Taipei 101 is by far the most famous landmark in Taiwan. The skyscraper rises above Eastern Taipei like a towering stalk of bamboo, nearly double the height of any other building around it (learn more in my Taipei 101 visitors guide!)
Given its staggering height and prominence, and the fact that Taipei is surrounded by mountains, it’s no surprise that there are many great places to see Taipei 101.
In this article, I’m going to introduce all the best views of Taipei 101. These will include hotels, restaurants, and bars with Taipei 101 views, easy-to-reach public squares, riverside parks, and viewpoints you must drive or hike to.
All of the Taipei 101 viewpoints I’ll mention will be suitable for watching the famous New Years Eve (Dec 31) fireworks, LED lights, and drone show at Taipei 101, an event that Taiwan is known for. However, virtually all of them will be packed with people and anything bookable will be booked far in advance!
Also read about my Skyline 460 experience (standing on the roof of Taipei 101)!
Hotels, Restaurants, and Bars with a View of Taipei 101
If you want a hotel room with a view of Taipei 101, there’s a few things you need to know: it’s going to be expensive and you’ll need to book it long (like very long!) in advance.
And if you want a Taipei 101 view from your hotel room for NYE fireworks, that will be even pricier and harder to get.
Hotels
Here are some hotels from which SOME of the rooms or the common areas (like the pool) have Taipei 101 views. Yes, some of the these are among the most expensive hotels in Taiwan, but a few are surprisingly affordable!
Check carefully when booking or contact the hotel directly to make sure your room will actually have the coveted Taipei 101 view you’re hoping for.
- Grand Hyatt (see on Booking / Agoda): This is the closest major hotel to Taipei 101. We had an amazing stay here and loved the Taipei 101 views from our room and from the VIP lounge. Most restaurants on site don’t have a 101 view, and only rooms on one side of the hotel will have the 101 view.
- W Taipei (see on Booking / Agoda): Only certain rooms here have Taipei 101 views. The 10F swimming pool and WET bar has a Taipei view but you can’t see Taipei 101 from most of it because other buildings are in the way.
- Shangri-La Far Eastern Taipei (see on Booking / Agoda): Only from certain rooms.
- Humble House Taipei (see on Booking / Agoda): Only some rooms have Taipei 101 views, plus you can see most of Taipei 101 from the rooftop pool.
- Eslite Hotel (see on Booking / Agoda): Only from higher up rooms on the front side.
- Hann’s House (see on Booking / Agoda): Only from the President Suite, and it’s not cheap!
- Check Inn Taipei Xinyi (see on Booking / Agoda): One of the cheapest hotels with Taipei 101 views from some rooms. Rooms are small.
- Pacific Business Hotel (see on Booking / Agoda): Limited views of Taipei 101 from some room balconies.
- Formosa 101 Hostel (see on Booking / Agoda): The rooftop of this hostel has a great view of Taipei 101. Read more about the best hostels in Taipei here.
Restaurants
Several restaurants in Taipei have Taipei 101 views, but you’re going to be paying for that view.
- Saffron 46: Michelin-recommended fine Indian cuisine in Nanshan Plaza (connected to Breeze Nanshan mall), with extremely good Taipei 101 view. See their menu here.
- Smith & Wollensky Taipei: steakhouse with Taipei 101 view, also in Nanshan Plaza. Here’s their official site.
- Morton’s The Steakhouse: Another steakhouse, this one’s in Breeze Xinyi. More info here.
- Yen Restaurant at W Hotel. See official site.
- Shanghai Pavilion at Shangri-La Far Eastern. More info here.
- The Top (屋頂上): Near Yangmingshan National Park (see how to get to Yangmingshan), with an expansive city view including Taipei 101, but from very far away. Here’s their site.
- Longmen Restaurant (貓空龍門客棧): Restaurant in Maokong with distant view of Taipei 101. Several other cafés and small restaurants in Maokong area have Taipei 101 views, but often only partial. Find this one on Facebook.
Bars
If you don’t want to splurge on a hotel with a view of Taipei 101, consider to class it up for just a few hours at a bar with a view. For NYE, any bar with a Taipei 101 view is going to be in super high demand. Some bars put on special events that require tickets.
- Babylon Taipei: Rooftop bar on ATT4Fun (a mall known for its many night clubs). NYE event requires advance ticket. See more pics on their Instagram page.
- Drunk Play: Another rooftop bar on ATT4Fun. Get in touch with them here.
- CÉ LA VI Taipei: Lounge bar on 48F of Nanshan Plaza. Book a table here.
- Yen Bar at W Hotel. More info here.
- Marco Polo Bar at Shangri-La Far Eastern. More info here.
- WXYZ Bar: In Aloft Taipei Zhongshan, with views from the balcony and rooftop, but the Taipei 101 view is limited and a little far away. See here.
Streets & Squares around Taipei 101
When the Taipei 101 Fireworks go off at midnight, hundreds of thousands of people will be occupying the streets and squares around the skyscraper.
In the past, it was best to be north of the tower to see the special digital displays on that side of the building. But as of 2022, the digital displays wrap around the whole building, so any angle is good.
Taipei City Hall Plaza
Taipei City Hall Plaza (台北市政府前廣場) is a large public square just northwest of Taipei 101. It is the location of the famous New Year’s Eve countdown party which is broadcast on national television.
On December 31, there will be a large stage with hosts (expect lots of screaming into the microphone), music, and so on. It will be totally packed and very noisy, even before the fireworks.
On a normal day, you can of course see Taipei 101 from the plaza, but it will look more inspiring if you get closer or if you climb a mountain nearby.
You can walk here from Taipei City Hall MRT station on the Blue Line or Taipei 101/World Trade Center MRT station on the Red Line. On NYE, it’s smart to get off one stop before and walk a little further, just to avoid the masses of people getting off at those stops.
Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall & Zhongshan Park
Another of the most famous places to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks at Taipei 101 is the large square in front of Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall. This spot will also be totally packed, so it’s essential to get there a few hours early if you want to squeeze in.
To get here, get off at Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall MRT station, which is right at the northwestern corner of the park.
Zhongshan Park (中山公園) is just south of Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall Square and is connected to it. The park has a large pond, so it’s possible to have a view of Taipei 101 from across the pond.
However, due to limited space and lots of trees in the park, it can be hard to secure a good spot with unobstructed view here.
44 South Village (Sisinancun)
There’s also a great view of Taipei 101 from 44 South Village (四四南村 or Sisinancun / Sisinan Village). These restored former military dorms for KMT soldiers now house a few cute little shops selling bubble tea, bagels, and souvenirs.
The site lies southwest of Taipei 101. There’s a small square and a few other random spaces where you can view Taipei 101. This spot is far less known than the above two, but it’s still known enough that it will be totally packed on New Year’s Eve.
Taipei 101 World Trade Center MRT station is closest, but it will be smarter to walk from Xinyi Anhe Road. But Xinyi Anhe Road could be tough or impossible to walk along if you come too late on NYE, because all of that road will be packed with people, too. If that’s the case, you could try to get there via smaller roads to the south.
Streets around Taipei 101
One of the best ways to view Taipei 101 is from the streets right around it. Even standing right in front of the building, you can manage to squeeze the whole building into a photo if your lens is wide enough.
The famous LOVE sign is on the south side of Taipei 101, just outside the building’s south-facing entrance.
One nice photo spot is from Jimmy’s Moon Bus, a bus art installation based on the children’s books of a Taiwanese author. It is kitty-corner to Taipei 101, at the southeastern side of the building.
Xinyi Plaza across the street is OK, too, but there are some trees that might block your view.
On the north side of the building, Taipei 101 Water Dance Plaza is also very close to Taipei 101 and sometimes big events are held there. However, last time I was there, there seemed to be some construction going on the square and it was not accessible.
A pedestrian walkways leads from the 2F at the northeastern corner of Taipei 101 Mall to Breeze Nanshan, another mall across the street. I shot the above photo from that walkway.
For watching the NYE fireworks, the above spots are too close. You wouldn’t be able to enjoy most of the lights, drones, LED screen, etc, because they would be happening above your head.
It’s better to be at least 1 or 2 blocks away from the building so you can actually see everything. Most of the streets directly around Taipei 101 will be closed to traffic and totally packed with people on New Year’s Eve.
Major roads with views of Taipei 101 include Xinyi Road, Keelung Road, and Songzhi Road. There are also some smaller roads with views. Your best bet is to arrive in the area at least one or two hours before midnight and just explore until you find a spot you are satisfied with.
Riverside Parks with Taipei 101 Views
Taipei 101 can be viewed from several riverside parks in the city. These parks are on either side of the Keelung River, from runs east to west through Taipei until it flows into the Tamsui River.
If you aren’t a fan of really tight crowds, these parks might be a better choice for you on New Year’s Eve. They are still going to be very crowded, and getting home after is still going to take one or two hours. But these spots won’t be quite as packed as the streets immediately around Taipei 101.
On the downside, these parks are further away from Taipei 101. You’ll be viewing the building (or fireworks) from a distance, so it won’t be quite as impressive.
Rainbow Riverside Park
The closest riverside park with a good view of Taipei 101 is Rainbow Riverside Park (彩虹河濱公園). It is named after Rainbow Bridge (彩虹河濱公園), which is just north of the very popular Raohe Night Market.
From this angle, you’ll have the river and some bridges across it in your view, with most of Taipei 101 visible to the right.
To get there, take the Taipei MRT Green Line to Songshan Station (or a TRA train to Songshan Station if coming in from out of town).
Enter Raohe Night Market and turn right down the first small lane. This will bring you to Raohe Evacuation Gate, where you can climb a small staircase over the river flood wall. Cross Rainbow Bridge and turn left to reach Rainbow Park.
If you’re going there to see the fireworks, Raohe Night Market will be ridiculously packed that night. The riverside park will also be very busy, but you’ll find space. Finding toilets could be tough.
Guanshan Riverside Park
A little further away from Rainbow Riverside Park, and on the opposite (west) side of the river is Guanshan Riverside Park (觀山河濱公園).
This park offers a similar view to Rainbow Park, just further away. It has even more space than the above, so should be less crowded.
Follow the same directions as the last entry, but instead of crossing Rainbow Bridge, turn left and follow the riverside trail until you get there.
Meiti Riverside Park
Meiti Riverside Park (美堤河濱公園) is on the north side of Keelung River and is even further away from Rainbow Park. You’ll have the river right in front of you, with Taipei 101 beyond it.
Your Taipei 101 view is going to feel even farther away from here. On the plus side, Meiti Riverside Park is very large, with huge grassy fields. Therefore, this will be one of the less crowded spots to watch the Taipei 101 fireworks.
Yinfeng Riverside Park
Yinfeng Riverside Park (迎風河濱公園) is another riverside park west of Meiti Riverside Park, but on the south side of Keelung River.
This park is furthest ones and only offers quite limited or partial views of Taipei 101. Basically you’ll only see the top half of the building at best, so it’s not ideal.
However, this park have a unique selling point, which is that you can witness two fireworks displays at the same time. Besides the Taipei 101 fireworks, you can also see the fireworks display at Miramar (the mall with the giant Ferris wheel) on the north side of the river.
To get here, you’ll need to walk about 30 minutes from Dazhi MRT station and cross Dazhi Bridge.
Mountain Views of Taipei 101
Some of the best Taipei 101 views to be had are from hills and mountains around the city. Taipei sits in a bowl surrounded by mountains, which is why it is a paradise for hikers.
I’ll start with the closest one then move further away. For more info about all these hikes, see my guide to the best hiking trails in Taipei.
Elephant Mountain
Elephant Mountain (象山 or Xiangshan) is practically synonymous with epic views of Taipei 101. It is by far the most famous Taipei 101 viewpoint for visiting travelers. See my guide to Elephant Mountain Trail for all the details and map I made.
You only have to walk 10 minutes from the MRT to the trailhead and hike 20 minutes up stairs to enjoy the classic postcard view of Taipei, with Taipei 101 dominating the view.
There are several different Taipei 101 viewpoints on the mountain. The first one is here. After that, you’ll reach the famous Six Boulders Area, but views here are quite limited nowadays due to vegetation.
The best viewpoint is just above the six rocks at this platform. Then you’ll find yet another viewpoint at Elephant Mountain peak, with a circular artwork framing Taipei 101.
Elephant Mountain is no secret. Even on normal days it can be crowded, especially around sunset. Go for sunrise, weekdays, or after dark to beat the crowds. The trail is lit at night.
For NYE fireworks, Elephant Mountain is ridiculously crowded. Space at the viewing platforms is quite limited, so it can be very tough or impossible to find space here.
I’ve heard of some local photographers going there 15 hours in advance early to stake down their tripods and claim their spots.
Four Beasts & Nangang Peak
Elephant Mountain is only 1 of the “4 beast” mountains (四獸山 or Sishoushan) that make up the Sishoushan Scenic Area. The others are Lion Mountain (獅山), Leopard Mountain (豹山峰), and Tiger Mountain (虎山).
A vast network of trails connects these four mountains and Nangang Mountain, which is the highest of them all. See the map I made of the main trails in my Elephant Mountain & Four Beasts guide.
There are multiple viewpoints of Taipei 101 from these mountains and trails. These views are going to be similar to Elephant Mountain but from slightly different angles or from higher up (Nangang Mountain).
You’ll need to hike further to reach them, but your reward is that they won’t be so crazy packed on New Year’s Eve.
If you hike up the Elephant Mountain trail, you can continue on to Thumb Mountain Lookout. From there, you can continue even further to Nangang Mountain Peak, also called 9-5 Peak (九五峰 or Jiuwu Peak), which has the highest view.
If you’re planning to do this on NYE, it could be hard to get past the Elephant Mountain section as it will be so crowded. It’s best to start much earlier or hike up from here instead.
On a normal day, you can walk from the famous Elephant Mountain Lookout to this lesser known lookout. However, on NYE, it would be better to hike up to it from here so you can void Elephant Mountain crowds.
Leopard Mountain Peak and Tiger Mountain Peak also have Taipei 101 views, with various possible routes to them.
Walk in from Yongchun MRT on the Blue Line. On NYE, beware the the MRT Blue Line will be absolutely packed with long lines out the doors of every station leading to Taipei City Hall. Consider going many hours early or finding other ways to get there.
Fuzhoushan
Another very good view of Taipei 101, but from a little farther away, can be had at Fuzhoushan, a hill in Fuzhoushan Park (福州山公園).
From here, you’ll be viewing Taipei 101 from a totally different direction than Elephant Mountain, from the southwest, with a swath of city houses between you and the skyscraper.
This spot is less famous than Elephant Mountain, but the viewing platform is small, so it is still busy on normal days and beyond packed on NYE. You’d need to get here several hours early for any chance of getting a spot for the fireworks.
On the plus side, this hill only takes 10 minutes to climb, so it’s easier than Elephant Mountain. You can reach the viewpoint in only 20 minutes from Linguang MRT.
The trail starts here. Follow the signs to Fuzhoushan Park, as there are trails going in other directions too. The lookout point is here.
Jiantanshan and Jiannanshan
Another hike that will get you a great Taipei 101 view is Jiantanshan or Jiantan Mountain. From the trailhead here, you’ll hike up behind the iconic Grand Hotel Taipei. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the Airplane Observation Deck, also called Laodifang Lookout (老地方觀機平台).
The name comes from the fact that you can watch planes taking off at Songshan Airport from here. But this is also a great viewpoint of Taipei 101, even though it’s a quite far away. You can see most of the city from here.
On New Year’s Eve, like any great viewpoint, there’s going to be a lot of people here. You don’t have to watch the fireworks from the famous platform. There are other spots along the trail where you can see Taipei 101, as well as some where you can see Miramar, which will also have fireworks.
This hike has some uphill stairs but otherwise is not very hard. Be prepared to walk back in the dark after.
This trail continues all the way to Jiannan Mountain (劍南山夜景), which is an amazing spot to watch the Miramar Fireworks just below you plus Taipei 101 fireworks in the distance. You can access this viewpoint more directly from Jiannan Road MRT on the brown line.
Jinmianshan
Yet another hike offering awesome Taipei 101 views is Jinmianshan. This one starts here, an easy 10 minute walk from Xihu MRT station on the brown line. After some fun scrambling up large boulders, you reach some impressive views of Taipei 101 and the city.
This hike doesn’t have a single, flat viewing platform. Instead, you can see Taipei 101 from multiple locations, often sitting atop large rocks. For this reason, I would only recommend it for those who are fit enough to climb up some rocks on this medium-difficulty hike.
I shot the cover photo of this article from here as well as my profile picture in the sidebar and homepage of this website.
Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple
Not very far from Jinmianshan, there’s a temple called Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple (碧山巖開漳聖王廟). It has an amazing city view, including Taipei 101.
For this one, you can drive or take the bus right up to the temple. The temple has a large lookout platform with an expansive view of Taipei, including of course Taipei 101. You’re going to be pretty far from the skyscraper, though.
Beware that the parking lot could fill up on New Year’s Eve and it will take a while to get there by bus. Catch minibus #2 (小2) from Neihu MRT exit 1.
Maokong
I put Makong area at the end because your views from here are going to be limited. As the crow flies, it is slightly closer to Taipei 101 than the last few entries. But you’ll have to explore the area a bit to find those good Taipei 101 views – from much of the tourist area, the building will not be visible.
The best viewpoints of Taipei 101 at Maokong will be limited to a few spots along the road. A few teashops or small restaurants there also have good Taipei 101 views. Find all the best spots in my guide to Maokong.
Because this is a known fireworks viewing spot, it will of course be busy on New Year’s Eve. Buses and the gondola should run later on New Year’s Eve, but it’s best to confirm before going up.
The gondola station is a five-minute walk from Taipei Zoo MRT station. The gondola ride takes 30 minutes and you can catch glimpses of Taipei 101 on the way up.
Nanshijiao Mountain
This is as far away from Taipei 101 as we are going to get. From this distant viewpoint in Zhonghe District of New Taipei City, you can see all the way to Taipei 101.
Nanshijiao Mountain (南勢角山) is most famous for the huge Earth God (土地公 or Tudi Gong) statue at Hongludi Nanshan Fude Temple (烘爐地南山福德宮) on its slope. You can see Taipei 101 from the peak of the mountain, which is just above the temple.
It takes about one hour to walk here from Nanshijiao MRT station. You’ll pass Myanmar Street on the way, which is known for its many Burmese restaurants in the daytime.
Just walk towards the giant statue. A longer and more indirect trail starts here above Hwa Hsia University.
For NYE fireworks, this will be one of the least crowded spots due to the distance, but it will still have people.
Just returned from the fireworks show (2023-24) and wanted to share my experience. I used the red line to get to Taipei 101 station at 10:30pm, and the crowds in the metro were no worse than at normal rush hour. We easily found a space on Songzhi Road, next to Songshou Square Park. We had a big screen on our right (City Hall side) to watch the concert and countdown, but the volume was low enough for us to have a decent conversation while waiting for the fireworks. The crowds were quiet, well behaved and well spaced out. We had a perfect view of the entire 101 building for the display. Afterwards, we walked to the Nanjing Sanmin station (green line). The crowd moved really fast and most of them were headed for the red and blue metro lines). We were able to board the first train that arrived. The whole experience was enjoyable and easy, and I would highly recommend it.
Thanks for sharing your experience!