Asia
The best time to visit Taiwan
An island of night markets, mountain trains, and temples that is at its best between the typhoons and the plum rains.
- Best months
- Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
- Think twice
- Aug
- Quietest
- January
- Cheapest
- January
The straight answer
The best time to visit Taiwan is October through early December, with March and April a strong second: comfortable temperatures, less rain, and typhoon season winding down.
Go from October to early December, or in March and April. Autumn brings clear skies to the mountains, the end of typhoon season, and comfortable highs in the 70s F; spring brings cherry blossoms at Alishan and Yangmingshan before the rain returns.
Two weather systems shape the rest of the year. The plum rains (meiyu) soak the island from roughly mid May to mid June, and typhoon season runs from about June through October, peaking July to September, with storms that can close mountain roads and cancel ferries. Summer is also plain hot, with Taipei highs in the low 90s F.
Winter is a split verdict. The northeast monsoon brings weeks of gray drizzle to Taipei, Keelung, and Jiufen from roughly November to March, while the south around Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Kenting stays sunny and mild. If you go in winter, plan to spend more of your trip in the south.
Taiwan, month by month
Every month gets a verdict. Tap one for its own page: weather, crowds, prices and what is on.
- 01JanuaryQuiet valueCool, Taipei highs near 66F (19C), frequent drizzle in the northGray and damp in Taipei, dry and sunny in the south. Chinese New Year can fall late in the month.CrowdsPrice
- 02FebruaryTradeoffsCool, highs near 67F (19C), damp in the northOften Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. Beautiful, but trains and hotels sell out and many businesses close for days.CrowdsPrice
- 03MarchGoodMild, highs near 72F (22C), changeableCherry blossom season in the mountains and the drizzle eases. A strong month once the lunar holidays are past.Hotels for March →CrowdsPrice
- 04AprilBestWarm, highs near 78F (26C), mostly pleasantAlishan's blossoms and fireflies, green hills, comfortable city days. Tomb Sweeping Day in early April brings a busy long weekend.Hotels for April →CrowdsPrice
- 05MayQuiet valueHot and humid, highs near 84F (29C), plum rains arrive mid monthGood early, soggy late. The plum rain front can park over the island for days.CrowdsPrice
- 06JuneTradeoffsHot, highs near 89F (32C), plum rains then typhoon season beginsHeavy rain for the first half, then heat. The Dragon Boat Festival is the bright spot.CrowdsPrice
- 07JulyTradeoffsVery hot, highs near 93F (34C), afternoon storms, typhoon riskGreat for the east coast and islands on a good week, but a single typhoon can cancel ferries and close Taroko and Alishan roads.CrowdsPrice
- 08AugustThink twiceVery hot, highs near 92F (33C), peak typhoon monthThe hottest and stormiest combination, plus Ghost Month, when some locals avoid travel and big decisions.CrowdsPrice
- 09SeptemberTradeoffsHot, highs near 89F (32C), typhoons still likelyHeat starts to break late in the month, but it is still typhoon season. Cheap if you stay flexible.CrowdsPrice
- 10OctoberBestWarm and drier, highs near 83F (28C)Typhoon season winds down, skies clear, hiking season opens up. The Double Ten National Day on October 10 adds a busy long weekend.Hotels for October →CrowdsPrice
- 11NovemberBestComfortable, highs near 77F (25C), north starting to turn dampExcellent island-wide, especially in the mountains and the south. Maple color appears at higher elevations late month.Hotels for November →CrowdsPrice
- 12DecemberGoodCool, highs near 70F (21C), drizzle returns to the northTaipei gets grayer, the south stays lovely. The Taipei 101 New Year fireworks close the year.Hotels for December →CrowdsPrice
Book Taiwan for October.
Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.
- Hotels for October
Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in TaiwanOpens a hotel search for Taiwan in October, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
- Rentals on Vrbo
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in TaiwanWhole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
- Tours and tickets
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in TaiwanTimed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Taiwan for October. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Why go to Taiwan
Night market food culture
Shilin, Raohe, and Ningxia in Taipei, Garden Night Market in Tainan, and Liuhe in Kaohsiung: beef noodle soup, oyster omelets, pepper buns, and bubble tea, which was invented here.
Mountains that start at the edge of the city
More than 200 peaks top 3,000 meters. Yangmingshan is a bus ride from Taipei, and Alishan's forest railway and sunrise over a sea of clouds are among Asia's classic scenes.
One of Asia's great museums
The National Palace Museum holds a vast collection of Chinese imperial treasures, much of it moved from Beijing's Forbidden City in the 1940s.
Easy, safe, and fast to get around
The high-speed rail runs Taipei to Kaohsiung in about 90 minutes, the Taipei MRT is spotless, and the island ranks among the safest in Asia.
Things to do, and when to do them
National Palace Museum
Go at opening on a weekday and head straight for the jade cabbage and the meat-shaped stone before the tour groups arrive.
Taipei night markets
Raohe is more compact and local than Shilin. Go hungry after 7pm and share everything.
Sun Moon Lake
Cycle the lakeshore path and ride the ropeway. Weekdays in spring and fall are ideal; weekends fill with domestic tourists.
Alishan and the forest railway
Stay overnight for sunrise over the sea of clouds. Blossom season (roughly March to April) is the busiest time on the mountain.
Taroko Gorge
The marble gorge was badly damaged by the April 2024 Hualien earthquake and some trails and road sections remain closed. Check the national park service before you plan around it.
Jiufen and the northeast coast
The hillside teahouse town is magical at dusk and packed on weekends. Combine with the Pingxi line and Shifen Waterfall.
Tainan
Taiwan's old capital, with the best temples and arguably the best food on the island. The ideal winter base when the north is drizzly.
Taipei 101
Go up on a clear autumn day. The observatory is a waste in the winter drizzle, so watch the forecast.
Events and seasons worth planning around
Chinese New Year
Late January to mid February, set by the lunar calendar
The biggest travel week of the year. Trains and flights sell out, many restaurants close for days, and cities go quiet as families head home.
Lantern Festival and Pingxi sky lanterns
The 15th day of the lunar new year, usually February or early March
The national Taiwan Lantern Festival moves to a different host city each year, while Pingxi releases sky lanterns in the hills above Taipei.
Alishan cherry blossom season
Roughly March into April, varies by year
The mountain's busiest weeks. Book the forest railway and lodging well ahead.
Dragon Boat Festival
Late May to June, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month
Races on rivers around the island, rice dumplings everywhere, and a national holiday long weekend.
Ghost Month
The seventh lunar month, usually August into September
Temple offerings and ceremonies, especially the Keelung Ghost Festival. Some locals avoid swimming and travel in this month.
Double Ten National Day
October 10 every year
Parade and fireworks with a national holiday. Expect a busy long weekend in popular spots.
Beat the crowds
- Avoid weekends at Jiufen, Sun Moon Lake, and Alishan. On weekdays outside holidays they are completely different places.
- Book the high-speed rail and any train home during Chinese New Year, Tomb Sweeping Day, and the Dragon Boat long weekend weeks ahead; tickets vanish.
- Do the night markets on a weeknight and arrive when they open. By 9pm on a Saturday Shilin is a shuffle.
- When the north is gray from November to March, flip the itinerary: spend more days in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Kenting, where it is sunny.
Open or closed
- Chinese New Year: many family restaurants, market stalls, and small shops close for several days. Major museums and department stores mostly stay open but run holiday hours.
- Typhoons close mountain roads, suspend ferries to Green Island, Orchid Island, and Penghu, and can cancel domestic flights, usually for one to three days.
- Taroko Gorge: large parts of the park were closed after the April 2024 earthquake and reopening has been gradual. Treat any Taroko plans as subject to change.
- The National Palace Museum closes on Mondays; check current hours before you build a Taipei day around it.
With kids in tow
- Taiwan is very family friendly: safe streets, clean transit, and a snack culture built for kids who get hungry every two hours.
- Summer heat and typhoons make July and August tough with small children. Spring and autumn school breaks are the better bet.
- Kid wins: the Maokong Gondola in Taipei, the Taipei Zoo, cycling at Sun Moon Lake, and the Alishan forest railway.
- For homeschool families: the National Palace Museum is a sweeping walk through Chinese history, and Tainan's forts and temples tell the Dutch, Ming, Qing, and Japanese chapters of the island's story.
Getting there
- Taoyuan International (TPE) is the gateway. EVA Air, China Airlines, and Starlux fly nonstop from several US cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York.
- From Texas: EVA Air has flown nonstop from Houston, and other routes connect via the West Coast.
- The Taoyuan Airport MRT reaches Taipei Main Station in about 35 to 40 minutes on the express trains; the high-speed rail links the airport area to the rest of the west coast.
Packing? Packing cubes and the airport kit.
Taiwan timing, quick answers
What is the best month to visit Taiwan?
November. Typhoon season is winding down (late storms are rare but possible), skies are clearer, and it is comfortable everywhere from Taipei to the southern coast. October and April are close seconds.
When is typhoon season in Taiwan?
Roughly June through October, with the most storms from July to September. A typhoon usually disrupts travel for one to three days, closing mountain roads and cancelling ferries and some flights.
When is the rainy season in Taiwan?
The plum rain season hits most of the island from about mid May to mid June. Northern Taiwan also gets long spells of drizzle from roughly November to March under the northeast monsoon, while the south stays dry.
What is the cheapest time to visit Taiwan?
May, June, and September are generally the cheapest, outside the holidays. You trade savings for rain, heat, and some typhoon risk.
Is Chinese New Year a good time to visit Taiwan?
It is festive but tricky. Transport sells out, many restaurants close, and prices rise. The Lantern Festival about two weeks later is a better time to catch the celebrations with fewer closures.
Is Taroko Gorge open?
Parts of it. The April 2024 earthquake caused major landslides and many trails were closed for a long period, with gradual reopenings since. Check the national park service site before building a trip around it.
Weighing alternatives
Similar trips, with their best months.
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