Gay Taipei guide 2024: gay bars, clubs, saunas, events and more

It’s glossy. It’s camp. It’s Cafe Dalida! This bar is a busy, booming and boisterous place to visit. We love it here, it was our main go-to gay bar during our time in Taipei. The cocktails are delicious and the waiters super cute, always with a cheeky wink or shy demure smile! It's also one of the best drag bars in Taipei, with a hilarious show on weekends. Our only tip – if coming on a weekend evening try to book a table as it gets super busy! The crowd here is a mix of foreigners and locals and a great place to quickly make friends, which is what we loved about it the most. Cafe Dalida is located downstairs in the Ximen Red House and is open daily until around 2am.

The Garden is the other main gay bar of the gay Ximen Red House area. It's massive, with a large garden-like outdoor terrace (hence the name). You almost always pass through The Garden when sashaying through the Ximen Red House area because the pathway cuts straight through. Because of this, The Garden always felt to us like the heart and soul of the Red House gay scene. Whilst we love Dalida a lot, The Garden was also a favourite of ours because we were more likely to get a table here during the busy weekend hours. The Garden is located downstairs at the Ximen Red House and is open daily until around 1/2am.

A spin-off from The Garden, located directly above it in the Ximen Red House complex, The Secret Garden is a much smaller bar with standing-only space. It overlooks the Ximen hangout area so it's a good spot to check out the talent below and get a few shots of Ximen by night. The crowd here was more local compared to the bars downstairs, which we love because Taiwanese gays love meeting and chatting with foreign guys. What sets The Secret Garden apart from all the other gay bars upstairs is that it has a live DJ on most evenings. The Secret Garden is located upstairs in the Ximen Red Hosue and is open daily until around 2am.

Sol is a very popular gay restobar in a more remote corner just by the entrance to the Ximen Red House. We frequently came here for pizza snacks as a break from all the cocktails at Dalida, although they also do some pretty darn good drinks here too! Make sure you try the rainbow coloured “Around the World” cocktail! Sol has a buzzy outdoor terrace space with large wooden tables, attracting all flavours of the LGBTQ family from around the world. Sol Bistro Cafe is located by the entrance to Ximen Red House on Xining Road and is open daily until around 1am.

This is one of those unassuming places that is packed full of charm! We sort of stumbled on Hero by accident and glad we did! It's located around 10 minutes walk away from the Ximen Red House, attracting more of a local crowd of all ages. It has a small dancing area, which gets quite rowdy and messy later in the evening as more and more guys lose their shirts! And if you want to enrichen your local experience in Taipei, we suggest heading upstairs to the cruising area… Look out for their themed nights like the “Goddess Party” and “Black Party”. Hero Bar is located at 2F-4F, 15-2 Kunming Street and is open daily (except Mondays) until around 3am.

When you see a name like Fairy for sure you're going to go inside right? Especially when their slogan is “It Takes BALLS to be a fairy”! This is a chic cocktail bar on the Eastern side of the city, which gets quite raucous and busy on weekends. We liked it – it's super hip and quite quirky, with lots of plant decoration that gives it a sort of Mother Nature feel! The crowd is mainly local trendy gay guys in their 20s and 30s. When we came here on a Saturday evening before heading to G*, it was alive and super busy! Look out for their themed parties like “No Pants Day” and the “Fairy KIKI Ball”. Fairy Bar is located at 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District, Lane 49, Section 4, Zhongxiao E Rd, and is open daily until around 3am.

Bacio is the Italian word for “kiss”, and the ethos of this cute place is to spread the love…and they sure do a great job of spreading the love with their sexy team of GoGo dancers that surface later in the evening! Bacio is more of an after-work drinks hangout, particularly popular with local gay guys. The music is a mix of pop chart music with some Kpop thrown in, which we LIVE for! On weekends they have fun disco nights like our favourite, “It's Britney B*tch!”. Like Fairy Bar, Baccio is also located in the Eastern side of Taipei, making it a handy place to go for pre-drinks before heading to G* to party. Bacio is found at No. 11, Lane 160, Section 1, Dunhua South Road and is open Wednesday to Sunday until around 3am.

Hearing something called Indulge Experimental Bistro is enough to pique anyone's curiosity and like little cats, we were pulled in by our intrigue! The Bistro greets you with a hushed decadent ambience that is both quietly confident and comforting. Their cocktails all have a unique twist so they both look and taste amazing! But don't just take our word for it, Indulge Experimental Bistro is considered to be one of the top 5 bars in Asia. A pretty mean feat! You can find Indulge Experimental Bistro at 11, Lane 219, Section 1, Fuxing South Road. It's open daily until around 1/2am.

Up for something a little different? When you first see this name you will be forgiven for misreading it. We made the same mistake! But when you walk in, you can see why there is a clever play on words. The ambience is chic and fun with a different way of ordering drinks: instead of a menu, you tell the bar staff what alcohol you like most, and they will prepare you a drink based on this. Let's just say we were never disappointed – these guys sure know how to create a mouth-watering cocktail! Fourplay is located at 49 Dongfeng Street and is open daily (except Sundays) until around 1/2am.

G*star is why we love the Taipei gay scene. Every time we came here it was always a fun evening, especially on Saturdays. We always make a whole bunch of new friends, both locals and fellow gay travellers. As it's the main gay club of Taipei, everyone out ‘on the scene' will eventually make their way here. The music is everything we love about gay clubs – loads of cheesy pop classics with some K pop hits thrown into the mix. They usually have a few shows around midnight which include drag queens, cabaret and GoGo dancers. When the shows are finished, the entire stage downstairs becomes one large dancing space. Upstairs is a more chilled seating area which overlooks the stage below also a handy spot to cruise the talent below! G*star is located at No. 23, Long Jiang Rd and is open Friday and Saturday until around 5am.

Hunt Taipei is more of a raunchy kind of place. Not for the fainthearted! You will be led down into the basement and feel your inhibitions start to slowly roll off of you. What really sets this place apart though are its monthly themed nights, aka “the Hunting Seasons”, which run on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Events include “Lube Wrestling”, “Small Towel Day” and various underwear parties. And to really kick it up a level, there's even an event called Fundoshi…this is a Japanese version of the jockstrap to give you an idea! Hunt is located at No. 7, Section 2, Guiyang Street and is open daily (except Tuesdays) until around 3am.

Once a month, you can really let it loose at Werk! It happens on the 3rd Saturday of each month as well as at special times of the year like Pride in October. Remember Taipei Pride is a big deal here – it's the largest gay event in all of Asia, and Werk! puts on one hell of a show for it! As it's only a monthly event, they go all out, featuring the best DJs, drag shows and plenty of hunky GoGo dancers. The crowd is usually a mix of locals and foreigners aged in their 20s and 30s. The Werk! party happens at Triangle which is located at No. 1 Yumen Street. Check their Facebook page for precise details of their next event.

B1 is a straight club that is famous for its gay parties called Blush and C.U.M. This is more of an electro music-type club in an underground location. Blush is an event inspired by a Burlesque theme from Berlin or Paris featuring drag shows and famous live DJs. The Create Ur Mmmagic! party is one of the most exciting parties at B1 to look out for – it's a super fun pop-inspired night out welcoming all genders. B1 is located at 198 Section 3, Civic Boulevard and is only open on Fridays and Saturdays until around 5am.

Abrazo Bistro is spread across two levels: one for dining on scrumptious Asian cuisine, the other for dancing the night away. It's a popular spot for young people, so expect it to be super lively and jam-packed. The menu has lots of variety with some super tasty Taiwanese classic dishes. Our favorite was the crispy duck breast with pineapple wine sauce. Sounds bonkers we know, but it was gooood! We also loved the water bamboo and scallop salad, which we think you also need to try. Absolutely sublime food here!

Mudan Taipei is a large outdoor cafe located right in the heart of the Ximen Red House. It prides itself on traditional Japanese cooking – the head chef traveled to Japan to learn tempura techniques, which he applies here. The food is a mixture of seafood and other meats, with a Japanese influence. We loved coming here for a bite to eat before heading over to Dalida and Secret Garden for cocktails on a Friday evening. We also like that the food itself is not too heavily battered as the tempura is made from Japanese flour, water, and 4 signature oils.

Din Tai Fung is a well-established dumpling restaurant that we are completely in love with. Honestly, this is one of the best restaurants we have been to in Taipei and their steamed dumplings are to die for. Simply divine! To add to the charm of this restaurant, the owner Yang Bang-Yi was one of those success stories that really tugs at the heartstrings. Having fled China during its tumultuous civil war in the late 1940s, Yang arrived in Taipei and overtime set up Din Tai Fung from the ground up. A true success story! This is a verrrry popular spot though, so make sure you reserve a table if you want to avoid long queues.

If you really want to chill, sit back and relax, then UDE is for you. Nestled into the shopping district of Ximen, we found this to be the perfect spot to stop and recharge our batteries while on our shopping spree. Not only is there a rainbow flag flying outside, but UDE serves delicious food that is so perfectly presented. Each plate is like a work of art and many dishes come with cute little animal figurines on the side. These small wooden toys are an adorable addition to your meal.

We stumbled on Fong Da by accident, mainly because of the striking decor, resembling something you'd see in a 1950s movie. We fell in love with Fong Da and opted to come here for our morning brew instead of the Starbucks down the road. It's tiny, yet adorable, with so many coffee blends to choose from. Seby's favorite was the “Fong Da Coffee blend”. It's not too strong but has a pleasant nutty aftertaste. Bonus: Fong Da is located just around the corner from the Ximen Red House.

For New Yorkers, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of hope. For Parisians, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of love. For the Taiwanese, Taipei 101 is a symbol of dreams and a shining message of what is possible. The tall structure (an impressive 101 floors at 508m/1,666ft high) represents the renewal of time. Each floor was built to represent one year across a decade – with the 101st floor commemorating all of the years that are to come. Also, it is constructed to look like a stalk of bamboo which represents strength and prosperity to the Taiwanese. At the top is an observation deck that allows for panoramic views, as well as the chance to go outside: we highly recommend this for the best views of the city.

When it comes to LGBTQ rights, Taiwan is leading the pack in Asia. To celebrate its victorious legislation of same-sex marriage in 2019 (the first country in Asia to do so), Taipei painted a massive rainbow crossing in the heart of the city. With the assistance of various organisations, the brightly coloured spot came to be affectionately named the “the Rainbow Six” crossing. You can find it just outside the exit of the Ximen MRT Station, close to the entrance to the Ximen Red House gay area. We (obviously!) loved coming here to get lots of rainbow crossing pics for our Instagram…think of this as our gay version of the Beatles' Abbey Road album cover!

Taiwan is so gay, they even have a gay deity with a temple in its honor! The Rabbit Gay Temple was built to commemorate Tu’er Shen (The Rabbit God), who is a Chinese deity that is said to manage the love and relationships between same-sex partners. So of course, we simply had to visit! It was founded in 2006 by Lu Wei-ming and gets visited by 9,000 gay pilgrims each year. It is particularly popular for those folk who are single and ready to mingle – as the spirit of the Rabbit God helps those looking for love. As the world’s only shrine for an LGBTQ god, we think this is a must-see for all gay travelers to Taipei.

If you're not into one of the gay hot springs we recommend above, we suggest checking out the public baths at the Beitou Hot Springs. It's full of locals coming for their daily bathe in various pools each with different temperatures. See how long you last in the hot hot hot pool before your skin turns red and you feel you're cooking…Seby lasted a whole 5 minutes before running out to cool down in the ice-cold bath! We recommend bringing speedos (NOT swimming shorts – they're very strict about this!), a towel and flip flops. As you're here, we also recommend checking out the Beitou Thermal Valley next door (where the photo was taken), where you can see the rising steam from the hot sulphuric water rising with the pretty valley behind. One way to get the most out of a day trip to Beitou is to join a tour to the springs and nearby volcano.

Officially called the Xiangshan Hiking Trail, the Elephant Mountain trek is a 400m (0.25 miles) climb from the city into the surrounding rain forest. It took us around 45 minutes to get from the MRT station to the top stopping a lot for photos of course! We recommend coming here for the best views of the city skyline, especially for Taipei 101. It's quite easy to do yourself, but for a unique experience with a local, we recommend this private tour, who will also pinpoint the best photo opps along the way.

If you want to have a night like no other, Taipei's night markets are definitely the way to go. They're filled with many delightful (as well as some pretty quirky!) foods to try out. The most famous foods we recommend you try at least once: an oyster omelette and the infamous sticky tofu (it tastes as vile as its smells!) There are, of course, many tasty dishes to try here, all in a very informal local setting. The Shilin Night Market is the biggest and most famous of all the Night Markets in Taipei. It is frequented by both locals and tourists. Not only is this a good place to get food (with over 500 stalls to choose from!), it is also a hub for fashion and electronic goods.

A thriving shopping district in the Dazhi area of Taipei, Miramar contains tons of department stores, a cinema and, most famously, a massive Ferris wheel. It stands 100 metres (330 ft) off the ground, making it the second tallest Ferris wheel in Taiwan. At night it gets all lit up in fancy colours. As well as the romantic atmosphere, we also recommend this for the impressive views over Taipei. Apart from the Ferris wheel, there are plenty of shops to explore selling everything from obscure clothing brands to delicious food.

Taipei Zoo is famous for being the largest zoo across all of Asia – all 90 acres of it! As such it has become one of Taipei's top attractions so it gets super busy at peak times – so definitely one to save for a weekday to avoid the large crowds. One of the star attractions of Taipei Zoo is the Giant Panda House where you can see the family of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan. This is a panda couple who were gifted to Taiwan by China in 2008 as a gesture of friendship. They live in the zoo with their offspring, Yuan Zai, who in 2013 became the first ever panda to be born in Taiwan!

Step aside Mazu, there's a new sea goddess in town as Seby tears through the streets of Ximen! Constructed in 1746, the Taipei Tianhou Temple was funded by foreign merchants from China to honour the revered Mazu, the goddess of the sea. Over time Mazu's importance increased massively in Taiwan, now regarded as the patron saint of the country. As such there are well over 1,000 places of worship dedicated to her. This is considered the most impressive. Getting to the Taipei Tianhou Temple can be a little tricky. There are no big signs announcing that it is a temple or place of worship so make sure you pay attention!

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial was built in April 1980 in honour of one of Taiwan's most famous leaders – Mr Chiang Kai-shek. He was the former president and general of “The Republic of China” between 1928-1975…NB: Taiwan's official name is: “The Republic of China”, which is different from the country's much larger neighbour, whose official name is the “People's Republic of China”! We recommend coming here to watch the very dramatic changing of the guards. It's super camp and OTT! The building is absolutely gorgeous, crafted from white stone in octagonal shape and topped with blue tiles on the roof. Not only is it pretty, but it's also meant to bring good fortune to everyone who visits. If you're joining this tour of Taipei it includes a stop at the memorial.

Visiting the Taroko Gorge National Park is a wonderful way to get out of the city and into nature for a while during your visit to Taiwan. This is a substantial trip of around 3 hours each way, so probably better for an overnight stay rather than a day trip from Taipei. It's worth it though, the scenery is to die for! Taroko Gorge is the deepest canyon in the country and is often regarded as one of the top attractions in Taiwan, receiving millions of visitors each year. The park itself is stunning, filled with emerald trees and a super photogenic aquamarine river that snakes all the way through the entire gorge.

The Peace Park is not only gorgeous but it has a notorious gay history. This park used to be one of the most popular cruising grounds of Taipei before the gay dating apps all but killed off the outdoor cruising scene. It is also the inspiration and setting for Pai Hsien-yung's classic novel, “Crystal Boys”. We liked coming to the Peace Park as a place to chill on a sunny day with a group of friends, a picnic and a few beers. The LGBTQ history of the Peace Parks continues to this day, with its grey gates temporarily painted the colours of the rainbow to honour its strong historical affinity to the LGBTQ community. Also, be sure to check out the Peace Park monument, which was built to not only commemorate the victims of the White Terror, but has also become a memorial site for Taiwan's LGBTQ community.

Want to do more to support the local gay population? Want to see what is happening at the ground level? Then coming to the GinGin Store should be on your list. Not only is it a bookstore (which is always a win!) but it has a great ethos that has helped support gay men in Taiwan for decades. Even if you look at their branding, it is all about inclusivity. The Chinese characters that spell the name GinGin Store are made up of 6 suns, which translate to “Glorious” and “Shining”. Couple this with the abundant rainbow colours found all over the front porch and you're sure to realise that this is a very gay friendly place to visit!