Taipei 101 (Observatory) - Guide to Taipei's North Star

It’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to visit Taipei, Taiwan without at least getting a glimpse of Taipei 101. Often referred to as “Taipei’s north star” by the locals, 101 is the greatest achievement in Taiwanese architecture thus far.

But is it worth visiting Taipei 101? And is it worth taking the 101 observatory to the top floor? In short, if this is your first time visiting Taipei, you must check out this attraction. It is the attraction in the city for many tourists alike.

In addition to the observatory, Taipei 101 offers plenty of other things to do in the sky-high building. Let’s see what all the hype is about with Taipei 101.

RECOMMENDED: Taipei Travel Guide From a Local

Table of Contents

A Little History 101

Formerly called the Taipei World Financial Center, Taipei 101 opened on December 31st, 2004 and was instantly the tallest building in the world.

As a matter of fact, the skyscraper held the tallest building record for nearly 6 years – from 2004 to 2010. Here’s how the skyscraper compares to some of the tallest world buildings today:

As given by the name, the building has 101 floors. What makes it even more impressive is the underlying structural design. Taiwan is a typhoon and earthquake-heavy country, so the building was built to withstand high winds and tremors.

Thanks to 101’s giant steel pendulum damper, the massive skyscraper is able to offset sways caused by typhoon winds. It hangs from the 92nd to the 87th floor and is one of the most popular attractions within the building.

The damper became so popular among tourists that Japanese media company, Sanrio, turned the object into a cartoon, called the Baby Damper.

Taipei 101 is more impressive than just sheer height. It’s called the “world’s tallest green building,” but not because its well, green. Rather, Taipei 101 is the tallest building to be LEED certified.

This means it’s as eco-friendly as a building can be, known for recycling 20 to 30 percent of the water consumption, among other impressive “green” qualities.

How to Get to Taipei 101?

Getting to Taipei 101 is easy. If you’re in or around Xinyi district, you just need to look up in the sky and walk towards it. However, it’s something I probably wouldn’t recommend.

To get to Taipei 101, you can take the MRT Red Line (Xiangshan) east and stop at the Taipei 101 station (台北101). But if you’re not near the Red Line, it may be more convenient to take the Blue Line.

You’ll want to take the Blue Line 5 and get off at Taipei City Hall station (市政府). From there, walk south and head towards Xinyi shopping district and you’ll see the building. It’s a bit more of a walk, but still an easy trip.

Alternatively, you can get there by taxi. From most parts of Taipei, it won’t cost more than a few dollars with this transportation method. Every taxi driver will understand when you say, “101.”

Taipei 101 Observatory & Tower

If your plans are to get to the very top of Taipei 101, I’m sorry to say that likely won’t happen. While the very 101st floor does have an outdoor observatory, it’s for VIP club members only.

Still, it doesn’t mean you can’t go up pretty high and get an astonishing view of Taipei City.

How to Get to the Observatory

To get to Taipei 101’s Observatory , you’ll need to get to the fifth floor of the building. You can take the elevators, but I would suggest taking the escalators because you can scope out the shopping on the way.

You’ll see the sign for the 101 observatory once you’re on the fifth floor. You can purchase tickets, then wait in line for one of the world’s fastest elevator to take you to the top.

This elevator is fast, taking you from the 5th for 89th floor at a record-breaking speed of 1,010 meters/min. This means that it’ll only take you 37 seconds to travel 83 floors!

Taipei 101 Indoor Observatory [89th Floor]

The observatory area where tourists can visit spans over 4 floors. The first floor the elevator will take you is to the 89th floor – the indoor observatory.

At this point, you’re roughly 1,253 feet into the air, dwarfing any other building in sight. This visitor area has panoramic windows to give a clear unobstructed view of the city from multiple directions.

Here’s some pictures from the 89th floor of Taipei 101:

Grab a pair of headphones and take the free audio tour (in 11 languages!). You can also use one of the many ultra-binoculars to check get a better look at the surrounding city.

Just a couple of my friends striking ballet poses because…why not?

Get a good look at all the buildings (and Daan Forest Park) that make this city so awesome. With big clear windows all around, it’s easy to get a good view no matter how many tourists there are.

There are also refreshments and bathrooms on this floor for your convenience. If you want to get your pictures taken, they have a professional photography service as well.

The Wind Damper & Corridor [88th Floor]

Go downstairs and access the corridor that connects the two decks. On this floor lies the famous damper that’s highly loved by the visitors of 101.

As the largest and heaviest wind damper in the world, it’s a marvel to look at. There are videos and signs providing more information on the science of how the damper works to stabilize the building.

There’s also whats called the “Treasure Sky,” which is just an art collection of some unique jewels. It’s not really relevant to the building but it’s worth checking out if you have some time.

Taipei 101 Outdoor Observatory [91st Floor]

The outdoor observatory in Taipei 101 sounds cooler than it actually is. Part of the reason is because it’s protected by huge poles that totally obstruct your view if you’re trying to take pictures.

It’s still pretty cool to come up here and look through the cracks of the gate. However, i do wish they went with a thick glass window – like the one you see in the indoor observatory.

There’s also some high powered binoculars if you want to get a better view of a building or whatever peaks your interest around the towering building.

Keep in mind, there can be strong winds on this top floor. If you have a loose hat, you might want to hold it instead. Also, this floor is not always opened. If the weather is good, it should be opened.

I would recommend asking the ticketing employees prior to purchasing your ticket if you really want to come up here.

Other Things to Do in Taipei 101

The Taipei 101 Observatory is one of the main things to do, especially if you’re a tourist. However, there’s much more to do in this building.

Most of the floors in 101 are just conference rooms, offices and mechanical floors. However, below these floors there are things for the whole family.

Taipei 101 Shopping Mall

The first five floors of the building is a giant premium mall. These shops aren’t your night market-type shops, but all well known international luxury brands, Everything from Rolex to Louis Vuitton and Mont Blanc can be found in 101’s mall.

To break it down for you, here’s a general idea of what to expect on each floor:

B1 – Taipei 101 MRT Station, food court, the world famous Din Tai Fung and an international grocery store (Jason’s Marketplace)
1F – High end fashion and apparel brands and cosmetic stores.
2F – More high-end goods brands, luxury watch brands (Rolex, Patek, etc.), domestic Taiwan luxury brands
3F – Premium high fashion boutiques
4F – World brands, top-notch restaurants and a large bookstore
5F – Taipei 101 observatory entrance and elevator

Taipei 101 Restaurants

Taipei 101 is not all about shopping. There are some decent (and relatively expensive) restaurants for you to enjoy too! The most famous being Din Tai Fung, which is known for its steamed soup dumplings.

Definitely worth trying if you haven’t already. However, there are other, probably less packed, Din Tai Fung restaurants all around Taipei (and a few in the USA too!).

In addition, there is a large food court with various local and international restaurants. There are some high-end restaurants on the 85th floor, but they usually require reservations.

So far, only two restaurants are situated on the 85th floor: Diamond Tony’s and Shin Yeh. Diamond Tony’s is an European seafood and steak restaurant. The latter is an upscale Taiwanese restaurant.

The whole 86th floor is taken up by Ding Xian 101. It’s a high-end asian fusion restaurant that serves all types of cuisine, specializing in seafood.

If you want something quick, head for the B1 floor because there’s a nice large food court. It’s a little pricey for what it is, but that’s expected.

Other Taipei Attractions:

Taipei 101 (Observatory) – Is it Worth Visiting?

A Little History 101

How to Get to Taipei 101?