October 2026 will mark the four-year anniversary of Taiwan finally reopening to tourists after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the passing of four years, Taiwan still hasn’t fully recovered to pre-pandemic numbers, but it’s getting close.
October is generally considered the first month of autumn in Taiwan; other articles will tell you September, but September is still very much summer in Taiwan. These temperatures usually ease up in Taipei in early October, bringing in gorgeous, pleasantly warm days and often clear, blue skies. ‘Tis the season for hiking!
However, heads up that a late-season typhoon is still possible in summer – in 2024, there was a rare but large and quite devastating one at the end of October. Rare typhoons aside, October otherwise is a contender for the best month of the year to visit Taiwan weather-wise. See all the key weather info here.
October overall is a great month for general travel in Taiwan, and you can even cap it off with some wild Halloween parties (and Asia’s biggest Pride Parade!) at the end of the month.
For more basic information about planning your trip, see this list of FAQs about Taiwan.
Taipei in October: Best Things to Do
With such lovely weather in October in Taipei, you’re going to want to be outside a lot. See my Taipei city guide to start planning your visit.
October is perfect for city parks like Da’An Forest Park, Elephant Mountain (for those postcard Taipei views) and other hiking trails in Taipei.
It’s also great for atmospheric neighborhoods begging to be explored, like Ximending, Dadaocheng, Yongkang Street, and Beitou Thermal Valley.
For the main sights in Taipei, see my recommended Taipei itinerary for 4 days and my favorite things to do in Taipei. I’ve also got this guide to Taipei’s best night markets.
On Yangmingshan, the dormant volcano massif in Taipei and New Taipei City, silvergrass begins painting the hillsides gray by the end of the month, but November is usually the prime time to see this natural spectacle.
Keep in mind that everything remains open and busy on long weekends in Taiwan. Restaurants, night markets, and family oriented places will be very busy, as well as day trip places like Yangmingshan, Tamsui, and Jiufen.
If you haver the choice, stick to big cities, as popular tourist places around the country will be packed, with hotels and trains fully booked.
In Taipei, check out the Chill Out Music Festival (see info) in Gongguan during the long weekend.
October 10 is the National Day of the Republic of China (10/10 Day or Double Ten Day) and also a national holiday. Often incorrectly described (even by locals) as “Taiwan’s birthday”, the day commemorates the Wuchang Uprising in China, which eventually led to the establishment of the Republic of China.
In 2026, Double Ten Day falls on a Saturday, but the government will give everyone Friday off, resulting in the first of two long weekends this month (Oct 9-11). In the daytime in Taipei, there’s usually a ceremony at the Presidential Office Building, which I personally find a little boring.
Last year (2025), for the first time ever, they had a small 10/10 fireworks and lights display from Taipei 101. The display (rather fittingly) took place at 10 PM on October 10. It was on a much smaller scale than the usual Taipei 101 NYE fireworks. I’ll update later if they plan to do this again in 2026!
There is also usually also a bigger fireworks display somewhere in Taiwan for the 10/10 event. Last year, it was in Nantou. I’ll update later once they announce the 2026 event location.
Sometime in 2026, there will also be a beef noodle competition (see here) somewhere in Taipei. Last year in was at the Floral Expo Park.
The second long weekend of October 2026 is a new one (or rather, revival of an old one, starting from last year), called Retrocession Day.
The holiday commemorates the end of Japanese rule in Taiwan and questionable “return” of Taiwan to the Republic of China. It’s on Sunday, October 25, but the government will give people Monday off, so the long weekend will be October 24 to 26.
On October 24 to 26, the annual Taipei Hakka Yimin festival will takes place at CKS Memorial Hall. The festival highlights Taiwan’s Hakka culture. To learn more about the Hakka people, read my guide to Miaoli, where many of them live.
Late October is also the first point in the season when you might start thinking about getting into the hot springs at Beitou. See my full guide to Beitou for the best ones.
The Taipei Jazz Festival will also see many jazz concerts in the city through September and October 2026.
Halloween is slowly becoming a thing in Taiwan; in the past it was nothing more than an hour-long activity in kindergartens.
For visitors to Taipei with young kids, there is usually a Halloween parade and trick-or-treating event in Tianmu area. I’ll update once the details are released.
For us grown-ups, a number of Taipei night clubs throw some pretty wild parties on Halloween, but the party of all parties is without a doubt Resurrected. The venue varies, but in recent years it has been held at an awesome outdoor venue on Tiger Mountain. I’ll post the 2026 event page once it’s announced.
Last, but absolutely not least, the Saturday of October is usually the day of the fabulous Taipei Pride Parade, which is the largest LGBTQ+ pride parade in all of Asia. Upwards of 100,000 people usually take part. In 2026, Halloween is on Saturday, so the parade will be held on October 31.
The paraders convene at Taipei City Hall in the early afternoon, then set off on two different routes through the city (it’s so big that they need two), returning a few hours later.
After that, many people head to the gay district at Red House in Ximending for a drink or to this party and others for dancing.
The city usually runs a Rainbow Sightseeing Bus (book here) to various sights throughout the month. Drag queens on board will introduce sights and local queer history.
Taiwan in October: Best Places to Visit
The out-of-this-world Burning of the Wang Yeh Boats in Donggang, Pingtung County happens once every three years, usually in October. The next one will be in 2027.
The actual boat burning takes place from 2 AM to 5 AM on the 5th (early Saturday morning). You’d want to be there starting from the night of the 4th. Read my Donggang guide for more info.
In Kaohsiung, last year the 5th annual Love Moon Hot Air Baloon Festival (info here) took place place over three weekends from late-September to mid-October. I’ll update once they announce dates for the 2026 event.
Last year, the first two were at Tianliao Moon World, which is 1.5 hours from the Kaohsiung city center, and the last one was beside the Love River in Central Kaohsiung.
The balloons went up from 6 to 8 AM and 4 to 5:30 PM. Tickets were sold at iBon machines at 7-Eleven.
October weather in Taiwan is about as good as it gets, which means it’s a perfect month for planning a round-island trip.
You can do so by following my Taiwan itinerary for 1-3 weeks or my recommended Taiwan itinerary with kids, or get more ideas here on what to do in Taiwan.
In Yilan county, locals flock to Taipingshan (太平山 or Taiping Mountain) to see the changing colors of the beech trees from mid-October to mid-November.
October is an ideal month to visit Taichung, with warm weather and very low chance of rain. Make sure to include Rainbow Village, the Gaomei Wetlands, or numerous day trips from the city on your Taichung itinerary.
The huge Taichung Jazz Music Festival, a free 10-day event, usually takes place from mid- to late-October. I’ll update once the 2026 dates are announced.
Don’t miss Sun Moon Lake, which is lovely at this time, and consider getting a Sun Moon Lake Pass or read which Sun Moon Lake tours I recommend.
Yilan County and Hualien are also great to explore at this time, but don’t visit Taroko Gorge during or after heavy rain, especially those late-season typhoons that sometimes strike in October.
See the latest updates about Taroko Gorge’s opening situation here and here and other things to do in Hualien.
In late-October, the rice fields in Chishang (a popular cycling destination in Taitung) start turning golden yellow. This makes it an especially beautiful time to visit.
Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung (including Kenting National Park) are still summery in October.
In Kaohsiung, the teamLab Future Park immersive experience will come to an end on October 12.
October is probably the last month I’d consider visiting the offshore islands like Green Island, Orchid Island, Xiaoliuqiu, and Penghu, as things will already be starting to close down for the windy/cold winter in Taiwan.
High mountain resorts like Cingjing Farm, Alishan, and Hehuanshan are still perfectly fine for visiting in October, but do expect cold weather in the early morning. Clearer weather also means clearer skies and high chance of seeing sea of clouds.
October is also great for hiking all around the island. For autumn foliage, you’ll need to wait until November and December for the best colors to come out in most places.
Taipei Weather in October
Summer temperatures finally start waning toward the end of September, ushering in gorgeous Taipei weather in October. The average high temperature in Taipei in October is 27°C (81°F), and the average low is 22°C (72°F).
Taipei receives an average of 150mm of precipitation in October, which is around half of summer levels, but still twice as much as each of the following three months. Part of this is because late-season typhoons can bring additional short bouts of heavy rain.
October is generally the end of the typhoon season in Taiwan, but a typhoon in November is not unheard of. Some major typhoons to strike Taiwan in October include Typhoon Longwang (2005) and Typhoon Mitag (2019).
Still, October is one of the driest months of the year in Taipei, with an average of only 12 days with rain in the month, the lowest of the year, along with November and December. If you do happen to face rain in October, see my article covering the best indoor things to do on rainy days.
October is probably my single favorite month of the year in Taipei weather-wise. Typical Taipei October weather is warm and comfortable, skies are often blue, and going outside just feels good.
What to Wear in Taipei in October
How to dress in October in Taipei is going to vary by what you are used to. Locals and people from countries in Asia with similar climates tend to start dressing for cooler weather in October. This might include jeans and a light jacket or hoodie, especially for going out in the evening.
If you’re from a cooler climate like me (the prairies of Canada), though, you will most likely still be wearing shorts and a T-shirt in Taipei’s October weather. I don’t usually break my summer clothing choices until sometime in November.
– Find out where to stay in Taipei.
– Also decide whether to get a Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass by reading my Fun Pass review.
Taiwan Weather in October
In most of Northern Taiwan, including Yilan County and Taroko Gorge in Hualien County, you can expect pretty much the same weather as Taipei in October.
However, venture further south, and you’ll find that summer still hasn’t quite departed. Taichung and Tainan still have an average high of 30°C (86°F) and 31°C (89°F), respectively, in October.
What’s even better, rain in the south of Taiwan is rare in October; Taichung only gets an average of 16mm while Tainan gets 30mm. That means only a handful of days with rain per month.
In other words, the weather in Taiwan in October is about as close as you could get to ideal for traveling around. It still feels practically like summer in Taiwan, but not overbearingly so like in real summer, and with substantially less rain.
Sun Moon Lake in Nantou is usually a few degrees cooler than nearby Taichung, and is gorgeous to visit in October. At higher altitude resorts like Cingjing Farm or Alishan, the temperature can go down to the mid-teens Celsius (around 60°F) in the early morning.
What to wear in Taiwan in October
For Northern Taiwan, you’ll want to pack some autumn clothing, including a hoodie or light jacket for evenings, but if you’re sticking mainly to the south of Taiwan, you’ll still be dressing like it’s summer. Don’t forget your bathing suit, as beach season is still on!
The coldest you’re likely to feel on your trip is when you’re standing around before dawn at Alishan waiting for that famous sunrise, so do bring a few layers if you’re planning to do that!
There’s barely a need to dress for rain in October in most of Taiwan, with the exception of Taipei and the north.
Conclusion: Is October a Good Time to Visit Taiwan?
October is quite possibly my favorite month of the year to be in Taiwan. Even Taipei, which is notorious for having kind of crappy weather, is undeniably lovely for most of October. Meanwhile in the south of Taiwan, it’s like summer minus the rain.
If you love spending long hours outside in warm (not overbearingly hot) weather, enjoy hiking, cycling, and even some time on the beach, October in Taiwan is simply awesome, but do remember there is still a small chance of encountering a late-season typhoon.
Also read:
This is great information, really answers most questions!
I’m sitting here about to plan a trip with my family – wondering if it’s worth the hassle/time to go all the way down to Kenting. (Visiting Taiwan 8 days in oct, flying into TPE). Your beach article made me doubt – and thinking maybe to stay north and get my beach there. However, doubt the beaches match 🤔?
Going in October? It will be a little chilly for beaches in the north, but still very nice weather for beaches in the south like Kenting. It will also be off season so they will be nice and quiet. I would still recommend it!
should we skip yangmingchen in nov? no flower clock?
Flower clock has flowers all year. But there won’t be cherry blossoms in November. It’s still worth visiting Yangmingshan for hiking or hot springs throughout the year. But it depends on the weather that day. If it’s cold, foggy, or rainy, then maybe skip it. If it’s a clear day, then go for it.
I’m planning a one week itinerary early October with my parents nearing sixties. Which places would you suggest?
Please see my recommended 7 day itinerary under the itineraries section of this website.
We are planning to visit Taipei this end of October. Can you give me a recommendation or sample itinerary?
Taipei – October 17-23
Kaohsiung – October 14-26
First, please check the itineraries section of this site. Second, 12 days is very long for Kaohsiung. Most travel itineraries include 1-2 days in Kaohsiung. So you’ll need to do a little research yourself first, come up with a draft itinerary, then share it in my Taiwan Travel Planning group on Facebook for feedback.