15 Indoor Activities In Taipei Come Rain Or Shine

Visiting Taipei? Expect to encounter at least one rainy day during your trip. It rains 219 days a year in Taipei, making it one of Asia’s rainiest cities. If you are wondering what to do when it rains in Taipei or even for those extra humid days, this post has some indoor activities that will keep you dry and cool no matter what your interests.

We visited Taipei in September, October and November, aka the wettest months of the year! As an Irish girl, I thought I could handle the rain but Taipei humbled me; the rainfall here is on another level. Although the downpours are often a welcome relief from the humidity, they can also derail your carefully curated travel plans.

Rather than succumbing to a day cooped up in your hotel room longingly looking out to the streets below, seize the opportunity to experience some indoor activities you might have otherwise skipped out on. This list includes revitalising hot springs, afternoon tea at a jaw-dropping hotel, tea ceremonies, fun food experiences and so much more. Who knows, this rainy day derailment could uncover some unexpected highlights of your Taipei trip.

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you

What To Do In Taipei During A Typhoon

This guide is for things to do in Taipei on a rainy day, I do not advise anyone to go out during a typhoon. Trees and shop fronts fall, debris is flying around, people do get injured so I advise you to stay indoors.

Additionally, most businesses close during a typhoon, so you won’t even have anywhere to go. We experienced a large typhoon during our stay, and noticed that only 7-11 and FamilyMart remained open. I suggest visiting a grocery shop 1 – 2 days before the typhoon is due to hit to stock up on food / snacks. All you can really do is eat and binge some Netflix. Uber delivery is also not available.

Taiwan’s Typhoon season is May to November, an average of 3.7 typhoons hit Taiwan per year. The rainfall generated in these typhoons account for 60% of Taiwan’s water supply.

Why Does It Rain SO MUCH In Taipei?

I asked myself this question as I opened my umbrella for the umpteenth time during my trip to Taipei. So, did all of Taipei lie when it was 17? (hopefully at least 1 Travis fan reads this). No, well maybe, but there are a few science based answers.

Firstly, Taipei is effectively positioned within a basin, surrounded by mountains making it susceptible to heavy rainfall, especially during the plum rain season (also called mei-yu), when monsoon winds bring substantial moisture from the Taiwan Strait and Pacific Ocean. The surrounding mountain ranges compel humid air masses to ascend and cool, resulting in consistent and often intense rainfall. This, combined with Taipei’s proximity to ocean air currents, results in sustained high levels of rainfall throughout the year, particularly during the summer months.

It rains on average, 219 days per year in Taipei, that is 60% of the time. The wettest months in Taipei are June, August and September. Make sure you pack an umbrella because it is essential!

15 Indoor Activities To Do On A Rainy Day In Taipei

1. Shopping In Xinyi

Dust off that credit card and head to the Xinyi district, if you need an excuse to shop then a rainy day in Taipei is the perfect justification.

The cool thing about shopping in Xinyi is that there is a covered walkway between all the department stores, ensuring that you stay dry. All the shopping malls have excellent food courts in the basement with a variety of stalls. It can be a good place to try a mix of local food.

Xinyi has a mix of luxury and high-street brands, here is what you can expect from some of the malls in Xinyi.

The local shops I recommend checking out are NET and Life8, these are affordable clothing brands along with 三花SUN FLOWER which has high quality underwear (male).

Access the Xinyi shopping district directly from Taipei City Hall MRT station (blue line). Exit 2 connects directly to the covered walkway system.

You might also like: The Ultimate 4-Day Taipei Itinerary

2. Take A Cooking Class

Cooking classes are one of the best souvenirs you could buy yourself when abroad. It’s the gift that truly keeps giving. If you fall in love with a nation’s food, learning to make it authentically is such a flex. A lot of people I talk to while travelling tell me they a) never think to sign up or b) their jam-packed itinerary does not allow for it. It’s a great activity to have in your back pocket for a rainy day.

While it’s wet outside, learn how to make your favourite Taiwanese dishes such as xiaolongbao, bubble tea or scallion pancakes. Each cooking school offers a different menu so make sure you shop around for the dishes that suit you. Most classes run 2-3 hours and include eating your creations afterward. Prices typically range from NT$1,200-2,500 per person, and English, Japanese and Korean-language classes are available but should be booked at least a day in advance.

• CookInn: choose from Xiaolongbao, Beef Noodle, Street Food Classics or pastries in this intimate cooking class close to Zhongshan Station.
• Cooking Fun: dishes to make range from Xiaolongbao, Cold dried shredded noodles to boba tea and pineapple cake.
• BeMyGuest: class included a market tour along Dadaocheng street, each day has a different menu. Classes are intimate with up to 6 people ensuring you get the most out of the experience.

3. Grand Taipei Hotel

Grand Hotel Taipei (圓山大飯店) is one of those buildings that leave you in awe. This bright red towering Chinese manor is more on par with a palace than a hotel. Spread across 14 floors, it features 12 large columns that represent each month of the year along with striking gold roofs.

You can walk self guided around some parts of the hotel and check out their museum. The interior is just as remarkable as the exterior with ornate wooden ceilings and colourful paintings of phoenixes around the bannisters.

The downstairs restaurant Songhe Hall, has an international buffet on Saturdays and Sundays. There are so many options from pasta, curries, sushi and burgers along with a huge selection of desserts. Along with a buffet you can indulge in afternoon tea at the Garden Cafe on the ground floor. Prices start at NT$900 per person.

The hotel reportedly contains secret underground passages and bunkers designed as escape routes and shelters for government officials during the Cold War era. You can explore some of these tunnels during your visit, but you will need to join a tour. However, this tour is not currently available.

4. Relax At A Teahouse

As an Irish girl, a rainy day and a cup of piping hot, perfectly brewed tea go hand in hand. Lucky for tea lovers, Taiwan takes their tea seriously, it’s ingrained into their culture. Like in Ireland + Uk, offering guests a cup of tea is the ultimate sign of hospitality.

Taiwan’s tea culture dates back to the 19^th century when Chinese immigrants introduced their tea plants to Taiwan and was further developed during the Japanese occupation. Taiwan has the perfect conditions for tea plants with mountains, frequent mist and ideal temperatures. Taipei has many traditional teahouses for you to try their beloved beverage. It’s the ultimate cosy indoor activity for when it rains in Taipei.

Taiwan is particularly famous for their high mountain oolong teas. Alishan and Dayuling are the most popular of this kind, while the rarest and priciest is Dayuling. Other oolong teas include Oriental Beauty and Tieguanyin. Along with oolong, you can find many varieties of black tea such as ASSAM and Sun Moon Lake .

Enjoy Taiwan’s tea? Visit the tea plants at Bagua Tea Plantation, Pinglin Tea Museum and the beautiful Thousand Island Lake on this half-day tour.

You might also like: Jiufen Old Street Guide 2024

5. Cafe Hopping Zhongshan

If tea isn’t your thing then head over to Zhongshan MRT for a day of cafe hopping. Although you’ll need to brave the elements when going to and from the cafes, the area is compact enough that you won’t be outside too long.

Zhongshan is a young and trendy area with an abundance of quirky cafes and restaurants. It should be on everybody’s Taipei itinerary whether it’s wet, dry, hot or cold slightly less hot. Most of the aesthetic cafes and restaurants are located close to Zhongshan MRT, down the alleys that run across from both sides of the linear park.

These are a few cafes in Zhongshan that I recommend:

6. Underground Shopping In Zhongshan

If you have any energy left after an afternoon cafe hopping, then you can head over to the Zhongshan MRT Underground shopping centre. This underground mall is huge at 815 metres (.8 kilometres) long, it runs from Zhongshan MRT to Shuanglian MRT and is completely air conditioned.

The shops are mostly independently owned, you can find some excellent bargains from shoes, bags and jewellery to video games. Along with retail there are many bakeries, cafes and restaurants.

A cool feature of Zhongshan Underground Mall is its Book Street. This is a very long book shop, 300 metres to be exact and is split into different sections. There are also many seats to lounge in as you decide what book you would like to purchase. Of course most books are in Chinese, however there are also a few English books.

7. Songshan Creative Park

One of two creative parks in Taipei, Songshan for me has the edge over its sister Huashan Creative Park. This is down to its serene grounds, greater number of stalls and its indoor design, making it a perfect indoor activity in Taipei.

Once a former tobacco factory, it has been repurposed into a creative space with independent stalls selling handmade jewellery, clothing and crafts as well as pop up exhibitions, and cafes. You could easily spend 2 – 3 hours here browsing all the unique products, relaxing in a cafe and visiting the Taiwan Design Museum. You should probably say goodbye to your savings before you step a foot in here.

8. Relax At The Hot Springs

Next on the list is a rainy day indoor activity that will still leave you soaking. Picture this, you are bathing in thermal waters that rejuvenate your skin, promoting healing and smoothing. As steam engulfs you, your skin is glowing, feeling refreshed you look out over the lush countryside, listening to the raindrops hit the window, letting out a sigh of relief “I’m so glad I’m not outside right now”.

Taipei is close to Beitou Hot Springs, a renowned serene thermal valley chock-a-block with bathhouses. There are both indoor and outdoor pools, with varying temperatures. You can choose to use a public bath or book one to yourself for privacy. Some places will include afternoon tea in the ticket. The following are a few of my recommendations.

Beitou is easily reached by MRT, you need to take the Tamsui Line to Beitou Station, where you switch to the Xinbeitou Branch Line to Xinbeitou Station. The entire journey should take just 40 minutes.

9. Eat Your Way Around Yongkang Street

Yongkang street was one of my favourite streets in Taipei, it’s relatively small but packs plenty into its charming alleys. It was even voted Asia’s coolest street & the 4^th coolest street in the world. Although this is outdoors, most of your time will be spent indoors eating some of the finest food in Taipei.

You can find an excellent range of food options from traditional Taiwanese restaurants to trendy dessert restaurants and cafes, there are so many delicious places to eat. I wrote a detailed guide on Yongkang Street here, but here are a few recommendations:

Along with food there are also many nice boutiques for you to pick up a souvenir (maybe an umbrella).

Don’t know where to start? This Yongkang Food Tour is local-led, taking you to all the best food spots while sharing the history of Taiwanese food.

10. National Palace Museum

Normally I groan at the thought of museums, I prefer to learn about cultures in a more hands on way, but the National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院) is a good one. On display here is one of the world’s largest collections of Chinese art and artefacts, dating back 8,000 years of Chinese history. An estimated 600,000 artefacts were moved from China to Taiwan between 1948-1949 when the Chinese Civil War intensified.

Personally, I love jewellery, especially those made from gemstones, the rings are breathtaking. I may not be able to afford much of my own but taking a peak at some of the world’s most incredible pieces is a nice consolation. The Jadeite Cabbage (a piece of jade carved to resemble a Chinese cabbage) and the Meat-shaped Stone (a piece of jasper carved to look like dongpo pork) were noth highlights from the museum, these pieces showcase the Chinese artistic tradition of finding beauty in seemingly ordinary objects.

The museum building itself is also must see, with its green tiled roofs and stately Chinese palace design, a fitting home for such a remarkable collection.

There is a nice, albeit fancy, cafe on the to floor that do nice coffee and pastries for breakfast. We ordered the selection of pineapple cakes which came with handmade diamond sweets.

11. National Taiwan Museum Railway Department Park

Any train enthusiasts seeking shelter, look no further than the National Taiwan Museum Railway Department Park (國立臺灣博物館鐵道部園區) – it rolls right off the tongue doesn’t it? Not just for train hobbyists but it’s also a great kid friendly thing to do in Taipei.

Spread across 2 floors the museum showcases Taiwans railway development during the Japanese colonial period. The coolest part of the museum is undoubtably the miniature train town.

12. Don Quijote (Donki)

Awaken / overload your senses at one of Japan’s most beloved shops. If you’ve visited Japan you know that Don Quijote (also called Donki) is an institution. It’s a chaotic, gigantic department store overflowing with amazing (ok mostly amazing) Japanese products from cosmetics and snacks to household goods, clothing and fresh food. Whether you’ve forgotten something or would like to purchase a souvenir, Donki is the place to go.

Located in Ximen, Taipei has its very own with all the best products you would find in the Donki’s across Japan. Shop to the infamous “Don Don Donki..” jingle that will be stuck in your head for days to come. Whenever I leave Donki it feels like a fever dream, a shop like no other that is always fun to browse but especially on a rainy day.

Pure Premium Sparkling Strawberry Jellies, Bake Creamy Cheese Cake Bars, Dasses Biscuit Thins are my go to snacks.

You might also like: 31 Best Things To Do In Osaka

13. Go To A Hotpot Restaurant

Escape the rain, enter the comforting doors of a hotpot restaurants. Sitting around a bubbling hotpot is such an underrated way to spend a rainy day in Taipei. Hotpot restaurants are everywhere in Taiwan, from the spicy mala and Japanese influenced shabu-shabu to the stinky tofu hotpot, you’ll be busy trying all the varieties.

Hotpots are deeply embedded into Taiwan’s culture, they are much more than a meal, they are a place to gather and socialise. It’s more than just going out for a meal, with diners cooking their own hotpot at the table, adjusting each element to their personal tastes. Most hotpots are split into 2 sections, with two separate broths, which works particularly well when you have a spicy broth.

What goes into a hotpot is totally up to you, choose from thinly sliced cuts of meat, seafood, tofu and vegetables along with noodles and dumplings. For the amount of food you get, the value is excellent. Many places will even include an ice-cream buffet for dessert.

If you’re new to hotpots All you can eat buffets are an excellent place to start. You go up to the counter as much as you like choosing your hotpot ingredients and side dishes.

Delectable Hot Pot Lab is a fun and affordable option, especially for first timers. The restaurant is designed as a laboratory where it appears as though each table is conducting their own chemistry tests. Unlimited drinks and sauces are included. Pro tip: try the milk broth, it’s delicious.

14. Drown Your Sorrows

Oh look, my Irish roots are poking through again, but in fairness you may as well drown your rainy day blues inside a warm bar sampling the local drinking culture. That’s right, it’s a cultural activity. A fun area to try a cocktail or two is Ximen. It’s an LGBTQ+ friendly area with lots of bars concentrated into a small area.

Aside from Ximen, Zhongxiao E Rd and Zhongshan are also good areas for trendy and lively bars.

If you’re solo travelling or just want to join a bigger group, this 3-hour pub crawl around Taipei is such a laugh and a fun way to meet other travellers.

You might also like: 1 Day Itinerary Haeundae

15. Explore The Sunnier South

Failing all the other 14 things to do indoors in Taipei, your final option is to use the rain as an excuse to leave the city and explore drier parts of the country. The high-speed rail network makes day trips or overnight excursions remarkably convenient, whisking you to these destinations in just 1-2 hours. The south of Taiwan experiences less rain, than Taipei.

Tip: High-speed rail tickets from Taipei to Taichung start around NT$700 (one-way) with a journey time of just 1 hour. Kaohsiung is approximately 1.5 hours and NT$1,500. Consider booking tickets a day in advance during peak travel periods or when typhoons disrupt service.

I hope you found something to keep you entertained in this list of 15 things to do in Taipei when it rains. Keep scrolling for FAQ’s and related blog posts.

Rainy Day In Taipei FAQ

Related Posts