For a normal visitor, you don’t “climb” the outside of Taipei 101; you either take the elevator or join the official stair run event inside the tower.

Quick Scoop

  • Tourist visit by elevator: about 1–1.5 hours total on site (including queue, elevator, and time at the observatory).
  • Elevator ride itself: around 37 seconds from 5F to the 89F observatory floor.
  • Official stair race (Taipei 101 Run Up): elite runners take roughly 10–15 minutes to run 2,000+ steps; many recreational participants take 20–40 minutes or more.
  • Extreme pro climbers on the exterior (like Alex Honnold): around 1.5 hours for a full outside free‑solo ascent, under controlled, highly specialized conditions.

What “climb Taipei 101” usually means

When people search “how long to climb Taipei 101,” they usually mean one of three things:

  1. Going up as a regular tourist to the observatory.
  2. Doing the annual Taipei 101 Run Up stair race.
  3. The recent high‑profile exterior climb by Alex Honnold that’s in the latest news.

I’ll break down each scenario so you can match it to what you actually mean.

1. Tourist visit: going up inside

If you are visiting as a tourist, you’ll take the high‑speed elevator to the observatory.

  • Queue for tickets and elevator: 10–30 minutes depending on time of day and season.
  • Elevator ride: about 37 seconds to reach the indoor observatory around the 89th floor.
  • Time at the top: 30–60 minutes to walk around, take photos, and see the tuned mass damper.

So if your question is “how long does it take to go up Taipei 101,” plan on around 1–1.5 hours for the full visit from entering the mall to coming back down, assuming normal crowds.

2. Stair “climb”: Taipei 101 Run Up

If you mean climbing the stairs inside, that’s the Taipei 101 Run Up, a vertical race from the lower floors to the top by staircase.

  • Distance: more than 2,000 steps, starting around the 5th floor and going up close to the top.
  • Elite athletes: roughly 10–15 minutes to reach the top of the stair course.
  • Fit but non‑elite participants: often 20–40 minutes.
  • First‑timers or casual entrants: 40+ minutes is common, especially if taking breaks.

Think of it like a super‑intense short workout rather than a long hike: very steep, very continuous, and all in an indoor stairwell.

3. Exterior wall climbs (Honnold & co.)

This is a different world entirely: world‑class climbers scaling the outside glass and steel.

  • French climber Alain Robert took nearly 4 hours to climb Taipei 101 in 2004 with ropes and safety equipment.
  • In January 2026, Alex Honnold free‑soloed (no ropes) the exterior in about 1 hour 31 minutes 40 seconds, finishing well under a 2‑hour event window and making headlines worldwide.

These are ultra‑specialized, high‑risk ascents done under heavy planning, permissions, and media coverage. They’re not something the public can sign up for or attempt.

Simple rule of thumb

  • Just visiting?
    • Count ~1–1.5 hours, mostly for queuing and enjoying the observatory.
  • Doing the official stair run?
    • Strong runner: 15–25 minutes.
    • Average but active person: 25–45 minutes.
  • Curious about the big news stunt climbs?
    • Expect around 1.5–4 hours depending on style and safety gear, with Alex Honnold currently around the 1.5‑hour mark on the exterior.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.