National Palace Museum Taipei: Ticket Choices, Monday Rules, and What to Know Before You Go

The National Palace Museum in Taipei holds one of the largest collections of Chinese art and artifacts in the world, with over 690,000 pieces spanning 8,000 years. A visit here is not a casual stroll—tickets, bag rules, group audio requirements, and the Monday closure can reshape your plan before you even walk in.

This guide is for travelers who want to spend their Taipei hours inside the exhibition halls rather than outside in a queue or turned away at the ticket desk. You will leave with a clear choice between regular, discount, and free admission, a working Monday plan, and the metro-bus route that drops you at the B1 entrance.

What to know first

• The Northern Branch Exhibition Hall I is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–17:00. Ticket sales and exchange stop at 16:30.
• Monday is normally closed, but 21 special Monday opening days are scheduled in 2026. Check the list before booking anything else on a Monday.
• Regular adult tickets cost NT$350. Discount tickets for ROC citizens and ISIC holders are NT$150. Visitors under 18 of any nationality enter free.
• Groups of 10 or more must rent the NPM group audio tour system (NT$50 per person from May 1, 2026) and cannot enter without it.
• Bags larger than A3 size must be checked at the B1 cloakroom. Food, drinks, bottles, and cans are not allowed inside the exhibition halls.
• Photography without flash is generally allowed, but tripods, selfie sticks, and auxiliary lighting are banned. Some artifacts have no-photo signs.
• The free Zhishan Garden next to the museum follows the same hours as Exhibition Hall I, so you can extend your visit without an extra ticket.

Source: Front view of the National Palace Museum Northern Branch, Shilin District, Taipei.

Choose the right ticket for your visit

Not every visitor pays NT$350. Before you buy, check which category applies to you.

• Regular ticket: NT$350. This is the standard walk-up price for international visitors without a qualifying discount ID.
• Group ticket: NT$320 per person for groups of 10 or more, plus the mandatory NT$50 group audio tour system rental. Groups must book online in advance or call the service hotline.
• Discount ticket (NT$150): Available to ROC citizens with valid ID documents and international visitors holding a current International Student Identity Card.
• Free admission: Visitors aged 17 and under of any nationality, ROC citizens aged 65 and older, disabled visitors plus one companion, ROC students with a valid Ministry of Education-registered school ID, AAM/ICOM members, and Taiwan Museum Association members.
• Combined ticket: NT$820 for the NPM Northern Branch Exhibition Hall I plus Taipei 101 Observatory.
• Taiwan Alliance of Museums 20% discount: Present a same-year ticket stub or membership card from any partner museum for 20% off your NPM ticket.
• Free-entrance days in 2026: January 1, Lantern Festival, May 16–18 (International Museum Day), September 27 (World Tourism Day), October 10 (National Day), and October 17 (Taiwan Culture Day).

If you qualify for free or discount entry, bring the supporting document. The ticket counter will check.

Monday closures and special opening days

In 2026, the museum is closed on most Mondays. The 21 exceptions—special Monday opening days—are: January 19 and 26; February 9 and 16 (Feb 16 hours 09:00–16:00); March 2, 9, and 23; April 6, 13, 20, and 27; May 4 and 18; June 8; July 6; August 3; September 28; October 26; November 9; and December 7.

If you plan a Monday visit, confirm the specific date is on this list. If it is not, shift your NPM day to Tuesday through Sunday. The museum is never open on Mondays that are not listed as special openings.

Rules inside the exhibition halls

The NPM enforces its visitor rules strictly. Ignoring them can get you asked to leave.

• Bags, backpacks, and luggage larger than A3 paper must be stored in the B1 cloakroom (open 09:00–17:00). Lost locker keys cost NT$1,000.
• No food, water, bottles, or cans inside. Finish your drink before you pass through ticket check.
• Photography is permitted without flash. Tripods, selfie sticks, and additional lighting equipment are banned. Some individual artifacts have posted no-photography signs.
• Keep voices low. Groups without the official audio tour system are not allowed to guide inside the halls.
• Dress appropriately; no sitting on the floor, no taking off shoes, no running, and no smoking.
• Guide dogs are the only pets permitted.

Getting there by metro and bus

The museum sits in Shilin District with no metro station at the doorstep, but bus connections from three stations make it straightforward.

From Shilin Station (Tamsui-Xinyi Line, R16, Exit 1): Take bus R30, 815, 304, 300, 255, S19, S18, or M1. Bus R30 drops you directly at the B1 entrance of the main building—the easiest door-to-door option. Other buses stop at the bottom of the hill or across the street. Travel time is about 15 minutes.

From Jiannan Road Station (Wenhu Line, BR15, Exit 1): Take bus BR20 or BL7. BR20 arrives at the B1 entrance. Travel time is about 10 minutes.

From Dazhi Station (Wenhu Line, BR14, Exit 3): Take bus BR13 to the stop opposite the museum. Travel time is about 10 minutes.

The Taipei Sightseeing Bus Blue Route also serves the museum, departing from Taipei Main Station (Zhongxiao) near M4 Exit at 10:50, 13:10, and 16:30, with 40-minute intervals. A 24-hour or 48-hour ticket gives unlimited rides.

Audio guides, lockers, and practical tips

Multilingual audio guides are available for rent inside the museum. The cloakroom on B1 accepts bags larger than A3. Both close at 17:00, so retrieve your belongings before then.

Plan to arrive at least 2–3 hours before closing. The last ticket is sold at 16:30, and the galleries begin winding down toward 17:00. Morning visits tend to be calmer than afternoons, especially on weekends.

The free Zhishan Garden beside the main building is worth a walk before or after your exhibition visit. Zhide Garden, also free, is open year-round with no hour restrictions.

The NPM Southern Branch in Chiayi County is a separate site roughly 90 minutes south of Taipei by high-speed rail. A ticket to one branch does not cover the other.

Common mistakes that waste your time

• Showing up on a regular Monday without checking the special opening list. If the date is not on it, you will find the doors locked.
• Arriving after 16:30 and expecting to buy a ticket. Ticket sales end at 16:30 sharp.
• Carrying a backpack or large bag straight to the exhibition entrance. You will be turned back to the B1 cloakroom.
• Bringing a water bottle or food past the ticket check. Finish everything before entering.
• Assuming a group can guide itself without the rental audio system. Groups of 10 or more must use the NPM system.
• Skipping the free gardens. Zhishan Garden and Zhide Garden are included with your visit and offer a quiet break between galleries.

Sources

• National Palace Museum Official Website — Hours and Special Monday Opening Days (Last Updated 2026-01-12): https://www.npm.gov.tw/Articles.aspx?sno=02007001&l=2
• National Palace Museum Official Website — Admission and Ticket Categories (Last Updated 2026-06-01): https://www.npm.gov.tw/Articles.aspx?sno=02007004&l=2
• National Palace Museum Official Website — Visitor Notices, Photography, Bag, and Cloakroom Rules (Last Updated 2025-04-11): https://www.npm.gov.tw/Articles.aspx?sno=02007005&l=2
• National Palace Museum Official Website — Public Transportation Directions (Last Updated 2025-08-13): https://www.npm.gov.tw/Articles.aspx?sno=03009216&l=2