Taipei gets overlooked between the giant sights of the mainland and Japan's polish, which suits the people who love it fine. It is a city where the metro runs on the dot, convenience stores are weirdly excellent, and the night markets outclass anything I have eaten elsewhere in Asia for the price. Three days is the right visit length. Here is the plan.

Day one: icons and the first night market

Taipei 101 first, but not the queue for the observation deck necessarily; the Elephant Mountain trail across the valley takes 20 minutes to climb and gives you the skyline-with-mountain photo for free. Then the National Palace Museum, which holds the imperial art collection and rotates a fraction of its 700,000 pieces; two hours is enough to see why the bronzes and the jade cabbage justify the trip. Evening at Shilin night market, the big one: oyster omelettes, scallion pancakes, and pepper buns from the stall with the permanent queue.

Day two: hot springs and old streets

Take the metro to Beitou, the hot spring district inside the city. Public baths are modestly priced and the experience, sitting in sulphur-warmed water under tropical trees, beats most spa appointments. Continue to Danshui on the coast for the riverside old street and sunset, or push further to Yehliu's alien rock formations if the weather cooperates.

Day three: Jiufen and the coast

The mountain village of Jiufen, an hour out by bus, is the postcard: teahouses stacked up a hillside, lanterns, narrow alleys, rain or mist 300 days a year, which is part of the charm. Go in the morning, eat a taro ball dessert with a view, and return via the golden waterfall and Yin Yang Sea on the coast road. Back in the city, finish at Raohe night market, which locals quietly prefer to Shilin.

Small things worth knowing

• An EasyCard pays for metro, buses and convenience stores. Buy one at any station.
• Most Western passports get 90 days visa-free.
• Rain is normal; pack a compact umbrella and enjoy the mistier photos you will get because of it.

We run guided trips that combine Taipei with the mainland's highlights in our tour list. But even solo, Taipei is the easiest city in the region to love, and the one most likely to make you extend your trip.

Originally published on 71Asia Tours blog.