Taiwan travel guide (2026)
Two and a half hours from Seoul, an island holding night markets, hot springs and 3,000-metre mountains. High speed rail ties the west coast together in about an hour and a half, so hopping between cities is easy, while the east side runs cliffs along the Pacific. It is safe, signage in English and Japanese keeps improving, and it works as a first trip abroad.
- Suggested length
- 3-4 nights recommended
- Budget guide
- About KRW 450,000-850,000 per person (excluding flights, 3-star hotel and local meals)
When to go
October through April is cool and dry and by far the easiest window. June to September pushes towards 35C and is when typhoons concentrate, so travelling then means accepting that days can be lost outright. February and March are mild but wet. Around Lunar New Year many shops and restaurants close for the holiday, so check that year's dates and plan around them.
Getting between cities
The west coast runs on high speed rail. Taipei to Zuoying (Kaohsiung) is NT$1,490 in a standard reserved seat in 2026 and takes a little over 90 minutes. Non-reserved seats cost about 97% of that and do not guarantee you a seat. A THSR Pass sold only to foreign passport holders — three consecutive days unlimited, any two days within seven, or a one-way ticket — is worth pricing against single fares if you plan several north-south runs. The east coast, Hualien and Taitung, has no high speed line, so you take Taiwan Railway (TRA) instead, and those seats sell out early in peak season. An EasyCard covers city transit and, since 2024, tap-to-ride on TRA as well.
What each region is for
The north is Taipei and its surrounds — Jiufen, Yehliu, the Pingxi line — and covers a first visit. The centre is Taichung and Sun Moon Lake; the south pairs the old capital Tainan, heavy on temples and food, with the port city Kaohsiung. In the east, Taroko Gorge near Hualien is still only partially open after the April 2024 earthquake, so the gorge walk those photographs show cannot be planned right now — see the question below.
Food and eating culture
Xiaochi, small eats, carry the cuisine. Beef noodle soup and braised pork rice differ shop to shop, and fried chicken cutlet, oyster omelette and bubble tea make up the night market baseline. Breakfast is eaten out, so shops selling danbing and soy milk open before dawn. Tainan in the south runs noticeably sweeter, and the same dish is seasoned differently from region to region.
Before you go
Is there something I have to file online before arriving in Taiwan?
Yes. Since 1 October 2025, everyone entering Taiwan visa-free must submit the online TWAC (Taiwan Arrival Card). File it within three days of arrival at the immigration agency's own site, twac.immigration.gov.tw. It is free and takes a few minutes. Without it, immigration cannot process you. It replaced the paper arrival card, so any trip report or guide written before September 2025 will not mention this step at all. Whether you need a visa in the first place depends on your nationality, so check that separately against your own passport.
High speed rail or regular train between cities?
For the west coast — Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung — high speed rail is the default. Taipei to Zuoying (Kaohsiung) is NT$1,490 in a standard reserved seat and takes a little over 90 minutes. Non-reserved runs about 97% of that, which is not much cheaper and does not guarantee a seat. For the east coast, Hualien and Taitung, there is no high speed line, so you take Taiwan Railway, and those tickets sell out early on weekends and holidays. If your route crosses the island north to south three or more times, price the foreign-visitor THSR Pass against the sum of single fares.
Are the voltage and plugs different from home?
Taiwan runs 110V at 60Hz with type A and B plugs — the two flat pins used in the United States. If you are coming from Korea, Europe or most of Asia on 220-240V with round pins, you need an adapter. Phone, laptop and camera chargers are almost always rated 100-240V, so an adapter alone is enough for those. A fixed-voltage hair dryer or straightener is the exception: it will underperform or fail on 110V, so use what the hotel provides.
Where should I change money, and what about cards and tipping?
The currency is the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) and US dollars are not accepted directly. Airport counters are convenient but priced worse than city banks, so change only what you need on arrival and rely on bank ATMs afterwards. Department stores, chains and convenience stores take cards; night markets and older restaurants run on cash. There is no tipping culture — offering one is more likely to cause awkwardness than pleasure — and upscale hotels and restaurants already add a 10-15% service charge to the bill. Pay taxis the metered fare.
Does one EasyCard work across the whole country?
Largely, yes. An EasyCard covers the Taipei and Taichung metros, the Kaohsiung MRT and light rail, city buses and YouBike, and since July 2024 it also works as tap-to-ride on Taiwan Railway. It pays at convenience stores and supermarkets, where you can also top it up, and holds a maximum of NT$10,000. iPASS, more common in the south, has almost the same coverage, so one card of either kind is enough. High speed rail is the exception — that is ticketed separately and the card does not work on it.
Can I visit Taroko Gorge right now?
Not in the form most photographs show. Since the 3 April 2024 Hualien earthquake, Taroko National Park has been only partially open, and the routes it was known for — Shakadang, Swallow Grotto, the Tunnel of Nine Turns, Baiyang, the Eternal Spring Shrine, Zhuilu Old Road and Buluowan — are all closed. The bus through the gorge is suspended. The visitor centre and the Tianxiang area are open, and the road towards Hehuanshan can be driven, but access runs only a few times a day and you must be out of the park by 5:30pm. Some estimates put full restoration a decade away, so building a Hualien itinerary around gorge hiking is not something to plan on at the moment. Check the national park's own notices before you go.
Cities in Taiwan
Pick a city and its sights, transit and costs sit on one page.
Taiwan's capital and its gateway. The airport is 35 minutes from downtown by MRT, and night markets, hot springs and mountains all sit within an hour on the metro. Prices run below Japan and moving around is simple, so even three nights fills up.
Taipei trip cost