When we booked our flights from Bali to Toronto with EVA Air, we knew we had a long stopover in Taiwan. Not quite long enough to properly “do” Taipei. But definitely long enough to turn it into a mini adventure.
And honestly? Taipei completely surprised us.
We landed at Taoyuan International Airport at almost 10pm, bleary-eyed after leaving Bali, and flew out again at 7.20pm the next day.
That gave us around 21 hours in Taiwan, including a night’s sleep, breakfast, a rainy wander through the city, dumplings, doughy treats, and enough of a taste of Taipei to know we absolutely want to come back with the kids.
A stopover in Taiwan: the basics
Should you stay near Taipei airport or in the city?
For us, staying near Taipei Main Station was absolutely the right call.
There is not much near Taoyuan Airport if you want to actually explore, so instead of booking an airport hotel, we got a hotel transfer to Taipei and stayed overnight near the main train station.
This meant we could wake up already in the city, explore on foot and by MRT, then easily get back to the airport later in the day.
What is the exchange rate in Taiwan?
Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar, usually written as NT$ or TWD.
As a rough guide, NT$100 is approximately:
- AU$4.55
- US$3.14
- £2.37
- €2.75
Or, if you prefer travel maths for tired brains, NT$20 (the price of some short MRT rides) is about: AU$0.90 / US$0.63 / £0.47 / €0.55.
Obviously exchange rates move around, but this was a handy enough guide for us while we were there.
Where to store luggage in Taipei during a stopover
One of the best things about using Taipei Main Station as your base is that there are lockers everywhere.
Inside the station, you’ll find luggage lockers in different sizes, from smaller bags to larger suitcases. Prices vary depending on the locker size and location, but a large locker is often around NT$60 for three hours, with smaller lockers a little cheaper.
As we had checked-through our big luggage, we only had our plane backpacks with us. But if you’re travelling with suitcases, this is a brilliant option. Drop your luggage, go explore, then collect everything before jumping back on the Airport MRT.
Our 21-hour Taipei stopover itinerary
After arriving late, we checked into a hotel near Taipei Main Station.
It was practical. It was convenient. It was also windowless.
Which is fine when you arrive exhausted at night and only need a bed. Slightly more disorienting when you wake up in the morning with no idea whether it is 7am, midday or still the middle of the night.
When we finally emerged, Taipei greeted us with pouring rain and thick humidity. Very glamorous. Thankfully, Taiwan does convenience stores extremely well. We ducked into 7-Eleven for an easy travel breakfast of egg sandwiches and fruit, grabbed umbrellas, and carried on like responsible adults who definitely had a plan.
Our first proper stop was Heritage Bakery & Cafe, where we met my cousin and escaped the rain for a while.
Once the weather eased, we walked to 228 Peace Memorial Park.
228 Peace Memorial Park
228 Peace Memorial Park is a peaceful green space in central Taipei, but it also carries a lot of history.
The park commemorates the victims of the 228 Incident, a violent crackdown that began on 28 February 1947 and became a major moment in Taiwan’s modern history. It is a place to slow down, learn and reflect, especially if you want to understand more about Taiwan beyond the food, shopping and skyline.
For families, it is also an easy, free stop with space for kids to walk, explore and reset. Our kids loved the children’s play equipment, even in the wet.
Cost: Free
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
From there, it’s an easy walk to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, one of Taipei’s most recognisable landmarks.
It is big, dramatic and impressive, with a huge public square, grand staircases, white walls and a blue-tiled roof. The memorial was built in honour of Chiang Kai-shek, the former leader of the Republic of China, and it is one of those places where the scale alone makes the kids stop and stare.
It is also a useful stop if you want a quick introduction to Taiwan’s layered and complex political history.
Cost: Free.
Taipei 101
Catching the MRT
Next, we jumped on the Red Line MRT to Taipei 101.
The Taipei MRT was clean, easy and very simple to navigate. Short trips can cost as little as NT$20, which is around AU$0.90.
Taipei has the sort of public transport system that makes a short stopover feel achievable with kids. The self-serve machines were easy to use, the transit map is easy to follow, and the cost is very reasonable.
We did get caught out when Mr 8’s return paper ticket didn’t work in the scanner to get through the turnstiles. Dan, myself and Mr 7 had already proceeded to the other side and we weren’t sure if we could get back easily. The lovely locals tried to help him through, but in the end the understanding station staff let us through and fixed the ticketing issue. Phew!
The famous skyscraper
Taipei 101 is the city’s famous skyscraper and one of Taiwan’s most iconic landmarks. It was once the tallest building in the world and is still an incredible part of the Taipei skyline.
We didn’t go up the tower this time, partly because our stopover was short and partly because we had dumplings on the brain.But if you do want to visit the observatory, adult tickets are around NT$600, with extra charges for some higher-level experiences.
Din Tai Fung at Taipei 101
Lunch was at Din Tai Fung 101, and yes, the dumplings lived up to the hype (based on Dan’s second helping).
There is something very satisfying about eating world-famous soup dumplings in Taipei, especially when you have technically only been in the country for a handful of waking hours.
Was it the cheapest meal of the trip? No.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Doughy treats from MOO
After dumplings, we grabbed doughy treats from MOO before heading back to collect our backpacks.This is one of my favourite things about short stopovers. You don’t need to do everything. Sometimes a good bakery, one excellent meal and a few easy sights are enough to make a city stick in your memory.
Train to the airport
From Taipei Main Station, we caught the Airport MRT Express back to Taoyuan International Airport.
The Airport MRT Express takes about 35 minutes from Terminal 1 or around 39 minutes from Terminal 2 to/from Taipei Main Station.
A single adult fare is approximately NT$160. That works out to roughly: AU$7.30 / US$5.00 / £3.80 / €4.40.
Not bad for a fast, clean, easy airport connection.
We found the Airport MRT Express easy, efficient and much less stressful than trying to stay near the airport and commuting into the city to explore.
Staying near Taipei Main Station makes the whole stopover easier. You can get in from the airport quickly, sleep in the city, use station lockers, explore, then head straight back to the airport.
Would we do a Taipei stopover again?
Absolutely.
Taipei was clean, easy to navigate, friendly, affordable and packed with great food. It was a huge contrast to Bali. We had gone from Ubud jungle villas, scooters, beach clubs and tropical chaos to organised trains, convenience-store breakfasts, rainy city streets and dumplings in a skyscraper.
And somehow it worked beautifully.
Our 21-hour stopover was not enough to properly explore Taipei.
But it was more than enough to know we would happily come back.
Next time, we’d stay longer.
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