Embrace Your Inner Tourist at the Taipei 101 Observatory
Taipei 101 is iconic. It’s a towering beacon visible from across the city that puts every other building to shame with its imposing and stylish appearance.
As a visitor to Taipei, your first question might be, “Can you go up to the top?”
The answer is yes — and yes, the views are awesome — though you might be deterred by the NT$600 observatory ticket. Still, ascending the tower is one of the most popular activities for visitors and it’s definitely an experience you’ll remember.
Here’s how to do it:
The first step is obviously to go to Taipei 101, which shouldn’t be hard to find.
Enter the bougie mall at the base of the tower and head up to the 5th floor. You’ll see this escalator that leads up to the observatory ticket desk.
Tickets can be purchased for the following prices:
General: NT$600
Student: NT$540 (with a valid ID)
Children: Free (under 115cm)
The queue wraps around the back of the ticket desk. It varies in length based on the day of the week, the time of year, and especially the weather conditions that day.
We visited on an overcast weekday afternoon in mid-January and it was an hour wait to get up the tower. You can imagine how long the line is on a sunny Saturday during high season!
After the long wait, you’ll be treated to a ride on the Guinness World Record-breaking elevator that reaches a max speed of 1,010 meters/minute, rocketing up to the 89th floor in only 37 seconds. Time to get excited!
You’ll disembark from the elevator at the 89th floor, which (at 382 meters above the ground) offers incredible 360 degree views of the city beyond the windows.
There are also gift shops, refreshments, a professional photography service, high powered binoculars, and a museum where you can learn about the design and construction of Taipei 101.
Take the stairs up the the 91st floor and you’ll find an outdoor viewing platform. It only faces one direction and the view is somewhat obstructed by metal bars that fence in the observation deck, but if you stick your camera through the bars you can get the clearest photos of the city from above (hello Instagram). It’s also possible to see the spire that reaches up to a maximum height of 508 meters.
On the inside, there’s a small theatre that loops films about the construction of Taipei 101 and the annual New Year’s fireworks display.
(Note that the outdoor viewing platform is only open when weather conditions are favourable.)
Take the stairs down to the 88th floor when you’re ready to leave. You’ll find a massive 660 ton weight that anyone interested in engineering will appreciate. It’s a suspended wind damper used to offset the force of the wind (which can get vicious during typhoons) that helps keep Taipei 101 standing. Thank you wind damper!
We recommend going to the Taipei 101 Observatory in the late afternoon and staying for sunset so that you can see the city during the day and watch it light up as darkness falls. You can get some epic views of the city at night from the outdoor viewing platform.
Use this interactive map to explore the observatory!
What’s the vibe?
Busy observation decks (one indoor and one outdoor) that offer killer views of Taipei.
Worth it?
It depends.
The NT$600 ticket isn’t exactly cheap. If you’re a photographer and/or the type of person who really enjoys city views, it’s worth paying for this memorable Taipei experience. Otherwise, you might want to consider climbing Elephant Mountain for spectacular views (that include Taipei 101) minus the price tag.
Would you go back?
Maybe.
We wouldn’t go by ourselves (we’re not tourists), but if we have friends or family visiting the city we’ll consider another trip up Taipei’s iconic tower.
Visited: January 2018
| Taipei 101 Observatory |
| Chinese Name: 台北101觀景台 |
| Hours: 9am – 10pm |
| Phone: 02 8101 8898 |
| Cost: General - NT$600 Student - NT$540 (with valid ID) Child - Free (under 115 cm) |
