17 Best Things To Do At Taoyuan Airport, Taiwan

Past security at Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) there are themed gates, massage chairs and a gym. Before security, anyone can use the B2 food court and the fifth-floor observation decks.

1. Hello Kitty Waiting Room

Gate C2 is given over to Hello Kitty: in its waiting room, she and four Sanrio friends tour Taiwan in cartoon form, with a bus-stop set and interactive screens. Merchandise is on 3F of Terminal 2, past security, at the Sanrio Store.

2. The Other Themed Gates

Hello Kitty's room is one of 32 themed waiting rooms the airport lists across gates A to D. Four of them:

• C8, Taiwan Film-weaver: theater seats and a large screen playing Golden Horse Award-winning short films, plus film props to pose with.
• D6, Smart Green Energy: pedal a stationary bike and watch the power you make light up an interactive city display.
• D4, Hualien-Taitung Discovery: a scaled-down replica from the Tunnel of Nine Turns trail in Taroko Gorge.
• A8, Taiwan Tea: a woven bamboo wall of terraced tea fields, with tea poetry worked into it.

B9 in Terminal 1 hosts temporary exhibitions; see what's showing now in the themed boarding lounge listings.

3. Reading Area and Free Calligraphy

Near gates B6 and D8, the Reading Area runs book-exchange shelves: leave a finished paperback, take someone else's.

The same area has a free calligraphy and rubbing corner. You can write characters with a brush, or press wax blocks over carved patterns to make a colored print, and staff will package what you made so it survives the flight.

4. Massage Chairs Near Gate D2

The SPA Massage Area by gate D2 is a row of full-body massage chairs; pick up a token at a duty-free shop, and the airport lists the 10-minute session as free. For a massage from a person, there's EVERRICH Kung-Fu Massage.

5. Gym Area Near Gate D1

There's an open gym area with exercise equipment by gate D1. It sits past security, so the change of clothes has to be in your carry-on.

6. C10-1 Scenic Relaxation Area

Decorated as a forest campsite, the C10-1 Scenic Relaxation Area near gate C10 has green walls, artificial grass and a deep-blue "lake." Inside are sofas, massage chairs and a prayer room.

7. Rest Areas for a Nap

You don't need a lounge pass to sleep at TPE. You'll find the Rest Lounge Area in the corridors at A7, B6 and the D gates: tucked-away seating behind floor-to-ceiling windows. Near A7 and B6, the Landscape Lounge has loungers that tilt back far enough to lie on.

For a real bed, book the airport hotel.

8. Showers

The airport has nine shower rooms with hot and cold water and mirrors. The list puts four in arrival areas, three in the Terminal 2 departure area and two on the landside 5F of Terminal 2. For departing and transit passengers, the one to know is on 4F of the Terminal 2 departure area, which the facility list shows open 24 hours. The airport's listing doesn't mention towels, so pack one.

9. Plaza Premium Lounges

Entry to the four Plaza Premium lounges in the international departure areas, two per terminal, is sold directly, so you don't need a business-class ticket. Prices on its site start at TWD 1,500. Each lounge serves food and drink; showers may cost extra.

The Blossom in Terminal 1 is the one Plaza Premium lists as open 24 hours daily.

10. Taiwanese Food

Taiwanese standards from the airport's dining directory:

• Beef noodle soup: Lao Dong Beef Noodles has a counter in each terminal's departure area, on 3F in Terminal 1 and 4F in Terminal 2.
• Tea and tofu pudding: Chun Shui Tang and Hanlin Tea House are past security in Terminal 2; Mata Tofu Pudding is on 4F of Terminal 2, before security.
• The B2 food court in Terminal 2: open to anyone without a boarding pass, with Hong Master Danzai Noodles and a Chinese Herb Rib Stew stall among the counters.

Past security, the Gourmet Area near gates C3 and D3 has tables facing the aircraft stands. A 7-Eleven is open around the clock. Once you're in the city, work through these Taiwanese street foods.

11. Souvenir Shopping

The shops on Chengmeng Souvenir Street, 2F of Terminal 2, include SunnyHills, Sugar & Spice and King Ping Best Tea. It's landside, so you can shop there before check-in or right after you land. Past security in Terminal 2, the directory lists a pineapple cake shop and the TAOLI Select bookstore, both on 3F; in Terminal 1, the Aboriginal Handicraft shop on 3F sits before security.

12. Observation Decks

Before security on 5F of Terminal 2 there are two observation decks, one facing north and one south. Transit passengers can't reach them without entering Taiwan. The north deck looks over the rainbow bridge at Zhuwei Fishing Harbor, coastal wind turbines and the Taiwan Strait, and has a seating area for drinking coffee while planes land. The south deck faces the high-speed rail tracks and the aprons, and the airport says it gives you the most aircraft at the closest range.

Plane spotters should pick south. Both decks carry public art, including Floating Travel, a curve of 12 suitcases. If you can't get up there, the airport has a 360-degree online view of the decks.

13. Public Art and Pop-Up Shows

Look up near the north escalators of Terminal 2 for Flying Wings, 22 bird shapes hung on fiberglass poles. Down by the B2 food court, 120 LED displays show the current time in 120 cities across 24 time zones; the piece is called TIME．SPACE.

Live shows are staged in the Terminal 2 concourses and arrival hall, and the dates change through the year, so check the arts and culture event schedule and the cultural experience page before you fly.

14. Children's Play Area Near Gate C5

Kids get a forest-themed play area near C5, with bilingual Chinese-English storybooks and big windows. Parents of babies get nursing rooms with lactation equipment, diaper-changing tables and hot water, and there's a stroller loan service as well.

15. Free Half-Day Transit Tour

Taiwan's Tourism Administration runs a Free Half-Day Tour for transit and transfer passengers. The guided version is for travelers with a layover of 7 to 24 hours who hold a valid Taiwan visa or come from a visa-exempt country. Three routes run:

• Morning, New Taipei City: Danjiang Bridge, Fuyou Temple and Tamsui Old Street.
• Afternoon, Taipei: Dadaocheng and Dihua Street, Liberty Square and the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, then Ximending.
• Evening, Taoyuan: a food tour ending at Zhongli Tourist Night Market.

Each tour takes 18 passengers, and you can join one per stopover. Register online between 90 and 5 days before arrival; leftover seats go to walk-ups at the Tourist Service Centers in the arrival lobbies of both terminals. The morning tour isn't open to you if your next flight leaves before 3:00 p.m. that day. There's also a self-guided option with free Airport MRT tickets and shop coupons.

16. Taipei by Airport MRT

Ride the Taoyuan Airport MRT to its last stop, Taipei Main Station. From Airport Terminal 2 station, express trains get there in 39 minutes. In the daytime they leave every 15 minutes, alternating with slower commuter trains, so read the train type on the platform before you board.

Ideas for the hours in town are in the things to do in Taipei list.

17. Hyatt Regency Taoyuan International Airport

On its own hotel page, the airport sends travelers to the Hyatt Regency Taoyuan International Airport. On the MRT it's Airport Hotel station (A14a), one stop past Terminal 2.

Getting Around the Terminals

Switching terminals costs nothing on the Skytrain or shuttle bus. The airport also lets you ride the MRT between Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and Airport Hotel stations free with an electronic ticket. The MRT platforms are landside, so getting to the hotel or into Taipei means clearing immigration and entering Taiwan first.