• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Take a walk off the beaten track, away from the tourist crowds, and see the real side of Taipei. On this private tour, go beyond the classic route and explore Wanhua District where you’ll experience a different Taipei, like a local with a local by your side!

Destination

Taipei, Taiwan

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, 中文

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 4 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Exit 1 at the top of the steps - Taipei to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Off the Beaten Track

   Done with the main highlights of Taipei? Check out Wanhua District. Explore a lesser-known part of the city that will give you a more authentic feel of Taipei. Check out Dongsanshui Street Market, Longshan Temple and more!

4. The Real Deal

   Let a local expert in the area you’ll visit show you their Taipei from a different perspective - away from the tourist traps. See street art, cultural hot spots, local vendors, hangout spots, and historical gems, and embrace the vibe!

5. Personalized Recommendations

   Want to explore more of the area after the tour? Your host is happy to recommend their favorite eateries and where to take a break while wandering in this vibrant area

6. Unique Plan

   Depending on your host, this tour will be experienced based on their knowledge, passion, and expertise. Pick a host that matches your interests and see their city through their eyes!

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Eleanor

(About local Nicolas)

7 February 2025

Nicholas went above and beyond to craft the perfect experience, customizing it according to our specific interests and requests. His recommendations were all excellent. His knowledge and experience were obvious in how the entire itinerary rolled out exactly the way he had proposed, down to the very last minute, yet without feeling (at any point) rushed or draggy. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to show me around today! Above and beyond!

YAEL

(About local Garen)

6 February 2025

Garen is a very pleasant guide. She speaks fluently english and we discovered with her the taiwenese customs. Thanks for this very interesting tour. Great cutural experience

Chris

(About local Garen)

3 January 2025

I highly recommend going on a walking tour with Garen as she is very informative and she sets the stage prior to starting the walk, for your better understanding. I have gained a lot more understanding of the history and people of Taiwan after listening to her. Her enthusiasm and energy made the tour very enjoyable. Thanks Garen.Guided Tour with Garen

David🇺🇸 United States

(About local Garen)

6 November 2024

Garen was an incredible guide who truly brought Taiwan’s culture and history to life for us. Her deep knowledge and passion for the country made us appreciate every moment of the tour. She took us to amazing places and shared insightful recommendations that we wouldn’t have discovered on our own. Time flew by as she shared so many fascinating details and stories – we were completely immersed! Garen’s warmth and expertise made the day both enriching and enjoyable. Highly recommend her for anyone wanting an authentic and unforgettable experience in Taiwan!Awesome Off the Beaten Path Tour

Martin

(About local Nicolas)

6 November 2024

Nicolas is very friendly and a great guide. It was my first time in Taiwan, and I booked Nicolas for the Wanhua district tour. He explained everything well and clearly knew all the details of the attractions and local area. He happily accommodated my request to extend the tour to add on something else I wanted to do. It was just like hanging out with a friend. I highly recommend Nicolas as your guide when you come to Taipei! Friendly and knowledgable guide

Saowalak 🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Jones)

24 October 2024

La visita è stata davvero incredibile. Poter ascoltare direttamente un po’ di storia di Taipei direttamente da un indigino di questa regione è stato davvero molto interessante. La parte che ho preferito è stata la visita al tempio, molto suggestivo e ricco di storia. Ho potuto anche assaggiare il cibo tipico di questa regione, era tutto molto buono. La cosa che mi ha colpito di più di Jones è stata la sua gentilezza e professionalità. Vi consiglio di prenotare questo tour soprattutto a inizio vacanza, così da poter capire meglio la cultura di Taipei.Very interesting 🤩

Henry🇹🇼 Taiwan, Province of China

(About local Garen)

11 October 2024

Garen is a very knowledgeable, generous, and totally professional guide. She knows a lot about the history of Taiwan and China, and she also knows a lot about taiwanese food. She generously shares what she knows while she tells you great stories, so what she says leaves a deep impression because she is a great story-teller. I enjoyed immensely how she guides and hope to have a chance to have a tour with her again. A meaningful and fun experience

Danielle🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jones)

3 August 2024

Jones was great at communication. We probably picked a poor time as 11:00 in Taipei in August super hot! Jones was a champion he coordinated a well choreographed history tour that had us 1/2 the time in air conditioning. We learned a lot about Longshan Temple and local customs. He took us to eat and drink several local delicacies. We finished the tour at a Michelin restaurant that included braised pork, fried tofu and sweet potato leaves. A very scrumptious meal. We walked 15,000 steps that day with travel by MRT and meeting up with Jones. Wanhua street tour with Jones

Bruno🇫🇷 France

(About local Jones)

14 April 2024

While I was working in Taipei, Jones gave me an interesting tour of his home neighborhood of Taipei, explaining to me so many things about local religion while visiting temples, local food while visiting markets. It was the most interesting 3 hours I had in a long time. Don't hesitate to spend some time with such a great guide.Highly interesting Tour

Simon

(About local Jones)

6 November 2023

We had a great time doing the visit with Jones. It was great to understand more about day to day life of Taiwanese people.

Yoko🇯🇵 Japan

(About local Jones)

9 September 2023

That was our first trip to Taiwan and we're interested in authentic and traditional things and places, especially we'd like to visit Longshan temple. We took "Off the beaten track Taipei" tour because it seemed to meet our interest. We enjoyed our time with Jones, he was really nice and knowledgeable. We learned a lot about the temple and traditional things and culture from him. It was such a perfect tour for us in the first day in Taipei. Highly recommended. Thank you, Jones!wonderful time with Jones

Anita🇺🇸 United States

(About local Garen)

16 August 2023

We were in Taipei for 4 days, and met Garen for an intro walking tour of the city on our first day. She was such an amazing guide that we asked her to show us around 2 more days as well. The first day she figured out the kind of adventures and experiences we were looking for, and then customized our further tours beautifully. She‘s very knowledgeable, energetic, friendly, fun, and extremely well prepared for our tours. She primarily does walking tours in the city, but she also arranged a full day driving tour to the mountains and countryside with her colleague, a tour guide Nicholas, who was also amazing! I would highly touring with Garen, and would look her uFantastic experiences with Garen

Sara🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

(About local Garen)

4 July 2023

I had a lot of fun in this simple walk, Garen is full of stories, time flies with her. She is very flexible and understanding, just go with her she is the right type of a tour guid 👍🏻👍🏻Fun walk

Amy

(About local Garen)

7 March 2025

We absolutely loved our food tour with Garen, which we booked after being recommended Garen specifically by my sister who did a tour with her a few months prior. Not only did Garen very delicious food and local restaurants, but she also shared lots of interesting information about life in Taiwan - including insights into Taiwanese culture and politics (we were actively asking about the politics, I'm sure if you're not interested in this aspect she would tailor the content). Thank you Garen!Amazing food with an amazing guide

Mimi🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jones)

7 March 2025

Jones was friendly and accommodating. He is very knowledgeable of his trade as a tour guide. I enjoyed the food tasting with him and he was open to some request like taking photos and shop for souvenirs however, it wasn’t mostly the best choices of authentic local foods and wasn’t as I expected it to be. I was told that street foods are available during the night market. Out of ten tastings, I loved the Meatballs soup, Scallion pancakes and the dried nuts and fruits. FYI, Foods for tastings are included in the price. Thankful for the experience. I recommend Jones for your Food tasting adventure in Taipei. Great experience!

Carolyn

(About local Daphne)

5 March 2025

Daphne arrived on time and she’s a safe driver. Showed us a good time and takes great photos Perfect way to spend a sunny day

Deb🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Garen)

4 March 2025

We had a wonderful afternoon with Garen on our foodie tour. We were introduced to lots of local dishes that we probably would not have tried if we were on our own. We even went back for the egg pancakes the next day as they were so delicious. Garen also gave us some tips on other places to see that we took advantage of the next day. i.e. Taipei 101 and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Thanks, Garen for a great experience!Great day in Taipei

Alan🇺🇸 United States

(About local Nicolas)

1 March 2025

What a tremendous visit to Taipei thanks to Nicolas!! He did such a nice job welcoming me and showing true hospitality! Thank you for the care, attention to detail and kindness. The stops we made showed the true food and beverage of Taiwan and I loved every minute of it! Thank you Nicolas!! I am grateful for your time and professionalism!! Tremendous Visit, Thank You Nicolas!!

Monica

(About local Garen)

26 February 2025

We had an excellent time with Garen.. she was exceptional, courteous, and selected places we will never had try on our own. She was very good in keeping communication. We had an awesome experience and could recommend her to all my friends.Experiencing new foods im Tapei

Louise🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Eva)

26 February 2025

Eva was a charm and felt like a part of our family within minutes! She took us to 100 years old family restaurants to try local cuisine far away from the touristic food markets, places that we would never have found ourselves. She was knowledgeable about Taiwanese history, culture, religion as well as food and spoke excellent English! The three hours passed quickly and apart from eating, we also had the opportunity to visit the Longshan Temple with Eva. Highly recommended! Wow, what a night!

Nicole

(About local Agnes )

23 February 2025

We had a great time with Agnes! We learned about this history and cultural of Taiwan. Would highly recomend. Great tour with Agnes!

cabrams2607🇺🇸 United States

(About local Daphne)

17 February 2025

Daphnes understanding of the history and culture of Taipei was evident throughout our tour, but what really sets Daphne apart from other guides is her passion and enthusiasm. We had a great tour or monuments, temples and cool neighborhoods, giving us a great intro to this beautiful city. Highly recommend!Fantastic Day in Taipei!

Filipa🇵🇹 Portugal

(About local Nicolas)

15 February 2025

I had an amazing experience with Nicolas as my guide in Taipei! He was incredibly dedicated to my specific needs, adapting seamlessly to ensure everything went smoothly. His deep knowledge of the city is impressive—he truly knows Taipei like the back of his hand. Beyond that, he was a fantastic travel partner, making the experience even more enjoyable. I highly recommend booking a tour with him!10

John

(About local Garen)

14 February 2025

We’ve never hired a guide before, but I decided to give it a go for our short 4-days in Taipei. Turns out hiring Garen was a brilliant idea and has inspired me to do the same whenever we visit a new country! On our first morning in Taipei, Garen met us for a breakfast tour (her recommendation). With an in depth knowledge of Taipei history, and her kind demeanor, Garen spent three hours with us visiting various food stops we never would have thought of, trying foods that were unique and impactful to everyday Taipei life, with a rich history of each dish that helped us connect with the culture. I think the various soy milk tastings were high up in our rankings, but the fishballs were awesome too. We were so impressed with Garen, we hired her for another 4-hour tour on our last full day in Taipei. This time we covered tea, an historic city street, and the famous Nangxia night market. What an experience! Garen started with taking us to a multigenerational tea shop for an intimate private tea tasting with the owner of the shop and plantation. What an incredible experience to learn the history and taste the quality difference in commercial vs family teas. This was a special experience. Next was Dihua Street, with its amazing history and architecture only someone like Garen could walk us through. We tried various foods as we perused, based on Garen’s recommendations. They were spot on. All of it was awesome. Last was the Nangxia night market. One of the many reasons to hire Garen is that she knows which stalls make good food and why. Like a food Jedi she passed over various stalls and shared why, helping us identify which were the right ones. And she certainly was not wrong. The food she hand selected was amazing. She’d even wait in line and communicate with the vendor on our behalf to ensure success! While we’d consider ourselves food adventurous, I’d say each tasting well within any traveler’s range. Hire Garen if you want a local’s take with some history and a hand-curated list of food vendors sure to deliver the quality you’d expect from someone experienced in Taipei life like Garen. Our experience with Garen made me realize even back home I do not have the kind of grasp on food and its integration in culture as Garen. She brought an element to food that only someone deeply engrained her culture could - highly curated with love and passion. This was not simply an eat here not there kind of tour. Thank you Garen for making our trip so special! What a fantastic memory!Garen Made Our Trip Unforgettable

Joe

(About local Jones)

13 February 2025

Jones met me as scheduled. He was most congenial and very knowledgeable. As we walked from tasting to tasting, he provided colorful descriptions of the restaurants we were to visit which included their history and fame. As we stopped at each restaurant, Jones suggested dishes I might want to try based on my preferences which I had shared with him earlier. At the end of the tour, which actually lasted a bit more than 3 hours (he didn't rush from tasing to tastng), I had experienced the 10 tastings promised, stopped and purchased some mementos for my grandchildren, and was escorted by Jones to the metro line where I boarded a train heading north to my next adventure. I highly recommend Jones to anyone who wants a great local guide with deep knowledge of the area's culture and food offerings.Great Food Exerience in Taipei with Jones

Mathieu

(About local Garen)

13 February 2025

Garen was really sympathetic and knew all the spot of the neighborhood. She gave me all the infos about Taiwan food and also cultural history. She adapt the different meals and stop according to my taste and feeling. Excellent food and cultural experience

Carla

(About local Eva)

8 February 2025

It was my pleasure of having Eva as my guide while travelling solo in Taipei. From the moment we met she was welcoming, warm, and knowledgeable. She made sure I got to the “must see” landmarks as well as several hidden gems. I felt like I was spending the afternoon and evening with a friend! I only wish I had had more time to spend with her and I will highly recommend her to my friends. Thank you Eva for leaving me with wonderful memories and a desire to return to Taiwan one day! Outstanding guide

Anne

(About local Agnes )

6 February 2025

We had a wonderful afternoon with Agnes. She has a wealth of knowledge about the culture and history of Taiwan, taking us to many important cultural and historical landmarks while also showing us some of the hidden gems of Taipei and exploring local foods. Agnes also did a great job customizing the tour to our needs. Many thanks to Agnes! Agnes was great!

Cathy_S

(About local Eva)

4 February 2025

This is a fabulous tour of Taipei. Eva, our tour guide, was simply amazing. She whisked us around the city on a very busy Lunan New Year. We not only saw all the sights but Eva gave us interesting historical tidbits. She took us on the metro/subway to move around and treated us to a bubble tea which originated in Taiwan. Eva is bubbly, smart and sweet. She is well travelled so she gets what the average travelled wants in a tour. She wasn't watching her watch she ensured we saw everything we wanted to see. Also gave us gifts for Lunar New Year. So sweet! Would highly recommend her and tour itself.Taipei tour with Eva- Highly recommend

Stephen

(About local Garen)

3 February 2025

We really enjoyed our food tour with Garen, whose enthusiasm for Taiwan and its food culture(s) was absolutely infectious. She accommodated our vegetarianism without any hesitation, and her food choices were exemplary. We appreciated the way she also worked hard to shine a light on Taiwan's broader history and contemporary geopolitical - it provided invaluable context for the tour. Thanks again Garen! Brilliant food tour with Garen

Krissie

(About local Eva)

3 February 2025

Our tour guide, Eva, was informative, friendly, genuine, and knowledgeable. You can tell that she is passionate about her job. Even before the tour began, she went above and beyond to answer all of my questions. Highly recommend herHighly recommend

Heungsoo

(About local Eva)

1 February 2025

It was very nice tour to experience Taiwan’s street food and also dishes that used to eat during the lunar new year holidays. Eva was our guide and she gave us many options to enjoy the traditional food and also learned a lot about the history and culture of this country. So professional & sincere. Thank you Eva. 200% recommendations!!!Excellent tour to taste the real (local) Taiwanese food!!!

Conny🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Garen)

1 February 2025

We had a truly wonderful tour with Garen - not only did we learn a lot, we also had a great time! Travelling with Garen felt like travelling with a friend. Highly recommend! :-)A truly wonderful time!

Karen

(About local Garen)

31 January 2025

Garen went above and beyond to take care of our group. She did a full day private tour with us and accommodated our every need! We saw all the major sights of the city and experiences delicious food. She was so knowledgeable and we learned so much from her. Would 1000% recommend Garen was amazing

Rachel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Garen)

30 January 2025

We met up with Garen on our first morning in Taipei. She gave us a great overview, introduced to regional politics and history and showed us practical things, ranging from where to find bathrooms to how to use the MRT. She also took us to two key sites and made them more meaningful with her explanations. We would highly recommend her tour. Fantastic Introduction to Taiwan/Taipei

Shauna

(About local Eva)

28 January 2025

The food was excellent and interesting. Our guide was wonderful - she was very knowledgeable and helpful. Highly recommend.Excellent Experience

David🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Daphne)

26 January 2025

Daphne gave us a great evening walk in Taipei. She provided plenty of information and help before we arrived and was spot on time. She was very informative on all aspects of the walk and was well organised for transport between the venues visited. We highly recommend recommend her as a guide.Great local evening tour with Daphne

Info🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Agnes )

26 January 2025

Very interesting tour. Agnes is knowing, experienced, and with proper English and sence of humour. It felt like a friend was showing me the city. I am very happy with the experience. Booked another tour with AgnesWonderful experience

Mary ann

(About local Jones)

22 January 2025

(Please do not share this review )(Do not share this )

dwwvancouver🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Jones)

21 January 2025

We had a most wonderful time with Jones. He was both communicative and prompt. He was receptive to accommodate our tour based upon our hotel’s location. We tried a large number and diversity of food.

Elfie🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Jones)

21 January 2025

Jones ist ein sehr fürsorglicher Guide! Er ging auf unsere Wünsche ein und zeigte uns Stellen in Taipeh, wo nur Einheimische waren. Jederzeit wieder, wir werden ihn weiter empfehlen!Großartig!

Timothy

(About local Garen)

16 January 2025

We had a great day with Garen. She was excited that we had chosen a history and culture tour with her rather than her typical food tours. She was extremely passionate about sharing Taiwan with us and gave us an unfiltered overview of her country's past, present, and future. It was our first day in Taiwan so beyond introducing us to their history, Garen also show us how to navigate the metro and busy market streets and ended with a meal of amazing braised pork rice at a restaurant we couldn't have found on our own. History and Culture with Garen

Helen

(About local Jones)

14 January 2025

We had just arrived in Taipei and knew time was tight with regard to meeting Jones for our food tour - I rang him and he offered to meet us at our hotel which was such a relief. We immediately proceeded to a local establishment and sat down to eat delicious food and spent time getting to know each other. (Jones has many amusing personal stories). He then proceeded to lead us through the streets of Wanhua stopping every so often to taste a local delight. (A glorious interlude was visiting Ginger - and receiving a soothing neck massage - giving us a short rest from eating). This went on until we could eat no more and finished the night with a cup of tea. Overall the experience was very good value for money, our guide was extremely knowledgeable and great company- we were absolutely stuffed full. Thank you Jones 😋 😀So much delicious food

Chandler

(About local Garen)

12 January 2025

Can not say enough great things about Garen. My mother and I had an absolutely amazing 3 hours with Garen. She was fantastic at communicating with us and making sure we knew where to meet her for the tour. She has incredible knowledge of various foods - walking us through the market and pointing out interesting fruits and veggies that we don't normally have in our home country. She made sure my mother and I felt comfortable - asking us if we wanted to try x, y, and z. She knows a lot about Taiwan and when allowing us to eat our delicious street food, shared amazing stories, videos, and pictures about the Island. A food tour with her is a must if you want to try local authentic food and really learn a lot about the island. Wonderful food tour with Garen

Kaye🇭🇰 Hong Kong

(About local Garen)

12 January 2025

Garen is such a great guide to Taipei and its food! We had a fun afternoon wandering around the city and I learned a huge amount from her. Would definitely recommend.

Priska🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Garen)

11 January 2025

We met Garen the first evening of our stay and had a great time hearing about the country's people, culture and of course, the variety of Taiwanese food. Garen is a knowledgeable person, funny and a lovely host. Whereever we went, people smiled and were happy to see her. Amazing, how many kinds of foods we had the chance to taste and learn about. We 100% recommend Garen as your guide!Best start of our Taipei holiday

Charles

(About local Garen)

11 January 2025

hkbmm6sjp4🇸🇮 Slovenia

(About local Jones)

10 January 2025

We do recommend to start your trip around Taiwan with “local” knowledge which was perfectly presented to us from Jones through tasting some very typical Taiwanese food and walking us among narrow streets of Taipei.Truly helpful

Nicholas

(About local Agnes )

9 January 2025

Agnès was awesome, truly a great way to start our time in Taipei. She was super knowledgeable about the background and history of the city and showed us tons of spots!Great Experience!

nobel

(About local Agnes )

8 January 2025

First time in Taiwan for me and my boyfriend and we couldn’t ask for more or better experience than what we had with the help of Agnes. The warmest person and extremely knowledgeable who can find every hidden gem in the city. Thank you Agnes. The best New Year’s holidays ever ! Michael and Nobel Taipei with the best company