Summary
Whenever I think of tourist attractions in Taoyuan, the first thing that comes to mind is watching airplanes at Taoyuan Airport. Although there is currently no observation deck inside the terminal building of Taoyuan Airport, there are several scenic restaurants near Taoyuan Airport in Dayuan Township where you can watch airplanes. These include Miracle Coffee Airport, Terminal 3 Coffee Shop, Dayuan 101 Scenic Restaurant, and the observation area located on the side of the south runway in Dayuan. These places not only allow photographers or aviation enthusiasts to get up close to the airplanes and take photos of takeoffs and landings, but also provide parents with a few good places to take their children on holidays.
This article records three scenic restaurants in Dayuan Township, Taoyuan, where you can watch airplanes. I have personally visited these places within the past year. In this article, I will share the advantages and disadvantages of each shooting location and share actual photos taken. This will allow friends who read this article to compare and choose their favorite spots for plane spotting and watching. Additionally, since these restaurants are a distance away from the airport, if you really want to take clear photos of airplanes, it is recommended to bring a lens with a focal length of 200mm or more for shooting.
Miracle Coffee Airport
Plane spotting at Miracle Coffee Airport in Taoyuan.
Miracle Coffee Airport is located near the north runway of Taoyuan Airport, where you can see airplanes taking off and landing from the side of the airport. It is recommended to use a lens with a focal length of 200mm or more to capture the full view of the airplanes (as shown in the photo above). However, the takeoffs and landings of airplanes depend on the wind direction of the day. If it is a takeoff, due to the location of the restaurant, you can capture the angle of the airplane taking off. There is a separate article documenting the photography at Miracle Coffee Airport, which can be viewed here.
Many people visit Miracle Coffee Airport during holidays.
| Information about Miracle Coffee Airport: Address: No. 746, Section 2, Guoji Road, Dayuan District, Taoyuan City Phone: 03-383 0779 Business Hours: 11:00 – 0:00 Minimum spending per person: 100 NTD |
Terminal 3 Coffee Shop
Plane spotting at the Terminal 3 Coffee Shop.
The Terminal 3 Coffee Shop is a scenic coffee shop located on the side of the south runway of Taoyuan Airport. The exterior of the coffee shop has a strong Mediterranean style and is a two-story building with indoor and outdoor dining areas. Because the Terminal 3 Coffee Shop is located directly in front of the takeoff and landing area on the west side of the south runway, you can get a close view of the airplanes landing on the south runway. If the south runway is the takeoff runway on that day, the airplanes will take off before reaching the middle of the runway, so they will appear to be at a distance from the coffee shop. However, since the A380 aircraft can only land on the south runway, if you want to experience the thrill of the A380 flying overhead, the Terminal 3 Coffee Shop should be your first choice among the nearby coffee shops.
You can experience the thrill of the A380 flying overhead from the Terminal 3 Coffee Shop.
| Information about the Terminal 3 Coffee Shop: Address: No. 6-3, Lane 15, Haifengpo, Puxin Village, Dayuan District, Taoyuan City Phone: 03-381 9969 Business Hours: 10:00 – 0:00 Minimum spending per person: 100 NTD |
Dayuan 101 Scenic Restaurant
Plane spotting at the Dayuan 101 Scenic Restaurant.
The Dayuan 101 Scenic Restaurant, which boasts the title of “the highest aircraft viewing spot in Asia,” is located on the 8th floor next to the Dayuan District Farmers’ Association in Taoyuan. It is a new branch of the famous aircraft viewing restaurant “Kan Ji Ji Complex Restaurant.” The Dayuan 101 Scenic Restaurant is also located on the side of the south runway of Taoyuan Airport. Due to its higher floor level, it offers a completely different viewing experience compared to other airplane-watching coffee shops. The Dayuan 101 Scenic Restaurant also has indoor and outdoor dining areas. If the weather is not hot, it is recommended to sit in the outdoor area. Considering the high daily traffic at Taoyuan Airport, there is an average of 5-7 airplanes landing every 5 minutes, making it quite dense. In addition, the rooftop of the restaurant is also open, allowing for unobstructed close-up views of the airplanes taking off and landing.
You can enjoy a closer view of airplanes taking off and landing from the rooftop of the Dayuan 101 Scenic Restaurant.
| Information about the Dayuan 101 Scenic Restaurant: Address: 8th Floor, No. 97-2, Zhongzheng East Road, Dayuan District, Taoyuan City Phone: 03-385 9066 Business Hours: 11:30 – 0:00 Minimum spending per person: 150 NTD |
Dayuan Emergency Contact Road
Plane spotting at the Dayuan Emergency Contact Road in Taoyuan Airport.
In addition to the three aforementioned scenic restaurants for airplane watching, the Dayuan Emergency Contact Road for plane spotting is located on the emergency contact road next to the south runway of Taoyuan Airport. Due to the proximity and the fact that it is free except for a wire fence, it has always been a popular spot for airplane watching and photography enthusiasts in Taoyuan. However, because it is located on the side of the south runway, if the aircraft takes off from the west side, you can mostly only capture the side view during taxiing. Only aircraft taking off from the east side can be photographed when the nose is lifted during takeoff. You can track the takeoff and landing movements of the airplanes on the day through apps like Flightradar24. There is a separate article documenting plane spotting at the Dayuan Emergency Contact Road, which can be accessed here.
One of the great features of plane spotting at the Dayuan Emergency Contact Road is that you can capture airplanes from the front.
You can get a close view of the A380 aircraft taxiing for landing at the Dayuan Emergency Contact Road in Taoyuan.
