Taipei 101 held the title of world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010. Today it has slipped out of the global top ten, but it remains the tallest in Taiwan and the country's most recognizable landmark. The skyscraper is shaped like a stalk of bamboo, with eight outward-inclining tiers evoking a Chinese pagoda. Eight is a lucky number in Taiwanese culture, and the building leans into that symbolism at every level.
The easiest way in is the Taipei MRT Red Line to Taipei 101/World Trade Center station. Exit 4 connects directly to the B1 food court of Taipei 101, with a 40-meter covered walk that gives you a great upward view of the tower. For the observatory, take any escalator up to the 5F ticketing and check-in area.
The Observatory and the Mass Damper
A standard Taipei 101 Observatory ticket costs TWD 600 for adults, with kids under 115 cm getting in free. The ticket includes the 89F indoor observation deck with 360-degree windows, a cafe, a photo studio, and a souvenir shop. You also get access to the 91F outdoor viewing platform, which faces west and lets you look out through a fence. From the 5F, you ride one of the fastest elevators in the world up to 89F. The elevator darkens during the ride, stars appear on the ceiling, and a digital panel tracks your ascent floor by floor.
The headline feature on the way out is the 660-ton tuned mass damper, a huge steel sphere suspended between the 88th and 92nd floors. It swings to counteract building movement during earthquakes and typhoons. During Typhoon Soudelor in 2015, the damper swayed a record one meter. The damper even has its own Sanrio-designed mascots called the Damper Babies. You see the damper on 88F as you descend, before taking the elevator back down to 5F.
For a bigger thrill, the Skyline 460 experience lets you walk on the actual roof of Taipei 101 at 460 meters. You ride a VIP elevator to 89F, transfer to a secret elevator to 101F, get harnessed up, and walk the four sides of the roof. There is only one entry per day at 3 PM. The ticket includes a drink voucher, a framed photo, and access to the regular observatory floors. It is expensive but worth it for the unobstructed open-air views.
The Mall Below
Taipei 101 Shopping Center is a seven-floor luxury mall connected to the base of the tower. B1 is where most visitors spend time, with a large food court, a branch of Din Tai Fung (Taiwan's most famous restaurant, order online to skip the line), Starbucks, the Mia C'bon upscale supermarket, and a Kavalan whiskey tasting kiosk. The upper floors house Apple, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Burberry, Gucci, and other luxury brands. Floor 4 is particularly beautiful, with its high-end boutiques arranged around a soaring atrium.
For a cheaper high-altitude experience, Simple Kaffa Sola sits on the 88th floor. The award-winning local coffee chain serves single-origin coffees and Taiwanese-ingredient lattes. Window-side tables have a minimum charge of TWD 2000, but the third row of seating is first-come-first-served with a minimum order of TWD 240 per person. Check in at the Simple Kaffa desk on the ground floor, ride an elevator to 60F, then transfer to 88F. At 10 AM on a weekday, you may have the place to yourself.
Best Time to Visit and NYE Fireworks
Sunset is the best time to visit the observatory. You watch the city shift from day to dusk to a sea of lights, all from 89F. At peak times the 5F entry line can take up to an hour. The fast-track ticket skips the line but doubles the price. The Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass includes observatory entry and line-skipping.
Every year at midnight on December 31, Taipei 101 erupts in a fireworks display that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to the streets below. In recent years the show has shifted toward lasers, digital projections wrapping the entire building, and drones, but fireworks remain. Taipei City Hall Plaza hosts a countdown concert, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Elephant Mountain are popular viewing spots, and the MRT runs packed all night. For the classic postcard view of the tower, hike Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan), one MRT stop past Taipei 101. A 30-minute stair climb gets you to the famous boulder viewing platform where Taipei 101 dominates the skyline.