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Travel and Tourism in Taiwan
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Taiwan.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Time Difference
- UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- new Taiwan dollar (TWD)
- Climate
- The Tropic of Cancer bisects the island, so the climate is sub-tropical with temperatures ranging from 12 to 35 degrees Celsius (54-95 degrees Fahrenheit). Northern Taiwan has two long seasons (summer & winter) and two short seasons (spring and autumn). Spring, mid-March to mid-May, is mostly sunny and mild with brief spells of cloudy skies and rain showers. Spring's average daily temperature is 17-25C or 62-77F. Summer, mid-May through late September, is hot with an average rainfall of 10 inches a month, mostly from afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Autumn, late September to early November, is characterized by mild temperatures and afternoon showers. Winter, November through mid-April, is characterized by low cloud drizzle, fog, and occasional winds. The daily temperatures range between 17 - 24 degrees C (62-75F) in November, dropping to 12 - 19C (54 - 66F) in January and then rising to 14 - 22C (57 - 72F) in March. Occasionally, the temperature drops below 1OC (50F), especially in mountainous areas. The typhoon season usually starts in mid-June and lasts through October. An average of 12 typhoons form in the Western Pacific each year. The average daily temperature range in Taipei is 21 - 29C (70 - 84F) in May; 24 - 35C (75 - 95F) in July and August; 23 - 33C (73 - 91F) in September; and 20 - 27C (68 - 81F) in October. Kaohsiung enjoys a milder, drier winter than Taipei, but summer temperatures average about the same. As a result of its subtropical position and heavy rainfall, Taiwan's natural landscape is constantly green with varied hues of forest, shrubs, and coarse tropical grass. All but the peaks of the highest mountains are covered with vegetation.
- Ethnic Groups
- Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%
- National Holiday
- Republic Day (National Day), 10 October (1911); note - celebrates the anniversary of the Chinese Revolution, also known as Double Ten (10-10) Day
- Geographic Coordinates
- 23 30 N, 121 00 E
- Location
- Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China
- Airports
- 40
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Outdoor Activities and Nature
Taiwan's extraordinary topography, from coral reefs and tropical beaches in the south to high alpine peaks in the center and dramatic Pacific coast cliffs in the east, creates exceptional conditions for an enormous range of outdoor activities, and the island has developed an enthusiastic outdoor recreation culture that takes full advantage of these natural riches.
Cycling around the entire island of Taiwan has become one of the defining cycling achievements for enthusiasts in Asia and increasingly around the world. The standard route follows the coastal roads for most of its approximately 960-kilometer circuit, taking about nine days for most cyclists, and passes through an extraordinary variety of scenery from the industrial north to the dramatic east coast cliffs to the tropical south.
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Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Health facilities in Taiwan are adequate for routine and emergency medical treatment. Physicians are well trained and many have studied in the United States and speak English. State of the art medical equipment is available at many clinics and hospitals. Hospitals’ nursing services provide medication dispensing and wound care but generally not the daily patient maintenance functions found in U.S. hospitals.
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