Located in Queens, JFK is around 15 miles (23 km) from mid-town Manhattan. Taipei's Taoyuan Airport (TPE) is located roughly 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Taipei.
15 different airlines offer flights from New York (JFK) to Taipei (TPE). Direct flights are offered on this route by Eva Air and China Airlines. Additional airlines providing service include United Airlines, KLM, and Cathay Pacific.
For direct flights, the flight distance is 7,808 miles. Total flight time is 16 hours and 20 minutes. Flights from New York (JFK) to Taipei (TPE) requiring a connection take between 20 to 30 hours. In some cases, an overnight stay at another city in Asia may be required.
Between one to three direct flights between these two cities are usually available every day. If non-stop service is not available at a convenient travel time, passengers may have layovers in such cities as Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, or Tokyo.
Travelers can reach JFK by various modes of transportation, such as airport shuttle, taxi, car, ride-sharing services, or AirTrain and subway. Both short-term and long-term parking garages are located onsite, as well as drop-off and pick-up zones in front of the terminals. Travelers should keep traffic conditions in mind when traveling to JFK. Although the airport is a 30 minute drive from mid-town Manhattan, it can take over an hour to get there during rush hour.
Once in Taipei, travelers can reach the city center by either bus, taxi, metro, a ride-sharing service such as Uber or Lyft (or Didi, the Chinese equivalent), or high-speed rail. In most cases, it should take around 40 minutes to reach the city. Ample onsite parking is available and pick-up zones are located in front of each terminal.
All travelers need a valid passport to enter Taiwan. This passport should be valid for at least six months from the date of arrival. US passport holders do not need a visa to travel to Taipei for a short trip.
For flights from New York (JFK) to Taipei (TPE) requiring an overnight stay in another country, travelers should make arrangements for accommodation and find out important details beforehand, such as how to get to and from the airport.
Taipei is 12 hours ahead of New York. Taipei has a tropical climate, with warm weather and plenty of rain throughout the year, especially in summer. However, May to September is monsoon season and temperatures soar to 90 degrees F in the summer. Typhoons may occur in October. Therefore, winter is an ideal season to visit the city. Temperatures are cooler (between 68 F to 59 F), but still much warmer than New York at this time of year, and the weather is drier.
The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, although several dialects are also spoken in the country. Travelers should have no problem getting by in English in Taipei, however, it may be a bit more difficult once they go off the beaten track. Learning a few basic phrases in Chinese before a trip to Taiwan will be both fun and helpful.
Check out a temple
If there's one thing Taipei does not have a shortage of, it's gorgeous temples. Taiwanese temples are active places of worship which usually combine aspects and traditions of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Many of the most beautiful temples, such Longshan Temple, are located in the Wanhua district, which is also known as Old Taipei.
Enjoy one of Taipei's incredible festivals
No doubt about it, Taipei has many amazing festivals which no tourist should miss. These include the Taipei Lantern Festival (14th day of the Lunar New Year), the Dragon Boar Festival (late May or early June), and the Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival, which usually takes place in September. Although tourists will see amazing fireworks on New Year's Eve, the city is pretty dead during Chinese New Year, when most of the locals are visiting family.
View the city from Taipei 101
Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, and it still boasts the world's fastest elevator as well as the highest Starbucks. The views from the building are simply breathtaking. Tickets are cheaper if you book them online and you'll get in more quickly with the Taipei 101 priority pass.