• 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

Off The Beaten Track

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

Jason🇺🇸 United States

(About local Agnes )

21 April 2025

Having done several food tours in multiple countries, I have to say that Agnes was one of the best guides that I have toured with. She was very knowledgeable about the history behind each dish that we ate, giving us a whole new appreciation for Taiwan and its food and culture. I would highly recommend Agnes to all!Fun, informative, and delicious

Shirin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Agnes )

18 April 2025

My husband and I loved our tour with Agnes! She introduced us to several delicious foods and provided an incredible history that perfectly accompanied each thing we ate! If you are looking for a tour trying lots of delicious foods while truly learning about Taiwanese history and culture, this is definitely the tour for you!Delicious and informative!

Unknown

(About local Garen)

16 April 2025

Garen was the best so make sure you book this tour! She not only gave us a food tour of many different and delicious foods, drinks, and desserts, but she gave us so many history nougats. She knows Taiwan's history and the history of Taipei and was more than willing to share it while answering many of our questions. When we go back, we will book another tour with her again.It's a must-have tour while in Taipei

Alice

(About local Agnes )

15 April 2025

1

My friend and I spent an excellent few hours with Agnes. She was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, using the food to introduce us to some of Taiwanese history and parts of Taipei that we wouldn't have otherwise got to visit. Couldn't recommend her and the tour enough!Amazing trip

Myrja

(About local Agnes )

15 April 2025

We started our trip to Taiwan with Agnes the evening we arrived. It was perfect! First a pepper bun at Rahoe Night Market and beautiful Ciyou Temple followed by cycling through the streets. Agnes explained everything wonderfully and we got the lay of the land quite easily. We wholeheartedly recommend this tour as a start to exploring Taipei!Perfect start to our journey

rob🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Garen)

14 April 2025

Garen provided us with a magnificent evening. She was so kind, knowledgeable and full of energy. Everything was first class. Delicious and really fun

Mike🇲🇾 Malaysia

(About local Daphne)

14 April 2025

Daphne guided us around Taipei for three-plus hours and the time flew by. She took us to several spots we would not have found on our own. Daphne was personable, engaging, informative, and insightful. She gave restaurant and bar suggestions, and talked about Taiwanese history, religion, and culture. As a bonus, we lucked out on the day of the tour, as it was just my wife and me, so this turned out to be a private tour. Highly recommended.Great tour and guide!

Mads

(About local Agnes )

14 April 2025

We had such a nice time with Agnes, enjoying her huge knowledge about Taiwan, Taipei and of cause the Taiwanese cuisine. It was the perfect combination of sightseeing, Q&A-sessions and food-crawling. Not to forget that Agnes is also a very skilled photographer. :-) we only had two full days in Taipei, and going on a tour with Agnes we got to experience so much more than we could do ourselves. Thank you Agnes. Best regards, Mads and Nicoline, Denmark Agnes was the best!

cc4jx9szcb

(About local Nicolas)

14 April 2025

We booked the Pingxi, Shifen & Jiufen Day Trip experience with Nicolas. We saw some beautiful spots on the tour and painted our own lantern, Nicolas took us to a great spot for lunch which must have beautiful views when it is not raining. Due to the wheater we wanted to change the plan so Nicolas suggested a tea tasting at his favourite teashop which was great and a very unique experience. Driving with Nicolas was very safe and conversation is easy. We can definitely recommend this tour, thank you Nicolas!Great day despite the rain

Ben

(About local Daphne)

13 April 2025

Excellent tour. Particularly enjoyed the experience of setting the lanterns aloft … with our wishes! Would certainly recommend this tour!Excellent Tour

Ben

(About local Eva)

12 April 2025

My wife and I have traveled to more than 70 countries and have taken countless tours. The night market and temple experience with Eva was absolutely fantastic! She was so warm and personable, knowledgeable about Taipei, snd introduced us to so many local foods. She told us a little about each dish before she ordered it. If the dish didn’t seem interesting, she always offered alternatives. Try to book Eva. You will be very pleased!Super Guide!

Jose🇺🇸 United States

(About local Garen)

11 April 2025

Garen was a fantastic food tour guide! Super friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience fun and delicious. Highly recommend her if you're in Taipei!Garen was a fantastic food tour guide!

nf5pwh8cwk🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Agnes )

11 April 2025

If you’re looking to experience the real flavors of Taiwan while laughing, learning, and feeling like you’re exploring with an old friend, then book a food tour with Agnes—immediately. From the moment we met her, Agnes was full of warmth and good vibes. She’s the kind of guide who makes you feel instantly at ease—funny, incredibly knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about Taiwanese food and culture. She didn’t just show us the must-eats; she told us the stories behind them, the cultural traditions, and even the occasional grandma-approved local tip. We tasted everything from savory street snacks to quirky desserts we probably wouldn’t have dared to try on our own. And with Agnes by our side, every bite came with a side of laughter. She was great at reading our energy, adjusting the pace, and keeping things interactive and light-hearted the entire time. This tour wasn’t just about food—it was about connection. With Agnes guiding us, we didn’t just visit Taiwan, we felt it. Highly recommend this experience to anyone who wants to go beyond the guidebook and straight to the heart (and stomach) of Taiwanese culture. 10/10 – come hungry and ready to have a great time!A Must-Do Taiwanese Food Tour with Agnes!

Lorna🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Nicolas)

10 April 2025

We had the pleasure of spending the day with Nicolas as our guide, and it was truly a highlight of our trip to Taiwan. From the moment we met, Nicolas impressed us with his deep knowledge of Taiwanese history and culture, which he shared with humour, insight, and genuine passion. Travelling with a teenager can sometimes be tricky, but Nicolas was incredibly accommodating and made sure everyone felt included and engaged throughout the day. He took us on a fantastic tour of Shifen and Jiufen - where we marvelled at waterfalls, released sky lanterns, explored beautiful temples, tasted delicious traditional dishes, and admired the coastal views. The day ended on a magical note with a serene and elegant tea ritual, hosted by Nicholas’s gracious friend. It was such a special experience - an unexpected highlight that will stay with us for a long time. We can’t recommend Nicolas highly enough. His warmth, humour, and thoughtfulness made this more than just a tour - it was a truly memorable cultural experience.Highlight of our trip

Emily🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Daphne)

7 April 2025

We had a wonderful time touring with Daphne. We loved all the sights she showed us, but really enjoyed listening to her share all her knowledge and stories. She was great with our kids - even perfectly timing a bubble tea stop when our youngest got a little antsy. Her passion is evident. We highly recommend Daphne! Amazing Tour

Emily🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Garen)

7 April 2025

Garen was an absolute delight—one of the best tour guides we’ve ever had. Her passion for food and Taiwan shines through. While we loved sampling all the delicious dishes, it was Garen’s storytelling and the rich insights she effortlessly wove into the experience that left a lasting impression. Don’t miss your chance to tour with her! Garen is Great!

Iliana🇧🇬 Bulgaria

(About local Garen)

4 April 2025

I had an amazing time with Garen! She is very knowledgeable and very sincere and I enjoyed talking to her about Taipei's history and her own personal take on world events. She showed me places that I wouldn't have visited by myself and took amazing pictures of me. She also helped me buy some medicine for my husband. If you have a chance, book a tour with Garen, you won't regret it.Fun day in Taipei

cc4jx9szcb

(About local Garen)

2 April 2025

The tour with Garen was a wonderful introduction into taiwanese eating habits. We tried a great variety of food and Garen knew all the history about it. Apart from that Garen gave us a lot of information about the city, people and life in Taipei - one could tell she does her job passionately. We can highly recommend this tour!Great start

Nanette🇺🇸 United States

(About local Garen)

1 April 2025

Garen is a perfect guide. She had great energy, was super nice and knew her stuff. More importantly she made history interesting and fun with all her great stories. We couldn't have asked for a better guide. I would highly recommend Garen!!Best Guide Ever

Frank🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Garen)

30 March 2025

Garen told us a lot about the Ciyoutempel 松山慈祐宮. That made the visit even more spectacular. After that we walked over the Raohe Street Night Market 饒河街觀光夜市, where we tasted a bit of the food, and she told us a lot of good to know information about the different types of food available on the night market.Good experience! Enjoyed the trip

Unknown

(About local Garen)

30 March 2025

We had a wonderful time. Garen was so knowledgeable about Taiwan’s food, people, and history. We booked this tour for our first full day in the country, and Garen provided many helpful tips and tricks to help us find our way around and to locate the best and freshest food options during the rest of our trip. We would highly recommend her tours to anyone looking to learn more.Great Tour!

Unknown

(About local Garen)

29 March 2025

We loved Garen’s food tour! Not only did we get to try unique and delicious foods, but she shared their histories as well as more context about the culture and country. Would recommend!Great tour

Jasmin Marilyn🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Garen)

28 March 2025

I had a great half day tour with garen! The communication before our meet up was easy and she showed me around places, I wouldnt have managed to see them on my own!! The food was great too! Garen speaks really good english and is super kind! So happy that i did that tour-thank you again garen!!Great experience

Farah

(About local Garen)

27 March 2025

"I recently went on a private food tour with Garen, and it was amazing. She was friendly, spoke excellent English, and made the experience unforgettable. Not only did she introduce me to some incredibly tasty local dishes, but she also shared fascinating insights about Taiwanese history and culture. Garen provided helpful tips that you wouldn't normally know unless you were a local. I highly recommend her for anyone looking to explore Taiwan through its food and heritage!"

Gregor🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Eva)

27 March 2025

Thank you, Eva, for an amazing tour, showing us so many things in Taipei, both the highlights, as well as some hidden gems. Highly recommend! Best, G.Amazing tour

cecile🇭🇰 Hong Kong

(About local Garen)

27 March 2025

My husband and I had the most incredible private food tour with Garen in Taipei last November. From start to finish, the experience was seamless, well-organized, and truly special. We had requested a tailor-made tour, wanting to go off the beaten path since we’ve been in Asia for over a decade and were eager to discover something new about Taiwanese culture and cuisine. Garen was fantastic in her communication and planning, ensuring that every stop introduced us to authentic, regional Taiwanese dishes. She always checked in with us to make sure we were comfortable and was incredibly easy to talk to, making the experience even more enjoyable. Beyond just food, Garen added a cultural depth to our tour by stopping at temples along the way, where she explained the significance of different gods and offerings. Her knowledge and insights made these visits truly enriching. One of the highlights was when I asked her about purchasing high-quality green tea. Even though our tour had officially ended, she took us to a family-run tea shop where the owners cultivate their own tea. She stayed with us through the tasting, translating our conversation with the tea expert, ensuring we had the best experience. This extra effort meant so much, especially as this tour was part of my husband’s birthday celebration. Garen is not only knowledgeable and passionate but also incredibly thoughtful and easygoing. She went above and beyond to make this tour unforgettable, and we couldn’t be more grateful. If you’re looking for an authentic, insightful, and delicious food experience in Taipei, we wholeheartedly recommend Garen!Unforgettable Private Food Tour with Garen

Unknown

(About local Garen)

25 March 2025

Garen provides an amazing experience with native food tastings as well as in depth historical background. She speaks fluent English as well as Chinese. My husband speaks Mandarin/cantonese while I require English so Garen switched easily between languages. During the tour, we can see her love of native foods and warm relationships with local vendors. Some of the tips that she teaches us are not found in any guidebook. Garen also customized tastings to our preferences so I found the entire tour to be enjoyable. If you truly want an in depth local guide to Taipei, you should sign up with Garen. Excellent food tour

Nilla

(About local Agnes )

24 March 2025

Our tour with Agnes was amazing! She was an excellent guide, taking us to some splendid places to get food and some historic spots in Taipei. As our tour was concluding, she provided some excellent references for a night market, food stands to try in Wulai (since we were leaving to go there), and some must sees of Taipei.Amazing guide!

9kpbtx5jjw

(About local Garen)

23 March 2025

This was our first ever food tour and we loved it. Garen took us around a neighborhood that was interesting both for its food options and for its overall vibe. She picked great things to eat, and she supplemented that with interesting background on not just the food, but Taiwan culture and society. Strongly recommend!!Great food tour

eduard🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Agnes )

20 March 2025

Tolle Begleitung, die mit Spaß und viel Freude uns geführt hat. Immer wieder eigene Ideen eingebracht hat oder unseren Wünschen gefolgt ist. Kompetent , freundlich ,individuell

Unknown

(About local Garen)

20 March 2025

Garen was a great guide for us. Our interests were both on historical insights and the cuisine of Taiwan. Garen shared the historical evolution of Taiwan thru the lens of the ancient Temple rituals. She explained the economic evolution up thru today as seen in the Market & Factory changes as different occupants ruled the island. We loved walking through the old town food markets and seeing the generational families at work in the markets. Garen speaks exceptionally clear American English. She is interesting and has a Radiant exuberant personality. She is ideal for anyone wishing to know the real Taiwan!Beyond expectations

jtc331

(About local Garen)

20 March 2025

We booked the food tour with Garen for our group with 3 adults and 5 kids (ages 9 down to an infant). Garen did a great job interacting with the kids and keeping them interested as well. We enjoyed the food choices, and the route was well planned (starting at a MRT stop and ending only a couple of blocks from the same stop for convenience). All of this was extra impressive because we ended up with pouring rain on a good bit of the tour, but Garen did well despite that.Fantastic host with our kids

Danielle 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Garen)

19 March 2025

We were led around by Garen and she did a wonderful job of showing her city and country and giving us a true taste of the local food. We never would have had that experience on our own. In addition she explained the political history of her country as well as current info like the receipts lottery. Highly recommend!! A great intriduction to Tapai

Karin🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Garen)

17 March 2025

We had a great time with Garen and the tour. She brought us to nice places with great food, showed us how you are supposed to eat several things, like fruit. She also told us some history of Taiwan. It really was a great start of our 3 week travel in Taiwan.Great first impression of Taipei

Cristian

(About local Garen)

17 March 2025

Garen was our food tour guide and she was great! She blended the history of Taiwan with delicious food to give us an overview of the history of the food we were eating !Amazing food tour !

Gabriela

(About local Garen)

16 March 2025

We took the street food tour with Garen and couldn't have asked for a better experience. Garen's knowledge and insight about Taipei's food and overall history paired with her great personality and communication style made the tour extremely interesting and fun! We felt extremely well taken care of, from not letting us waiting too long in queues to making sure we all crossed the street safely and making sure were enjoying ourselves at all times. Garen's personality is bubbly, friendly and super welcoming. We ended the tour with our bellies and hearts full, warm and happy. Thanks Garen!!Best tour we ever took!

Sabrina

(About local Garen)

13 March 2025

It was a great experience! We did the street food morning market and started with a breakfast soy milk and a lot of history and political facts. Further on we really had a loooot of food! We liked nearly everything and it was so interesting to try different stuff and get to know how to even order in a taiwanese restaurant. Later we also saw a temple and Garen's Tour ended in a really nice district. We wiuld definitely recommend it!Garen knows a lot about Taiwan!