Taipei Exploration
Once you arrive in the heart of Taipei, go and quickly enjoy its iconic landmarks as well as its busy night markets and colorful culture! With that, I’ll be listing the top attractions in the city; however, it would be impossible to thoroughly visit EVERYTHING (unless you swiftly go through every location).
That’s why, depending on your interests, pick the best places that you’d like to see within the day for your Taiwan itinerary based on the descriptions that I’ll be providing below (my top favorites are marked with a star ★); and then, you can visit the rest during your other free time or during your other trip days if you’re staying longer than 3 days in Taiwan.
◘◘ ★ Taipei 101
Formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, Taipei 101 was once called the world’s tallest building in 2004 — until Burj Khalifa in Dubai was completed in 2010.
Either way, nowadays, it holds the highest award as the tallest and largest green building in the world according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of this building before; after all, it serves as an icon of modern Taiwan (though it was initially built as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition); as such, it is a must to include this on your Taiwan itinerary.
Towering at 101 stories, the base of the building houses several shops and restaurants (such as the famous Din Tai Fung chain) but what most visitors aim to do is to access the observatory. To list out the highlights of the building:
- 5F Taipei 101 Mall: The floor where you can purchase tickets and take the Guinness World Record high-speed elevator to the observatory on the 89th floor (it travels at 1,010 meters/min or 60.6kph, taking only 37 seconds total). However, it’s best to purchase online to get a discounted price — I will discuss this in the detail in the ‘admission‘ section below.
- 89F Indoor Observatory: Offers unobstructed views of Taipei. It also has a museum where you can learn about the construction of Taipei 101.
- 88F Beauty of Taiwan Multimedia Corridor, Super Big Wind Damper, Treasure Sky: The highlight of this floor is at 5.5m (in diameter) and there’s a 660-ton wind damper that’s built in the core of the tower. Apparently, this amazing technology helps keep the building from swaying and helps keep it stand upright. Meanwhile, Treasure Sky is a place where you can find jewel crafts.
- 91F Outdoor Observatory: This is accessible via the stairs from the 89th floor, but since the winds can get quite strong, this floor is only open on days when the weather is favorable. Anyhow, inside, you will find a small theatre that features films about the annual New Years’ fireworks display set off from Taipei 101.
ADMISSION: General ticket is NT$600 (students are charged NT$540 and children under 115cm are