Looking for indoor activities in Taipei or wondering what to do on a rainy day in Taipei?
Taipei gets frequent rain throughout the year (more than twice as much as Seattle, one of the rainiest cities in the USA). Rain is simply a part of daily life for Taipei residents.
Don’t get the blues if it rains during your trip. Fortunately, Taipei has countless museums, shopping malls, cafés, hot springs, and cultural experiences that are perfect for wet weather or extreme summer heat.
In this guide, I’ll share 25+ of the best indoor activities in Taipei, from classic attractions like the National Palace Museum to unique local experiences like KTV and teahouses.
Understanding Taipei’s Rainy Weather
Rain is common in Taipei throughout the year, but Taiwan’s rain patterns can be confusing for newcomers.
Looking at the average rainfall by month in Taipei, it’s easy to assume that summer is the rainy season, because it has the highest average rain volumes. But summers are actually sunny most of the time, with short (but extremely heavy) rains, including typhoons.
Many also think that winter is the rainy season, because it often seems to be overcast or drizzling in Taipei, but these are actually the driest months of the year by total volume.
The key takeaway is this: no matter which month you plan your trip to Taipei, there’s a good chance you’ll still face some rain. That’s why it’s important to plan some possible indoor activities as a back-up plan in case it rains.
What to Do on a Rainy Day in Taipei (Quick Picks)
Before I get to the full list of activities by category, here are my top picks for things to do on a rainy day in Taipei.
- Escape the rain → Take the HSR south
When it’s raining in Taipei, it’s often still sunny in cities further south like Taichung, Tainan, or Kaohsiung. You can reach them in only 1–2 hours by High Speed Rail.
- Best museum → National Palace Museum
Taipei’s most famous museum houses one of the world’s greatest collections of Chinese art and artifacts.
- Best rainy-day landmark → Taipei 101 Mall
Ride the elevator to the observation deck or spend a few hours exploring the large department store and underground food court.
- Best cultural experience → Traditional teahouse
Enjoy a slow, relaxing tea session while listening to the rain outside.
- Best local experience → KTV
Rent a private karaoke room and sing your heart out — a classic Taiwanese rainy-day activity.
- If the rain is light → Stick to your plans
Taipei residents go about daily life in the rain. With an umbrella or poncho, most sightseeing is still perfectly doable.
Museums and Indoor Attractions
Museums and other indoor attractions provide the perfect refuge from the rain for several hours. Fortunately, Taipei has several great ones to pick from.
National Palace Museum
Taipei’s most famous museum is an obvious indoor activity choice. The museum has the world’s largest collection of Chinese artifacts, with around 3000 of them on display at any given time.
There are permanent pieces, like the famous Jade Cabbage and Meat-Shaped Stone (sometimes on load to other museums), as well as seasonally rotating exhibits.
There’s also a children’s exhibit at B1, a restaurant on site with good beef noodles, and the adjacent Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines. Overall, you can easily pass several hours here.
You can buy your tickets online in advance here. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Other Museums in Taipei
There are plenty of other museums besides National Palace to choose from in Taipei, New Taipei City, and Keelung. Here are some of the best ones:
- National Taiwan Museum: Human and natural history, including the Land Bank Museum across the street which houses dinosaurs (there’s also a combined ticket for this and other musems)
- Miniatures Museum of Taipei: For a quirkier experience
- Taipei Astronomical Museum: All things space, good for kids
- National Taiwan Science Education Center: Also decent kids, but see what’s on now
- Museum of World Religions: Small but fascinating museum in New Taipei City but MRT accessible
- Keelung National Museum of Marine Science and Technology: Marine-focused museum in Keelung
Fun Fact: Keelung city is the rainiest city in Taiwan, with 229 rainy days per year. It is even nicknamed “Rainy City”. See my guides to Keelung and its famous night market, and read other fun facts about Taiwan.
Art Galleries
Besides museums, there are also several excellent art galleries in Taipei and area. Here are some of the top ones:
- Taipei Fine Arts Museum: The city’s oldest and largest art gallery. Near Yuanshan Maji Square (see below)
- Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei: More modern art housed in a Japanese-era red brick school building
- Yingge Pottery Museum: In Yinnge district, 30 min from Taipei Main Station by local train
Huashan 1914 Creative Park (semi-indoor)
Another fun idea for rainy days in Taipei is to explore Huashan 1914 Creative Park, which is a Japanese-era sake distillery covered into arts park.
Here you can explore fun anime and cartoon popups, creative shops, cafes and restaurants, many artworks, and various intriguing corners of the old factory.
This idea works best for days that are only a little rainy, as you’ll still need to walk outside to get between the various buildings. Weekdays are better to avoid crowds, but weekends tend to have more going on.
XPark Aquarium (half-day trip)
Opened in Taoyuan city in 2020, Xpark is the newest (and in my opinion best) aquarium in Taiwan (read about other aquariums and theme parks in Taiwan).
Xpark features hundreds of sea creatures and a massive, Instagram-worth water tank. The aquarium is conveniently located next to Taoyuan HSR station in Taoyuan City, so you can get there in a mere 20 minutes from Taipei Main Station by HSR (find out how to book HSR tickets here).
Buy your XPark tickets online here. For the ultimate rainy season experience, you can even spend the night in this aquarium!
Cultural Experiences
There are many interesting cultural experiences to be had in Taipei, all perfectly doable in rainy weather.
Catch a Performance at TaipeiEye
TaipeiEye is the best place in Taipei to see indoor Taiwanese and Peking opera, folk music, traditional puppet performances, and dragon dancing throughout the year. This is the perfect way to make use of a rainy evening in Taipei.
There are usually performances around three times per week, lasting about one hour each and starting at 8 PM. Click my link for more info or book your seats here.
Also see my list of other fun things to do at night in Taipei.
Experience Tea Culture in a Traditional Teahouse
There are still a handful of old school teahouses left in Taipei, and these are the perfect way to spend several hours relaxing and listening to rain fall outside.
You’ll get a long list of traditional Taiwanese teas to choose from, which you’ll get to brew yourself gong-fu style with special equipment, with guidance if needed.
Expect to pay around TWD 350-500 and spend 1 to 2 hours (or longer or you wish) to run through the tealeaves that are included.
To find the best ones, read about my favorite teahouses in Taipei, best places to buy tea to take home, and learn more about Taiwanese teas here.
Also consider taking a Taiwanese tea-tasting class!
Get Your Fortune Told
Fortune telling is very common in Taipei. Fortune tellers can advise you on your future, predict compatibility with partners, help to choose child names, and more. I’ve tried it and it’s weirdly accurate!
I have confirm that this fortune teller offers English service. She is located in the underground street of fortune tellers next to Xingtian Temple in Taipei. It’s best to make a booking with her in advance.
Hone Your Mandarin Skills
If it’s raining or typhooning really hard, you may truly be stuck in your hotel. Why not take the chance to learn some Mandarin?
In my Taiwanese Mandarin guide, I introduce Mandarin sounds, tones, vocabulary, and some high-frequency phrases and sentence patterns which you can use to make hundreds of different sentences.
You can also explore my recommended options for learning Mandarin online. Yet another option is to meet up with a local to chat with them in English and they will teach you some Mandarin. Just search for “language exchange in Taipei” groups on Facebook.
You’ll be surprised how quickly you can pick up some basic phrases. You’ll thank yourself for the effort later!
Please note: Maokong Gondola, one of Taipei’s most popular attractions, usually closes during heavy rain. It is also closed every Monday.
Shopping, Bookstores, and Covered Markets
Rainy days are a good time to get some shopping done. Taipei is also blessed with some cool bookstores, including a 24-hour one, as well as some interested covered traditional markets.
Taipei 101 Mall and Observatory
Taipei 101 Mall occupies six floors at the base of the famous skyscraper. It includes many luxury brands, excellent food court at B1, cool import supermarket (Mia C’bon), and a popular branch of Din Tai Fung.
Find more even things to do there in my Taipei 101 guide.
Taipei 101 Observatory is one of Taipei’s top attractions. Whether to visit it on a rainy day is debatable. If the clouds are very low, they can totally obscure the view. But if they are higher, like in my photo above, it can still be worthwhile.
Buy observatory tickets here. Taipei 101 Observatory is the most valuable item included on the Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass. Read my guide to the pass here.
The 101F “Skyline 460” experience, the true top of Taipei 101, will most likely be closed on rainy days (read about my Skyline 460 visit here).
Other Department Stores & Malls
Besides Taipei101 Mall, Taipei has no shortage of other department stores, although most cater to high-end shoppers.
But even for budget travelers, you can find some amazing food courts in these malls, almost always located on B1.
- Sogo: try the two locations near Zhongxiao Fuxing for good food courts and a Din Tai Fung branch
- Shin Kong Mitsukoshi: spend hours in this collection of malls around Taipei 101, including a great toy store, Totoro Shop, and Pokemon Center
- Breeze: several of them around the city, including around Taipei Main Station and Taipei 101
- Q Square Mall: Another choice by Taipei Main Station
- Mega City Banqiao: a cool old-time-themed food court and another Din Tai Fung branch, in New Taipei City but with Taipei MRT access
If high-end malls aren’t your thing, try Don Don Donki (two locations, Ximending one is 24 hours) for quirky Japanese items or Wufenpu covered market for cheap clothing.
Find more shopping ideas by category in my Taipei shopping guide and where to find the best souvenirs.
Eslite Bookstore
Eslite Bookstore is a popular bookstore chain in Taipei that has won awards for its beautiful interior design.
Another of Eslite’s claims to fame is that some of branches are open 24 hours (like this one in Songshan Creative Park). They have no problem with people sitting around and reading the books for hours.
This makes Eslite a great place to escape the rain anytime of day or night. Most Eslites are in malls or buildings with many other shops and restaurants, too.
See my list of the best restaurants that are open 24 hours in Taipei.
Taipei Main Station Underground Malls
If you happen to be staying near Taipei Main Station like many travelers do, you’ll gain close access to the huge network of underground malls and connected walkways below the station.
While many visitors do get lost or disoriented in the maze, it can nevertheless be a fun way to pass some time and do some shopping.
Z Mall (which runs below Zhongxiao West Road) has necessities like cheap luggage, umbrellas, and more. K Mall, which is just south of the train station, has traditional clothing like hanfu.
Last but not least, Y Mall, which runs below Civic Boulevard, has all kinds of cheap souvenirs as well as otaku and anime products.
These underground malls also have various dining options, plus you can connect to 2F of the train station, which has a huge food court. All without stepping out in the rain!
Nanmen Market
Exploring a traditional morning market is a great way to experience local daily life in Taipei. While most of these are outside, Nanmen Market is an excellent indoor option for rainy or hot days.
The market is conveniently located next to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and MRT. It includes three floors of traditional food products, with a food court on the top floor. Recently renovated, it is one of the newest and cleanest traditional markets in the country.
Read more about Nanmen and other traditional daytime markets here.
Jianguo Jade and Flower Weekend Markets
These two traditional markets are totally covered thanks to being located below Jianguo elevated roadway.
As the names suggest, one market specializes at jade products, the other flowers, and they are open on weekends only. Even if you aren’t buying jade or flowers, they are fun to check out make for an interesting rainy day activity.
Food and Drink Experiences
What better way to pass a rainy day than to eat, eat, eat (and then drink, drink, drink)? While restaurants are readily available around the clock in Taipei, here are some more specific food and drink suggestions.
Take a Cooking Class
If rain is pretty much guaranteed during your visit, sign up for a cooking class on one of your days there! These are a great way to meet locals, immerse yourself in Taiwanese culture, and acquire some skills you can put to good use after your trip.
Check here to find some of the best cooking classes in Taipei. The options range from xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) to traditional street foods to Taiwanese desserts and bubble tea.
You can also try DIY pineapple cake making and at Kuo Yuan Museum of Cake (read about our experience doing it and see my guide to Taiwan’s famous pineapple cakes for more info).
Seafood Feating at Addiction Aquatic Development
You can easily pass an hour or two exploring and feasting on seafood at Addiction Aquatic Development, Taipei’s upscale seafood market, which is totally indoor and covered.
This seafood paradise includes an area of large fish tanks filled with various creatures from the sea, upscale grocery store, sushi bar, seafood bar, and seafood hot pot restaurant.
There’s also an outdoor (but covered!) seafood BBQ restaurant.
Shilin Underground Food Court
Rain in Taipei often eases off in the early evening, so you should still be able to visit the city’s many famous night markets.
However, if it’s still raining hard, don’t let that stop you. Head to the large underground food court inside Shilin Night Market, which was recently renovated and reopened. See my Shilin Night Market guide to find it.
There you can find a plethora of totally covered food stalls and small restaurants, most of which even have a small seating area.
The underground food court was recently totally renovated, so it looks even newer and cleaner now.
Yuanshan Maji Square
Another way to sample good eats in a covered location is the large, outdoor (but totally covered) food court at Maji Square (also called Maji Maji or Maji2). It is connected to the stadium right next to Yuanshan MRT station.
Maji Square has several food stalls and larger sit-down restaurants, spanning Taiwanese and international street foods – everything from raw oysters with white wine to Indian food!
There are also a few cool shops, a craft beer bar, teens practicing their dance moves, small cars that kids can rent, and plenty of seating. In the evening, it’s a lovely covered plaza where you can hang out, while at night, several small night clubs turn it into a party vibe.
On weekends, there also an outdoor Farmer’s Market here. Any rainy days, the move it under the canopies so it’s totally covered.
Hang out with Cats in a Cat Cafe
Cat cafes were invented in Taipei. Not only is it a must to visit one here, but also it’s a great rainy day activity.
I recommend some of our personal favorite cat cafes in Taipei here, including which ones do or don’t allow kids.
Taipei doesn’t stop at just cats. It also has a meerkat restaurant and capybara restaurant.
Other Cool Cafes
Coffee house culture has become huge in the last few decades in Taipei. There are excellent cafés everywhere, from big chains like Starbucks (which some very cool and historic locations in Taipei) and the local Mr. Brown to small but dedicated shops featuring single origin, slow drip, and other specialty coffees.
For cafes, try Coftail by Coffee Space for tea and coffee-infused cocktails in a modern cafe-like space (run by my sister-in-law and her husband!)
Also try Galette Café for a selection of jigsaw puzzles or Café Costumice for laid-back vibes. Find even more cool cafés in Taipei here.
Rainy-day Worthy Restaurants
When it’s raining and cold, nothing beats a two-hour, all-you-can-eat hot pot session or perhaps some hot beef noodles to warm your belly and soul.
There are so many hot pot joints and other restaurants in the city that it can be hard to even know how or where to begin. Let me help you with that – here are my recommended hot pot and other restaurants in Taipei, categorized by type, with a handy map to find the most convenient ones wherever you are.
Yet another option, albeit a little weird, is to finally try Modern Toilet, Taiwan’s potty-themed restaurant.
Craft Beer and Speakeasy Cocktail Bars
If you just want to drink the rainy day away, I’m not here to judge. Rather, I’m here to give you the best recommendations.
Here’s my list of my personal favorite craft beer bars in Taipei, all tried and tested, with pleasure.
If you prefer fancy cocktails, Taipei has some especially cool speakeasy-style cocktai bars. Some are hidden away inside other businesses, so you’ll have to know how to find the way in.
Relaxing Indoor Activities
Rainy days in Taipei can be conducive to relaxing indoor activities. Here are a couple ideas to get you started.
Soaking at Beitou Hot Springs
One of my personal favorite things to do on a rainy day in Taipei is to soak in a hot spring in Beitou.
Spring City Resort is the best co-ed, kid-friendly, hot spring in Beitou. Yes, it’s outdoors, but this can still be enjoyable on light rain days. In heavier rain, you can choose one of the main private indoor facilities, which are mostly private rooms or nude onsens.
If you want to visit other attractions in Beitou, like the Hot Spring Museum (indoor) and Thermal Valley (outdoors), avoid Mondays, when they are closed.
In my Beitou hot spring guide, I recommend the best traditional bathhouses, public hot springs, and hot spring hotels. Note that Beitou Public Hot Spring is closed for renovations until mid-2026.
Get a Massage Treatment
For a fancy spa or massage treatment, you’ll be spoiled for choices in Taipei. Some popular ones include Japanese-style Village Spa Massage, Villa Like, Six Star, and A’Chron.
You’ll also see many foot massage places when exploring Taipei, but heads up that it can be quite painful! There are also many cheaper massage places, but heads up that some are sketchy, especially at night.
Fun and Entertaining Indoor Activities
If you’re visiting Taipei with kids, or perhaps you’re just young at heart, this section is for you.
Wooderful Life (and other Indoor Playcenters)
Visiting Taipei with kids but getting stuck indoors due to rain can be tough. Fortunately, the city has several indoor playcenters for little ones.
Some of the best ones include Wooderful Life in Xindian (our personal favoite!), Tom’s World (a chain of indoor arcades), and PaPark in Nangang.
Find all the details about these, some kid-friendly restaurants, and other ideas in my guide to visiting Taipei with kids.
Catch a Movie on Cinema Street
When it’s raining cats and dogs, there’s no shame in catching a flick during your Taipei trip! There are several movie theaters to choose from in Taipei, but Cinema Street in Ximending is especially convenient because there are a few on the same street.
Lux Cinema and in89 are the main ones, while Cinemark and Showtimes are also nearby. Hollywood films will usually be played in their original English language with Chinese subtitles, and Chinese films sometimes (but not always) have English subtitles – it’s best to inquire when purchasing tickets.
After your movie, go for a cocktail at the secret, speakeasy-style Hankou 60 on the same street, which is cinema-themed. They’ve even got a cocktail that comes hidden in a real box of popcorn!
KTV and MTV
What do Taiwanese do when it’s pouring rain? They sing their hearts out at karaoke, or KTV, as it’s called in Taiwan.
You’ll get your own private room for you and your friends, with food and drinks (including alcohol) to order. The most popular chains are PartyWorld, New CB Party, and Hoiday KTV. It’s best to book in advance, especially on rainy days or during typhoons.
MTV is like KTV, except you get to watch a movie on your own private large screen instead of sing. You choose the movie before going in, and there are also snacks to order.
U2 MTV in Ximending is the most famous spot. It’s especially popular among local teens, who go there for a date to have a little privacy.
Bowling, Pool, Escape Rooms, and Game Centers
Let’s get creative here! There are a few 10-pin bowling alleys in Taipei, such as this classic institution in Yuanshan, near Grand Hotel Taipei. You can even bring in your own drinks.
Pool (billiard) halls are quite popular in Taipei – try this one or this one – both are non-smoking. For an escape room with English available, try this one or this one. For laser tag, there’s LazerTreks.
For all kinds of indoor fun in one place (kids or adults!), I recommend E7 Play in Sanchong district, New Taipei City (Taipei Bridge MRT station). They’ve got bowling, darts, video game arcade, pool tables, and more. You pay one price to access it all.
What do you do on rainy days in Taipei? Anything I missed? Let me know if the comments below!