Route Briefing: Dublin to Taipei
Dublin to Taipei is one of those routes that rewards the traveller willing to commit to a long-haul journey — and at roughly 13 and a half hours with a stop, it's genuinely manageable when you consider what's waiting at the other end. Cathay Pacific routing through Hong Kong and EVA Air are both excellent choices for this trip, offering solid service and competitive fares. If you spot a roundtrip under $700, grab it without hesitation — that's a genuinely strong deal on a route where standard pricing climbs comfortably into four figures.
Taipei has a way of surprising people. It's one of Asia's most liveable, walkable cities — dense with culture but never overwhelming, endlessly curious about its visitors. The skyline is anchored by Taipei 101, once the world's tallest building and still a genuinely dramatic sight, especially when the city mist rolls in from the surrounding mountains. But the real soul of Taipei lives at street level, particularly after dark. The night markets — Shilin being the most famous — are sensory overload in the best possible way: grilled corn, stinky tofu, scallion pancakes, and the original bubble tea, which was invented here and tastes entirely different when you drink it on home turf.
Beyond the food, Taipei offers something few cities its size can match: hot spring bathing within easy reach of the urban centre. The Beitou district, accessible by the city's excellent MRT metro system, has been a thermal bathing destination for over a century. That same MRT network is your best friend on arrival — it connects directly from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport into the city centre cleanly and affordably, making the transfer from plane to hotel genuinely painless.
Timing matters on this route. July and August bring peak summer crowds and higher fares, as does the December to January holiday window. If your schedule has any flexibility, the shoulder months either side of those peaks offer a noticeably more relaxed experience and better value on flights. Booking three to six months ahead is the sweet spot for securing the best prices — last-minute deals on long-haul routes from Dublin are rare.
One tip worth keeping in mind: connecting through Hong Kong or Dubai tends to unlock the most competitive fares on this route, so don't filter exclusively for direct or short-connection itineraries. A slightly longer layover in Hong Kong can actually work in your favour — the airport is one of the world's best, and the savings often justify the extra hour or two in transit.