Travel tips · Taipei · Taiwan
Taipei travel tips: what to know before you go
The etiquette, money and practical details that make the first day easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 毛貓大少爺, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Taipei's culture blends Hokkien and Hakka traditions, Indigenous heritage, 50 years of Japanese rule (1895–1945) and the arrival of people from mainland China after 1949. Temples are active community centres, festivals follow the lunar calendar, and daily life is orderly, courteous and built around food.
Key facts
- Language
- Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkien
- Currency
- TWD
- Plugs
- Type A and B sockets, 110 V, 60 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is treated, but most residents boil or filter it; use the drinking…
- Emergency
- 110 police, 119 fire and ambulance
Things to know
- Do not eat, drink or chew gum in MRT stations' paid areas or on trains; fines apply.
- Leave the dark-blue priority seats on the MRT for elderly, pregnant and disabled passengers.
- Queue in the marked lines on MRT platforms and let passengers off before boarding.
- At temples, enter through the right-hand door and leave by the left, and avoid stepping on the raised threshold.
- Do not stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice.
- Hand over and receive money, cards and gifts with both hands.
- Night markets and small diners serve full meals for a few dollars.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected in Taiwan. Many restaurants and hotels add a 10% service charge; elsewhere, simply pay the bill.
Language
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| Xièxie | Thank you |
| Duōshǎo qián? | How much is it? |
| Bú yào là | Not spicy, please |
| Mǎidān | The bill, please |
| Wǒ chī sù | I am vegetarian |
What to wear
Light clothing for the humid summer, a light jacket and umbrella for winter drizzle, and shoes with grip for mountain trails. Dress is casual everywhere except upscale restaurants.
Practical details
- Plugs and voltage
- Type A and B sockets, 110 V, 60 Hz
- Drinking water
- Tap water is treated, but most residents boil or filter it; use the drinking fountains in MRT stations or bottled water.
- Emergency number
- 110 police, 119 fire and ambulance
- Phone and internet
- Prepaid SIMs and eSIMs are sold at Taoyuan Airport, and the city's free public Wi-Fi covers many stations and public buildings.
- Time zone
- Asia/Taipei
Taipei has low levels of street crime. The main risks are natural: typhoons from about July to September, earthquakes and summer heat. Follow official alerts sent to phones, take care crossing roads as scooters turn into crossings, and watch your footing on wet mountain trails.
Entry requirements
Visa and passport rules depend on your nationality and change often. Check Taiwan's official government guidance and your own government's travel advice before booking.
Plan the trip
Questions travellers ask
+Do you tip in Taipei?
Tipping is not expected in Taiwan. Many restaurants and hotels add a 10% service charge; elsewhere, simply pay the bill.
+Can you drink the tap water in Taipei?
Tap water is treated, but most residents boil or filter it; use the drinking fountains in MRT stations or bottled water.
+What plugs are used in Taipei?
Type A and B sockets, 110 V, 60 Hz
+What language is spoken in Taipei?
Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkien.