Source: Tourism Bureau, Republic of China (Taiwan)
Its title as the tallest building in the world may have been overtaken but Taipei 101 remains one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Standing at 392 meters high, Taipei 101 offers a panoramic view of the city all-around from each of its viewing decks. It’s as close to a bird’s eye view as you can get of the Taipei cityscape.
If you can’t decide whether to go in the morning when the sun lights up the city or at night when the city is lit up against the night sky, opt to take a trip in the evening when you can enjoy the best of both worlds and catch the sunset!
The Mall
To visit the observatory, you have to first pass through the mall, which occupies floors B1 to 5F of the Taipei 101 building.
Source: Taipei 101
You can bypass the mall with its touch of Victorian charm and head straight to the fifth floor where the entrance to the observation deck is or you can take your time to stroll through the mall first.
Source: Taipei 101
Spread across its six floors is an impressive line-up of luxury brands such as Bottega Veneta, Bvlgari, Cartier, Gucci, Tory Burch, and Mikimoto. Clothes, jewelry, accessories, beauty, and lifestyle products are not the mall’s only offerings.
They also have a variety of dining options. B1 is a nest of F&B stores, from Uncle Lu Restaurant. Kam’s Roast and Cia Ho Liao to Sunnyhills and Sugar & Spice, offering stomach-filling meals as well as snacks and drinks to satisfy your cravings.
Pineapple pastry from Sugar & Spice/Source: Sugar & Spice
For a more posh dining experience, you can reserve a table at high-rise restaurants like DingXian 101 Gourmet Restaurant, which is located on the 86th floor, and Sui Business Lounge on the 36th floor.
The Observatory
Source: Taipei 101
Tours of the observation deck start from the ‘Stunning Taiwan’ exhibition on the 5th floor. Learn more about Taiwan’s rich ecology and multiculturalism via HD images combined with music and interactive somatosensory devices before boarding the high-speed elevator, one of the world’s fastest elevator; it’ll transport you to the viewing platform on 89th floor in just 37 secs. Â
Source: Leonard Lin/flickr
Source: Taipei 101
The indoor observatory on the 89th floor provides you with a 360-degree unobstructed panoramic view of Taipei city. If you need a closer look, you can make use of the high-powered telescopes. Don’t worry if you don’t recognize some of the buildings, you also have the option to take a QR-code activated audio and video tour available in several languages.
Source: Taipei 101
Source: Taipei 101
Another impressive sight on the 89th floor is the Tuned Mass Damper, the second-largest in the world. Made up of 41 layers of thick steel plate that are welded and suspended from the 92nd floor to the 87th floor, the damper stabilizes Taipei 101 by counterbalancing wind and earthquake motion. The 88th floor provides a much closer view of the damper if you wish to get up-close.
Source: Taipei 101
Aside from that the 89th floor also a souvenir store selling a variety of artworks based on the building, postcards, and stamps, among other things. There are post-boxes nearby so you can purchase the postcards and mail them directly.
The outdoor observation deck is located on 91F, which can be accessed through a stairway on the 89th floor. Be sure to visit on a day with good weather because the outdoor observatory will be closed during bad weather such as rainy days and windy days caused by typhoons.
Source: Taipei 101
In addition to being able to freely take in the city views, you can also learn about the construction of Taipei 101 and their annual fireworks display in Gallery 400 on the 91st floor.
Take a step closer to the sky and head out to the Skyline 460, the observation deck on the topmost floor of Taipei 101 where you can get an unimpeded view of the city below.
Source: Taipei 101
To reach the platform which was previously only open exclusively to VIPs, you need to transfer to two elevators from the 89th floor and take the stairs from there. The platform is small and can only accommodate a limited number of people at a time. There are also certain height and weight restrictions, and all visitors are required to wear safety equipment buckled to the railing.
Source: Taipei 101
If you’re not heading up to the Skyline 460 and would like to leave after exploring the outdoor observatory, you’ll have to head down to the 88th floor first before boarding an elevator that’ll take you straight down to the basement. Here you will find another Taipei 101 Observatory souvenir store selling a variety of items such as limited edition Kuberick firework dolls, Taiwan black bear pillows, stone tiger-shaped pillows, magnets, and more that you can purchase as a memento of your trip.
Others
You can rent items such as a baby stroller (only for children within 3 years and 95 cm of height), wheelchair and blanket for use at Taipei 101 from the Customer Service on B1F for free with a deposit of NT$ 1,000.
Some of their other services include breastfeeding rooms (B1F and 4F) with diaper changing stations and water dispensers, family restrooms (B1 and 3F), and coin-operated lockers (B1 and 1F) for storing your bags and items, among others.
National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall/Source: Tourism Bureau, Republic of China (Taiwan)
Located close to the Taipei 101 building are plenty of parks, shops and dining outlets. The Four Four South Village Simple Market, Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain), Discovery Centre of Taipei, and National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, are just some of the noteworthy places.
Taipei 101 – https://www.taipei-101.com.tw/en
Location
No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Taipei City, Taiwan
Operating Hours
Mall
Sun – Thu: 11.00 am – 9.30 pm
Fri – Sat & National holidays: 11 am – 10 pm
Observatory (last admission: 8.30 pm)
Mon – Fri: 11 am – 9 pm
Sat – Sun: 10 am – 9 pm
Admission
General Ticket (for floors 5, 88, 89, & 91): NT$ 600
Skyline 460 (for floors 88, 89, 91, & 101): NT$ 3000
