Anthony Bourdain’s Taipei

Your guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel at 9:00 am to start the day.

Din Tai Fung
The day begins with a meal at Din Tai Fung, the xiaolongbao institution that grew from a small Taipei shop into an international name. Behind the glass, a line of chefs folds each dumpling with meticulous consistency before steaming them to order. Service is efficient, the flavors precise, and the experience has become a modern classic of Taipei dining.

Taipei 101 with Fast Track
Once the world’s tallest building, Taipei 101 remains a symbol of the city’s blend of tradition, engineering, and design. After time in the lower-level mall, take the high-speed elevator to the 89th-floor observation deck for wide views of the city and surrounding mountains. The guided fast track access keeps time in queues to a minimum.

Beitou Hot Spring Experience at The Gaia Hotel
In the afternoon, travel to Beitou, the city’s historic hot spring district. At The Gaia Hotel, mineral-rich waters feed indoor and outdoor pools in a setting designed around quiet restoration. Variations in temperature and pH allow for a tailored soak, complemented by spa elements that draw on the natural qualities of the spring.

Shrimping Experience
As evening draws in, head to Quan Jiale, a local shrimping hall that has built a loyal following over more than two decades. Guests cast lines into indoor pools, wait for the shrimp to bite, then grill the catch on-site over charcoal. Families and groups gather at long tables, sharing freshly cooked skewers in a setting that feels distinctly local and unhurried.

Your guide will return you to your hotel at the end of the day (around 7:00 pm).

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Capella Taipei

Your guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel at 11:00 am to start the day.

Yongkang Street Food Walk
Yongkang Street has long been a proving ground for new ideas in Taiwanese food. Small eateries, dessert shops, and noodle houses line its lanes, with menus that thread together heritage recipes and contemporary touches. A walking tour here might feature beef noodle soup, crisp scallion pancakes, shaved ice, and silky tofu pudding, with stops chosen to show both well-known favorites and quieter neighborhood spots.

Drive to Keelung
The drive from Taipei to Keelung takes around 30 minutes.

Keelung Architecture & Harbor History with Yiyan Wu
At Keelung’s working harbor, WildTaiwan expert Yiyan Wu leads an exploration of the city’s layered past. Sites may include Baimiweng Fort, built in the Qing era, which overlooks the sea and hints at Keelung’s strategic role, and the former Marine Headquarters, a Japanese-period structure reflecting early-20th-century ambitions. Wartime Memorial Park ties in the story of the Qing-French War and its impact on the coastline.

Keelung Miaokou Night Market
As lights turn on over the harbor, Keelung’s Miaokou Night Market comes into full swing. Closely associated with Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Taiwan, this market is known for seafood and a numbered-stall system that makes navigation straightforward. Popular dishes include oyster omelets, gua bao, “one-bite” crab, and rice pot sticker soup, along with grilled shellfish cooked to order. The atmosphere combines the pace of a working port town with longstanding street food traditions.

Drive to Taipei
Return to Taipei in around 30 minutes.

Your guide will return you to your hotel at the end of the day (around 9:00 pm).

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Capella Taipei

Your guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel at 11:00 am to start the day.

Drive to Pinglin
The drive from Taipei to Pinglin takes around 45 minutes.

Pinglin Tea Picking & Tasting with Mr. Pai
In the hills east of Taipei, Pinglin has cultivated Baozhong tea for generations. At the workshop of Mr. Pai, a fifth-generation producer, tea from Qingxin oolong trees is crafted with close attention to fragrance and clarity. Depending on the season, visitors can join in tea picking before learning about withering, rolling, and roasting. The tasting follows an old merchant-style format once used to judge quality in the trade, set against a backdrop of terraces, bamboo groves, and small waterfalls.

Drive back to Taipei Downtown
The drive from Pinglin to central Taipei takes around 45 minutes.

Raohe Night Market
Raohe is one of Taipei’s most characterful night markets, entered through an ornate gate near Ciyou Temple. Stalls line a single main street, making it easy to explore. Signature snacks include black pepper buns baked in clay ovens, fried potato spirals, stinky tofu, and traditional sweets. The market shows how food, temple ritual, and everyday gathering all sit side by side in Taipei’s older districts.

Your guide will return you to your hotel at the end of the day (around 7:00 pm).

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Capella Taipei

Your guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel at 9:00 am to start the day.

Morning Taiji Lesson
The day opens with a taiji (tai chi) session led by a local master. Slow, deliberate movements introduce core principles of balance and breath work that have been practiced in public squares across the Chinese-speaking world for decades. Practicing against the backdrop of a landmark building in Taipei connects the tradition to the city’s present-day routine.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Next, visit Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, one of Taipei’s most recognizable sites. Its white structure, blue roof, and grand staircase recall symbolism drawn from political history and the national anthem. Inside, the main hall holds a statue of Chiang, while outside, the surrounding plaza is framed by the National Theater and Concert Hall. When timing aligns, the changing of the guards adds a formal note to the visit.

Foot Massage
In a local wellness studio, enjoy a foot massage that draws on reflexology practices popularized in Taiwan in the mid-20th century. A warm soak prepares the feet before a therapist works key pressure points believed to correspond to internal organs. The treatment is both practical — favored by office workers and travelers alike — and rooted in older medical ideas.

Dihua Street Walk
Dihua Street, once a major trading artery, now hosts a mix of restored shophouses, tea merchants, fabric stalls, and dried goods vendors. At certain times of year it becomes one of the city’s busiest places for Lunar New Year shopping; at others it maintains a steadier pace. A guided walk may include visits to long-running family shops, and conversations about efforts to balance preservation with new openings.

TCM Experience in a Heritage Warehouse
In a repurposed herb warehouse on Dihua Street, a contemporary space introduces traditional Chinese medicine through displays, tools, and hands-on elements. Shelves of roots and botanicals share space with an apothecary-style bar where herbal infusions are blended to individual preferences. The experience presents TCM as both a living practice and a link to the street’s trading past.

Your guide will return you to your hotel at the end of the day (around 5:00 pm).

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Capella Taipei

A private transfer will be arranged from Capella Taipei to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (around 1 hour, traffic dependent). Assistance is provided with luggage and check-in.

Meals included: Breakfast (depending on flight time and hotel service)