While planning for our Taiwan trip, the most suggested thing to do is to go to a Night Market. Since we visited the capital city, Taipei, we definitely took advantage of our nights and visited the night markets; It was food heaven! There were night markets all over Taipei alone, at least 30 markets. We narrowed it down to the closest one from our hotel and the popular spots.

Tips for Visiting a Taipei Night Market

Bring cash. Most likely, the vendors only accept cash and finding an ATM or a bank open at night is not common.
Wear comfy shoes and light clothing. With lots of people, it tends to get hot. Especially, when vendors are cooking hot food. Also, you’ll be walking all night and there’s usually no seats around – Yes, walking and eating simultaneously are normal here.
Use the restroom prior. Most night markets do not have any restrooms.
Do not haggle. When it comes to food, the prices are set in Taiwan. Unless it’s other material items, some vendors are willing to lower their price!
Go as early as you can. By going as soon as they open or at least an hour after, you’ll beat the crowds which usually starts around 8pm.

5 Best Taipei Night Markets

1. Shilin Night Market

Time: 3:30pm-1am
Address: No. 101, Jihe Road, Shilin District, Taipei City 111
If anyone asks about a night market in Taipei, Shilin will come to mind for many! Reason being is that it’s the largest and most famous night market. It’s been around for over 100 years and now have over 500 vendors. Lots of great shopping and plenty of amazing local Taiwanese food. With it being so known, it gets very crowded but still easy to navigate around. If you’re not there for the food or shopping, Shilin is a popular spot for its nightlife. You can’t miss this place during your visit to Taipei!

2. Ningxia Night Market

Time: 5:30pm-12am
Address: Ningxia Road, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103
Many people enjoy this night market more than others because it has more locals (less tourist) and straight to the point. Straight to the point because it’s divided into two parts, north and south which makes it easier to navigate. The northern part of the market is dedicated to food, while the southern part has games and shops.

3. Raohe Night Market

Time: 4pm-12am
Address: Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105
Older than Shilin night market but not quite as popular with visitors. Food is the main attraction here – more food stalls than shopping. Some have sit-down food places which I liked! There are also carnival games with prizes which makes it a lot more fun!

4. Ximending Night Market

Time: 11am-11pm
Address: No. 127, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
Ximending is a mix of a shopping district and night market. Shops are open from 11am but most of the food vendors are not open until late afternoon. This place is similar to Harajuku (Japan) or Greenhills (Philippines) in Taipei. It’s a food and shopping haven filled with younger crowds. If you’re looking for more branded shopping options from department stores to shops, this is definitely the place to be! There are even karaoke, salons, massage spa along the district. After walking for a few hours, we treated ourselves to a foot spa! We were able to visit this night market twice since our hotel was within walking distance. It’s such a fun experience when you’re able to walk to a night market!

5. Tonghua (Linjiang Street) Night Market

Time: 6pm-12pm
Address: Alley 1, Lane 40, Linjiang Street, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
The closest night market to Taipei 101. There’s not a lot of shopping to be done at this location but definitely a ton of spectacular, traditional food! Many locals say that the food here is most authentic.

After visiting a few night markets during our trip to Taipei, we had our fair share of Taiwanese food. We tasted a lot of different delicacies, our favorite: Black Pepper Buns, Fresh Watermelon Juice, Oyster Vermicelli, Gua Bao, Ice Cream Runbing, Fish Balls, Pineapple Cake, Tiger Sugar Bubble Tea, Mochi, and Takoyaki. We tried other Taiwanese food items but not everything made it to our favorite list. When you visit a night market in Taiwan, maybe you’ll be a more adventurous foodie!