Taipei’s Eye-Catching Mobile Highlight: Open-Top Double-Decker Bus to Hit the Roads by Year-End

By MOOK Travel Life Network Editorial Team

The long-awaited double-decker sightseeing bus is finally here! Taipei will soon introduce an open-top double-decker bus equipped with multilingual audio guides in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean, offering both daytime and nighttime tour routes. Travelers will experience how the most beautiful sights of Taipei aren’t just its people, but also the historic architecture of the old town and the diverse charm of trendy shopping in the Eastern District.

The accessible sightseeing bus is subsidized by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. It stands 4 meters tall and has a total of 59 seats across the lower and upper decks. The ride lasts approximately two hours, with an initial planned one-way fare of no more than NT$300. Routes include the Fashion Line, passing by Taipei 101, Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Yongkang Street, and Liaoning Street Night Market; and the Classic Line, featuring Ximending, Beimen, Taipei Expo Park, Shilin Official Residence, and the National Palace Museum.

Since the double-decker sightseeing bus is slightly taller than regular buses, every point along its planned route must be individually reviewed for factors such as roadside trees, power lines, traffic signs, bridges, tunnels, and overpasses. New bus stops must also take into account sidewalks, parking spaces, and bike lanes. To meet its goal of launching by year-end, the Department of Information and Tourism has formed a dedicated team to conduct comprehensive site surveys with all relevant agencies.