Best Time to Visit Taiwan: Seasons, Typhoons and Plum Rains

The table below uses Taipei, where most trips begin. The south runs 2-4°C warmer in winter and is much drier from October to April, and the mountains are 10-15°C cooler at 2,000 m and above. Click a month for its full page.

Autumn is the season to aim for. The last typhoons usually pass by mid-October, humidity drops and Taipei settles at 22-27°C (72-81°F) in October and 18-23°C (64-73°F) in November. It is the most reliable time for Taroko and the east coast, for high-mountain hikes on Yushan and Hehuanshan, and for cycling round the island.

Late October and November bring the second rice harvest in the East Rift Valley between Hualien and Taitung, when the fields around Chishang and Guanshan turn gold; Chishang’s autumn rice festival is held among them. In the high mountains, maples turn red at Fushoushan Farm and along the Central Cross-Island Highway from mid-November into December, and Alishan has its best sunrise and sea-of-clouds odds of the year.

The one catch is a late typhoon. October storms are less common but not rare: in October 2026, Typhoon Champi forced Taroko National Park to close its trails on the night of 21 October. From November the northeast monsoon sets in over the north coast, so Keelung, Jiufen and Yilan start to turn wet while the west coast stays dry.

Spring is pleasant but less predictable than autumn. Temperatures climb from about 15-22°C (59-72°F) in March to 19-26°C (66-79°F) in late April, with a mix of sunny days, drizzle and fog. Flowers are the draw: the Alishan Cherry Blossom Festival usually runs from mid-March to mid-April, Wuling Farm in Taichung’s mountains blooms earlier in February, and the calla lily fields of Zhuzihu on Yangmingshan peak in March and April.

April is firefly season in the low hills, with good viewing around Alishan’s lower villages, Pinglin and the forest recreation areas, and Hakka hill towns in Miaoli and Hsinchu turn white with tung blossom from mid-April into May. Spring is also temple-festival season in central and southern Taiwan, when the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage walks for nine days through Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin and Chiayi.

Watch the long weekend around Tomb Sweeping Day (4-5 April), when hotels in Sun Moon Lake, Alishan and Kenting fill up. Spring sea fog also delays and cancels flights to the Matsu and Kinmen islands, so build in slack if you are going there.

The meiyu, or plum rains, are the stationary front that sits over Taiwan for three to five weeks from around mid-May. It does not rain all day every day, but when the front is overhead you get prolonged, heavy downpours, and the mountains and the southwest can receive several hundred millimetres in a few days. Mountain roads to Alishan, Hehuanshan and the Central Cross-Island Highway are the first to close, and trail closures in national parks follow.

For a city trip, the plum rains are a nuisance rather than a reason to stay home: museums, night markets and the MRT carry on, and prices are moderate. For a hiking or east-coast trip, pick another window or keep two days flexible. The front usually lifts in mid to late June, just as the Dragon Boat Festival arrives (9 June in 2027).

Summer is long, hot and humid. Taipei averages highs of 33-35°C (91-95°F) in July and August, often feeling hotter in its basin, with short afternoon thunderstorms that cool nothing for long. Do outdoor sightseeing before 11:00 and after 16:00 and use museums, malls and the excellent air-conditioned transport in between.

It is also the season for the sea. Penghu, Green Island, Orchid Island and Xiaoliuqiu are at their best from May to September, ferries run their full schedules, and the water is warm and clear for snorkelling and diving. Whale and dolphin-watching boats operate from Hualien from about April to October. Hehuanshan and the high farms around Qingjing are the cool escape, at 15-20°C by day.

Winter splits the island in two. Taipei sits at 12-19°C (54-66°F) under low cloud, with frequent drizzle from the northeast monsoon, and Keelung, Jiufen, Yilan and the north coast are among the wettest places in Taiwan from November to March. Homes and many guesthouses have no heating, so damp 12°C feels colder than it sounds.

Head south and it is a different country: Kaohsiung, Tainan and Kenting are dry, sunny and 18-25°C (64-77°F), which makes December to February the best time for the southern cities and a fine time for Kenting’s beaches, if not for swimming every day. Winter is also hot-spring season, at Beitou in Taipei, Jiaoxi in Yilan, Zhiben near Taitung and the mountain springs of the Central Range, and the plum blossoms of Nantou and Kaohsiung’s hills peak in January.

Lunar New Year is the one period that changes how Taiwan works. In 2027 New Year’s Day falls on 6 February, and the official holiday runs for several days around it. In practice: - Transport sells out. Taiwan High Speed Rail and TRA trains are booked out for the days before and after the holiday as soon as sales open, and domestic flights and car hire go early. Book the moment tickets are released, or travel in the middle of the holiday when trains are emptier. - Many restaurants and small shops close on New Year’s Eve and for the first three to five days, especially family-run places, traditional markets and breakfast shops. Convenience stores, department stores, chain restaurants and night markets in big cities mostly stay open. - Hotel prices rise sharply in resort areas such as Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Kenting and Hualien, and minimum stays apply. - The cities empty out, temples are packed at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and the Lantern Festival follows two weeks later (20 February 2027), with sky lanterns at Pingxi and beehive fireworks at Yanshui in Tainan.

Other busy dates are the 228 Peace Memorial Day long weekend (28 February), Tomb Sweeping and Children’s Day (4-5 April), Labour Day (1 May), the Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn festivals (15 September 2027), National Day (10 October), and the July to August school holidays. Since 2025, Teachers’ Day (28 September), Retrocession Day (25 October) and Constitution Day (25 December) are national holidays again, so check the official calendar when you book. For what each festival involves, see our Taiwanese culture guide.

Taiwan’s own holidaymakers drive prices more than foreign tourists do. Saturdays are the busiest night of the week everywhere outside Taipei: rooms at Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Kenting and Hualien often cost 30-50% more on Friday and Saturday nights than midweek, and some B&Bs require two-night stays on long weekends. Plan the scenic stops for Sunday to Thursday and do Taipei at the weekend.

Seasonally, July and August are busy at beaches and on the islands but quieter in the mountains, October and November are busy everywhere on weekends, and December to February (outside Lunar New Year) is the cheapest time to travel. Taiwan High Speed Rail opens bookings 28 days ahead; on holiday weekends the early-bird discount fares and reserved seats go first, and non-reserved cars fill to standing room.

• All year: a compact umbrella (it doubles as a sunshade), a light rain jacket, quick-dry clothes and comfortable walking shoes. Convenience stores sell cheap umbrellas and ponchos if you forget.
• Summer: breathable clothing, a hat, high-SPF sunscreen and insect repellent for mountain and forest areas. Shoulders and knees covered for Buddhist monasteries.
• Winter in the north: layers, a warm fleece or light down jacket and waterproof shoes; indoor heating is rare.
• Mountains: a warm layer for Alishan and Hehuanshan in every season, as sunrise viewpoints at 2,200-3,000 m can be near freezing from December to March.
• Typhoon season: a power bank, offline maps and a flexible booking strategy.

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