The best time to visit Taiwan is between September and November. Everyone’s in school. Typhoon season has passed. Temperatures will begin to cool. And you won’t have to worry about fall allergies.

I’ve lived in Taiwan for more than 3 years now. Throughout this time, I’ve learned about the country’s weather patterns. I want to help you know the best times to visit Taiwan. That way, you don’t have an unpleasant experience.

To pinpoint the best time to visit the island nation, you’ll want to know the following:

I’ll also cover these points:

Let’s prepare you for a trip to Taiwan.

Check Taiwan’s current entry restrictions and your government’s travel advisories.

Here are festivals and average temperatures by month in Taiwan:

These temperatures don’t account for Taiwan’s high humidity. Air humidity can raise what temperatures ‘feel’ like. I’ll cover more details on this in a bit.

The following sections will cover more details about monthly weather and things to do in Taiwan.

15 Fascinating Taiwan Superstitions

Best Festivals in Taiwan

January is one of Taiwan’s more comfortable months. It has temperatures averaging between 57 °F (13.9 °C) and 66 °F (19.1 °C). It’s also the country’s coldest month that doesn’t experience much sunshine (2.6 hours a day).

You won’t find any noteworthy festivals or holiday celebrations. Sometimes Lunar New Year, or otherwise Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, will begin at the end of January. If this is the case, beware of visiting Taiwan during this period.

Because you’ll find much higher flight and hotel prices. Plus, car pile-ups seem to rise in popularity during this time of year. Due to many traveling throughout the country to visit their family. A lot of these people are more likely to drink and drive.

Anyway:

It’s Taiwan’s most humid month, with humidity that averages 81%, making this month the most uneasy time of the year. On average, you’ll encounter rainfall for at least 14.6 days out of the month. This can build up 6.7 inches (170.3 millimeters) of precipitation.

Partially because of this and other factors, this is also one of the least sunny months of the year. You’ll see an average of 2.5 hours per day.

This month also transitions the nation into its Spring allergy season, which will last between February and May.

Taiwan doesn’t have ragweed. Grass pollen, certain molds, and tree pollen are the main allergens you must endure. Even in a city like Taipei, you will still face these symptoms.

I deal with them all the time, and it sucks.

Heed my warning under the “Festivals in January” section about visiting during the Spring Festival.

However:

The Cherry Festival starts this month. It’s the best time of year to catch a glimpse at cherry blossoms throughout the country. If that’s why you want to visit, enter Taiwan once the Lunar New Year ends.

You’ll find better pricing.

The best places that you can see cherry blossoms in Taipei include:

And here’s a map of all the best places to see cherry blossoms throughout Taiwan:

33 Top Things To Do in Taipei

March is when temperatures begin to rise. Most of the time, you’ll experience temperatures around 60.4 °F (15.7 °C), and sometimes you’ll see 71.8 °F (22.1 °C).

You’ll experience at least an average of 79% humidity.

One takeaway for this month is the varying flowers that blossom, which I’ll cover in a second.

It’s also the last month of the year that you’ll want to consider visiting an outdoor hot spring. The nation will begin to warm up from hereon.

In Taipei, around mid-March to early April, attend the Taipei Azalea Festival at Daan Forest Park. Or, visit Yangmingshan National Park to view calla lilies.

Taiwan’s firefly season begins in March and will last until May. The best place to find these flies is in Hualien’s Liyu Lake.

If you prefer music, attend the Eden Hill Music Festival (伊甸高原戶外音樂節), which is somewhere in Nantou County.

Due to having balanced and dry weather and plenty of festivals, April is one of the ideal months to visit.

In early April, the Taiwanese will celebrate the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping day. There’s also Children’s Day. Both festivals give the Taiwanese a four-day weekend, leading to massive migrations.

Consider booking flight tickets and hotel rooms outside this window.

Also, check out the Urban Nomad Film Festival in Taipei, the Organik Music Festival in Hualien, or the Spring Scream Music Festival in Kenting.

May is one of the hotter months in Taiwan, with temperatures ranging between 71.1 °F (22.3 °C) and 84.6 °F (29.2 °C). Those temperatures are without humidity taken into account.

It’s around 76.6%.

Starting this month and lasting until October, be careful with the heat. Ensure you drink plenty of fluids, wear sunscreen, and stay in the shade when possible.

Starting from the middle of this month and lasting until mid-June, Taiwan will experience plum rain (梅雨). It’s also known as the East Asian rainy season. During this time, heavy rainfall will pound East Asian nations. These conditions also lead to serious flooding.

The name “plum rain” derived from a belief that plums fell, and their moisture turned into rain.

Toward the middle of the month, spring allergies will fade.

Toward the middle of the month, spring allergies will fade.

As Taiwan approaches warmer weather, you’ll find various festivals throughout the country like:

June is Taiwan’s wettest month. It averages 16 days of rain with around 0.04 inches (1.02 mm) of precipitation. Because of this, you won’t find many tourists around. With the nation moving into summer, you’ll begin to feel the heat. June’s heat index averages 109.8 °F (43.2 °C).

Fortunately, you’ll find that the humidity will reduce a bit.

July is the last month to visit Taiwan before typhoon season hits. 

No matter where you are in Taiwan, watch the weekend-long Dragon Boat Festival (端午節). During this period, you’ll find various teams racing boats with dragon heads.

When traveling to Tainan during this month, don’t forget to buy something with mangos. The region’s mangos peak around this time; hence, they’ll taste the best.

If you prefer being in Taipei, visit the Taipei Film Festival.

Be careful when visiting from hereon for a couple of months. Because you may encounter harsh weather conditions. July is also Taiwan’s warmest month.

If you decide to sightsee during the day, you’ll wear yourself down and also need to keep a few things in mind:

There’s the Hohaiyan Rock Music Festival at Fulong Beach along Taiwan’s northern coast. Sometimes this festival will happen in August.

Another big event that happens throughout July and August is the Taitung International Balloon Festival. It’s the perfect place to watch hot air balloons with various shapes and characters float into the sky.

During this time, Taiwan faces the highest chances of typhoons increasing while the blazing heat continues. If you’re coming to Taiwan to study at a Mandarin Training Center, I recommend arriving this month.

These storms will sweep the country with winds and heavy rainfall. The rain ranges from 2 inches (50 millimeters) to 12 inches (300 millimeters). Whereas, the wind speeds vary between 73 to 120 mph (118–190 km/h).

That way, you have enough time to find an apartment, and finish any requirements for classes. You may also have time to relax before your classes begin.

The entire month is Taiwan’s Ghost Month, which means spirits will briefly roam the mortal plane. Throughout this time, the Taiwanese will practice various ceremonies and superstitions.

For example, you will find many people burning ghost money, or joss paper, in metal containers along sidewalks.

Otherwise, you won’t find much happening.

With classes underway, you’ll find fewer people crowding beaches and tourist hotspots. You still run a smaller risk of encountering typhoons while dealing with the heat.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is a weekend-long celebration. Many Taiwanese families will gather and have barbecues.

If you don’t mingle with the locals, try the holiday’s famous snack. Moon cakes. You’ll find them at most bakeries. I also recommend getting them as a souvenir if possible. Most of the time, this festival will happen during September. On rare occasions, it’ll start in October.

The chaotic conditions begin to wind down as typhoon season comes to a close. This makes Taiwan safer (weather-wise) to visit. It’s also an ideal time of year to go hiking and explore the country’s beautiful landscapes before the rain comes back.

This is also the best month to visit Taiwan’s offshore islands. But the hotels and tour businesses understand this. So, you’ll find higher prices.

All the festivals you’ll find in October include:

The nation doesn’t celebrate Halloween. Though, some nightclubs and other businesses will host costume parties. While it’s one of the best months to visit, you won’t find any celebrations that’ll happen during this month.

Take advantage of the remaining days of the beach season. Toward mid-November, a cold front will begin to descend on Taiwan. If you’re from a colder region, it’ll likely feel like summer to you, though.

The Taiwanese don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. For the most part, they also do not acknowledge Black Friday. Because of these reasons, you won’t have to worry about an influx of travelers.

If you’re into hot springs, see if the Taipei Hot Springs Festival is happening in Taipei City. You’ll find discounted hot springs hotels here.

If you love flowers, visit the former residence of Chiang Kai-Shek in Taipei’s Shilin District. Once there, you’ll find displays of chrysanthemum flowers.

During most of the month, you’ll find a mix of autumn weather, short periods of hot weather, and cold snaps. Once the end of the month comes around, the weather will get colder.

This month has the fewest rainy days (7.6 on average).

If you love running, take part in or watch the Taipei Marathon. It happens in the middle of the month. Otherwise, visit the various Christmas displays throughout the country. City governments will have them set up toward the beginning of the month.

They’ll later take them down when January approaches.

If you’re around Taipei 101 on New Year’s Eve, watch all the fireworks that erupt throughout the skyscraper. I recommend taking the Maokong Gondola to Maokong mountain. When there, chill at a tea house and watch the sky catch on fire.

It’s an excellent alternative for those who don’t like stuffing themselves in crowds. However, whether you can see Taipei 101’s fireworks is hit or miss. The first year, I had a clear view of them. The following 2 years were cloudy.

But the locals launched a bunch of fireworks.

Ensure you include these items in your packing checklist:

I have tested and frequently use all of these products except for the travel adapter and the backpack cover. I do have the travel adapter on my list of things to buy, though. I do thorough research on the products I recommend. As I always want to use the “best” of whatever I buy.

Explore my guide to find details on why I recommended these items.

Taiwan Packing List

Taiwan Winter Packing List

Since you better understand the best time to visit Taiwan, you likely still have questions. I’ve put together several questions regarding specific periods in Taiwan throughout the year.

Taiwan’s hottest month is July. Max temperatures throughout the country reach 92°F (33°C). Average temperatures sit at 82.5°F (29.7°C).

Taiwan’s typhoon season begins in the summer and ends in mid-autumn; July–October. The nation will face an average of 3.7 typhoons per year.

Blooming times for cherry blossoms, or yinghua (櫻花), in Taiwan vary each year. The best time frame to catch a glimpse of these trees is mid-to-late February.

The best time to visit Taiwan is when it’s within your budget. It’s also when you can get time off work.

If you want to go to a specific festival, you’ll need to do more research. From there, fly to Taiwan when said festival occurs.

Explore my other guides while you prepare for your trip to Taiwan.

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