Taiwan Travel Guide: First-Timer Essentials
Everything a first-time visitor needs to know about travelling in Taiwan — when to go, how to get around, what to eat, and where to start.
Updated 2026-07-10
When to go
Spring (March–May) and autumn (October–November) are the most comfortable times, with mild temperatures and lower humidity. Summers are hot, humid and bring typhoon season; winters are mild in the south but cooler and rainier in the north.
Getting around
Taiwan is compact and easy to travel. The High Speed Rail links Taipei to Kaohsiung in around 90 minutes. Cities have clean, cheap metro systems, and a single stored-value card (such as EasyCard) works on trains, buses and metros across much of the island.
What to eat
Food is a great reason to visit. Night markets are the heart of the food culture — try beef noodle soup, soup dumplings, stinky tofu, oyster omelette, and bubble tea, which was invented in Taiwan.
Where to go
Most trips begin in Taipei. Popular stops include the lantern-lit town of Jiufen, the marble gorges of Taroko, the historic streets of Tainan, and the east coast around Hualien. Our destinations section has city-by-city guides.