Begin by alighting at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall station (BL 17) to visit Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. It's a good starter to briefly know Taiwan's history especially about China's national father, Dr. Sun Yat-sen.

Next, take a 15-minute walk to Taipei 101, which was once the tallest building in the world. If you want to see the city in 360 degrees, head to the Indoor Observation Deck at the 89th floor. Tickets are sold at the lobby. Complete Taipei 101 information are here.

From the Taipei 101 / World Trade Center station (R 03), alight at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall station (R 08) to visit the complex of Liberty Square, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Concert Hall, and National Theater. It's a huge area to cover, so allot the entire afternoon to go around the complex.

Go back to the station, but take the other line (Songshan-Xindian line) of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall station (G 10), alight at Ximending station (G 12) to enjoy the flashy billboard lights and waves of people crossing at the Ximending Intersection, which some people call as the "Shibuya of Taipei" for its huge similarity with the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Japan. Also in the same area is the Ximending Night Market.

Day 2: Tamsui District

This route covers a tour around Tamsui District at the northern tip of Taipei. It can easily accessed by alighting at the Tamsui station (R 28) of the Tamsui-Xinyi line. Tamsui is generally a coastal area, but amazingly, it can be reached by metro in just 30-40 minutes.

Start early to catch a beautiful sunrise at the Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf. The surrounding is very relaxed and it's possible to catch the elderly doing tai chi and the rest either biking or running with the view of the Taiwan River. Next, take a slow 20-minute walk to Fort San Domingo, a historical landmark that explains the short Spanish colonization in Taiwan. Right beside it is the Consular Residence that got converted into a museum. Then, head to the Aletheia University where you can see beautiful British-inspired university buildings. Some of them are open to public and entrance is free.

In the afternoon, take your time exploring the long street of Tamsui Old Street and its neighboring alleys. It's where you'll find mostly local shops selling different products from souvenir shops to food stalls.

Also read: When in Taiwan: Tamsui District

At night, return to the train station and alight at Shilin station (R 16) to see one of the biggest and most popular night markets in Taipei, the Shilin Night Market.

Day 3: Beitou District

This is a nature-friendly route that focuses on Beitou District, also in northern Taipei. Alight at Beitou station of the Tamsui-Xinyi line and then transfer to the short 2-line Xinbeitou line to alight at Xinbeitou station (R 22A).

From the station, walk for 15-20 minutes to see the Beitou Geothermal Valley, a sulfur-emitting hot spring surrounded by lush green. Then, visit museums including Plum Garden, a small Japanese style museum (entrance is free) and the Beitou Hot Spring Museum.

Spend the afternoon to drop by the Taipei Public Library Beitou, which you might see on the way to the geothermal valley. Aside from its unique wood architectural design from outside, wait until you see the huge collection of books inside.

Also read: When in Taiwan: Beitou District

Finally, cap off the night dipping in a public hot spring at Millenium Hot Spring. While there are sooo many private hot spring options in Beitou, doing it with the locals in a public bath is the best way to do it!

Day 4: Wenshan District