Four Days in Taipei Visiting Jiufen and Kavalan
From November 16 to 19, 2024, I spent four days and three nights in Taipei.
I drank tea in rainy Jiufen, made the trip out to the Kavalan Distillery, and ate, drank, and walked all over Taipei. Not everything went to plan. I got on the wrong train, and I ate so much that I couldn’t manage a single bite at the night market. Even so, or maybe because of that, it became a trip I will remember.
While planning this trip, I spent a lot of time reading I Want to Go to Taiwan!, a Taiwan-based site with travel, food, and transportation information in Japanese. It was my first trip to Taiwan, and there was a lot I didn’t know, so the site helped me plan where to go and get a sense of what the trip might be like.
Here is a look back at those four days, along with the photos I took.
Contents
- November 16: Off to Rainy Jiufen
- November 17: Heading to the Kavalan Distillery
- November 18: Walking Through Taipei, Eating Along the Way
- November 19: Flying Home from Taipei Songshan Airport
- Wrap-Up
November 16: Off to Rainy Jiufen
I had soba at Haneda Airport, ate the in-flight meal too, and then arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport. A sign displaying “Welcome to Taipei” in multiple languages greeted me at the airport.
An online arrival card was already available when I visited in 2024. It is now the TW Arrival Card, which eligible travelers submit online before arriving in Taiwan. As of August 2026, it can be completed for free during the seven days before arrival.
I remembered hearing that, because Songshan Airport began as a military airfield, I should be careful about where I took photos. Keeping that in mind, I checked my surroundings as I moved through the airport.
Before heading into the city, I wanted to buy an EasyCard, but I had a hard time finding where to get one. I finally managed to buy it after asking someone nearby who seemed to be a Japanese traveler. On the Taipei MRT, eating and drinking are prohibited not just on the trains but inside the stations too. Careful not to absentmindedly take a sip, I made my way to the hotel.
I stayed at ILLUME TAIPEI. The fragrance near the entrance was quite strong, which was a little uncomfortable for me since I’m sensitive to smells. During the trip, I sometimes noticed a strong, star-anise-like smell even in convenience stores. It made me realize that not just the food culture, but even the smell of the city felt different from Japan.
After checking in, I headed to Jiufen. It was raining that day, and the streets were packed with people carrying umbrellas. Just making my way through the narrow alleys was a challenge, but the wet buildings and lanterns only deepened Jiufen’s atmosphere.
I went into A-MEI Tea House and was shown how to brew the tea. The tea, brewed carefully step by step, was genuinely delicious, and it helped me unwind after walking through the rain.
That said, they gave me far more tea leaves than I could possibly use in one sitting. At that point, I found myself wishing I had brought a small zip-top bag so I could take the rest with me.
By the time I stepped back outside, it was fully dark, and the red glow of the lanterns had taken over the town. The view reminded me a little of Spirited Away, and even in the crowds I kept stopping just to look.
Back in Taipei, I had dinner at Shuchuanxiang Suancai Fish near Zhongshan. Since I didn’t understand the language, I ordered by pointing at the menu. Along with the suancai fish, I ordered steamed chicken with scallion oil sauce, 葱油雞. It was especially good, and maybe because I was tired from the first day, I just couldn’t put my chopsticks down.
After dinner, I went to Mikkeller Taipei. I had been hoping to try their guava craft beer, but unfortunately they didn’t have it that day. I was tired from all the travel anyway, so I went back to the hotel early and got some sleep.
November 17: Heading to the Kavalan Distillery
I woke up early and took some photos of planes from the hotel. I already knew that Songshan Airport was close to the city, but seeing planes fly over the urban landscape really brought home just how close it was.
From there, I went straight out for a morning walk. I kept hearing unfamiliar animal and bird calls, so I filmed as I walked. Breakfast was the morning set at Komeda’s Coffee. There was something amusing about coming all the way to Taipei and ending up at such a familiar chain.
My destination that day was the Kavalan Distillery in Yilan. The times I had checked on Google Maps didn’t line up with the trains that were actually running, and on top of that I accidentally boarded a reserved-seating-only train. I tried to explain the situation onboard despite the language barrier, paid the extra charge, and somehow managed to continue my journey. Credit cards weren’t accepted for the extra fare, so I had to pay in cash.
In central Taipei, plenty of places took credit cards, but I ran into more situations than I expected where I needed cash for transportation and at smaller shops. Since it was my first time in Taiwan and I didn’t really know how things worked, I had exchanged money at Haneda Airport before departure. Even so, I ran short during the trip. In the end, I used a credit-card cash advance at a 7-Eleven ATM to top up my cash.
After arriving at the distillery, I stopped first at Mr. Brown Coffee for some penne and a break. Then I toured the grounds.
After the tour, I sampled some whisky. Tasting them side by side, every one of them was good, and I ended up buying quite a few bottles. My luggage was heavier on the way back, but making the trip out to the distillery was absolutely worth it.
Back in Taipei, I went to Yi He Tang Tea Shop. With help from the friendly owner, who spoke Japanese, I picked out jasmine tea and oolong tea. I didn’t take any photos there, but I still remember choosing the tea as I talked with the owner.
That night, I drank too much and don’t remember anything after a certain point. I was relieved that I had made it safely back to the hotel, and at the same time, I felt that Taipei was a safe city to walk around. Of course, next time I’d rather not overdo it, even on a trip.
November 18: Walking Through Taipei, Eating Along the Way
In the morning, I walked from the hotel to SunnyHills Taipei Minsheng Park Store. At the shop, I had a sample of apple cake and tea, then bought banana waffle cookies as souvenirs. After I got home and gave them to my family, they were a big hit.
For lunch, I went to Din Tai Fung Nanxi Store. I had xiao long bao, and the prices were not all that different from Japan. Compared with other places in Taipei, it felt a little expensive. Still, the xiao long bao were reliably good.
Then I headed to the Simple Kaffa Huashan Flagship Store inside Huashan 1914 Creative Park. The café was full, so I had to wait a while before getting in.
While I was waiting, I spotted a black bird nearby and took a photo. Looking it up later, it seemed to be a crested myna. In Taiwan, it is called 冠羽八哥. Coming across birds I was not used to seeing in the middle of the city was one of the fun parts of walking around overseas.
Once I finally got into the Simple Kaffa Huashan Flagship Store, I took my time over a fragrant cup of coffee. It was the kind of cup that made the wait make perfect sense.
For dinner, I went to Sheng Yuan Xiao Long Bao, a place a local had recommended to me. It felt less like a tourist spot and more like somewhere locals would drop in regularly.
Drinks and ready-to-eat side dishes were self-service, and customers marked what they took on their own order slips. I was pretty confused at first because I didn’t know how the system worked, but one staff member spoke Japanese and explained it to me step by step.
The da bing juan niurou I ordered with the xiao long bao was unbelievably good. But I’d already eaten a lot that day and couldn’t finish everything.
I asked the same Japanese-speaking staff member who had explained how the restaurant worked. They told me that in Taiwan, you can ask for a container when you can’t finish your food. I packed up the leftovers and ate them for breakfast the next morning.
Still stuffed, I headed to Shilin Night Market. I had been looking forward to eating my way through it, but I just could not fit in another bite. I walked around looking at the stalls and gave up on eating anything this time.
On one of the night-market streets, I also spotted a statue that looked like a komainu, or guardian lion-dog. I never figured out exactly what it was, but I liked the photo for the way the red decoration and the lights in the background stood out.
There were also old-fashioned shooting-game and ring-toss stalls, which felt oddly nostalgic. I did not take a photo of the shooting game, but the ring toss used bottles as the targets.
I was also struck by how many lemonade stands there were. But I kept noticing frog drawings on the signs and found myself wondering whether the drinks had something to do with frogs, so in the end I never tried any.
Next time, I definitely want to arrive hungry before walking around the night market.
That night, I went to KAVALAN WHISKY BAR. I had whisky poured straight from the cask. Visiting the distillery one day and then enjoying Kavalan again at a Taipei bar the next felt like a luxury. If you like Kavalan, it is a place I would absolutely recommend stopping by.
After leaving the bar, I finished the night with ramen before heading back to the hotel. I had been completely full, but trip nights somehow seem to leave room for one more thing.
November 19: Flying Home from Taipei Songshan Airport
On the last day, I headed to Taipei Songshan Airport. Since it’s so close to the city, having such a short ride to the airport on departure day was a big help.
At the airport, I ate 紅燒牛肉飯, something like rice topped with beef belly in a thick sauce, and drank grapefruit juice. I made sure to enjoy Taiwanese flavors right to the end before heading back to Japan.
After arriving back in Japan, I had ramen at Setagaya. Even after eating that much in Taiwan, I still found myself craving Japanese ramen once I was home.
Wrap-Up
In a place I had never been before, I got on the wrong train, struggled when I couldn’t make myself understood, and ate so much that I couldn’t eat a thing at the night market I had wanted to visit. Looking back, there were plenty of missteps, but every one of them stayed with me as a memory of the trip.
The lanterns of Jiufen glowing in the rain, the Kavalan I drank at the distillery, and the crested myna I happened to spot in the city. Taipei left me with a long list of sights I want to see again and things I want to taste again.
Next time, I am bringing a small zip-top bag for sure, and I am going to Shilin Night Market hungry.