One Night in Taipei: Night Markets, Capybaras, and a Layover Worth Planning

Sometimes the best travel adventures happen when you’re supposed to be somewhere else.

When I discovered that our EVA Air itinerary would allow an overnight layover in Taipei, Taiwan, I jumped at the opportunity. Why spend hours in an airport when you can explore a new destination?

With just one night and part of the following day, Vuong, Justin, and I managed to squeeze in an impressive amount of sightseeing, street food, and a few wonderfully quirky experiences.

Getting Into Taipei

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is located outside Taipei, so don’t underestimate the time it takes to reach the city. Our Uber ride to the Grand Hyatt Taipei took approximately 45 minutes.

For travelers planning a similar stopover, the Airport MRT is another convenient option. The express train reaches Taipei Main Station in approximately 35–40 minutes, although you’ll need additional transportation to reach your hotel.

We chose the Grand Hyatt Taipei because of its convenient location near Taipei 101 and within walking distance of Linjiang Street Night Market, also known as Tonghua Night Market.

It was a great base for exploring on foot with limited time.

An Evening at Linjiang Night Market

After checking in, we headed out to explore the neighborhood. We admired Taipei 101, the city’s famous skyscraper, and passed a beautiful little temple decorated with colorful dragons, elaborate carvings, and glowing red lanterns.

Then we made our way to Linjiang Street Night Market.

Taiwan is famous for its night markets, and this one didn’t disappoint. The streets were lined with food vendors selling everything from fried chicken and steamed buns to grilled meats and elaborate desserts.

We happily sampled bao, savory meat-filled pockets, Wagyu beef skewers, and some delicious fried chicken.

Most of the aromas were wonderful.

Most.

Every now and then, I’d catch a whiff of something that reminded me distinctly of the autopsy suite.

As a pathologist, that’s not a comparison I make lightly.

I’m fairly certain the culprit was Taiwan’s famous stinky tofu, a fermented delicacy with an aroma that can be considerably more adventurous than its flavor.

I’m an adventurous eater, but I drew the line at that particular experience!

Fortunately, dessert was much more appealing. We enjoyed a huge bowl of Taiwanese mango snow ice topped with fruit, creamy sauce, and chewy sesame-filled rice balls. If you visit a Taiwanese night market, make room for shaved ice. It’s a treat worth seeking out.

One of our funniest discoveries wasn’t food-related at all.

We stumbled across entire storefronts filled with claw machines offering the most bizarre assortment of prizes imaginable. Forget stuffed animals. These machines contained laundry detergent, Doritos, toiletries, and even Trump toilet brushes.

Apparently, you can win just about anything in a Taiwanese claw machine.

Capybaras and 7-Eleven Ramen

The following morning, we took another Uber, approximately 30 minutes into the suburbs, to visit Capybara Knight.

Yes, a capybara café.

These giant, remarkably relaxed rodents have become something of an internet sensation, and visiting them was a fun way to spend part of our morning.

If you’re interested in visiting an animal café in Taiwan, check the current opening hours, reservation requirements, and animal-interaction policies before heading out. Some cafés require advance bookings or have limited visiting sessions.

We also made a stop at a nearby 7-Eleven, which turned out to be an attraction in its own right.

Convenience stores in Taiwan are far more interesting than their American counterparts, offering an impressive assortment of prepared meals, snacks, drinks, and instant noodles.

We spent a ridiculous amount of time admiring the ramen selection before choosing some very fancy golden ramen to enjoy back at the hotel.

Sometimes the little things become the best travel memories.

Tips for Planning an Overnight Layover in Taipei

If you’re flying EVA Air through Taipei, consider whether your itinerary allows enough time to leave the airport and explore.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Allow time for transportation. Taoyuan Airport is roughly 40–60 minutes from central Taipei by car, depending on traffic.
• Choose your hotel strategically. Staying near Taipei 101 puts you within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, and Linjiang Night Market.
• Visit a night market. It’s one of the easiest ways to experience Taiwanese food and local culture in just a few hours.
• Consider the Airport MRT. It’s an economical alternative to a taxi or Uber, especially during heavy traffic.
• Check entry requirements. U.S. passport holders can generally visit Taiwan visa-free for tourism for up to 90 days, subject to current entry requirements.
• Don’t overplan. With only one night, choose a neighborhood and enjoy exploring rather than spending your limited time crossing the city.

Was One Night in Taiwan Worth It?

Absolutely!

We barely scratched the surface of Taiwan, but our overnight stop gave us a wonderful introduction to Taipei. Between the night market, beautiful temple, delicious street food, bizarre claw-machine prizes, capybaras, and convenience-store ramen, we packed plenty of fun into a very short visit.

Taiwan deserves more than a layover, and I’d love to return to explore beyond Taipei.

But until then, this little adventure is proof that sometimes it’s worth choosing the longer connection.

Especially when it comes with capybaras.