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Taiwan is a food and shopping paradise. For our recent trip to Taipei, we stayed in the Da’an district for five days. Situated in the southern part of downtown Taipei, the Da’an district is close to popular places such as Yong Kang Street, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and Shida Night Market. In addition, there are two subway stations nearby – Dong Men (red line) and Guting (green line).
5D4N Itinerary
Because this wasn’t our first time visiting Taipei, we bypassed the usual exhausting tourist traps to focus on what truly matters: incredible food, accessible exploration, and quality family time. Traveling with seniors and managing a wheelchair comes with its own unique set of logistical challenges, so our pace was slow, intentional, and filled with plenty of rest stops.
Whether you are looking for a relaxed 5D4N Taipei itinerary or seeking practical, real-world advice on how to navigate Taipei’s bustling night markets and historic streets with an elderly family member, this guide has you covered. Here is exactly how we spent our five days shopping, eating, and rolling through Taipei!
Here is a summary of our itinerary and the places we visited during our stay in Taipei:
| Day 1 | – Arrived at Taoyuan International Airport – Checked into our accommodation – Explore the Da’an district neighborhood – Picked up a wheelchair from a local shop – Bought some snacks – Dinner at Chi Chia Chuang |
| Day 2 | – Tamsui Old Street – Had lunch at Kitchen Master – Shida Night Market |
| Day 3 | – Di Hua Street – Yong Kang Street – Visit a family friend – Dinner at G-Woo Restaurant |
| Day 4 | – Lungshan Temple – Carrefour Guilin Store – Return wheelchair – Pack luggage |
| Day 5 | – Checked out – Head to the Airport |
Day 1
I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport before my family did. They booked a private airport transfer, so I decided to go to the city by myself.
Taoyuan Airport MRT
I bought an MRT ticket from Klook, which is slightly cheaper than buying from the counter. The package included a shopping coupon (free pineapple cake or sun cake) which can be redeemed at the Red Sakura Tamsui or Ximen branch.
Taoyuan MRT has two types of trains: commuter and express trains. The commuter train stops at every station, while the express train only stops at selected stations. The train to the city takes around 35 minutes to 50 minutes.
If you are skipping Taipei entirely on arrival and heading straight down south instead, the airport MRT also connects directly to the HSR (High-Speed Rail) station, making it incredibly easy to kick off a Kaohsiung Travel Itinerary or head down to explore the oldest city, Tainan. You can purchase the HSR tickets online too!
Private Airport Transfer
On the other hand, my family booked a private airport transfer from Klook. The booking was made at least 2 days before the flight. Booking a private airport transfer is more convenient when traveling with elders and kids.
Daylight Brunch Cafe
While waiting for my family to arrive, I stayed at Daylight Brunch Cafe. This cafe is located near the residential area of the Da’an district. It has a relaxing ambiance and serves Western cuisine. The pasta and all-day breakfast set meals look really good; however, I am not hungry at that time, so I just ordered an apple pie and a matcha latte.
Wheelchair Rental
After we settled in, we went to pick up the wheelchair that we rented from a wheelchair rental company. Although there was some misunderstanding, we were glad that it was resolved quickly.
On the way back, there was a shop selling wheel cakes nearby. So we bought different flavors of wheel cakes (filled with red beans, custard, and radish) as snacks.
We took a little break and went for a walk around the neighborhood. After that, we went to Chi Chia Chuang for dinner.
Dinner at Chi Chia Chuang (雞家莊)
Chi Chia Chuang is a long-established restaurant that has been in business for over 40 years and is listed in the Michelin Guide. It is a restaurant that specializes in chicken and provides traditional Taiwanese food.
Address: 55 Changchun Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei, 104, Taiwan
Day 2
Tamsui Old Street
The next day, we went to Tamsui. Due to the poor weather, we only went to Tamsui Old Street. Many well-known street foods, including iron eggs, castella cakes, jumbo ice cream, and fried fish crackers, can be found here. I also took my chance to redeem my free pineapple cake from the Red Sakura Tamsui Branch. Aside from food, many souvenir shops sell keychains and local goodies.
Kitchen Master (南北潮)
There were so many tourists in the area that we could not find a place to have lunch. Finally, we discovered a Chinese restaurant along Zhongzheng Road that serves dim sum, classic pork dumplings, beef noodles, pork wraps, and other dishes. Because we were so starving, we placed many orders from their menu. Lastly, for our dessert, we ordered a Cinnamon Apple Soup dumpling because we were interested in trying it. It tastes like apple pie but is wrapped in a soup dumpling.
Address: 251, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Tamsui District, Zhongzheng Rd, 34號
Mister Donut
Before we returned, we purchased Mister Donut outside Tamsui MRT station. We were still full from our lunch but definitely couldn’t pass up the current sale of “buy six, get three free”.
Shida Night Market
On the way back to our hotel, it started to rain. It was raining cats and dogs in the afternoon, so we decided to take a rest and wait for the rain to stop. Due to unstable weather, we decided to buy takeaways from Shida Night Market and eat at our hotel instead. Shida Night Market is a small night market close to our area. Both sides of the street have shops that sell various things such as clothes, mobile device accessories, stationery, and food. Unfortunately, some of the shops and food stalls were closed when we arrived. So, we only ordered from 3 food stalls – Lantern soy sauce braised food, Shi Yun, and Hsu Ji Pan Fried Bun.
Shi Yun (師園)
We ordered a variety of fried foods at Shi Yun, including their renowned fried chicken, squid, onion rings, sweet potato fries, taro balls, and some grilled vegetables.
Address: No. 14, Lane 39, Shida Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Lantern Soy Sauce Braised Food (燈籠滷味)
At the street corner is a food stall serving braised food with lantern soy sauce. Everyone receives a basket and chooses their raw food ingredients. After that, it is boiled in a broth that contains soy sauce and various spice seasonings.
Address: No. 43, Shida Rd, Da’an District, , Taipei City, Taiwan
Hsu Ji Sheng Jiang Bao (許記生煎包)
Last but not least, the pan-fried pork buns from Hsu Ji. We had to wait a while because the person in front of us purchased every last one of the freshly made pork buns.
Address: No. 12, Lane 39, Shida Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Day 3
Dihua Street
This is my first time going to Dihua Street. Dihua Street is a historic street in Datong District. The original architectural style was still present in the buildings in this neighborhood. It offers a wide range of products, including Chinese herbal medicines, tea, fabrics, and home goods. It is an excellent location to buy gifts and souvenirs for your loved ones.
Lins Wagashi Confectionery (滋養豆餡舖)
A unique-looking building caught our attention while we were waiting to cross the street. It is a shop founded in 1945 that sells Japanese confections, cakes, and Taiwanese pineapple cakes. In addition, they also have gift boxes for different occasions.
Because most of their products are handmade and no preservatives are added, you should check the best-before date on the packaging before purchasing. For instance, the Dorayaki that we bought is best consumed within five days. Surprisingly, we found out that the shop only accepts credit cards as payment.
Address: No. 247, Section 1, Dihua St, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Yong Kang Street
Yong Kang Street is a bustling street in the Da’an district. It has numerous dining establishments, cafes, and food stalls. In case you are craving something sweet, there are bubble tea, and mango shaved ice shops nearby too. The street also has shops selling Taiwanese tea and pastries such as pineapple cakes. I enjoyed taking a stroll and exploring the local handcrafted goods and small stores. It is a great place to buy presents for family and friends.
We occasionally had to step out onto the street because of how packed both sides of the street were. It is not advised to bring a wheelchair as it would be very challenging to maneuver the road. Due to the large number of people and vehicles on the street, the corner of the street might occasionally be a blind spot. While we were waiting for our drinks, we witnessed someone get hit by a car.
The rest of our afternoon is spent visiting a family friend. After that, we had dinner at G-Woo Restaurant.
Dinner at G-Woo Restaurant (雞鍋餐廳)
G-woo restaurant is known for its casserole chicken soup. Because the restaurant is quite small, it is recommended to make a reservation first. We ordered pork ribs with orange sauce, dried tofu with fried pork, onion pancakes, chicken casseroles with tofu and cabbage, fried rice, and vegetables.
The waitress is very nice, she informed us that the cabbage and tofu chicken soup is a little bland in comparison to chicken soup. Because it is our first time here, she advised ordering the chicken soup first so we could try it before adding cabbage and tofu as add-ons. The chicken is very tender, and the soup is incredibly rich. They refilled the broth after the initial serving of chicken soup and then added the cabbage and tofu. We couldn’t finish everything. In the end, we had to take home the leftovers.
Address: 110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District, 和平東路三段377號
Day 4
Lungshan Temple
Lungshan Temple is a famous temple in Wanhua District, Taipei. While most temples are dedicated to only one religion, Lungshan Temple hosts more than 100 Gods and accommodates different religions such as Buddhist, Taoist, and other local religions. Because of this reason, many worshippers come to this temple. One of the popular Gods among visitors is Yue Lao, the God of Love and Marriage. Aside from locals, tourists also come here to pray for good health, good fortune, and marriage.
Carrefour Guilin Store
Because the Carrefour Guilin store is just a few minutes away, we decided to go shopping after visiting Lungshan Temple. It is the largest Carrefour supermarket in Taipei that operates 24 hours. Although it is smaller than Thailand’s Big C supermarket, it is still big enough for us to spend a few hours inside. Aside from groceries, you can find electronics, household items, luggage, and famous Taiwan delicacies. In addition, tourists who make purchases over NT$2000 may request a tax refund at 6/F.
Address: Carrefour Guilin Store, No. 1, Guilin Rd, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
Da Lai Xiao Guan (大來小館)
For our last dinner in Taipei, we went to the Da Lai Xiao Guan, a restaurant that serves traditional Taiwanese cuisine. We only ordered Taiwanese fried noodles, three-cup chicken, and fried pork with vegetables.
Address: No. 140, Jinhua St, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106
Wheelchair Experience in Taipei
To summarize, we had a fantastic time in Taipei. This is our first time renting a wheelchair in Taipei. Using a wheelchair in Taipei is often manageable. But, I would not recommend taking a wheelchair to busy areas like Tamsui and Yong Kang Street. Dihua Street is fine because we went there on a weekday morning, although there are steep slopes and we must occasionally go out onto the street.
All of the locals we met were courteous and considerate. Most of them will assist us and give way if they see us with a wheelchair. The majority of subway stations have elevators, and streets have moderately sloped ramps for convenient navigation.
Plan the Rest of Your Taiwan Adventure
Looking to explore beyond Taipei? Check out my other city guides to plan the perfect cross-country trip:
The Best Things to Do in Kaohsiung – Historic piers, massive art centers, and stunning harbor views.
Tainan Travel Guide – A deep dive into Taiwan’s oldest city and its legendary street food culture.
Taipei Travel Resources & Discounts
Planning your own Taipei adventure? To help you save a bit of coin on your itinerary, here are the exact booking platforms and resources we used to keep our family trip smooth and budget-friendly:
- Taipei 101 Observatory: We didn’t manage to fit Taipei 101 into our schedule this time around, but if you want to catch those panoramic views from the 89th and 101st floors, you can grab discounted Taipei 101 Tickets via Klook.
- Transit & Transfers: Don’t forget to secure your Taoyuan Airport MRT Tickets or book a hassle-free Private Airport Transfer ahead of time, especially if you are traveling with seniors or heavy luggage!
Where to Next?
If you are looking to extend your vacation, Hong Kong is just a short two-hour flight away from Taipei! It makes for an incredible multi-destination trip. Check out my comprehensive, insider Hong Kong Guide to start planning your next stop.
Klook.com
