The best time to visit Taiwan

The most pleasant times to visit Taiwan are in spring, before plum rain and heat descend upon this lush 36,000-sq-km island straddling the Tropic of Cancer, and in autumn and early winter, after summer’s fever has receded. This is when hotel prices are friendlier, beaches are uncrowded, and the weather is perfect for outdoor exploring and strolling the cities. If your visit is in late spring, you may even catch the first of some of the world’s sweetest mangoes.  

That said, climate change has reshuffled things somewhat in the past few years. Patterns of rainfall, monsoons and temperature change have veered from the expected course, resulting in hotter summers, shorter and often colder and drizzly winters, typhoons with unusual trajectories hitting late in the year (rather than in summer), cherry blossoms opening ‘too soon’ and cherry blossoms opening ‘too late.’ Perhaps we’ll know in a decade’s time whether these are anomalies or the new normal, but at present, it’s hard to put a finger on anything. Luckily, there's so much to do in Taiwan. If your snorkeling trip falls through, fear not, there are temple tours and night markets, hot springs and hotpots to offer solace and much more. 

At a glance: When to visit Taiwan

High Season (January-February, July-August)

• Peak prices for hotels (30-50% higher)

• Cherry blossom season (January-April)

• Summer crowds at beaches and attractions (July-August)

• Best booking window: 3-4 months ahead

Shoulder Season (March-May, September-November)

• Moderate temperatures (20-28°C/68-82°F)

• Best hiking conditions

• Festival season

• Ideal for outdoor activities

• Good hotel availability and moderate prices

Key events by season

• January-February: Lantern Festival

• March-May: Megaport Music Festival

• June: Dragon Boat Festival

• July-August: Amis Festival

• August-September: Keelung Ghost Festival

Weather Overview

• Warmest months: July-August (28-32°C/82-90°F)

• Coolest months: December-February (15-20°C/59-68°F)

• Typhoon season: May-November

• Most rainfall: June-August

Best Time for Budget Travelers

• Hotel deals: December (except hot spring hotels)

• Cheapest flights: October-November

• Best Value: March-May

October to December is the time to get outdoors

Balmy autumns and mild winters (compared to Japan, Korea, and most of China) mean hiking and cycling extremely popular in Taiwan during the cooler months. Opportunities abound, offering a host of sceneries and as many levels of difficulty. Cyclists can spin by the river in Tamsui or challenge themselves to the epic Wuling Pass in Taroko Gorge, and most things in between. Hikers can watch the sunset from Elephant Mountain, walk among moss-covered cedars in Alishan, or spend days trekking through stunning landscape in Yushan National Park. There are marathon races every month and Iron Man Taiwan attracts triathletes from all over the world in November. After your exertions, follow with an invigorating soak in a hot spring, such as the sulphuric waters of Beitou or the mud springs of Guanziling.   

Autumn also sees people moving their legs for a different cause – celebration of equality and diversity at Taipei Pride, Asia’s largest Pride parade.

January to April is for cherry blossoms and seaside fun

The Lunar New Year (usually January or February) is when shops close and hotel prices soar. However, it also falls within the cherry blossom viewing window of January to April. If you must come during that period, time your arrival after the 15th day of the Lunar New Year. It marks the official end of festivities and most businesses reopen after that, if they haven’t already. Yangmingshan is home to some of Taiwan‘s highest concentrations of accessible cherry blossoms. In spring, you’ll see the trees rippling near the national park’s western entrance, their crowns heavy with “pink popcorn” in shades from blush to fuchsia. It is also possible to combine floral appreciation with hiking, cycling, and/or hot-springing into a short getaway. Ideal locations for doing so include Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Wuling Farm, Wulai Forest Recreation Area, and Taroko Gorge.

In April, the blue-green waters lapping at Taiwan’s 1,566km shoreline are generally warm enough for swimming, and you don’t have to share the beach with as many banana-boats and inflatable swans as in July and August. Head to Kenting for a proper sun-and-beach holiday, complete with killer sunsets, or to Little Liuchiu Island to snorkel with green sea turtles. 

For non-swimming sea-lovers, Megaport Music Festival featuring indie acts from Taiwan and overseas, takes place by Kaohsiung Harbour in March or April. The blare of a ship’s horn signals the start of every set of this two-day event which comes with food crawls and harbor tours.

June-to-September is for museums and mangoes

Summers are hot in Taiwan, especially in the south where temperatures can soar to just shy of 40°C. But a few hours in the soothing, air-conditioned comfort of a museum will chill you enough to brave the streets again. Some worthy museums include Museum of Taiwan Literature (Tainan), Museum of Prehistory (Taitung), Palace Museum (Taipei), Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (Taichung), Alien Art Centre (Kaohsiung), and Human Rights Museum (Taipei with an offshoot on Green Island). Similarly, there are under-the-radar activities to help you escape the crowds. Tour Kavalan Whisky Distillery or Fu Wan Chocolate Farm, explore Keelung’s Fairy Cave Temple, or browse second-hand gems and homely relics at Neiwei Flea Market in Kaohsiung. 

Summer is when fruits are displayed in their full splendor in markets and roadside stalls, even the back of trucks, everywhere in Taiwan. Treat yourself to some of the world’s most luscious mangoes, watermelons, pineapples, dragonfruit and lychees, then a couple of months later, the juiciest persimmons and pomelos.

Festival season is ever season

It’s no hyperbole to say there’s a religious or indigenous festival every month somewhere in Taiwan. The Taiwanese love their culture and their gods, and they sure know how to fete. In spring, thousands send lanterns to the night sky at the Pingxi Lantern Festival while brave souls in protective gear throw themselves into a crazy fireworks blowout known as the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. One of Asia’s most spectacular religious events, the Mazu Pilgrimage features a statue of the sea goddess being carried through 50 towns over nine days, accompanied by tens of thousands of pilgrims and visitors. In mountainous Neimen, Songjiang Battle Array is all about martial arts performances, face painting, and roadside banqueting. 

Just before summer, Bunun tribes in Eastern Taiwan hold the Ear-Shooting Festival, a series of coming-of-age events that include archery contests, legacy-passing rituals, and song and dance. For the Tao on Lanyu Island, coming-of-age and prayers for abundance are intertwined at the Flying Fish Festival, held between March and June. With equal fanfare, Amis tribes fete their culture and pray for a good harvest between July and September. For the entire seventh lunar month (August or September), the port town of Keelung plays host to the country’s most famous Ghost Festival with a mesmerizing mix of elements from Taoism, Buddhism and folklore. 

Triennially in autumn, fishing settlements along the southwestern coast celebrate the Burning of the Wang Yeh Boats, most notably in Donggang. The days-long extravaganza comprises parades and dramatic rituals, and ends with the burning of a boat on the beach. 

In addition, there’s the Dragon Boat Festival in the fifth lunar month, the Midautumn Festival in the eighth, plus the birthdays of deities large and small to make sure even if there’s no festival on your itinerary, you may just run into one on your way to the convenience store.