Taipei is famous across Asia for its night markets. They rank among the most popular attractions in Taipei and remain one of the defining experiences of a visit.
After living in Taipei for more than a decade and visiting these markets countless times, I’ve learned which ones are best for food, atmosphere, families, convenience, or a more local experience.
In this guide, I’ll help you choose between Taipei’s six major night markets. You don’t need to visit them all, so I’ll compare their best foods, atmosphere, practical differences, and main trade-offs. I’ve also included three smaller night markets I like at the end.
If you’re planning your meals more broadly, see my guides to Taiwanese foods and where to eat in Taipei.
Quick Decision: Which Taipei Night Market to Visit
Here’s a table to help you quickly decide which night market in Taipei is best for you.
| Night Market | Best For | Location | My Take |
| Raohe | First-timers | Songshan | Best all-around choice |
| Ningxia | Compact food-focused visit | Near Taipei Main Station | Famous stalls, heavy crowds |
| Shilin | Games, families, shopping | Jiantan | Where I take my kids |
| Tonghua | Reduced crowds | Near Taipei 101 | Convenient and manageable |
| Nanjichang | Local food experience | South of Ximending | Fewer tourists, great food |
| Huaxi | Old Taipei atmosphere | Longshan Temple | Most unusual and historic |
Things to Know for Visiting Taipei’s Night Markets
Here are a few Taipei night market tips for first-timers:
- Most night markets start getting busy around 5-6 PM.
- Weekends are generally much more crowded.
- Bring cash. Only a few stalls take EasyCard or LINE Pay.
- Use the toilet before leaving the MRT.
- Trash bins are limited and usually near the entrance.
- Individual stalls may have their own opening hours/days.
- For vegetarians, see my full list of vegetarian foods in Taipei’s night markets.
Map of Taipei Night Markets
In the below map, I’ve pinned the Taipei’s six major night markets in blue and three smaller ones in red.
Raohe Night Market
- Best For: First-time visitors
- Don’t Miss: Fuzhou Shizu Pepper Buns
- MRT: Songshan
- Top Tip: Avoid peak crowds at 7-9 PM, especially on weekends.
Raohe Night Market (饒河夜市) is currently the most popular night market in Taipei among visitors.
Raohe is my top recommendation for first-time visitors because it packs a huge variety of food into one easy-to-navigate street, with plenty of atmosphere along the way.
The market is located in Songshan District in eastern Taipei, near Songshan Railway Station and Songshan MRT Station on the Green Line. Exit 5 will get you closest.
The stunning Songshan Ciyou Temple stands beside the market, while the entrance itself features Raohe’s iconic illuminated gate.
As soon as you enter, you’ll see the line for Fuzhou Shizu Pepper Buns, one of the most famous street food vendors in Taipei. The pepper bun is a must-try, and don’t worry—the line moves quickly.
Keep to the right-hand lane as you head deeper into the market, as the left side is generally used for coming back. Other notable stalls include Chen Dong Ribs Medicinal Soup and Master An’s Fire and Ice Pineapple Buns.
Raohe is understandably extremely popular. At busy times, you may feel stuck in a human convoy just trying to move through it.
I recommend avoiding weekends if you can. Even on weekdays, coming early—around 5 to 6:30 PM—will make the experience much more pleasant.
For more food recommendations and practical details, see my full Raohe Night Market guide.
Ningxia Night Market
- Best For: Compact food-focused visit
- Don’t Miss: Yuan Huan Pien Oyster Omelets
- MRT: Taipei Main Station, Beimen, Zhongshan, or Shuanglian
- Top Tip: If you want to try the most famous stalls, arrive around 4:30–5 PM before the lines get really long.
Ningxia Night Market (寧夏夜市) is similar to Raohe – popular, crowded, and rich in famous foods – but on a smaller scale.
A few particularly famous stalls attract some of the longest lines in the city, with queues forming even before they open.
On the plus side, Ningxia Night Market is centrally located. It’s the closest night market to Taipei Main Station (about 10 minutes’ walk), or a similar distance from Beimen, Zhongshan, or Shuanglian MRT.
It’s also very close to Dihua Street, which is known for its daytime shops selling teas, traditional herbs, and souvenirs.
For this night market, the two rows of stalls sit very close together, leaving a narrow pedestrian lane that can become extremely crowded – also come early to avoid peak times.
Two adjacent stalls in the night market – Liu Yu Zi Taro Balls and Stuffed Crispy Fried Squid – attract the longest lines. Don’t try to order from the front of the stall – you’ll find the long lines running down the street at the back.
Yuan Huan Pien has some of the best oyster omelets in the city, with only a moderate line, making it my top recommendation in the night market.
See my Ningxia Night Market guide for the stall locations and other foods to try.
Shilin Night Market
- Best For: Games, families, shopping
- Don’t Miss: A Hui Vermicelli Noodles
- MRT: Jiantan (not Shilin!)
- Top Tip: Save the underground food court for rainy days.
Shilin Night Market (士林夜市) used to be Taipei’s (and arguably Taiwan’s) largest and most famous night market.
The night market’s popularity has declined, especially since COVID, but it still stands out for its Underground Food Court, large games area, shopping, and several foods still worth seeking out.
The night market is located in Shilin district, but Jiantan MRT Exit 1 (rather than Shilin MRT) provides the best access.
Even though the night market has fewer stalls than before, they are spread over a large, disconnected area.
The main entrance is on the western side, where you’ll also find the extremely popular Hot Star Fried Chicken Cutlets.
You’ll also see escalators going down to the Underground Food Court, which is perfect for rainy days or if you’d like to sit and have a cold soda or beer along with your meal.
Deeper inside the neighborhood, the night market’s core surrounds Shilin Cixian Temple.
My top food recommendation is A Hui Vermicelli Noodles Branch 2, where you can sit on an old Taiwanese school desk to enjoy your noodles topped with three kinds of seafood.
You can find a map of the night market and more info in my Shilin Night Market guide.
Tonghua Night Market
- Best For: Reduced crowds
- Don’t Miss: Yu Pin Yuan Fire & Ice Tangyuan
- MRT: Xinyi Anhe
- Top Tip: Come here after visiting Taipei 101 or Elephant Mountain.
Tonghua Night Market (通化夜市, also known as Linjiang Street Night Market) is an anomaly – here you can find some of the most traditional foods mere steps away from the ritziest neighborhood in the city.
The night market is only one MRT stop, or walking distance, from Taipei 101. It’s also the perfect place to treat yourself after watching the sunset from Elephant Mountain.
Despite these conveniences, Tonghua Night Market somehow remains the least crowded night market on my list.
My favorite deep-fried version of stinky tofu in Taipei can be found at Yakou Stinky Tofu.
The market also excels at shaved ice desserts, but the most famous one is Yu Pin Yuan Iced and Hot Tangyuan, where steaming hot sesame-filled rice balls are served atop shaved ice and doused in sweet osmanthus syrup.
Vegetarians can also find a vegetarian version of gua bao (Taiwanese hamburger) in this night market.
To find the best foods and other things to know, see my Tonghua Night Market guide.
Nanjichang Night Market
- Best For: Local food experience
- Don’t Miss: Smelly Boss Stinky Tofu
- MRT: Longshan Temple or Xiaonanmen
- Top Tip: Look for each stall’s main dish written in English on the stall sign.
Nanjichang Night Market (南機場夜市) has somehow escaped the tourist radar for years.
Despite being just as rich in foods as the others, and typically packed with locals, it sees far fewer international visitors than Raohe, Shilin, or Ningxia
The night market is even well set up for tourists, as every stall is numbered and has its main specialty written in English.
One factor might be getting there – you’ll have to walk around 15 minutes to get here from Longshan Temple MRT (exit 2) on the Blue Line or Xiaonanmen MRT (exit 4) on the Green Line.
The latter will take you through the lovely Taipei Botanical Garden.
My favorite mala (spicy soup) version of stinky tofu in Taipei is served at two branches of Smelly Boss in Nanjichang Night Market. Both are vegan (not always the case for stinky tofu).
A-Nan Sesame Oil Chicken is the perfect dish for a cool day, while Roll Roll Village does an insane version of peanut brittle and cilantro wraps made with tiramisu ice cream.
I introduce the market in great detail in my Nanjichang Night Market guide.
Huaxi Night Market
- Best For: Old Taipei atmosphere
- Don’t Miss: Wang’s Broth
- MRT: Longshan Temple
- Top Tip: Don’t be surprised to see massage parlours and snake meat.
Huaxi Night Market (華西夜市) is the black sheep among Taipei night markets.
Long ago, the night market was popular among visiting tour groups for its snake blood and meat dishes and seedy KTV/massage parlours around it.
As the times changed, tourists mostly stopped going. Snakes are no longer skinned for crowds here, but a few shops still sell their meat (not the ones I’ll recommend below!)
Despite that, tourists are starting to come back again after a couple of food stalls in Huaxi Night Market got Michelin recognition. Some also come just to get a taste of that old Taiwan vibe.
Huaxi Night Market is near Longshan Temple, the most famous of Taipei’s temples.
There are actually four interconnected night markets here, but Huaxi Night Market is the most visibly distinct, with its two long covered arcades.
Towards the back, you’ll find the two famous food stalls. Wang’s Broth serves the most famous braised pork rice in the city, while the adjacent Yuan Fang Gua Bao has some of the city’s best Taiwanese hamburgers.
These two stalls are actually open in the daytime, so you don’t have to visit during night market hours. Just make sure to check their closing days and times on GoogleMaps before you go.
For more information about what this market is really like, see my Huaxi Night Market guide.
Smaller Taipei Night Markets
There are several smaller night markets in Taipei that you might consider visiting. I’ve only mentioned my personal favorites.
Gongguan Night Market
Gongguan Night Market (公館夜市) is a two-street night market in a bustling shopping and dining area near National Taiwan University (NTU) and Treasure Hill Artist Village.
The night market attracts lots of students and is particularly good for vegetarian foods.
Find my recommendations in my Gongguan Night Market guide.
Shida Night Market
Shida Night Market (師大夜市) is sandwiched between NTU and NTNU (Shida University), so it also attracts a lot of students for its inexpensive foods.
Shida Night Market used to be one of the hottest in the city, until it was mostly shut down due to noise complaints. There are still a handful of great stalls left, while the neighborhood has a lot of youthful clothing and accessory shops.
See my Shida Night Market guide for more info.
Jingmei Night Market
Jingmei Night Market (景美夜市) is the most local and least touristy night market on this whole list.
Located in the far south of the city, the night market focuses on reliable classics that Taiwanese eat every day rather than famous or trendy foods.
I’ve got a Jingmei Night Market guide coming soon!
For more markets around the island, including Keelung, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and others, see my guide to the best night markets in Taiwan.