Taiwan in Ten Days: Taipei, the East Coast and the Mountains, and When to Go from Australia and New Zealand

Taiwan has spent years being treated as a stopover — a couple of nights in Taipei on the way to somewhere else. That undersells it. In ten days you can eat your way through Taipei's night markets, ride a narrow-gauge railway into the mountains, watch the sun come up over a sea of cloud at Alishan, walk the temple lanes of Tainan and follow the east coast where the mountains drop almost straight into the Pacific. This guide sets out how those ten days fit together, which months suit travellers from Australia and New Zealand, and the two fixed dates in February 2027 worth planning around.

Why Taiwan works as a trip in its own right

Taiwan is compact, but it is not uniform. The west coast is a chain of cities linked by high-speed rail; the centre is high, forested mountain country; the east is a thinly populated coastline of cliffs, river valleys and small towns. Each part feels different, and a stopover only ever shows you the first.

It is also an easy place to travel. Public transport is clean and punctual, food is a reason to visit in itself, and the distances are short enough that a well-built itinerary spends far more time looking at things than getting to them.

A ten-day shape: north, mountains, south, east

There are many ways to cut Taiwan. The loop below is one example of how a first trip can fit together — the exact order, and how much of the east coast it includes, usually gets adjusted around train timetables and the time available.

Days 1–3: Taipei and Jiufen. Give Taipei two full days. The National Palace Museum holds one of the world's great collections of Chinese art; the old streets around Dadaocheng and Bangka's temples show the city's older layers; and the night markets — Raohe, Ningxia, Shilin — are where most travellers end up eating. A half-day trip out to Jiufen, the hillside former gold-mining town above the north coast, fits neatly on the third day. Late afternoon into dusk is when its teahouses and lantern-lit lanes look their best.

Days 4–5: Sun Moon Lake. Take the high-speed rail south to Taichung and continue by road into the hills. Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan's best-known inland lake, ringed by forested slopes, with walking and cycling paths along the shore, boat crossings between the villages and a cable car up to the hills above. One night is the minimum; two lets you see it early in the morning, when it is at its stillest.

Day 6: Alishan. From Sun Moon Lake, continue by road into the mountains to Alishan, a forest recreation area known for its ancient cypress trees, tea plantations and mountain trails. The Alishan Forest Railway is a separate experience: it climbs from Chiayi on the plains, so it suits travellers with extra time rather than forming part of the road journey from Sun Moon Lake. For many visitors the highlight is the early-morning ride on the short Zhushan branch line to watch the sunrise above a sea of cloud. The sunrise, the cloud and the train times all vary — departures are set by date — so it is worth staying overnight at Alishan if the sunrise matters.

Days 7–8: Tainan and Kaohsiung. Tainan was Taiwan's capital for more than two centuries and is the island's most rewarding city for temples, old streets and food — this is where many Taiwanese go specifically to eat. Kaohsiung, a short train ride further south, is a harbour city with a revitalised waterfront, a busy arts district in old warehouses and the lotus-pond temples of Lotus Lake.

Days 9–10: the east coast. Crossing to the east is a full travel day in its own right. The usual rail option from Kaohsiung runs around the southern tip of the island and up the east coast to Hualien; the alternative is to return north first and come down to Hualien from Taipei. Either way, the route depends on the current timetable. The reward is a different Taiwan altogether: steep green mountains, the Pacific on one side and a slower pace, with the sea cliffs north of Hualien and the Taroko region close by. The train back to Taipei for the flight home is worth booking ahead, particularly at weekends.

Ten days covers this loop, but it is a full ten days with little slack for delays. With fewer days, drop the east coast or Kaohsiung rather than rushing everything; with more, add a night at Alishan, the outlying islands or a slower run down the east coast.

Taroko: what is open, and what is not

Taroko National Park was badly affected by the April 2024 Hualien earthquake, and access to the gorge remains restricted. Several of the best-known trails and sights are still closed — among them the Shakadang Trail, Swallow Grotto, the Tunnel of Nine Turns, the Eternal Spring Shrine and the Zhuilu Old Road — while some areas, including parts of Tianxiang and a short section of the Lushui Trail, have reopened.

Provincial Highway 8, the road through the gorge, remains subject to traffic controls and ongoing roadworks, and conditions can change quickly after heavy rain, earthquakes or rockfalls. Taroko can still be part of an east-coast itinerary, but it is best not to assume the classic gorge drive or its famous trails will be open. Check the national park's latest notices and road restrictions before departure, and confirm the planned stops with whoever is arranging the trip. The Qingshui Cliffs, on the coast road north of Hualien, are a separate sight from the gorge itself.

When to go from Australia and New Zealand

Taiwan's year divides fairly neatly.

• October and November. Autumn is generally the most comfortable time to travel: the summer heat has eased and conditions are good for sightseeing and walking. For many first trips this is the window to aim for.
• December. Cooler, with conditions that vary more from region to region; still a good time for city and cultural travel.
• January and February. Cool, and colder in the mountains, with the Lunar New Year holiday and the Lantern Festival both falling in February in 2027 (more on both below).
• March and April. Spring, and the blossom season — cherry blossom at Alishan typically peaks around March, though the timing shifts with the weather and the altitude, and it brings its own crowds to the mountain.
• May and June. The plum-rain season typically brings humid, often wet weather, though how much varies by region and by year.
• July to September. Hot and humid, and the heart of the typhoon season, with disruption varying from year to year. Travel is still possible, but a fixed-date itinerary is more exposed, particularly on the east coast and in the mountains.

For travellers from Australia and New Zealand, October and November offer a chance to visit before the main summer holiday period. March and April can also work well alongside Easter or the autumn school holidays, although blossom timing and local weather vary — and school holiday dates differ between Australian states and New Zealand.

February 2027: Lunar New Year, then the Lantern Festival

Two fixed dates shape February 2027, and they pull in opposite directions.

Lunar New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. It is Taiwan's most important family holiday, and the official public holiday runs from 4 to 10 February. Many people travel to reunite with family, so trains, buses and accommodation can be heavily booked, and smaller restaurants, shops and family-run businesses may close for several days. Travellers who want to see the celebrations can certainly go, but it is a week that needs careful planning — book transport and accommodation well ahead, and check opening hours for the places on the list.

The Taiwan Lantern Festival follows a fortnight later. The 2027 festival is scheduled for Miaoli County from 20 February to 7 March 2027; the dates were announced as provisional, so they are worth checking closer to the time. The host city changes every year, and it is one of the country's biggest events: the 2026 festival in Chiayi recorded more than ten million visits.

The Lantern Festival is worth building a trip around if the displays and celebrations are the main attraction. Its popularity means planning ahead, particularly for accommodation and transport around the festival grounds. Those not going specifically for the festival may prefer to travel either side of it. The Pingxi sky lantern release in the hills outside Taipei is a separate event with its own schedule, so check its 2027 dates before planning around both.

Getting there from Australia and New Zealand

Taiwan is one of the better-connected destinations in North Asia from this part of the world. There are direct flights to Taipei's Taoyuan airport from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and capacity is growing: China Airlines' Sydney service goes daily from late October 2026 and Melbourne gains an extra weekly flight, with Qantas codeshare options on selected services. EVA Air flies to Taipei from Brisbane. Frequencies vary by airline and season, so check current schedules when planning. From New Zealand, travellers can consider the Auckland–Taipei services that operate on some days of the week, or connect through Australia or another Asian hub, depending on dates and preferred airline.

The flight time from the east coast of Australia is roughly nine to ten hours, and the time difference is small — two or three hours behind Sydney, depending on the time of year — so jet lag is mild. Taoyuan is also a useful regional hub, and depending on schedules Taiwan combines well with Japan, Korea or Hong Kong on the same trip.

Australian and New Zealand passport holders are currently eligible for visa-exempt visits to Taiwan of up to 90 days. Entry requirements can change, so confirm the latest rules before departure, and check Smartraveller in Australia or SafeTravel in New Zealand for current travel advice.

High-speed rail or a driver-guide?

Taiwan offers two good ways to get around, and the best itineraries tend to mix them.

The High Speed Rail runs down the west coast from Taipei through Taichung and Chiayi to Tainan and Kaohsiung. It is fast, frequent and straightforward, and it turns the city-to-city legs into short, easy hops. For the west-coast cities it is hard to beat.

A driver-guide earns their place where the railway runs out: up into Sun Moon Lake and Alishan, where public connections are slower and timings matter for the sunrise, and on the east coast, where the scenery is between the stations rather than at them. A guide also helps with menus, temples and the stories behind them, which add a lot to Tainan in particular.

A common pattern is to use the High Speed Rail for Taipei, Tainan and Kaohsiung, and private transport for the mountains and the east. Sun Moon Lake and Alishan both need a road or bus connection from the high-speed network. The east coast is served by the separate conventional rail network, which is good, but popular services can fill at weekends and around holidays, so the return to Taipei should be planned around the actual timetable.

Frequently asked questions

Is ten days enough for Taiwan?
For a first trip covering Taipei, the central mountains, the historic south and a taste of the east coast, yes — though it is a full programme with little slack. A week works if you leave out one region; two weeks lets you add the outlying islands or more time in the mountains.

What is the best month to visit Taiwan?
October and November are generally the most comfortable months, with March and April a second option for spring and blossom. July to September is the hottest period and the heart of the typhoon season.

Is Taroko Gorge open?
Partly. Some areas, including parts of Tianxiang and a short section of the Lushui Trail, have reopened since the 2024 earthquake, but many of the best-known trails and sights remain closed and the road through the gorge runs under traffic controls. Check the park's current notices before travel.

When is the Taiwan Lantern Festival in 2027?
It is scheduled for 20 February to 7 March 2027 in Miaoli County, two weeks after Lunar New Year on 6 February. The dates were announced as provisional, so check the organisers' latest information before booking.

Can Taiwan be combined with Japan or Korea?
Yes. Flights between Taipei and the major Japanese and Korean cities are short, and depending on schedules Taiwan adds a very different pace to a North Asia trip.

Thinking about Taiwan?

Perhaps you already have the dates and want someone to fit the mountains and the east coast around them, or perhaps Taiwan has only just started to look like more than a stopover. Either way, Pack Ya Bags would be glad to help shape it.

Drop them a line with when you might travel, how long you have and whether Japan or Korea might be part of the trip — they'll come back with a few ways it could fit together. Their address is info@packyabags.com.