Taiwan
Taiwan Cityscape - Twilight View
Taiwan Skyline View
Sangeetha and Prasanna sampling local craft beer
Best Time To Visit Taiwan
What is the best time to visit Taiwan?
April to May and October to December are the two best windows for visiting Taiwan. Between April and May, the weather is warm and not at all humid, making it conducive for travelling around. Another reason is that the festival of the goddess Mazu's birthday falls in spring, on a date that shifts each year, and this is a great time to be in Taiwan. From October onwards the summer humidity drops away and the days stay comfortably warm, though the north sees showers as the northeast monsoon sets in.
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March to May (Spring)
Spring is the first of the two best windows, and April to May is its sweet spot. Days warm into the low twenties, the humidity has not yet arrived, and the hills around Taipei are at their greenest. This is when the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage fills central Taiwan, and when cherry blossom on Yangmingshan and at Wuling Farm draws big domestic crowds, so book ahead if you are travelling over a weekend. Rain picks up towards the end of May as the plum rain season begins, usually as afternoon showers rather than washouts. Carry a light layer for the mountains and a compact umbrella everywhere else.
June to August (Summer)
Summer is hot and humid, with city temperatures in the mid thirties and heavy afternoon rain. It is also typhoon season, which peaks from July and can close roads and ground flights for a day or two at a time, so leave slack in the itinerary and take travel insurance seriously. It is not a write-off, though. This is when the coast and the high country come into their own: Kenting in the south, the east coast between Hualien and Taitung, and Alishan and Sun Moon Lake, which sit high enough to stay comfortable when Taipei does not. Rates outside the Taiwanese school holidays are the lowest of the year.
September to November (Autumn)
Autumn is the other window we recommend, and October and November are the core of it, with early December often holding. The humidity drops away, skies clear, and daytime temperatures settle in the mid twenties, which is as good as Taiwan gets for Taroko, the Maokong tea hills and long days on foot in Taipei. September is the exception and is best avoided: it is still wet and sits at the tail of the typhoon season. The north and northeast see showers once the northeast monsoon sets in, but they rarely last a full day. This is also when the high mountain oolong harvest reaches the tea houses.
December to February (Winter)
Winter is mild rather than cold. Highs sit around 19 to 21 degrees in Taipei, and the south stays warmer and drier, so Kaohsiung, Tainan and Kenting are comfortable all season. The north and northeast are the wet corner of the island at this time of year, with grey, drizzly stretches in Taipei and Yilan, while the high mountains turn genuinely cold and Hehuanshan can see snow. It is the best season for the hot springs at Beitou and Jiaoxi, and it carries Lunar New Year and the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, though the new year week itself closes much of the country and sells out transport.
