The month of March is one of the most popular months to visit Taiwan. Everyone is back to work after the Lunar New Year holiday and there are no national holidays in Taiwan in March to disrupt your travel plans.
In 2026, the Lantern Festival will land in March. It is one of my personal favorite festivals of the year in Taiwan.
March is a transitional month between winter and spring in Taiwan. Lingering chilly weather and a moderate amount of drizzling rain in Taipei and other parts of Northern Taiwan mean that temperatures are still suitable for visiting hot springs.
In southern Taiwanese cities such as Tainan and Kaohsiung, things are already starting to heat up, and even Taipei is usually starting to feel pretty warm by the end of March.
In March, you can still catch the cherry blossoms at these locations. Tulips, azaleas, and calla lilies also bloom in March.
See how March compares to other months of the year in Taiwan weather guide, learn about the best season to visit Taiwan, and find answers to these frequently-asked-questions about Taiwan.
Taipei in March: Best Things to Do
Start planning your trip with my detailed Taipei guide.
Mild weather is perfect for doing some city explorations on foot. Dive back into Taipei’s history by following my walking tour of Dadaocheng neighborhood, or see what kind of weird & colorful surprises you can find in Ximending. Consider joining one of these free walking tours in Taipei.
Also try some of these great day trips from Taipei, including Jiufen , Shifen Old Street, and Shifen Waterfall. You can see these and more on this popular day tour from Taipei.
For flower viewing, after February, March is one of the best months to see cherry blossoms in Taipei.
The most gorgeous display is at Wuji Tianyuan Temple in Tamsui, one of the most beautiful temples in Taiwan. The temple’s second round of blooming (different types of cherry blossoms there bloom at different times; the first round blooms in February) usually takes place in mid-March.
It is also usually possible to still see some cherry blossoms in Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei and New Taipei City at the beginning of March. The best spot to see them is Yangmingshan Flower Clock.
Both places are crowded when the flowers are blooming.
Besides cherry blossoms, another pretty flower than blooms in March is the azalea, the official flower of Taipei City.
Azaleas and hydrangeas can be seen in Da’An Forest Park, the largest park in Taipei, and a series of events related to the flower will take place for the whole month of March.
The end of March is also when calla lilies start to bloom at Zhuzihu in Yangmingshan National Park, which is yet another natural spectacle to behold.
Also check out the Shan Tseng Chi Flower Festival in Beitou, which will last until the end of March, as well as a rose show at Xinsheng Park (Yuanshan MRT) from mid-March to mid-April. See more info about flower festivals in Taiwan here.
The Festival of Lights at Treasure Hill Artists Village in Gongguan usually starts sometime in March. In 2025 it will be from March 22 to May 25.
The best time to visit and see the lit-up art displays is late afternoon and early evening on weekends. Consider to visit Gongguan Night Market nearby before or after your visit.
Stage 1 of the Tour de Taiwan, the largest cycling event in Taiwan, usually takes place in early March. Keep an eye on the official website for details about the 2026 event.
If the weather turns sour, head indoors at the National Palace Museum (closed Mondays), Museum of Contemporary Art, or the lesser-known Museum of World Religions.
Hot spring lovers can indulge at Beitou Thermal Valley (also closed Mondays) or by making a day trip from Taipei to the hot spring villages of Jiaoxi or Wulai.
For loads of other ideas, see my list of 50 things to do in Taipei and how to plan your Taipei itinerary.
Before you head to Taiwan, make sure to learn these key phrases in Mandarin!
Taiwan in March: Best Places to Visit
In March 2026, there will be events related to the Lantern Festival (March 3 in 2026) across the country. See my Lantern Festival guide to read about the various events.
One of the biggest is the Pingxi Mass Lantern Release. This takes place on two different days in Pingxi and Shifen villages on the Pingxi Line.
The 2026, the first event will be on February 27 in Pingxi, and the second larger one will be on March 3 in Shifen.
The easiest way to get there will be by joining this Lantern Festival day tour here on Klook. Last year it sold out quickly! If you don’t manage to get a spot, see my guide for other ways to get there.
Every city in Taiwan will also host its own display of lanterns (like in the above photo). Most of these last for a few weeks, but the dates are different in every city. Many of them start around Lunar New Year and continue until (or for a while after) the Lantern Festival date.
As an example, here were the dates for every city last year. I will update it when all the 2026 dates are announced, usually 1-2 months before.
There is also a National Lantern Festival event with more lantern displays, concerts, huge lantern with that year’s zodiac animal (a horse this year), and more. The 2026 one will be in Chiayi from March 3 to 15.
For something truly insane, head to Yanshui, a district of Tainan City, on the same night as the Lantern Festival. There you can participate in one of the world’s most dangerous festivals, the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival.
Click the link to read about how my father and I endured the festival with relatively few injuries, and all the info you need for attending. There are also similar events in Taitung and even one in Taipei.
See my Lantern Festival guide for info about them.
With warm but not overbearing temperatures in central and southern Taiwan, March is a great time to explore cities such as Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, and some days may be even be hot enough to start thinking about beaches in Taiwan.
If you want to see cherry blossoms around Taiwan in March, you will need to go to higher elevations in Taiwan. One of the best spots that has cherry blossoms in March is Alishan Sakura Trail in the village of Shizhuo, which is on the way to Alishan.
The cherry blossoms at Alishan usually start blooming in late March and into early April. However, note that the cherry blossoms came earlier than usual last year.
On top of cherry blossoms, March is also the start of firefly watching season in small villages between Chiayi and Alishan, like Fenqihu and Ruili.
This is an very busy time to visit Alishan, and all the hotels sell out weeks or months in advance. I strongly recommend you book your Shizhuo or Alishan bus tickets online to guarantee a seat. The bus times are here. Also read about how I managed to get Alishan Forest Railway tickets (which are even higher demand) at this time.
Find more info in my Alishan guide and recommended Alishan itineraries for 1-4 days.
In late March to early April, a traditional event called the Neimen Songjiang Battle Ritual usually takes place at this remote temple in Neimen district of Kaohsiung. Find more info on the event’s Facebook page.
March is the last month that you can see flocks of Taiwanese Purple Crow butterflies at Maolin National Scenic Area in Kaohsiung and Pingtung.
March is also the tail end of the strawberry growing season in Dahu; if you visit Dahu to pick strawberries you can combine it with a trip to nearby Tai’an Hot Spring.
Kenting, the beachy national park at the southern tip of Taiwan, can already be quite hot in March.
Usually March isn’t busy in Kenting yet, so it’s a great time to visit and stay in one of its beach resorts. There will be a wave of tourists coming for the Taiwan Music Festival on the 4-day long weekend at the beginning of April. Head there in March to beat the crowds!
However, in early March 2026, there will be an Ultra trail running race called Xtrail in Kenting area, which could bring some extra people for a few days.
In Taitung on the east coast, people surf year-round in Dulan but waves may still be pretty choppy and the water a little chilly in March. In Chishang, a popular cycling destinations, they rice fields start to grow in March.
Taroko Gorge and Yilan County can still be a little cool and windy at this time, but are still fine to visit.
Taroko Gorge is gradually reopening following the devastating 2024 Hualien Earthquake. Hopefully a few more parts of the gorge will be open by March 2026.
Dolphin and whale tours in Hualien will be running in March, but only when it’s not too windy and if they can find enough passengers. It’s better to wait until closer to summer for better chance of spotting anything.
If the chills get to you, head directly to Jiaoxi Hot Spring or Wulai Hot Spring.
Sun Moon Lake, which sits at an elevation of 748 meters in Nantou county, can be a few degrees cooler than the major cities. In March, Yaesakuras, a very pink kind of cherry blossom, may still be blooming in early March around the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway (cable car).
But, generally speaking, February is the best month to see cherry blossoms at Sun Moon Lake. Tickets for the Ropeway are included on several of the Sun Moon Lake passes.
March is not a great time to visit the offshore islands of Taiwan, such as Penghu, Green Island, and Orchid Island. They can still be a little cold and windy, and transportation options may be limited.
In Kaohsiung, the heavy metal and alternative music festival Megaport usually takes place in late March.
For other ideas on what to do in Taiwan, see my favorite things to do in Taiwan and how to plan your Taiwan itinerary.
Taipei Weather in March
In Taipei in March, winter weather can seem to drag on. Taipei’s winters are dominated by gray, overcast skies. The chilliest it can get is around 10°C (50°F), with the average low being 15°C (59°F) and the average high being 22°C (72°F).
March in Taipei has the most number of days of rain of the year (16 days, 180mm), but rain at this time tends to be not much more than a drizzle, so overall it actually isn’t considered a very rainy month. See here for my recommended things to do on rainy days in Taipei.
If you are coming from the tropics, you may find the weather in Taipei in March quite cold. And for those who come from really cold countries like I do, you may laugh at these numbers, but it’s important to note that, coupled with the high humidity, 10°C can really chill you to the bones, especially when it rains. Few places have interior heating, so apartments or hotels can feel like they are damp and cool as outside.
With some luck, you can also have warm, clear, sunny days in Taipei in March.
What to wear in Taipei in March
It’s important to bring layers. Personally I find a good thermal shirt under a hoodie is more than enough for slightly chilly March nights, and on nicer March days I’m already wearing a T-shirt and shorts, although most locals are still sporting jackets.
The chilliest days will be when it rains, so remember to bring appropriate rain gear, or buy an umbrella/poncho from any 7-Eleven if/when you need it.
Find out where to stay in my Taipei hotels guide and Taipei hostels guide.
Taiwan Weather in March
As soon as you journey south from Taipei, you are less likely to encounter rain in March. For example, Tainan in the south receives only 5 days of rain (40mm) in March. The south of Taiwan is also about 5 degrees warmer than Taipei in March (average low 18°C/64°F, average high 26°C/79°F). This means that most major cities in Taiwan besides Taipei are already experiencing T-shirt weather in March.
Taroko Gorge is only slightly warmer than Taipei, but with higher winds on the east coast of Taiwan, it can feel just as cold.
Similarly, Sun Moon Lake in Nantou can still be chilly due to its higher elevation (748 meters above sea level), while Alishan and Qingjing Farm may be close to freezing.
What to wear in Taiwan in March
Toss a few long sleeves and a light jacket into your luggage, but chances are you won’t be using them much in the daytime in the south of Taiwan. Unless of course you are heading to the mountains, in which case winter clothing is still a must.
It’s always a good idea to bring rain gear in Taiwan, but if you forget, you can always pick up an umbrella or poncho at any 7-Eleven.
Conclusion: Is March a good time to visit Taiwan?
In my opinion, there’s no bad time to visit Taiwan. March is a good choice for those who love hot springs, flower viewing, and exploring cities in mild weather, but want to skip the Lunar New Year crowds and lower temperatures of January and February.
Also read: