The Best Places to Go Shopping in Taipei (By Category!)

Welcome, shopaholics, to my Taipei shopping guide!

I’ve spent a quarter of my life in the Taiwanese capital, including getting married and raising my kids there. And during that time, I have, rather reluctantly, had to do some shopping and even visit some (gasp!) department stores.

Even though shopping isn’t my favorite thing, I’m familiar with the best local shopping spots, thanks in part to my wife and members of my Taiwan Travel Planning group sharing their favorites.

So, I’ve put together this little guide to help you find the absolute best spots to spend your money, categorized based on what you want to spend it on! For online shopping, see my recommended apps here.

Clothing

If you’re looking for cheap clothing, go directly to Wufenpu Shopping District here near Songshan MRT station and Raohe Night Market.

This large collection of hole-in-the-wall shops is the closest thing in Taipei to the cheap clothing markets on Southeast Asia. In it you can also find cheap sunglasses, accessories, and children’s clothing (for the latter, try the south side of the market facing Yongji Road (永吉路).

Wufenpu is open in the afternoon and evening.

For fashionable clothing that isn’t crazy expensive, there are many cheap and mid-range clothing and accessory boutiques in Ximending Shopping District, Yongkang Street area, Shida Night Market area, and Gongguan Night Market area.

You’ll also find clothing shops in major night markets like Shilin Night Market, Raohe Night Market, and Tonghua Night Market, but these tend to be on the cheaper and lower quality side.

There are also tons of such boutiques in the small lanes north and south of Zhongxiao East Road (between Zhongxiao Fuxing, Zhongxiao Dunhua, and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall MRT stations).

For local brand clothing stores, NET is the Taiwanese equivalent of GAP (the logo even looks the same), while Japanese chains like GU and UNIQLO are common in Taipei.

For higher end and luxury boutiques, you’ll find them concentrated along Zhongxiao East Road (between the same MRT stations I mentioned above), around Taipei 101, and in department stores (see next section) across the city.

For traditional Taiwanese clothing like qipao, read here to find them.

Department Stores

Department stores in Taipei focus on higher end (i.e. more expensive) products.

In Taipei 101 Shopping Mall (floors B1 to 5, connected to Taipei 101), you can major international brands like Apple, Adidas, Sony, North Face, Lululemon, Swatch, Rolex, Armani, Zara, Chanel, Dior, Boss, Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Gucci, just to name a few.

From Taipei 101 Shopping Mall, you can a pedestrian overpass to Breeze Nanshan, another department store which is in the city’s second tallest building.

From there, you can continue on to two more giant malls, Att4Fun and Shinkong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi, which is made up of multiple connected buildings, and finally Breeze Xinyi near Taipei City Hall MRT.

In other words, the area around Taipei 101 is pretty much a collection of giant interconnected malls!

Elsewhere in the city, Sogo is a department store with three locations at Zhongxiao Fuxing and Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT stations, focusing more on Asian brands.

There’s another Shinkong Mitsukoshi at Zhongshan Station and Q Square Mall just north of Taipei Main Station.

Up in Tianmu, which is a little out of the way for travelers but many expats live there, there’s Dayeh Takashimaya Taipei Tianmu and another Shin Kong Mitsukoshi.

Last but not least, Miramar shopping center is known for its giant Ferris wheel on top and Imax theater (the only such mall that has one).

In most of the above malls, there are excellent food courts at B1.

For cheaper outlet malls, you’ll need to leave Taipei city and head to Gloria Outlets in Taoyuan (next to Taoyuan HSR, Airport MRT, and Xpark Aquarium) or Mitsui Outlet Park in Linkou district of New Taipei City.

Consider to visit these on the way from Taipei to Taoyuan Airport.

Souvenirs

One of the best areas to find all kinds of souvenirs is Ximending Shopping District.

Besides the dozens of shops selling all kinds of souvenirs, snacks, and clothing there, don’t miss Don Don Donki (here), the Taiwanese extension of the famous Don Quijote souvenir shop from Japan.

It has multiple floors of Japanese import items, from snacks and clothing to cosmetics and even s*x toys.

For cheap souvenirs like magnets and Taiwan t-shirts, you can also find these in Taipei City Mall (AKA Y Mall), one of the underground malls below Taipei Main Station. It runs below Civic Boulevard on the north side of the train station.

Other malls below the station, including K Mall and Z Mall, are a good place to pick up cheap travel necessities like umbrellas or luggage. Here’s a map of the underground malls below Taipei Main Station.

One of the best Taiwan souvenir shops I’ve found is Lai Hao on Yongkang Street. The store has items like Taiwanese teas, magnets, shot glasses, shopping bags, artisanal chocolates, and more.

There are also many fun and unique souvenirs available at the gift shops in National Palace Museum, Taipei 101 Observatory, and Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.

So what are the best souvenirs to buy? Read my guide to souvenir shopping in Taiwan, where you find some unexpected ideas.

Snack Souvenirs

Snack souvenirs are so popular among visitors to Taiwan that they get their own category here.

Pineapple cakes are the most famous snack souvenir from Taiwan. It’s worth visiting one of the most famous pineapple cake bakeries in Taipei to pick up some high-quality ones. Click to the link to see which ones I think are best, based on a tasting experiment that I did.

You can even make your own in this pineapple cake DIY experience (Klook / KKday). Read about our experience doing it here.

Besides pineapple cakes, these bakeries also sell a variety of other packaged snacks. See my Taiwan snack souvenir guide to learn about the different kinds on offer.

If you have to choose just one, ChiaTe is the most famous but the line there takes up to one hour. You can skip the line and order them to your hotel or the airport for pickup here.

SunnyHills is the best for those who prefer real pineapple (which is more tart and less sweet).

But perhaps my top recommendation is LeeChi, which is centrally located, doesn’t have lines, and its pineapple cakes (and other packaged snacks) are just as good at ChiaTe.

You can also find ChiaTe (but only their regular pineapple cakes) and many cheaper/lower quality packaged snacks at Carrefour or other major grocery stores.

Shops in Ximending and major night markets also sell various packaged snacks, but these tend to be lower quality and brands you’ve never heard of.

On the ground floor of Taipei Main Station (the train station building), there are multiple shops selling high quality snacks. Try Kuo Yuan Ye (郭元益) for pineapple cakes.

Taoyuan International Airport sells high quality pineapple cakes and other packaged snacks, but they will be more expensive than in the city.

Tealeaves and Teaware

Tea is one of my personal favorite things to buy in Taipei. Taiwan makes some of the best oolong teas in the world, and due to low production volume, they are very hard to find outside of Taiwan.

One of my go-to places to buy tealeaves in Taipei is Lin Mao Sen. They sell tea in bulk, so the packages aren’t fancy, but the quality is good. They speak English and take credit card. It’s near Dihua Street and Daqiaotou MRT.

For tea that comes in a nicer package for gifting, I recommend Jing Sheng Yu (京盛宇) on Yongkang Street. They’ll let you taste many teas and have a variety of nice sets.

I introduce several more teashops in my guide to buying tea in Taipei.

If you’re going beyond Taipei, it’s nice to buy tea directly from the areas it is produced.

Buy tieguanyin and baozhong tea at Maokong (accessed by Maokong Gondola), baozhong tea in Pinglin (which also has the Pinglin Tea Museum, see my Pinglin guide), or Alishan High Mountain Tea in Shizhuo (see my Shizhuo guide).

To buy nice tea sets including tea pots and tea cups, there are a a few ceramics shops on Yongkang Street and Dihua Street.

But for the absolute best selection, go to Yingge Ceramics Street – it’s a 30-minute train ride from Taipei Main Station. There’s also an excellent ceramics museum there.

Toys and Children’s Products

The best toy store I’ve found in Taipei is FunBox on 5F of Shinkong Mitsukoshi Department Store (building A8) near Taipei 101. Besides toys, it has a slime making station (see my Taipei DIY activities guide) and small indoor playcenter.

One floor below it, Donguri Republic is a store with all kinds of Totoro and Ghibli products for sale.

Nearby, on 3F of building A11, is the new Pokemon Center Taipei (here), which has all kinds of Pokemon stuffies and toys. Building A13 also has a LEGO store (here).

If you’re into Sanrio & Hello Kitty, there are several Sanrio gift gates in the city. The Sanrio and Hello Kitty-themed 7-Elevens (here) and (here) also sell Sanrio products.

You can also find a Sanrio store and duty free LEGO store at Taoyuan International Airport. Click here for the location.

There’s also a Toys R Us (here) in Taipei, but it’s nowhere near as big as the ones in my country (Canada).

Our kids found some really cute toys and souvenir stuffies at the gift shop in Xpark Aquarium in Taoyuan.

The Bugcat Capoo House (咖波屋, featuring a a local cartoon character) in Taichung. The Bugcat Capoo-themed 7-Eleven here in Taipei also has some.

For children’s clothing, you can find cheap ones in Wufenpu or expensive ones in department stores.

If you need baby products like diapers, baby formula, stroller, etc., then try the local chain Kodomo (卡多摩嬰童館) or just copy-paste 兒童品 into GoogleMaps to find many others.

Electronics

The best place for all kinds of electronic products in Taipei is the enormous Guanghua Digital Plaza and adjacent Syntrend. Tech nerds will enjoy exploring the latter, even if you don’t plan to buy anything (also see the next section below).

Heads up that electronics in Taiwan aren’t necessarily cheaper than your home country. I find they are often the same price or more expensive than the same products in my country. Also, may shops will charge an additional fee if you want to pay with credit card.

For camera products, head to Camera Street here near Beimen and Taipei Main Station. There are well over a dozen camera shops there. The same thing goes as above about prices and credit cards.

Otaku Products

Otaku (the Japanese word for people who are obsessed with computers, tech, and nerdy pop culture) products are widely available in Taipei.

Taipei City Mall (Y Mall) below Taipei Main Station and Civic Boulevard is over a dozen shops specializing in video games, character figurines, posters, and the like.

In Ximending, Taipei Animate Store here has it all – manga, anime, toys, video games, and other otaku products. Watch for the staircase going down from the street and the Animate Café a few steps away from it.

Also in Ximending, Wan Nian Building is a whole building of otaku product shops. While there, don’t miss the Michelin rated beef noodles at Lao Shandong at B1.

And one more in Ximending is POP Mart, which specializes at figurines and blind boxes. It’s right in the heart of the pedestrian shopping district.

For K Pop posters and products, head to Idol King nearby.

Special Markets

Nanmen Market near CKS Memorial Hall is one of the best traditional daytime markets in the city. It sells mainly dried and fresh foods (check your country’s customs for what you can or can’t bring back).

Dihua Street is a shopping street with many traditional medicine and herb shops. It’s a good place for buying snacks, herbs, teas, and traditional items like lanterns and ceramics. See my Dihua Street walking guide.

At Yuanshan MRT, the Taipei Expo Farmer’s Market takes place every weekend. Common products include fresh fruits and veggies, honey, tea, and other agricultural products.

Also on weekends only is the Red House Craft Market in Ximending. Go there for all kinds of creative and cute crafts and handmade products, such as custom cell phone cases, jewelry, flower pots, paintings, and much more.

Last but not least, the Jianguo Jade Market and Jianguo Flower Market are two more weekend-only markets, next to each other under a freeway overpass.

Cosmetics

Common pharmacy chains in Taipei like Cosmed and Watsons sell all kinds of local cosmetics, make-up, skin care products, yi tiao geng (Taiwan’s version of Tiger Balm), and so on. They are everywhere – just search on GoogleMaps to find them.

Try major department stores for upscale cosmetics on Don Don Donki for imported cosmetics from Japan.

Stationery

Many visitors like to purchase visit stationery shops in Taipei for buying things like cute notebooks, stickers, folders, and the like.

Poya is a popular “everything store” chain, meaning they sell a bit of everything, including stationery. Another one is 9X9 Stationery. Search them on GoogleMaps.

Other ones to try include here, here, here, and here.

Costco and other Supermarkets

In my Taiwan Travel Planning group, many travelers have inquired about visiting a Costco in Taipei just to check it out.

In my experience, the products sold at Costco in Taiwan mostly the same as at Costco in my home country, but you will indeed find some special Taiwanese products.

One major highlight compared to my home country is that they sell liquor inside the grocery area and they even have free samples of many of them!

You can use your home Costco card to enter the store. For payment, they only accept Costco-branded credit cards (if you have one from home, it should work) or cash. Regular credit cards won’t work. There’s usually an ATM inside.

Costcos in Taipei can get crazy busy (far more crowded than in my home country!), especially on weekends.

Besides Costco, some tourists also like to visit Carrefour, a large French supermarket chain, for cheap snack and food souvenirs.

On the luxury end, Mia C’bon is a high end grocery chain, with several locations including one at B1 of Taipei 101. Go there for upscale import items from Japan and the US.

You can also purchase a few luxury household items and packaged/bottled foods in the shopping section of Addiction Aquatic Development, an upscale seafood market in Taipei.