# Taipei layover guide

The Airport MRT express reaches Taipei Main Station in 35 to 39 minutes, so 6 hours is enough for a first look at Taipei. US, British, EU, Canadian and Australian passports need no visa to leave, and Taiwan's Tourism Administration runs free half-day tours from the airport for connecting passengers.

- Web page: https://taipeilayover.com/
- Guide: [Taipei Layover](https://taipeilayover.com/), an independent layover guide to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), part of City Layover
- Updated 10 November 2026; facts checked 9 November 2026

## Can you leave Taipei airport on a layover?

Yes, if your passport lets you into Taiwan and you have about 6 hours. The Airport MRT express reaches Taipei Main Station in 35 to 39 minutes for NT$160. US, British, EU, Canadian and Australian passports need no visa, only the free online arrival card and, for most, six months left on the passport. Indian passports need a free Travel Authorization Certificate, applied for online before you fly. With 8.5 hours and an early landing, a free guided tour from the airport is the easiest way in. With less time, stay past security at Taoyuan: you need no visa there.

## Every layover length

- **Under 6 hours** (Stay airside): Stay at the airport. Between immigration, the train both ways and being back 90 minutes before your flight, under 6 hours leaves too little time in Taipei. Past security you need no visa, and Terminal 2 has a paid lounge with private resting suites.
- **6 to 7 hours** (Possible but tight): About 1.5 to 2.5 hours in town: enough for the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, two metro stops from Taipei Main, where the guard changes every hour. From 6.5 hours, Longshan Temple and the streets of Ximending, or the view from Taipei 101.
- **7 to 9 hours** (Go into Taipei): About 2.5 to 4.5 hours in town: time for one big sight. Take in the city from Taipei 101, or from 8 hours see the National Palace Museum (closed on Mondays). With 8.5 hours and a landing by 6:50am or 12:20pm, a free guided tour from the airport fits too.
- **9 to 12 hours** (Go into Taipei): About 4.5 to 7.5 hours in town: any plan in this guide fits with time to spare. Take the National Palace Museum at an easy pace, or stay into the evening at Shilin Night Market.
- **12 to 24 hours** (Go into Taipei): Most of a day in town. Landing at night? Rest near the airport, take the first Airport MRT at about 6am, see Longshan Temple and be at the Memorial Hall when it opens at 9am.
- **Over 24 hours** (Go into Taipei): Too long for the free tours, which take layovers of up to 24 hours, so treat it as a short stay. US, British, EU, Canadian and Australian passports can stay up to 90 days without a visa: book a hotel in town or by the airport.

**Landing late at night:** The first Airport MRT train from the airport leaves about 5:58am and the last one back from Taipei Main about 11:38pm. If no plan into Taipei fits around those hours, the verdict is to sleep near the airport.

## Time in town

Worked out with this guide’s allowances: about an hour from landing to a train, the ride each way, and back at Taoyuan 90 minutes before departure.

| Layover | In town, about | On the plan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6 hours | 1.5 hours | Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall |
| 6.5 hours | 2 hours | Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall |
| 7 hours | 2.5 hours | Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall |
| 8 hours | 3.5 hours | Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall |
| 10 hours | 5.5 hours | Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall |
| 12 hours | 7.5 hours | Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall |

## Layover plans

Every plan on the overview, in the order it lists them. On the web page each plan's route is timed from your layover length and landing time.

### Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

- **Hint**: Quickest
- **Layover**: 6 hours or more
- **Ride**: Airport MRT, about 55 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 40 minutes before your flight

1. **Red line to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall**
2. **Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall**
3. **Red line back to Taipei Main**
4. **Taipei Main Station**

### Longshan Temple and Ximending

- **Hint**: Free, early opening
- **Layover**: 6.5 hours or more
- **Ride**: Airport MRT, about 55 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 40 minutes before your flight

1. **Blue line to Longshan Temple**
2. **Longshan Temple**
3. **Walk to Ximending**
4. **Ximending**
5. **Blue line back to Taipei Main**
6. **Taipei Main Station**

### Taipei 101 Observatory

- **Hint**: Best view
- **Layover**: 6.5 hours or more
- **Cost**: $
- **Ride**: Airport MRT, about 55 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 40 minutes before your flight

1. **Red line to Taipei 101/World Trade Center**
2. **Taipei 101 Observatory**
3. **Red line back to Taipei Main**
4. **Taipei Main Station**

### Shilin Night Market

- **Hint**: Evening
- **Layover**: 7.5 hours or more
- **Ride**: Airport MRT, about 55 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 40 minutes before your flight

1. **Red line to Jiantan**
2. **Shilin Night Market**
3. **Walk and Red line back to Taipei Main**
4. **Taipei Main Station**

### National Palace Museum

- **Hint**: Culture
- **Layover**: 8 hours or more · Tue to Sun
- **Cost**: $
- **Ride**: Airport MRT, about 55 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 40 minutes before your flight

1. **Red line to Shilin, then bus R30 to the museum**
2. **National Palace Museum**
3. **Bus and Red line back to Taipei Main**
4. **Taipei Main Station**

### Free morning tour: Tamsui

- **Hint**: Free
- **Layover**: 8.5 hours or more
- **Tour**: about 4 hours, back to Taoyuan at least 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight; starts 8:30am; meet 30 minutes before the start at Tourist Service Centre, arrivals hall, Terminal 2 (from 05:30) or Terminal 1 (from 07:00), after immigration; the earliest start you can make is 1 hour 40 minutes after landing

1. **Danjiang Bridge**
2. **Fuyou (Tamsui Mazu) Temple**
3. **Tamsui Old Street**

### Free afternoon tour: Taipei landmarks

- **Hint**: Free
- **Layover**: 8.5 hours or more
- **Tour**: about 4 hours, back to Taoyuan at least 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight; starts 2pm; meet 30 minutes before the start at Tourist Service Centre, arrivals hall, Terminal 2 (from 05:30) or Terminal 1 (from 07:00), after immigration; the earliest start you can make is 1 hour 40 minutes after landing

1. **Dadaocheng and Dihua Street**
2. **Liberty Square and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall**
3. **Ximending**

### Rest, then Longshan Temple and the Memorial Hall

- **Hint**: Early start
- **Layover**: 9 hours or more · overnight
- **Cost**: $$
- **Night**: rest near the airport, then head in for the morning
- **Ride**: Airport MRT, about 40 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 40 minutes before your flight

1. **Longshan Temple**
2. **Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall**
3. **Taipei Main Station**

### Plaza Premium Lounge suites, Terminal 2

- **Where**: Airside · 5am to 11:59pm
- **Cost**: $$

- **Plaza Premium Lounge "The Terroir", Terminal 2, Zone A, 4F**

### Hyatt Regency Taoyuan International Airport, landside

- **Where**: Landside · needs Taiwan entry

- **Hyatt Regency Taoyuan International Airport, Airport Hotel Station (A14a)**

## At a glance

- **Airport**: Taiwan Taoyuan International (TPE)
- **Airport MRT express**: 35 to 39 min to Taipei Main, NT$160
- **Last train back**: 11:38pm from Taipei Main (express 11pm), every day
- **Minimum to leave**: About 6 hours; 8.5 for a free tour
- **Be back**: 90 minutes before departure, boarding pass in hand
- **Sleep airside**: Lounge suites in Terminal 2, 5am to midnight
- **Currency**: New Taiwan dollar (NT$)
- **Paying for the train**: Tap a contactless bank card or phone
- **Don't forget**: Free online arrival card, and six months left on your passport

## Arrivals

A Taipei layover is worth leaving the airport for if you have about 6 hours and a passport that Taiwan lets in.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is in Taoyuan, west of Taipei, and the Airport MRT runs from both terminals to Taipei Main Station in the centre: 35 to 39 minutes by express. With an hour to get through immigration, the wait for a train and being back 90 minutes before your flight, about 4.5 hours of any layover go on getting in and out, which is why you need at least 6.

- **Bags.** Booked on one ticket, checked luggage is sent on to your next flight and you walk out with a cabin bag. Booked separately, you must clear immigration to collect it, even if you meant to stay airside; lockers in both terminals cost NT$40 to NT$80 for each 3 hours, paid in cash or with an EasyCard.
- **Train fare.** Tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, JCB or UnionPay card, or a phone, at the gates of the Airport MRT and Taipei's metro, and tap out with the same one. You don't need to buy a ticket.
- **Phone.** Wi-Fi is free in the terminals. Set up a Taiwan eSIM before you land, so maps work once you're on the train.

Paying for the train, and what to do with bags: [getting into the city](https://taipeilayover.com/getting-to-the-city/).

## Border

Most travellers need no visa to leave, but you file a free arrival card online and your passport needs time left on it.

- **US, British, EU, Canadian and Australian passports.** No visa, for stays of up to 90 days. You need a confirmed onward flight, which your layover is, and a passport with at least six months left on the day you arrive; a US passport need only be valid for your stay. British passports qualify only with British Citizen status.
- **Arrival card.** Everyone entering Taiwan fills in the Taiwan Arrival Card online, free, within the 7 days before arrival. It takes a few minutes and asks for your flight details, so do it before you fly.
- **India.** Indian passports need a Travel Authorization Certificate: free, applied for online before you fly, and printed out to show at the border. You can get one only if you hold a visa or residence card, valid or expired within the last 10 years, from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand or a Schengen or EU country. Otherwise you need a Taiwan visa.
- **Staying airside.** If you stay in the transit area, past security, you never pass immigration and need no visa.
- **Time.** Taoyuan publishes no queue times, so plan on an hour between touching down and boarding the train. If immigration is slow, you lose time in Taipei, never your flight, because your leave-by time is set by your departure.

Who needs which document: [visa and transit rules](https://taipeilayover.com/visa-and-transit/).

## Into Taipei

Take the Airport MRT: a train leaves about every 7 or 8 minutes, and the express reaches Taipei Main Station in under 40 minutes.

| Ride | Into town | Fare |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Airport MRT express to Taipei Main | 37 min from Terminal 1, 39 from Terminal 2 | NT$160 |
| Airport MRT commuter to Taipei Main | 51 min from Terminal 1, 53 from Terminal 2 | NT$160 |
| Taxi | About 40 to 60 min (this guide's estimate) | Metered, plus highway tolls |

Express and commuter trains each run every 15 minutes, taking turns. The express is 14 minutes faster, so if one is due within about 12 minutes, wait for it.

The first express into Taipei leaves Terminal 2 at 5:55am and Terminal 1 at 5:58am. The last trains back leave Taipei Main at 11pm (express) and 11:38pm (commuter), every day. In practice they only matter for a flight after about 1:40am: for anything earlier, you have to leave town before them anyway.

Every way in, the metro and taxis: [getting into the city](https://taipeilayover.com/getting-to-the-city/).

## What to do

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Longshan Temple are two metro stops from Taipei Main, Taipei 101 about 15 minutes away, and the Tourism Administration runs free guided tours from the airport.

### The fastest plan for a short layover

1. Clear immigration, follow the signs for the Airport MRT and take the first train to **Taipei Main Station**: express and commuter trains both go there.
2. Walk through the station to the metro (allow about 10 minutes) and ride the red Tamsui-Xinyi line two stops to **Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall**, about 5 minutes.
3. Walk about 10 minutes to the **Memorial Hall**, open 9am to 6pm. The guard changes on the hour from 9am to 5pm, and the park around it is open from 5am to midnight.
4. Leave Taipei Main Station 2 hours 40 minutes before your flight. That covers the walk to the airport train, the wait, the ride and 90 minutes at the airport.

It needs about 6 hours, which gives you about 1.5 hours in town.

Would you rather have a guide? Taiwan's Tourism Administration runs free half-day tours for connecting passengers with a visa-free passport or a Taiwan visa: a bus leaves the airport between 8:05am and 8:30am for Tamsui's old street and temple, or between 1:35pm and 2pm for Dihua Street, the Memorial Hall and Ximending, and brings you back 4 hours later. Each tour has 18 seats, booked online 5 to 90 days ahead. Your flight must land before 7am and leave after 3pm for the morning tour, or land before 1pm and leave after 8:30pm for the afternoon one. For a landing at another time, GetYourGuide and Viator list private layover tours from the airport.

### Watch the calendar

- **Mondays.** The National Palace Museum is closed, apart from a few special openings.
- **18 and 19 November 2026.** The Memorial Hall is closed for maintenance; the park around it stays open.
- **Lunar New Year.** Holidays run from 4 to 10 February 2027, and the Memorial Hall is closed on 5 and 6 February. Over Lunar New Year 2026 the Airport MRT added early trains and kept its usual last trains, so check Taoyuan Metro's website before you rely on the last one.
- **28 February.** The Memorial Hall is closed for Peace Memorial Day.
- **Rain.** The changing of the guard doesn't take place in rain, and the free tours can be cancelled in bad weather.

Our [itineraries](https://taipeilayover.com/itineraries/) give timed plans from 6 to 24 hours, both free tours with how to join, an overnight plan and places to rest at the airport.

## Head back

Be back at Taoyuan airport 90 minutes before departure, with your onward boarding pass.

- **Time.** With an hour to get out, the train both ways and 90 minutes at the end, a 6-hour layover leaves about 1.5 hours in town, 8 hours about 3.5 and 12 hours about 7.5. Leave Taipei Main Station 2 hours 40 minutes before your flight.
- **Why 90 minutes is enough.** If you're already checked in, you go through departure immigration and security and walk to your gate, where you need to be 40 minutes before departure. If you still need to check in or drop a bag, allow more: the airport suggests 2 to 3 hours for that.
- **Your terminal.** Ride back to the terminal on your booking. Some China Airlines, EVA Air and Starlux flights board at Terminal 3's new north concourse, which has no train station of its own: you go through check-in and security at your airline's usual terminal, so allow a little longer to reach the gate.
- **Free tours.** The bus brings you back at 12:30pm or 6pm, and your flight must leave after 3pm or 8:30pm: the organisers' rule, stricter than this guide's 90 minutes.
- **Late at night.** If you miss the 11:38pm train, only a taxi will get you back: metered, with highway tolls on top. Allow 40 to 60 minutes, this guide's estimate.

Time in town at each layover length: [how much time you'll have](https://taipeilayover.com/getting-to-the-city/#timing-your-return).

## Departures

Staying in the airport needs no visa and no train fare, but the only hotel the airport lists is past immigration.

- **Plaza Premium Lounge.** In Terminal 2's departures area, past security, open 5am to midnight, from NT$1,500 (seen November 2026). You can book a private resting suite with a bed and its own toilet. It's closed from midnight to 5am, and you need your onward boarding pass to get in.
- **Showers.** Both terminals have shower rooms, several of them open 24 hours.
- **Hotel by the airport.** The Hyatt Regency Taoyuan International Airport is at Airport Hotel station (A14a), one stop beyond Terminal 2 on the Airport MRT; the ride from either terminal is free with a card or phone. You pass immigration to reach it, so you need permission to enter Taiwan.

Rooms, lounges, showers and left luggage: [at the airport](https://taipeilayover.com/airport/).

## Questions people ask

### Can I leave Taipei airport during a layover?

Yes, with about 6 hours and a passport that lets you into Taiwan. US, British, EU, Canadian and Australian passports need no visa, only the free online arrival card and, except US passports, six months left on the passport. Indian passports need a Travel Authorization Certificate, free online, which you can get only with a visa or residence card from certain countries. If you stay past security, you need nothing at all.

### How long a layover do I need to see Taipei?

About 6 hours, which leaves about 1.5 hours in town once you allow an hour to get through immigration, the Airport MRT both ways and being back 90 minutes before your flight. That's enough for the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Taipei 101 needs about 6.5 hours, the National Palace Museum 8, and the free half-day tours 8.5.

### What time is the last train back to Taipei airport?

The last Airport MRT leaves Taipei Main Station at 11:38pm every day, a commuter train that reaches Terminal 2 at about 12:30am. The last express leaves at 11pm. They only matter for a flight after about 1:40am: for anything earlier, you have to leave town before them anyway.

### Can I sleep at Taipei airport?

Not in a hotel past security: the only hotel the airport lists is outside the terminals. Plaza Premium's lounge in Terminal 2, past security, has private resting suites, but it's closed from midnight to 5am. For a bed through the night, enter Taiwan and stay at the Hyatt Regency by Airport Hotel station (A14a), one stop beyond Terminal 2 on the Airport MRT.

### Is there a free tour for a Taipei layover?

Yes. Taiwan's Tourism Administration runs free half-day guided tours for connecting passengers with 7 to 24 hours between flights and a visa-free passport or a Taiwan visa. The morning tour goes to Tamsui and needs a landing before 7am and a flight after 3pm; the afternoon tour covers Dihua Street, the Memorial Hall and Ximending and needs a landing before 1pm and a flight after 8:30pm. Book online 5 to 90 days ahead: each tour has 18 seats.

## Sources (checked 9 November 2026)

- [Taoyuan Metro: Airport MRT, first and last trains from Taipei Main (A1) (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.tymetro.com.tw/tymetro-new/en/_pages/travel-guide/dep-A1)
- [Taoyuan Metro: Airport MRT, first and last trains from Terminal 1 (A12) (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.tymetro.com.tw/tymetro-new/en/_pages/travel-guide/dep-A12)
- [Taoyuan Metro: Airport MRT, first and last trains from Terminal 2 (A13) (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.tymetro.com.tw/tymetro-new/en/_pages/travel-guide/dep-A13)
- [Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport: Airport MRT, ride times and fare (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.taoyuan-airport.com/airport_mrt?lang=en)
- [Taoyuan Metro: passenger FAQ, Airport MRT fare (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.tymetro.com.tw/tymetro-new/tw/_pages/service/FAQ.php?page=3)
- [Taoyuan Metro: Lunar New Year 2026 early trains (7 Feb 2026, checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.tymetro.com.tw/tymetro-new/tw/_pages/news/show-2303-1.html)
- [Taipei Metro: tickets and bank cards (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://english.metro.taipei/cp.aspx?n=BECC2E7AC426F659&s=74E62C405BBE3069)
- [Bureau of Consular Affairs: visa-exempt entry (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-149-4486-7785a-2.html)
- [Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India: Travel Authorization Certificate (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.roc-taiwan.org/in_en/post/1026.html)
- [National Immigration Agency: Taiwan Arrival Card FAQ (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://twac.immigration.gov.tw/faq)
- [Bureau of Consular Affairs: eVisa FAQ, transit area (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://visawebapp.boca.gov.tw/BOCA_EVISA/csi/pdf/evisa_QA.pdf)
- [Taiwan Tourism Administration: Free Half-Day Tour, registration rules (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://halfdaytour.taiwan.net.tw/Register)
- [Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport: departure procedures, check-in and gate times (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.taoyuan-airport.com/outbound?lang=en)
- [Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport: taxis (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.taoyuan-airport.com/taxi?lang=en)
- [Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport: left luggage and lockers (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.taoyuan-airport.com/save_luggage?lang=en)
- [Taiwan Today: Terminal 3's northern boarding concourse (February 2026, checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.taiwantoday.tw/12/280767)
- [Plaza Premium Lounge: The Terroir, Terminal 2, Zone A (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.plazapremiumlounge.com/en-uk/find/china-regions/taiwan/taipei/taiwan-taoyuan-international-airport/international-departures-terminal-two-zone-a)
- [Taoyuan Metro: Airport Hotel Station (A14a) (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.tymetro.com.tw/tymetro-new/en/_pages/travel-guide/A14a)
- [Directorate-General of Personnel Administration: 2027 holidays (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.dgpa.gov.tw/information?uid=82&pid=12983)
- [Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall: visit information (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.cksmh.gov.tw/en/cp.aspx?n=6369)
- [Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall: closed 18 and 19 November 2026 for maintenance (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.cksmh.gov.tw/News_Content.aspx?n=6217&s=264625)
- [National Palace Museum: opening hours and tickets (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.npm.gov.tw/Articles.aspx?sno=02007001&l=2)