Taipei 101 Observatory Tickets: What Each One Actually Buys
Taipei 101 observatory tickets start at NT$600 for the indoor decks on floors 88 and 89, and climb to NT$3,000 for the rooftop walk above floor 101. The lift covers the 84 floors in 37 seconds and the 660-tonne damper hangs in the middle of the view. This page sets out every ticket type, what it includes, and when buying ahead is worth it.
Quick answer
The general adult ticket is NT$600 and the concession NT$540, covering the indoor observatories on floors 88 and 89. The Priority Pass, which skips both lift queues, is NT$1,200. Adding the outdoor deck on floor 101 costs NT$380 more, and Skyline 460, the guided walk on the roof, is NT$3,000 in scheduled sessions. Children under 115 cm enter free. The observatory runs 10:00 to 21:00 daily.
Key takeaways
- NT$600 adult, NT$540 concession, free under 115 cm with an adult
- Priority Pass NT$1,200 buys the express lane in both directions
- The 101st floor outdoor deck is a NT$380 add-on, not part of the standard ticket
- Skyline 460 costs NT$3,000 and runs in limited scheduled sessions
- The online ticket here is $18.55, close to the counter price: you are buying the queue, not a discount
- Open 10:00 to 21:00, and the operator listing puts last entry at 20:15
Every Ticket, Side by Side
Prices are the building's own, published on its ticket page. Resellers add convenience, not discount.
| Ticket | Price | Floors | Book | Queue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General adult | NT$600 | 88 and 89 indoors | Standard lift queue | |
| Concession | NT$540 | 88 and 89 indoors | Standard lift queue | |
| Priority Pass | NT$1,200 | 88 and 89 indoors | Express lane up and down | |
| 101st floor add-on | +NT$380 | Outdoor deck on 101 | Timed, capacity-limited | |
| Skyline 460 | NT$3,000 | Roof above 101, plus 88 and 89 | Scheduled sessions only |
Field trips and groups of 20 or more on weekdays have their own rates and need booking at least three days ahead.
What Each Floor Gives You
88, 89 and 91
Floor 89 is the main indoor deck: 360 degrees of glass, telescopes with day, night and historic views, and the seating people use to wait out a rain squall. Floor 88 sits directly below and holds the damper viewing gallery and the coral-jade sculpture gallery. Floor 91 is the outdoor deck that opens when the wind allows, and it is included in the standard ticket, unlike the 101st floor above it.
The deck sequence matters if you are short on time. The lift lands on 89, most people circle the glass once, and the damper on 88 is the thing they walk past on the way out without realising it is the reason the building stands still.
The damper, which is the actual attraction
A 660-tonne steel sphere hangs on cables between floors 88 and 92, the largest and heaviest tuned mass damper open to the public anywhere. When the tower leans in a typhoon the sphere lags behind, and hydraulic arms convert that lag into heat. The system cuts sway by up to 40 percent.
During the September 2024 typhoons the building's own cameras showed it swinging visibly, and those clips are still the most-shared thing about Taipei 101. On an ordinary day it barely moves, which is the point.
The tower itself, in numbers
508 metres, 101 floors above ground and five below, and the world's tallest building from its opening in 2004 until Burj Khalifa took the title in 2009. The Toshiba double-deck lifts run at 60.6 km/h and reach floor 89 from floor 5 in 37 seconds, pressurised so your ears cope. The eight-section shape stacks ruyi-shaped units of eight floors each, a number chosen for luck, and the whole silhouette is meant to read as bamboo.
When to Go, and Whether to Book Ahead
The hours and the crowd curve
The observatory runs 10:00 to 21:00 every day, and the operator listing for the online ticket puts last entry at 20:15. Sunset is the crush: the hour either side of it draws the longest lift queues of the day, and the glass picks up reflections that ruin photographs unless you press the lens against it.
Mid-morning is the clearest air and the shortest wait. After 20:00 the queue thins again and the city is fully lit, which is the better version of the night view if you can stay up.
- Best light for photographs: 40 minutes before sunset, from the north-facing glass on 89.
- Shortest queues: 10:00 to 11:30, and after 20:00.
- Worst: weekend afternoons and any public holiday, when the mall below is full too.
- Haze is common May to September and can flatten the view to a few kilometres.
- The outdoor decks close in high wind, and nobody warns you before you buy.
Buying ahead saves the queue, not the money
The online ticket on this page is $18.55, which lands within a rounding error of the NT$600 counter price. What it buys is the ticket line: you collect from the self-service machines on floor 5, scan a QR code, and walk straight to the lift queue.
Several guided tours in Taipei bundle this ticket with a wider day out, which is worth checking before you buy it alone. On a quiet weekday morning buying ahead saves five minutes and is not worth the planning. On a Saturday at 17:00 the ticket line alone runs 20 minutes before you even reach the lifts. Book ahead for weekends, holidays and sunset slots, and buy at the counter any other time.
The Ticket, Booked Online
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, valid on any date within a year of purchase, and collected from the machines on floor 5.
from $18.55 Taipei 101: Observatory Deck Entry Ticket
Skip the ticket counter on floor 5. The elevator reaches floor 89 in 37 seconds; the 660-tonne damper and the outdoor deck are in the same ticket.
- Elevator to floor 89 in 37 seconds
- Indoor decks on 88 and 89, outdoor deck above
- The 660-tonne tuned mass damper up close
- Open 11:00-21:00, last entry 20:15
Free and Cheaper Alternatives
The views you do not pay NT$600 for
Half the people who search for observatory tickets end up not buying one, and the honest reason is that Taipei has better free vantage points over the tower itself. You cannot see Taipei 101 from inside Taipei 101.
- Elephant Mountain: 20 minutes of steep steps from MRT Xiangshan, free, and the classic postcard angle of the tower with the city behind it.
- The observation deck on floor 35 of the neighbouring Nan Shan tower, when its restaurants are open, at the price of a drink.
- Maokong gondola: a NT$120 ride to tea houses on the ridge, with the tower small on the skyline.
- The mall's own outdoor terraces at the base, free, useful if you only want the tower photographed from below.
- Nearby rooftop bars charge the price of a cocktail for a view that includes the building rather than excludes it.
So who should pay
The deck earns its NT$600 if you want the damper, the height itself, or a clear-weather panorama of the basin ringed by mountains. It does not earn it on a hazy afternoon when visibility is four kilometres and the queue is 40 minutes. Check the sky before you commit: the ticket is valid for a year from purchase, so a flexible booking lets you wait for a clear day.
How much does it cost to go to the top of Taipei 101?
NT$600 for the standard adult ticket to the indoor decks on floors 88 and 89, or NT$540 concession. The Priority Pass is NT$1,200, the outdoor deck on floor 101 adds NT$380, and Skyline 460 on the roof is NT$3,000.
Is the Taipei 101 Observatory worth it?
On a clear day, yes: 508 metres over a city ringed by mountains, plus the 660-tonne damper, for NT$600. On a hazy summer afternoon with a 40-minute queue, no. The ticket is valid for a year, so buy flexibly and go when the sky is clear.
Do I need to buy Taipei 101 tickets in advance?
For weekends, holidays and sunset slots, yes, because the ticket line alone can run 20 minutes. Online tickets are collected from the self-service machines on floor 5. On a weekday morning the counter is fine.
How many hours to spend in Taipei 101?
About an hour on the decks, plus queueing. Add another hour if you plan on the outdoor deck on 101 or want to wait for the light to change. The mall below can absorb as long as you let it.
Is there a free observatory in Taipei 101?
No. Every deck inside the tower is ticketed. The free alternative is Elephant Mountain, a 20-minute climb from MRT Xiangshan, which gives you the view of the tower rather than from it.
Are children free at Taipei 101?
Children under 115 cm enter free when accompanied by an adult. Above that height they pay the NT$540 concession rate.
What is the tuned mass damper?
A 660-tonne steel pendulum hanging between floors 88 and 92 that counteracts the tower's sway in wind and earthquakes, cutting movement by up to 40 percent. It is visible from the observatory and is the single most photographed thing up there.