June marks the end of spring rains and beginning of summer in Taiwan. Temperatures and humidity soar to levels that you will may love or hate, depending on the person. Periods of intense sunlight are balanced with higher than average rainfall, often in the form of late afternoon downpours.
The event of the month in June in Taiwan is the Dragon Boat Festival, which in 2024 will be on June 8-10. In Taipei City, the Xia Hai City God Parade is one of the city’s noisiest events.
Overall, June in Taipei and across Taiwan is a great time to enjoy the subtropical summer vibes before the typhoons and crazy high heat of July and August hit.
Learn about other great months for your trip in my guide to the best time to go to Taiwan and read these Taiwan travel FAQs.
Taipei in June: Best Things to Do
For starters, see my guide to Taipei for planning your visit.
Since June is the first month that you will have to really be careful about the extreme heat in Taipei, I personally advise starting early and doing your major outdoor sightseeing in the morning. Weather you go temple hopping in Taipei, strolling around funky Ximending and historic Dadaocheng neighborhoods, or hitting the major sights on my proposed Taipei itinerary, morning is the best time to do it.
Despite soaring temperatures in the midday and frequent rains in the late afternoon, the second half of the day doesn’t have to be a total write-off. Save you siesta time or indoor activities for the afternoon, then head out again around 5 PM to tour Taipei’s famed night markets and enjoy the city as it comes alive again in the early evening. At least the sun always sets early in Taipei!
Maokong Gondola sometimes closes for a few weeks in June for maintenance. For example, in 2023, Maokong Gondola was closed from June 8 to 21 and Taipei Zoo was closed from June 12 to 21. I don’t see any closure announcements for 2024 as I update this article (in April 2024), but you can check the above two links when it’s closer to your trip.
In Yangmingshan National Park, the dormant volcano massif adjacent to Taipei, the blooming of hydrangeas comes to an end in mid- to late-June, so it’s your last chance to catch this annual spectacle. Read how to get there.
The Taipei Film Festival usually takes place from mid-June to mid-July at Zhongshan Hall near Ximending. In 2024, the event will be held from June 21 to July 2, with an awards ceremony on July 6.
Here many more ideas for things to do in Taipei.
Dragon Boat Festival
The biggest event of the month in June in Taipei, however, is the Dragon Boat Festival (duan wu jie or 端午節). This annual event is one of the most important traditional Chinese festivals in Taiwan, along with Chinese New Year, Tomb Sweeping Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival.
The festival is popularly traced back to the story of Qu Yuan, a poet and minister in the Warring States period in China who committed suicide by jumping into a river. To try to save him, locals raced out in boats and threw rice into the river to dissuade the fish from eating his body.
This is the origin of the dragon boat races and the eating of zongzi (rice dumplings steamed in bamboo leaves) during the festival. To find zongzi in Taiwan, watch for bundles of them strung up at the fronts of simple local eateries; they need to be steamed before being eaten. Vegetarian versions (there’s normally a hunk of meat and salted duck egg inside) are often sold from Buddhist vegetarian buffet restaurants.
The Dragon Boat Festival takes places on the 5th day of the 5th month on the lunar calendar (Monday, June 10, 2024), around the summer solstice. The festival often results in a 3- or 4-day long weekend in Taiwan.
In 2024, Dragon Boat Festival falls on a Monday, so that will be a 3-day long weekend. Long weekends are always a busy time to travel around Taiwan, as many locals travel around for the holiday – staying in a big city for the long weekend is smart.
The best place to watch the dragon boat races, which usually take place throughout the long weekend, is at Dajia Riverside Park (大佳河濱公園) in Taipei. This is where the country’s most famous races are held. Foreigners can even make or join teams and apply to participate in the races.
To get there, take the MRT to Dazhi Station on the brown line and walk across Dazhi Bridge. Besides the races, the festive atmosphere at the park usually includes some kids’ activities, and of course there are lots of food stalls to choose from. Watching the races probably won’t hold your attention for too long, but it’s a good excuse to get out and enjoy some daytime beers by the river in the sun with friends.
In New Taipei City, you can also see dragon boat racing at Luzhou Breeze Park (微風運河) on June 9-10.
Besides Taipei and New Taipei, many other cities in Taiwan hold their own dragon boat festival races. Some of the best can be enjoyed in Lukang (Changhua), Nantun (Taichung) Zhunan (Miaoli), Dongshan River Waterpark (Yilan), Liyu Lake (Hualien), Anping Canal (Tainan), Donggang Harbor (Pingtung), Magong Port (Penghu), and on the Love River (Kaohsiung).
Xiahai City God Parade
On the 14th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar (June 19, 2024), the Xia Hai City God Temple (台北霞海城隍廟) in Dadaocheng holds a wild, noisy parade in honor of the city god’s birthday.
Festivities for the birthday will take place for the whole month of June, but the day before (June 18) should have the biggest procession. The full list of events is here.
Learn more about Taipei’s temples here.
Taiwan in June: Best Places to Visit
All major cities in Taiwan will be hot and humid in June, with a higher than average probability of afternoon showers. Therefore, make sure to factor that into your travel plans, no matter which city in Taiwan you are exploring. Go sightseeing early, and plan to rest or enjoy indoor activities in the afternoon. Head out again to enjoy the local night markets and cooler temperatures in the evening.
June is a great month to hit the beach in Taiwan. Head there in the morning or early afternoon to beat possible rain.
At Fulong Beach, one of the best beaches in Taiwan, the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival (福隆沙雕) starts on May 31 and will run all the way to October 13. The theme this year is LINE friends (characters from the LINE app).
The enormous sand sculptures are quite impressive, so I highly recommend paying a visit. We had a great visit and stayed in Fullon Fulong Hotel right beside the beach – the hotel even had some sand sculptures inside.
The Penghu International Fireworks Festival is usually held in spring. In 2024, the event will take place from May 2 to June 30. See my Penghu guide for all the details about the exact dates and times of the fireworks and drone displays.
June is a great time to visit the other offshore islands of Taiwan, including Green Island and Orchid Island. Enjoy the summer weather before the flood of local visitors (and more extreme heat) of July and August come.
With increasing heat and humidity on the lowlands, high mountain resorts like Alishan and Qingjing Farm become desirable escapes in the summer in Taiwan. Daytime temperatures are usually a pleasant 5-7 degrees cooler than in lowland areas of Taiwan, while at the night the temperatures can easily drop to the mid-teens.
Taroko Gorge in Hualien is pleasant to visit in June; it doesn’t seem to be quite as hot as in Taipei. Just make sure not to visit during or immediately after heavy rains, as landslides are common and can take lives.
Similarly, Sun Moon Lake in Nautou isn’t quite as hot as the big cities due to the slightly higher elevation, making it a great time to visit.
See here for more ideas on things to do around Taiwan and how to plan your Taiwan itinerary.
Due to the enormous earthquake in Hualien on April 3, 2024, Taroko Gorge has suffered enormous damage and will be closed for an estimated full year. The road from Yilan to Hualien is only open 3 times per day, but trains to Hualien and still running. It’s still fine to visit – see my list of things to do in Hualien besides Taroko Gorge or contact Island Life Taiwan to arrange non-Taroko tours or private drivers in Hualien.
Taipei Weather in June
As of the beginning of June, it is safe to say that summer has officially arrived in Taipei. Most years, the Dragon Boat Festival (which often results in a long weekend) marks the first weekend that I personally feel way too ******* hot in Taipei.
In Taipei in June, expect a daytime average of 32°C (90°F), with thick humidity making the “feels like” temperature reach up to the low 40s (100s). Because Taipei sits in a kind of bowl, it seems to trap humidity, not to mention the additional heat absorbed and released by the concrete jungle itself. Early June shouldn’t be as stifling, but the temperatures will gradually increase as the days pass, leading up to July, the hottest month of the year.
If you’re coming from a tropical country like the Philippines or Singapore, you may be used to this kind of weather, but for someone from a dry, cold climate such as parts of North America or Northern Europe, the June weather in Taipei can be a shock. The daytime sun is fierce and oppressive, you WILL sweat a lot (bring extra shirts in your daypack if you’re prone to sweating), and the temperature only seems to drop by a few degrees at night (the average low temperature in June in Taipei is 25°C or 77°F).
June also has one of the highest volumes of rain of any month of the year in Taipei (325 mm), even though the summer typhoons haven’t arrived yet. It is surpassed only by September (360mm). The main reasons are that the spring plum rains often spill into June, while the increase in heat and humidity in June often comes with heavy (although usually brief) late afternoon downpours. If you encounter rainy days during your stay, see these fun things to do when it’s raining in Taipei.
If you enjoy hot summer weather, you will probably enjoy Taipei in June. Don’t let the volume of rain scare you off; the late afternoon showers help to cool the city off a little. It’s actually fun to watch pedestrians whip out their umbrellas (and scooter riders their long raincoats), and life goes on as normal. The rain is unlikely to have any major impact on your travel plans (unlike summer typhoons).
What to Wear in Taipei in June
Dress for summer when visiting Taipei in June. Think thin, loose, comfortable clothes. As a person who sweats a lot, I find that even regular cotton T-shirts can be too thick for me, and take forever to dry one they become saturated with sweat (which only takes a few minutes of walking under the sun). Aim for materials that are thinner and dry easily if you are like me.
Sandals are great because they allow your feet to breathe; half of the city seems to be in flip flops in summer in Taiwan, so you don’t have to feel unclassy for doing it. Just keep in mind that they aren’t the best for your feet if you plan to do a lot of walking. Going barefoot is never acceptable anywhere in Taiwan except on the beach. Shorts for men and tank tops and short shorts/skirts for women are perfectly acceptable in Taiwan, even for visiting temples.
Protecting your skin is very important in summer in Taiwan, so make sure to bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and perhaps a thin scarf or sarong to cover your arms and shoulders under the sun.
Since you are likely to face short periods of intense rain, an umbrella is pretty much essential, and can easily be purchased in Taiwan if you don’t want to bring one.
Rain ponchos are also widely available, but I personally can’t stand wearing them in hot months because they trap in heat and stick to my sweaty body, which I find quite uncomfortable. They are essential for anyone doing any cycling, though, while for scooter riders, you’ll want to get one of the high quality long raincoats available at any scooter supply store.
Taiwan Weather in June
The weather in the other major cities of Taiwan in June is almost identical to that of Taipei. Tainan has a daytime average high of 32°C (90°F), the same as Taipei, and an average low of 26°C (79°F), only one degree higher than Taipei.
Similarly, Tainan gets the second highest volume of rain in June compared to any other month. Mainly this is because the spring plum rains don’t usually affect the south of Taiwan until late May and early June, slightly later than in the north. This means you can surely expect some rain if traveling around Taiwan in June, but at least know that with such hot weather, the rain is often a welcome reprieve.
Personally, I find Taiwan’s summer heat and humidity to be less oppressive away from Taipei and other major city centers. This is especially true of the coast, where winds off the sea seem to help, while the high mountains with their lower temperatures offer the perfect retreat.
Alishan has a lovely average high temperature of 23°C (73°F) in June, going down to an average 16°C (61°F) at night, which, in humid Taiwan, can feel borderline chilly.
What to wear in Taiwan in June
My advice here is no different than what I said for Taipei in June. Wear comfortable, breathable, summery clothes, protect your skin from the sun, and bring some extra changes in case you get wet (from sweat or rain). Only those visiting high mountain areas may want to consider bringing a light jacket.
And, of course, don’t forget your bathing suit!
Conclusion: Is June a Good Time to Visit Taiwan?
It is my personal opinion that no month is the best or worst to visit Taiwan. June will surely appeal to anyone who loves the heat and subtropical summer vibes, with the added advantage that you can beat the summer crowds and typhoons.
Dress for heat and come prepared to get a little wet, but keep in mind that the rain is unlikely to ruin your trip.
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