The Best Time to Visit Taipei City: An Insider’s Guide

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If you’re wondering when the best time to visit Taipei is, I’ve compiled this article to answer exactly that, based on my 10+ years of living in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei.

This article is a Taipei-focused version of my when to visit Taiwan guide, which covers the whole country. Below, you’ll find links to individual articles I’ve written for visiting Taipei and Taiwan in every season and month of the year.

Taipei sits in a basin and has its own unique climate that differs from the rest of Taiwan. The city lies north of the tropic of cancer, so it has more distinct seasons and chillier, wetter weather in winter. The tropical south of Taiwan, which is below the tropic of cancer, is hotter year-round, while cities on the west coast are less affected by typhoons.

Moreover, Taipei has its own set of unique cultural events, festivals, and night markets. For all these reasons, I’ve created this separate guide to the best time to go to Taipei.

Essential Resources for Traveling to Taipei

– Read my recommended things to do in Taipei, how to visit Taipei with kids, and Taipei itinerary for 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, or 5 days. For Taiwan newbies, see my general guide to visiting Taiwan.

– Follow my guides to funky Ximending district, historic Dadaocheng and Dihua Street, the hot springs of Beitou Thermal Valley, and the best day trips from Taipei.

– Sign up for Klook to enjoy sweet discounts on travel in Taipei, and decide whether you need to buy a Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass.

– Learn about where to stay in Taipei, or find the best Taipei hotel deals.

When Is the Best Season to Visit Taipei?

When trying to narrow it down to which season to visit Taipei, the weather is going to play a big role. Winter and summer may be the hardest to bear, but they may also appeal to you for a number of reasons. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant, with autumn taking the lead due to the lowest chance of rain.

Taipei in Winter (December to March)

Winter usually starts sometime in December, although in recent years December has been unusually warm. January through March are characterized by bone-chillingly damp, cold weather, nearly constant gray, overcast skies and occasional drizzling rain. Beitou Hot Springs in the north of the city are the perfect cure to the chilly weather.

Winter is festive in Taipei, with Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Lunar New Year, and the Taipei Lantern Festival all falling within a few months. Winter is also the season of cherry blossom viewing in Taipei.

See here for my detailed guide to spending winter in Taipei.

Taipei in Spring (April to June)

The temperatures finally start rising in late March, and from April to June the weather gradually transforms from pleasantly warm to uncomfortably hot.

A mini rain season called Plum Rain or the East Asian Monsoon usually brings a few weeks of nearly constant rain sometime in mid- to late-May. Here are my recommended things to do when it’s raining in Taipei.

See here for my detailed guide to spending spring in Taipei.

National Palace Museum in Taipei
Sunny skies and pre-summer lack of crowds at National Palace Museum

Taipei in Summer (July to September)

Taipei is stiflingly hot and humid in summer. The entire city sits in a kind of bowl that traps heat and humidity throughout the day, often resulting in heavy but brief late-afternoon showers. Unless you love (or are used to) tropical heat, you may want to limit your time sightseeing in Taipei in this season. Fortunately, there are many beaches within easy reach of Taipei.

Summer is also typhoon season, and 3-4 major typhoons usually affect Taipei per year. See my guides to Taipei in July, August, or September (linked to below) for more details about typhoons in Taipei.

See here for my detailed guide to spending summer in Taipei.

Taipei in Autumn (October to December)

Autumn is generally the clearest and driest season of the year in Taipei, perfect for city explorations of hiking. It begins out warm, but can be a little chilly by late November. If you want to see autumn foliage around Taipei, try Yangmingshan National Park, but the best spots are further afield in Taiwan.

See here for my detailed guide to spending autumn in Taipei.

When Is the Best Month to Visit Taiwan?

It’s almost impossible for me to declare a certain month to be the best one to visit Taipei, but if I had to, I would choose October as my personal favorite, with April, September, and November in second place. Each month comes with some ups and downs, though, with many factors to consider before you make a choice.

January in Taipei

January is the coldest month of the year in Taipei, often hovering around 15°C (59°F), and dipping as low as 10°C (50°F). Perfect time for soaking in hot springs!

Snow is extremely uncommon in Taipei, although snow fell on Yangming Mountain and a few other parts of the city in January 2016 and again in 2018, much to the delight of locals who had never seen snow before. You can begin to see cherry blossoms in parts of Taipei or New Taipei City, such as Pingjing Street Lane 42 on Yangming Mountain and Wulai, in January.

January is the end of the school semester and work year in Taiwan. Students have a few weeks off school before Chinese New Year break, while companies hold weiya (year-end-parties).

Chinese New Year sometimes falls in late-January, such as it did in 2020 (January 25). In the weeks before Chinese New Year, Dihua Street in Dadaocheng and Nanmen Market in Da’An District are popular places for locals to go to stock up on CNY treats and supplies.

See here for my detailed guide to spending January in Taipei.

Taipei Lantern Festival
Colorful lanterns at the Lantern Festival in Taipei

February in Taipei

The weather in Taipei in February is as cold as in January, but it rains more and the sky is almost always gray. Chinese New Year most often falls in February (Feb. 12, 2021 and Feb. 1, 2022). This comes with five national days off, which can result up to 9 days when it has a weekend on either end.

For the first three days of the holiday (Lunar New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and Lunar New Year Day 2), Taipei can practically resemble a ghost town, as almost everyone has left to gather with their relatives in the countryside and villages in southern Taiwan. On days 3-5, people gradually return to the city and more things start opening again.

Most restaurants close during the holiday, but a surprising number of attractions remain open. Read my guide to Taipei during Chinese New Year to find out what’s open and the best days to leave the city.

The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year (Feb. 26, 2021 and Feb. 15, 2022). Every year, a different outdoor location in the city will host an impressive display of colorful and incredibly intricate and cute lanterns. The famous mass sky lantern release takes place in Pingxi, a remote district of New Taipei City.

See here for my detailed guide to spending February in Taipei.

March in Taipei

Everyone is back to school and work again in March, but winter temperatures often drag on into the month. Usually by late March it’s finally starting to warm up again.

At the beginning of March, a final (and very impressive) round of cherry blossoms bloom at Tianyuan Temple in New Taipei City (see more info in my guide to the best temples in Taipei), while azaleas and calla lilies also start blooming in mid- to late-March.

See here for my detailed guide to spending March in Taipei.

April in Taipei

Spring has finally arrived to Taipei in April. The month opens with a 4-day long weekend; local families head to funeral homes in the countryside around the city for Tomb Sweeping Festival, while many youths head down to Kenting at the southern end of Taiwan to party and enjoy the hot weather on the beach.

The Urban Nomad Film Festival and its associated music festival usually take place from April to May in Taipei. The warming weather also makes it a great month for hiking around the city.

See here for my detailed guide to spending April in Taipei.

Giant Earth God statue at Hongludi Nanshan Fude Temple in Nanshijiao, Zhonghe, New Taipei City
Hiking to the giant Earth God in New Taipei City

May in Taipei

The weather continues to get warmer in Taipei in May, and sometime during the month the plum rains usually arrive, bringing nearly constant rain for days in a row. It doesn’t rain for the entire month or as intensely as in monsoons in other parts of Asia, though, so I like to call it a “mini-monsoon.”

You can still see calla lilies on Yangming Mountain in May, as well as fireflies right in the city at Da’An Park, Muzha Park, and Rongxing Park; try 6-8 PM on non-rainy days.

See here for my detailed guide to spending May in Taipei.

June in Taipei

Summer heat usually comes in full force around the beginning of June in Taipei. June sees fewer tourist arrival numbers than most other months in Taiwan, but you may hardly notice in Taipei, where the city streets and night markets are crowded with locals year-round.

The Dragon Boat Festival (June 14, 2021 and June 3, 2022) is an event worth checking out. The country’s most famous races take place at Dajia Riverside Park in Zhongshan District, while you can also see boat racing at Bitan near Xindian MRT station in New Taipei City.

See here for my detailed guide to spending June in Taipei.

July in Taipei

July is the hottest month of the year in Taipei. The heat can be so oppressive that most locals avoid going outside whenever possible, and use umbrellas or hide from the sun when they do have to go out.

This means you can enjoy some of the city’s attractions without crowds, if you can handle the heat. To cool off, head to one of the great beaches around Taipei or one of the city’s few water parks (click the link below for details).

The first typhoon of the city usually affects Taipei in July, but sometimes it doesn’t come until August.

See here for my detailed guide to spending July in Taipei.

Qianshuiwan beach, one of the best beaches to visit in Taipei in summer
My daughter at Qianshuiwan, one of the best (and closest) beaches to Taipei

August in Taipei

The intense heat and humidity in Taipei continues through August, only dropping by a degree or two by the end of the month. It can seem never ending, but if you’ve already been in Taipei for a while, at least you’ll be more used to it by August.

You’re most likely to experience a typhoon in Taipei in August or September, and historically, the typhoons that caused the most damage in Taipei occurred in these two months. Ghost Month usually starts in August, a time when locals believe the spirits of the deceased return. You’ll see offering tables in front of houses and shops and lots of ghost money being burned; be prepared to walk through clouds of smoke everywhere in the city.

See here for my detailed guide to spending August in Taipei.

September in Taipei

With everyone back to school and work in Taipei and around the world, September is one of the lowest tourist months by arrival numbers. The heat continues, though, only dropping slightly from July and August. By the end of the month, it finally becomes more bearable.

Taipei residents celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) by having barbecues and drinking beer with their families on the street in front of their homes. The smell of roasted meat can take over the city in the evening. The event will be on Sept. 21, 2021 and September 10, 2022.

See here for my detailed guide to spending September in Taipei.

October in Taipei

Besides Double Ten Day (National Day), there aren’t too many major events in Taipei in October, but the month enjoys some of the clearest, driest, and most pleasant weather of the year, so get out and enjoy it. It’s the perfect time for hiking.

Halloween passes practically unnoticed, but if you want to celebrate it, pick up a costume from “Costume Street” (Ximending MRT exit 1) and head to one of the Halloween parties thrown by night clubs or event organizers in Taipei.

See here for my detailed guide to spending October in Taipei.

Fumaroles at Yangmingshan in Taipei
Steaming fumaroles of Yangming Mountain on the edge of Taipei

November in Taipei

The weather usually starts getting slightly chilly in Taipei in November, and it is often the first month I even think about putting a sweater or hoodie on. It is still comparatively clear and dry, though, so it remains a great month for hiking around the city or cycling on the riverside bike paths.

See here for my detailed guide to spending November in Taipei.

December in Taipei

The weather in Taipei in December can range from unusually warm to winter-like, so you’ll have to play it by ear.

Christmas is not celebrated by local families and it is a normal working day, but stores and malls take decorations pretty seriously. To see some wild Christmas lights, head to the “Christmas Land” in the plaza just south of Banqiao Train Station in New Taipei City.

See here for my detailed guide to spending December in Taipei.

Conclusion: When Is the Best Time to Travel to Taipei?

Just like I say in my article on the best time to visit Taiwan, I feel the best time to visit the capital city, Taipei, depends on the person.

If you love hot springs, flower viewing, and don’t mind the gray weather, winter in Taipei may be for you. Spring is a lovely time but beware of those plum rains.

Summer is best for lovers of tropical heat, but for some, this may be the only time you can visit and you’ll just have to deal with it. Don’t let the typhoons scare you off, but do follow the necessary precautions such as staying indoors if one does strike during your trip.

Autumn is my personal favorite season in Taipei, thanks to the mild weather, lovely blue skies, and lower chance of rain.

2 thoughts on “The Best Time to Visit Taipei City: An Insider’s Guide”

  1. Good day from Canada/Thailand.
    We have been to Taipei several times and i was lookimng for fresh, up-to-date info, for a June trip.
    I found your site searching Google, i must commend you for a well structure, easy to navigate site.
    Thanks

    Reply

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