Comparison · Taiwan
Taipei vs Hong Kong: Which Should You Choose for a First Trip?
Both fit a 3-4 day trip. Compare airport transfers, each guide's daily budget, same-month weather normals and the top sights side by side.
Published
The short answer
Taipei is friendly and affordable, with night markets serving endless street food. Easy day trips to Jiufen, hot springs and seaside towns make it, in the guide's words, perfect for a short break or a first trip to Asia.
Hong Kong packs skyscrapers, street markets, dim sum halls and mountain trails tightly around Victoria Harbour. Short distances let you see a lot in a few days, ideal if you love skyline views, food and shopping.
Best for: Taipei suits night-market eating, day trips and hot springs. Hong Kong suits harbour views, ferries, dim sum, shopping and a sea-view hike, all on short routes.
From the airport to the city
In Taipei, take the purple Taoyuan Airport MRT Express (not the commuter) from Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) to Taipei Main Station: about 35-40 min, about NT$150-160. Airport buses take about 50-70 min and taxis about 40-60 min; use the official taxi rank. If you land at Songshan Airport (TSA), right in the city, the brown Wenhu Line takes about 10-20 min for about NT$20-30.
In Hong Kong, the Airport Express reaches Kowloon and Hong Kong stations in about 25 min. Fares vary by station, so check official MTR fares. Cheap airport buses take about 50-70 min (A21 to Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok, A11 to Central and Causeway Bay), and red taxis about 30-45 min, plus luggage and tunnel charges.
In town, an EasyCard in Taipei or an Octopus card in Hong Kong covers the metro, buses and convenience-store purchases. Taipei's MRT bans eating and drinking, even water or gum, in stations and on trains, and fines apply; Hong Kong's MTR bans eating and drinking in the paid areas.
How many days and how much
Both guides suggest 3 to 4 days. The currencies differ, so rather than ranking the two, read each guide's daily budget in local currency.
- Taipei budget: about NT$1,500-2,000 per day (hostel, night markets, MRT)
- Taipei mid-range: about NT$3,500-4,500 per day (3-4 star hotel, restaurant meals)
- Taipei luxury: about NT$8,000+ per day (luxury hotel, fine dining)
- Hong Kong budget: about HK$500-700 per day (guesthouse, cha chaan teng, MTR)
- Hong Kong mid-range: about HK$1,200-1,600 per day (4-star hotel, dim sum and restaurants)
- Hong Kong luxury: about HK$3,000+ per day (5-star hotel, fine dining)
- Meal prices: Taipei beef noodle soup about NT$150-300 a bowl and lu rou fan about NT$40-70; Hong Kong wonton noodles about HK$40-70 a bowl and dim sum about HK$100-200 per person
Weather month by month
Both guides name October-December and March-April as the best times. The figures below are 1991–2020 normals (high/low temperature, monthly rainfall): for Taipei, Taipei station data from the Central Weather Administration (CWA), Taiwan; for Hong Kong, Hong Kong (WMO city data) from the WMO World Weather Information Service — Hong Kong Observatory.
In both cities, each of these five months gets less rain than the year's monthly average. Hong Kong is especially dry in November and December (39 mm and 29 mm), while Taipei gets 83 mm and 89 mm. The Hong Kong guide notes that March-April gets humid.
May to September is best avoided: Taipei has the May-June plum rains and the hot July-September typhoon season, and Hong Kong is hot, humid and in typhoon season from May to September. June is the wettest month in both, with 345 mm in Taipei and 492 mm in Hong Kong, and average July highs reach 35°C in Taipei and 32°C in Hong Kong. When Typhoon Signal No. 8 or higher is raised in Hong Kong, buses and ferries generally stop and many shops close. Many Taipei shops close for Lunar New Year, and Hong Kong is very crowded during the Chinese New Year and Golden Week holidays.
- March: Taipei 23°C/16°C, 157 mm; Hong Kong 22°C/18°C, 75 mm
- April: Taipei 26°C/19°C, 153 mm; Hong Kong 26°C/21°C, 153 mm
- October: Taipei 28°C/22°C, 150 mm; Hong Kong 28°C/24°C, 120 mm
- November: Taipei 25°C/20°C, 83 mm; Hong Kong 25°C/20°C, 39 mm
- December: Taipei 21°C/16°C, 89 mm; Hong Kong 20°C/16°C, 29 mm
What you do there
In Taipei, make the 20-30 minute stair climb up Elephant Mountain for a free view facing Taipei 101, and allow at least 2-3 hours for the imperial treasures of the National Palace Museum (closed on Mondays, with some exceptions). Shilin Night Market is liveliest after 6 pm, Longshan Temple and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall are free, and Beitou Hot Springs is on the MRT. Jiufen and Shifen are day trips by bus or train via Ruifang; Jiufen is very crowded on weekends, so go on a weekday.
In Hong Kong, ride the Peak Tram or a bus up Victoria Peak for the skyline, and watch the free Symphony of Lights from the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade around 8 pm nightly. Cross the harbour on the Star Ferry, and allow half a day for Ngong Ping 360 and the Tian Tan Buddha. Man Mo Temple, Temple Street Night Market, the West Kowloon Cultural District (M+ is closed on Mondays and the Hong Kong Palace Museum on Tuesdays, except public holidays) and the 2-3 hour Dragon's Back hike are also popular.
Where to stay: in Taipei, Taipei Main Station for transport, Ximending for value, Zhongshan for cafes or Xinyi for the skyline; in Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui for a first visit, Central / Sheung Wan for dining, Causeway Bay for shopping or Mong Kok / Yau Ma Tei for a local vibe.
How to choose, and before you go
Pick Taipei for day trips, hot springs and night-market food; pick Hong Kong to combine harbour views, ferries, dim sum, shopping and a sea-view hike on short routes. Both share the same best seasons, October-December and March-April, so dates alone won't decide it.
Entry requirements and procedures can change, so check official Taiwan and Hong Kong government information before you travel. Recent fares are on the route pages below; check schedules with the airlines.
- Carry Taiwan dollars in cash for night markets and small eateries
- Hong Kong uses British-style three-pin (Type G) outlets; bring an adapter if needed
- Pack a light layer for strong indoor air conditioning in both cities
- In summer, watch the forecast for typhoons
Plan your Taipei trip
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Plan your Hong Kong trip
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FAQ
Taipei or Hong Kong for a first trip?
The Taipei guide calls it perfect for a short break or a first trip to Asia, and Hong Kong's short distances let you see a lot in a few days. Choose Taipei for day trips and night markets, Hong Kong for skyline views, food and shopping.
How many days do I need?
Both guides suggest 3 to 4 days. The Taipei guide's itinerary uses Day 3 for a day trip to Shifen and Jiufen.
Which is cheaper?
The currencies differ, so the guides' figures alone don't rank them. Mid-range daily budgets are about NT$3,500-4,500 in Taipei and about HK$1,200-1,600 in Hong Kong.
When is the best time to go?
October-December and March-April in both cities. In the 1991–2020 normals, each of those months gets less rain than the year's monthly average in both. May-September is typhoon season.
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