+, Taichung about NT$7,000+
• There is no tipping; some restaurants add a 10% service charge

Weather month by month, side by side

The best times are October-December and March-April for Taipei, and October-April for Taichung. In October-December and March-April, which suit both, either city works. January-February is a good time for Taichung, but Taipei is cool and damp then. Many shops close in both cities over Lunar New Year.

By the 1991–2020 normals from the Central Weather Administration (CWA), Taiwan, for Taipei station and Taichung station, the January average high is 19°C in Taipei and 22°C in Taichung, so Taichung is warmer by day. Average lows are close: 14°C in Taipei and 13°C in Taichung. In summer the gap is small, with an August average high of 34°C in Taipei and 33°C in Taichung.

The biggest difference is rainfall. Across October-December, monthly rainfall is 83-150 mm in Taipei and 24-31 mm in Taichung. In both cities, November is the driest month of the year. The wettest month of the year is June (345 mm) in Taipei and August (341 mm) in Taichung. In Taipei it is best to avoid the May-June plum rains and the July-September typhoon season; in Taichung, May-September is hot with frequent afternoon showers, and typhoons are possible from summer into autumn.

• January: Taipei high 19°C, low 14°C, rain 91 mm / Taichung high 22°C, low 13°C, rain 37 mm
• March: Taipei high 23°C, low 16°C, rain 157 mm / Taichung high 25°C, low 16°C, rain 87 mm
• April: Taipei high 26°C, low 19°C, rain 153 mm / Taichung high 28°C, low 20°C, rain 127 mm
• June: Taipei high 33°C, low 25°C, rain 345 mm / Taichung high 32°C, low 25°C, rain 329 mm
• August: Taipei high 34°C, low 26°C, rain 338 mm / Taichung high 33°C, low 25°C, rain 341 mm
• October: Taipei high 28°C, low 22°C, rain 150 mm / Taichung high 30°C, low 22°C, rain 25 mm
• December: Taipei high 21°C, low 16°C, rain 89 mm / Taichung high 24°C, low 15°C, rain 31 mm

What you do there: museums and old towns vs wetlands and a lake

Taipei has many sights on the MRT. Allow at least 2-3 hours for the National Palace Museum (closed on Mondays, with some exceptions). Elephant Mountain is a 20-30 minute stair climb to a free viewpoint facing Taipei 101. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Longshan Temple are free, and Shilin Night Market is liveliest after 6 pm. The classic day trip is releasing a sky lantern in Shifen, then heading to Jiufen in the late afternoon for its red lanterns. Jiufen is very crowded on weekends, so go on a weekday.

Some of Taichung's signature scenery is outside the center. Gaomei Wetlands, tidal flats lined with wind turbines, is famous at sunset; it is windy and access depends on the tide, so follow on-site guidance. Rainbow Village takes 30 minutes to an hour to see. The National Taichung Theater in Xitun is known for its curved architecture, and Fengjia Night Market is a big night market where new street snacks keep appearing.

The full-day trips differ too. Sun Moon Lake is about two hours from Taichung by bus, so allow a whole day for a boat ride or lakeside cycling. Sun Moon Lake buses get busy on weekends, so check the last bus back. With kids, the National Museum of Natural Science takes half a day (closed on Mondays except public holidays).

• Where to stay in Taipei: Taipei Main Station (first visit, transport hub), Ximending (shopping, value), Zhongshan (cafes, relaxed stays), Xinyi (upscale hotels, skyline)
• Where to stay in Taichung: around Taichung railway station (train travel, old town), Xitun (shopping, stylish stays; hotels cost a bit more), around Fengjia Night Market (night market, value; can be noisy late), around Yizhong Street (student area, cheap eats)

How to choose, or combine both

If you want to go straight from the airport into town and pack in museums, viewpoints and nearby towns by MRT, pick Taipei; if you want wetland and lake scenery and night markets at a slower pace, pick Taichung. In January-February, look first at Taichung, which is in its best season then and has the higher January average high.

If you want both on one trip, give yourself enough time: plan on 3 to 4 days per city. Taipei Main Station brings together the Airport MRT, high-speed rail and regional trains, while HSR Taichung station is outside the center. Check official transport information for how to travel between Taipei and Taichung, and the time and fare.

Entry rules, including visa-free stays, can change, so check official Taiwan government information before you travel. Complete the free online Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) on the official site (twac.immigration.gov.tw) within 3 days before arrival, and avoid lookalike sites that charge fees.

• Full Taipei travel guide →
• Full Taichung travel guide →

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