Australian to Taiwan: Do You Need a Visa, and How Far Does Your AUD Really Go?

A$100 gets you about NT$2,200 in Taiwan.

Whether that buys you a night in a decent hotel or a week of night market dinners is the sort of thing a currency converter will never tell you.

This guide covers australian to taiwan travel in the order you will actually need it:

1. Is Taiwan in China? 
2. Visas. Why Australians need none for a holiday, and the Taiwan Arrival Card that trips people up
3. Landing at 4am. What is open, what is not, and how to get to your hotel
4. Money. Live AUD to TWD rates, what things really cost in Australian dollars, and how much cash to carry
5. Flights, time zones and the best months to visit
6. Driving on an Australian licence, and when it is worth the trouble
7. Two sample itineraries: five days in the north, or seven days including Alishan
8. Where to get help, since Australia has no embassy in Taiwan

Everything here was verified at the time of writing. Rates, rules and timetables change, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you book.

Is Taiwan in China?

Short answer: no, not in any way that affects your trip.

For anyone booking a flight, Taiwan and China are two completely separate trips, with separate paperwork, separate money and separate rules.

Where Taiwan actually is?

Taiwan is an island in the western Pacific.

It sits between Japan to the north-east and the Philippines to the south, roughly 130–180 km off the coast of mainland China across the Taiwan Strait.

It's an island nation-sized destination in its own right, about half the size of Tasmania, with 23 million people.

From an Australian's point of view, that geography is useful for a different reason: Taipei is an easy hop to Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong or Manila, which makes it a natural first or last stop on a longer North Asia run.

What it means in practice?

7 things change the moment you treat Taiwan as its own destination.

	Taiwan	China
Entry for Australians	Visa-exempt, up to 90 days, no expiry date on the scheme	Visa-free, up to 30 days per entry — but only until 31 December 2026
Arrival paperwork	Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC)  free, online, within 7 days of arrival	Electronic arrival card — online in advance or by QR code at the border
Currency	New Taiwan Dollar (NT$ / TWD)	Renminbi (RMB), unit: yuan — not usable in Taiwan, and vice versa
Written Chinese	Traditional characters	Simplified characters
Power	110V, 60Hz Type A & B. Your Australian plug will not fit. Adapter required, and check your device handles 110V	220V, 50Hz — Types A, C & I. Type I is the Australian shape, and 220V is close to Australia's 230V
SIM / eSIM	Taiwan-issued	Not interchangeable with Taiwan
Government travel advice	Smartraveller publishes a separate Taiwan page	Separate page, separate advice level

Two practical takeaways:

1. Two trips, two sets of paperwork. 
2. Australian to Taiwan travel is the simpler of the two.

Do Australians Need a Visa for Taiwan?

Short answer: no, not for a holiday.

The rules on a Taiwan visa for Australian passport holders are simpler than most people expect.

There's no application, no fee and no embassy appointment.

But there is one online form you must complete before you fly, and it catches people out.

Visa-exempt entry for Australian passport holders

What you need to qualify

Requirement	Detail
Passport	Australian passport, valid at least 6 months from your date of entry
Onward travel	Confirmed return or onward ticket
Next destination	Any visa you need for your next country, already in hand
Criminal record	Visa-exempt entry is not available if you have a criminal record
Arrival card	Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC), submitted online (see below)

The Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC)

Since 1 October 2025, Taiwan has scrapped paper arrival cards entirely.

Every foreign visitor now submits the Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) online instead.

Visa-exempt travellers are not exempt from this.

The essentials

	Detail
Cost	Free. Always
Official site	twac.immigration.gov.tw ※nowhere else
When	Within 7 days before arrival ※extended from 3 days in June 2026
Groups	One person can submit for up to 16 travellers
Languages	English plus six others
After you submit	You get a confirmation email. You don't need to show it.
Not required if	You hold an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), resident visa or diplomatic ID

How to do it in about five minutes:

1. Open the official site on your phone.
2. Choose English
3. Photograph your passport data page to auto-fill your details
4. Add your flight number, arrival date and first night's accommodation
5. Submit. Screenshot the confirmation

Two warnings:

1. Fake sites charge money for a free form. If a site asks for payment, close the tab.
2. Don't leave it until you land. You cannot clear immigration without it. There are QR codes at check-in counters and before immigration, and airport Wi-Fi is free but doing it at 11pm after a nine-hour flight, in a queue, is not the plan you want.

When Australians DO need a visa?

Visa-exempt entry covers holidays and short visits.

Your situation	What you need
Staying longer than 90 days	Visitor Visa, applied for before you fly
Working holiday (aged 18–30)	Working Holiday visa, obtained before arrival. Valid up to 12 months. The visa itself acts as your work permit
Working remotely for overseas clients	Digital Nomad Visa
Highly skilled professional wanting to live and work in Taiwan	Employment Gold Card
Study or employment	Relevant visa, plus a work permit arranged before you start
Emergency or temporary passport	Visa required — visa-exempt entry doesn't apply

Working holiday is the one to plan early. Australia and Taiwan have a bilateral arrangement, and applications go through a Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Australia.

There are offices in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. You cannot switch to it after you arrive on a visa-exempt entry.

Two warnings:

1. Don't work on a visa-exempt entry. You need a work permit for paid or unpaid work. 
2. You can't extend visa-exempt entry, and you can't convert it into something else once you're in Taiwan. 

Arrival at the airport

Australian to Taiwan flights almost all land at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).

Here's the sequence.

1. Health screening. You'll pass a body temperature check
2. Immigration. Manual counter, or e-Gate if you're enrolled
3. Baggage claim
4. Customs. Declare cash over USD 10,000 or equivalent

Use the e-Gate. Seriously.

Australians are eligible for Taiwan's automated immigration gates, and queues at manual counters can run past an hour at peak times.

	How it works
Who	All Australian passport holders, from your first visit
Where to enrol	e-Gate Enrolment Counters at the airport, right next to the e-Gate lanes
What's involved	Photo and fingerprint scan. Takes about a minute. Free
Then	Walk straight through the e-Gate
Valid until	6 months before your passport expires, or until you renew your passport
Each trip	You must have submitted your arrival card online, which you're doing anyway now that TWAC is mandatory
Also works at	Songshan, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Kinmen Shueitou airports

How Do You Get to Your Hotel?

You've cleared customs.

It's late. Your bag is heavy.

Here are the realistic options.

Option	Time to central Taipei	Cost guide	Transfers
Airport MRT	~35 min (Express) / ~50 min (Commuter) to Taipei Main Station	~NT$150–160 (≈ A$7)	Station transfer, then walk or taxi to your hotel
Airport bus	50–90 min, traffic dependent	~NT$125–200 (≈ A$4–7)	Bus stop, then local transport
Metered taxi / Uber	~45 min	~NT$1,300–2,000 (≈ A$45–68), incl. tolls and any night surcharge	None
Pre-booked private transfer	~45 min	Confirmed when you book. 30% cheaper than uber	None

Two warnings:

1. The MRT doesn't run all night.
2. The category Uber operates under is not permitted to enter empty to pick up at Taoyuan.

Vehicle type	Can it collect passengers at Taoyuan?
Rank taxi at the official stand	Yes — with an airport queue permit
Licensed car-hire operator , pre-booked	Yes — with a valid hire docket
App-hailed diversified taxi the category Uber operates under in Taiwan	Not permitted to enter empty to pick up
Unlicensed private cars	Illegal

Airport police patrol the pickup lanes, and enforcement against non-compliant pickups is routine.

The aviation police have described unauthorised app-taxi (Uber) touting as a significant share of what they act on.

A driver who isn't allowed to be there has a strong incentive to leave quickly if enforcement approaches.

You do not want to be halfway into a car, or halfway through loading a suitcase, when that happens.

⚠️ New since April 2026: Taoyuan has introduced automated enforcement of the pickup lanes, with a three-minute stopping limit.

Even legitimate pickups are now on a clock, which is exactly why pre-booked services arrange a specific meeting point in advance.

So what about the official taxi rank?

English is hit and miss.

Some drivers manage basic English, many don't.

Have your hotel's address written in Chinese before you land, a screenshot from the hotel's own website, or the address copied from your booking confirmation.

You won't know the fare until you arrive.

The meter runs on distance and time, so traffic changes the total.

Motorway tolls are added, and a night surcharge may apply.

Have cash.

Card acceptance in Taiwanese taxis is inconsistent.

If you've just landed with no NT$ and no local card, that's a problem at the end of the ride, not the start of it.

Hit an ATM before you leave the terminal.

No child seats.

If you're travelling with a toddler, a rank taxi won't have one and can't get you one.

When a pre-booked transfer makes sense:

1. You land after the MRT stops running, or before it starts
2. You're travelling with kids, prams or older parents
3. Two large suitcases each, and a hotel that isn't next to an MRT station
4. You're a group of three or more, the per-person maths changes
5. You'd rather not work out anything at all after nine hours in the air

A pre-booked transfer is not just about comfort here.

Booking in advance is what puts you in a vehicle that's actually permitted to collect you.

How Much Is the Australian Dollar Worth in Taiwan?

Flip that around and it's the number you'll actually use on the ground: NT$100 is roughly A$4.50.

The mental maths trick

A few anchors worth memorising

Remember this	And you'll know
NT$100 ≈ A$4.50	Most snacks and drinks
NT$1,000 ≈ A$45	A nice meal, a night in a hostel
NT$10,000 ≈ A$450	A serious purchase

One thing that trips Australians up:

Taiwanese prices have more digits than you're used to.

A NT$1,000 note feels like a lot.

It's about A$45. Don't let the zeros make you overspend, or, more commonly, hesitate over things that are genuinely cheap.

What things actually cost in Taiwan?

This is the part a currency converter can't tell you.

Here's what your money buys.

Food and drink

Item	NT$	≈ AUD
🧋 Bubble tea	50–90	A$2.30–4.10
🍚 Braised pork rice (lu rou fan)	40–70	A$1.80–3.20
🍜 Beef noodle soup	120–250	A$5.50–11.30
☕ Convenience-store coffee	40–60	A$1.80–2.70
💧 Bottled water, 7-Eleven	20–30	A$0.90–1.40
🍢 Night market dinner, 2–3 dishes	150–300	A$6.80–13.60
🍽️ Sit-down local restaurant, per person	200–400	A$9–18
🥟 Din Tai Fung dinner, per person	500–900	A$23–41
🍺 Beer at a restaurant	120–180	A$5.50–8.20

Getting around

Item	NT$	≈ AUD
🚇 Single Taipei MRT ride	20–65	A$0.90–2.95
🎫 Taipei MRT day pass	180	A$8.20
💳 EasyCard (card itself)	100	A$4.50
🚄 High Speed Rail, Taipei → Kaohsiung	~1,490	~A$68

Sleeping (Taipei)

Item	NT$	≈ AUD
🛏️ Hostel dorm bed	1,200–1,900	A$55–86
🏨 Mid-range private room	2,500–4,000	A$110-176
⚠️ Weekend surcharge	+500–900	+A$23–41

The honest summary:

Taiwan is meaningfully cheaper than Australia for food and public transport, roughly comparable for mid-range hotels, and about the same for imported goods and alcohol.

⚠️ Prices are indicative and vary by season, city and venue.

Sit-down restaurants often add a 10% service charge.

Tainan and Kaohsiung typically run cheaper than Taipei.

How much cash Australians should bring?

Taiwan is more cash-dependent than Australia.

That's the single most important adjustment to make.

Where cash is expected

Cash strongly preferred	Cards generally fine
Night markets	Hotels
Small family-run eateries	Convenience store chains
Temples and small shrines	Department stores and malls
Local restaurants	Chain restaurants
Local markets	Supermarkets

The best food in Taiwan tends to be at the places that don't take cards.

A sensible approach:

1. Get an EasyCard immediately. It costs NT$100 and covers the MRT, buses, convenience stores and some taxis. It removes most of your need for coins.
2. Don't over-exchange. The New Taiwan Dollar isn't widely traded outside Taiwan. 
3. Change or withdraw a small amount on arrival.
4. Top up from ATMs as you go. They're in every 7-Eleven and FamilyMart.

What a day costs

Style	NT$ per day (sleeping included)	≈ AUD
Backpacker: dorms, street food, MRT	1,500–2,500	A$66–110
Mid-range: private room, mix of eating out	3,000–5,000	A$130–220
Comfortable: good hotels, private transfers, nicer meals	10,000-12,500	A$440–550

Where to exchange AUD for TWD?

Option	Watch out for
Before you fly, in Australia	Many outlets don't hold NT$ and need days' notice. Rates are typically poor
✈️ Taoyuan Airport bank counters	A small fixed fee per transaction applies. Rates sit close to the interbank rate
🏧 ATM on arrival	Your bank's overseas fee, plus any operator fee. Decline dynamic currency conversion
🏦 Bank branches in the city	Bring your passport. Rates are similar to the airport, sometimes marginally better
💳 Travel or multi-currency card	Check TWD is actually supported. A lot of Australian travel cards don't hold it

Australian to Taiwan travellers are almost always better served arriving with an Australian card and sorting cash out on the ground.

Taoyuan's arrivals halls have 24-hour bank counters and ATMs.

You will not be stuck.

Flights from Australia to Taiwan

Taipei is closer than most Australians assume.

Around nine hours from the east coast, with no connection required from three cities, shorter than a flight to Perth from Sydney is long, and about the same as Sydney to Tokyo.

Direct routes from Australian cities

Three Australian cities have year-round non-stop services to Taiwan.

First, a name that confuses everyone.

China Airlines is Taiwan's airline. Not China's.

If you're booking a flight and the name gives you pause, that reaction is completely reasonable and completely misplaced.

China Airlines is the state-owned flag carrier of Taiwan, headquartered in Taoyuan, operating out of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

It is to Taiwan roughly what Qantas is to Australia: the national carrier, government-linked, flying the flag on long-haul routes.

It has no connection to the government in Beijing, and it is not the same as any Chinese airline.

From	Airlines	Flight time
✈️ Sydney (SYD)	China Airlines	~9h 15m
✈️ Melbourne (MEL)	China Airlines	~9h 10m
✈️ Brisbane (BNE)	China Airlines, EVA Air	~8h 40m
🔁 Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, Canberra	One-stop via Asia	Varies

Your options on Australian routes:

Airline	Code	Based	Alliance	Routes from Australia
🌸 China Airlines	CI	Taiwan	SkyTeam	Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
🟢 EVA Air	BR	Taiwan	Star Alliance	Brisbane

Your Flight Lands at 4am. Now What?

Here's the thing nobody mentions until you're standing in arrivals.

Every direct flight from Australia to Taiwan lands in the middle of the night.

Route	Departs	Arrives Taipei
Sydney → Taipei (CI52)	~22:10	~04:40
Brisbane → Taipei (BR316)	~22:15	~05:05
Melbourne → Taipei (CI58)	~21:50	~05:15

Which creates a specific problem.

The Airport MRT doesn't start running until around 6:00am.

So if you land at 4:40am, you clear immigration and customs at maybe 5:15, and then you wait with your luggage, after a red-eye.

And one more wrinkle: your hotel won't be ready. Check-in is typically 3:00pm.

Landing at 5am means roughly ten hours before your room is available.

Most hotels will hold your bags, and some offer paid early check-in if you arrange it in advance worth asking when you book rather than discovering it at reception at 6am.

This is why the 4am arrival deserves a plan rather than improvisation.

For a full breakdown of getting from Taoyuan to your accommodation, see the transport section above. ⤴

Time Difference Between Australia and Taiwan

This is Taiwan's quiet advantage for Australian travellers.

Taipei runs on UTC+8, year-round, with no daylight saving.

Your city	Taipei is…	During Australian daylight saving
Perth	Same time	Same time (WA has no DST)
Darwin	1.5 hours behind	1.5 hours behind (NT has no DST)
Brisbane	2 hours behind	2 hours behind (QLD has no DST)
Adelaide	1.5 hours behind	2.5 hours behind
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart	2 hours behind	3 hours behind

What this means in practice?

Almost no jet lag.

A two- or three-hour shift is the same as flying Sydney to Perth.

You will not lose two days at either end of your trip recovering, which is what a European or American holiday costs you.

⚠️ The catch is that the flight still lands at 4am Taipei time, which is 7am in Sydney during daylight saving.

You'll have been awake or half-asleep on a plane, so plan a gentle first day regardless of what the time zone says.

Best Time of Year for Australians to Visit Taiwan

Taiwan's seasons run opposite to nothing, it's in the northern hemisphere, so its summer is your winter.

That's the key planning fact.

Season	Months	Conditions	For Australians
Spring	Mar–May	Mild cherry blossoms Feb–Mar moderate rain	March and April are excellent.
Summer	Jun–Aug	Hot humid Typhoon risk builds	Overlaps Aussie winter Night markets at their best
🌀 Typhoon peak	Jun–Sep	Highest storm risk	Manageable with buffer days and flexible bookings
Autumn	Oct–Nov	Hot Typhoon risk drops away	Best hiking and sightseeing weather in Nov
Winter	Dec–Feb	North cool and damp South warm and dry No typhoons	Escape the Aussie summer heat

The short version: November, March and April are widely considered the best months.

Clear skies, comfortable temperatures, and typhoon season either finished or not yet started.

A typhoon day can mean the MRT stops, shops close, and the government cancels work and school.

But storms are forecast days ahead, and the country is well set up for them.

If you're travelling in the peak window:

1. Build a buffer day or two into your itinerary
2. Book accommodation with free cancellation
3. Buy travel insurance that actually covers weather disruption
4. Check the Central Weather Administration in the week before you fly

Dates to avoid:

Window	What happens
Lunar New Year	The big one. Avoid if you can
Tomb Sweeping	Domestic travel surge, some closures
Mid-Autumn	Domestic travel peak
School summer holidays	Peak heat, peak crowds, peak prices

Two things to check before you book:

1. Dates shift every year. Everything except the school holidays follows the lunar calendar. 
2. Taiwan sometimes adjusts working days around holidays. The government publishes an official calendar each year that shifts days off and, in some years, adds make-up working Saturdays. 

Can I drive in Taiwan on an Australian licence?

You need an International Driving Permit (IDP) as well and you must get it in Australia before you leave.

But before the paperwork, the thing that matters more:

⚠️ Taiwan drives on the right.

You'll be on the opposite side of the road, in a left-hand-drive car, with the gearstick in your other hand and the indicator and wiper stalks reversed.

Every Australian who has driven in Taiwan has flicked the wipers on at least once while trying to indicate.

What Australians find hardest

	Why
Scooters, everywhere	Hundreds of them, filtering on both sides, appearing in blind spots. Nothing in Australia prepares you for the density
Pedestrian crossings	Vehicles don't always yield the way they do at home
Mountain roads	Narrow, steep, blind hairpins, and landslide risk after rain
Parking	Limited and expensive in cities
Right-side driving	Highest risk in the first hours, at roundabouts, and when turning across traffic

The middle option:

You don't have to choose between "drive yourself" and "public transport only."

A private charter with a driver (tripool) covers the same rural routes that make driving attractive — Taroko, the east coast, mountain roads — without you handling an unfamiliar car on the wrong side of the road on day one of your holiday.

It also means someone else deals with the parking.

Sample Taiwan Itineraries for Australian Travellers

Both itineraries below are built around a fact specific to Australian to Taiwan flights: you land between 4:00 and 5:00am, and your hotel won't let you check in until around 3:00pm.

Itinerary 1 Five Days: Taipei and the North

Best for first-timers, long weekends stretched with a day of leave, and anyone who'd rather see one place properly than four places briefly.

Day 1. Arrival

04:40    Land at Taoyuan
05:15    Through immigration (use the e-Gate)
05:30    Transfer to your hotel. The Airport MRT isn't running yet
06:30    Drop bags at the hotel. Reception will hold them
07:00    Breakfast at a traditional breakfast shop. Taiwan's best meal, and it's happening right now while you're awake anyway
09:00    Beitou hot springs. Warm water, low effort, opens early. The single best thing to do on no sleep
12:00    Lunch, then back to the hotel area
15:00    Check in. Sleep for two hours. Don't fight it
18:00    Shilin or Raohe Night Market
21:00    Early night

💡 Why Beitou: it's 30 minutes from central Taipei on the MRT, requires nothing of you, and hot water is the correct response to a red-eye.

Don't schedule the National Palace Museum for a day when you've had three hours of aeroplane sleep.

🚗 tripool tip: book a one-way airport transfer for this morning specifically.

At 5:30am with luggage, this is the difference between starting your holiday and waiting in a terminal for the MRT to open.

Day 2. Taipei Core

Morning    Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, then Longshan Temple, Taipei's oldest and busiest
Lunch    Din Tai Fung, or a beef noodle shop near Yongkang Street
Afternoon    Taipei 101 observatory, or the National Palace Museum if it's raining
Evening    Elephant Mountain at sunset for the 101 view. Twenty-minute climb, steep, worth it
Night    Tonghua or Ningxia Night Market

Day 3. Jiufen, Shifen and the Northeast Coast

This is the day everyone comes for, and the day public transport handles worst.

Independent route: TRA train to Ruifang (~50 min), bus or taxi up to Jiufen, back to Ruifang, Pingxi Line to Shifen. 

Charter route: Yehliu Geopark → Shifen (sky lanterns) → Jiufen for sunset → back to Taipei.

One vehicle, no transfers, no timetables.

🚗 tripool tip: an 8-hour private charter covers all three stops.

Worth knowing what it is and isn't: it's a driver and vehicle for a set number of hours, with no tour guide and no itinerary planning included.

You decide the stops; the driver gets you between them.

Decide your route the night before.

⚠️ Jiufen is mobbed on weekends and often fogged in.

Go on a weekday if you can, and check the forecast.

In heavy rain, swap this day for Beitou, the Palace Museum and Dadaocheng.

Day 4. Slower Taipei

Morning    Dadaocheng — Dihua Street's old shophouses, tea merchants, dried goods
Midday    Coffee in Zhongshan, or the Huashan 1914 Creative Park
Afternoon    Ximending for shopping, or Maokong Gondola for tea houses above the city
Evening    A proper sit-down dinner. You've earned it

Day 5. Departure
    
Morning    Check out, leave bags at the hotel
Day    Last-minute shopping, a final bowl of beef noodles, a museum you missed
Evening    Airport transfer, three hours before your flight

🚗 tripool tip: a return trip means a second, separate booking, the service is one-way each time.

Book both when you're planning, not on the day.

Itinerary 2 Seven Days: Taipei, Taichung and the South

Best for repeat visitors, or first-timers who want more than the capital.

Uses High Speed Rail for the long hops and keeps the pace human.

⚠️ The most common mistake in one-week Taiwan plans is stacking Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Taroko, Jiufen, Tainan and Kaohsiung as though Taiwan were a theme park map.

This route deliberately skips the east coast — Taroko access remains affected by earthquake damage, and adding Hualien turns a week into a luggage relay. Save it for next time.

Days 1–3. As above

Arrival day, Taipei core, and the Jiufen day trip.

Same structure, same 4am logic.

Day 4. Taipei → Taichung → Sun Moon Lake

08:00    Check out. HSR Taipei → Taichung, about 1 hour, roughly NT$700
09:30    ⚠️ Taichung HSR station is well outside the city centre. Factor in the connection
10:00    Rainbow Village or Miyahara (ice cream in a converted 1920s eye clinic)
13:00    Lunch, then on to Sun Moon Lake
16:00    Lakeside — Wenwu Temple, the boat, or just the view
19:00    Overnight at the lake

🚗 tripool tip: Taichung HSR station → Sun Moon Lake is where public transport gets awkward.

Buses run to fixed timetables and the connection eats your afternoon.

A one-way private transfer covers it directly.

Or take an 8-hour charter from Taichung HSR that includes Rainbow Village and the lake in one run.

Day 5. Sun Moon Lake → Alishan

Today you climb from 750m to 2,200m.

Early    Sunrise over the lake, or the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway
10:00    Depart for Alishan
14:00    Arrive, check in, acclimatise. It is noticeably colder up here
15:00    Sacred Tree (Shenmu) Line or Zhaoping Line — 6–7 minute branch trains, NT$100 each, no booking needed
16:00    Walk the giant cypress trail. Some of these trees are over 2,000 years old
16:30    ⚠️ Check tomorrow's sunrise train departure time. It's announced at 4:30pm daily at the station and online — it changes with the sunrise
17:00    Buy your Zhushan sunrise train ticket (sold at Alishan Station 1:30–4:30pm)
18:00    Dinner. Early night — you're getting up at 4am

⚠️ Getting there is the hard part.

Direct buses run between Sun Moon Lake and Alishan, but services are limited and timetables change seasonally.

Verify current schedules well ahead, or arrange a private transfer.

🚗 tripool tip: this is the single strongest case for a one-way private transfer in the whole itinerary.

Mountain roads, limited bus frequency, luggage, and a fixed check-in time. Miss the bus here and your day is gone.

Day 6. Alishan Sunrise, then the Forest Railway Down

04:00    Up. It is cold and dark. Wear everything you brought
04:30    Zhushan Sunrise Train — 25 minutes, NT$150, climbing to 2,451m
05:00    Sunrise over the sea of clouds. This is what you came for
07:00    Back down, breakfast, back to bed for an hour if you need it
10:00    Check out
11:00    Alishan Forest Railway, downhill to Chiayi — a 113-year-old narrow-gauge line through 50 tunnels and 77 bridges, descending 2,200m
16:00    Arrive Chiayi. HSR Chiayi → Taipei
18:00    Back in Taipei

💡 The railway is the point, not the transport.

The main line from Chiayi reopened in July 2024 after fifteen years of typhoon repairs.

It's one of only a handful of surviving mountain railways of its kind anywhere.

If you only ride it one way, ride it downhill — you'll have already made the climb by road.

⚠️ Booking the forest railway: online booking opens 14 days ahead, daily 06:00–24:00, and payment must be completed immediately after booking (a rule change from 2 March 2026).

Cherry blossom season, late February to March, sells out fast — book the moment the window opens or take the bus instead.

Day 7. Taipei and Departure

Morning    Anything Taipei you missed — Dadaocheng, the Palace Museum, Beitou
Afternoon    Last shopping, final bowl of beef noodles
Evening    Airport transfer, three hours before your flight

🚗 tripool tip: a return trip means a second, separate booking — the service is one-way each time. Book both when you're planning.

⚠️ What Australians Get Wrong:

1. Two 4am starts in one trip. Your arrival day and your Alishan day. Build a slow afternoon into each.
2. Sunrise isn't guaranteed. Cloud and rain happen. The forest, the cypress trails and the railway are worth the trip regardless — treat the sunrise as a bonus rather than the whole reason.
3. Don't day-trip it from Taipei. Technically possible: leave at 6am, back near midnight. You'd miss the sunrise entirely, which is the main event. Stay the night.

Which One?

	5 days	7 days
Focus	Taipei and the north coast	Cities plus central mountains
Pace	Relaxed	Steady, two transit days
Highlight	Jiufen, night markets, Beitou	Alishan sunrise and the forest railway
Packing/unpacking	Once	Three times
Early starts	One (arrival)	Two (arrival, sunrise)
Best for	First trip, jet-lagged, travelling with kids	Nature over nightlife; you'll come back for the south

Our honest advice for a first trip: five days done properly beats seven days spent in transit.

Taiwan is close enough to Australia that coming back isn't a big ask and the south, Tainan and Kaohsiung, is a whole trip of its own.

Australia to Taiwan — Frequently Asked Questions

Is There an Australian Embassy in Taiwan?

No. Australia has no embassy in Taiwan, and it never has.

That's not an oversight.

Australia doesn't maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, so there's no embassy and no consulate.

What exists instead is the Australian Office in Taipei, a de facto embassy that does the same practical work under a different name.

If you're an Australian in Taiwan who needs help, this is who you call.

1. Address: The President International Tower, 27th–28th Floors, No. 9–11 Song Gao Road, Taipei 11073
2. Nearest MRT: Taipei City Hall Station
3. Email: australianoffice@australia.org.tw
4. Website: australia.org.tw
5. Consular hours: Weekdays 8:45am–5:15pm, closed public holidays

Do Australians need a visa for Taiwan?

No, not for a holiday.

Australian passport holders get visa-exempt entry for up to 90 days, provided your passport is valid for 6+ months and you have an onward ticket.

You do need to submit the free Taiwan Arrival Card online before you fly.

Do I need a Chinese visa to visit Taiwan?

No.

Taiwan runs its own immigration system, entirely separate from China.

Nothing from a Chinese consulate is required.

What power adapter do I need?

Taiwan uses 110V, 60Hz, with Type A and B plugs.

Australia runs 230V with Type I.

You need an adapter, and you should check your device's label.

If it doesn't say 100–240V, it won't work safely.

Hair straighteners and shavers are the usual casualties.

Can I use my Australian card in Taiwan?

In cities, mostly yes: hotels, malls, chain restaurants and convenience stores.

But night markets, small family-run eateries and some taxis are cash only, and those tend to be the places worth going.

Carry both.

Is tipping expected?

No.

Tipping isn't customary in Taiwan.

Sit-down restaurants often add a 10% service charge, and taxi drivers will return your change.

Is the tap water safe to drink?

Taiwan's treated municipal water meets high standards.

Taipei Water Department tests well beyond the national requirement.

The variable is building plumbing and rooftop storage tanks, especially in older buildings, which is why most locals still boil or filter.

Practical answer: fine for brushing teeth and cooking.

For drinking, use the free filtered water dispensers found everywhere, or buy bottled.

Ice at established venues is commercially produced and not a concern.

Is English widely spoken?

In tourist areas, MRT stations and larger hotels, yes.

Signage is bilingual and easy to follow.

In small restaurants, local pharmacies and taxis, less so.

A translation app and your hotel address written in Chinese will cover almost everything.

Do I need an International Driving Permit?

Yes, and you must get it in Australia before you leave, from the AAA or your state motoring club.

Remember that Taiwan drives on the right.

Is there Uber in Taiwan?

Yes, operating in the diversified taxi category, mainly in cities.

But app-hailed vehicles collect passengers at Taoyuan Airport with higher price.

Use the official taxi rank or a pre-booked licensed transfer instead.

Can I get an eSIM before I fly?

Yes, and it's the easiest option.

Activate it on landing.

Alternatively, buy a local SIM at the airport arrivals hall.

Is Taiwan good for vegetarians?

Very.

Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are common and clearly marked, and convenience stores carry vegetarian options.

How long is the flight from Australia?

About 8h 50m to 9h 30m non-stop from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne.

Perth, Adelaide and Darwin connect via Asia.

Will I get jet lag?

Barely.

Taipei is 2 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne (3 during daylight saving), 2 behind Brisbane, and exactly the same time as Perth.

When's the best time to go?

November, March and April.

Clear, dry, comfortable, and outside both typhoon season and the major holiday periods.

Is Taiwan safe?

Smartraveller's advice level for Taiwan is "exercise normal safety precautions", its lowest tier.

Crime is low.

The real risks are natural: typhoons from roughly June to October, and earthquakes.

How do I book a private transfer with tripool, and what do I get?

tripool is a Taiwan-government-licensed travel agency running pre-booked private transfers and charters.

The short version: you book online, the price is fixed at the time of booking, and a driver meets you at an agreed spot.

What you're getting:

1. Registered and licensed with the Taiwanese government
2. Price fixed at booking. No meter, no surge
3. Free cancellation Until 6:00am Taiwan time the day before travel
4. Short notice OK. Bookings accepted up to 2 hours before pickup

Three plans:

1. One-way transfer: Point A to point B. Airport to hotel, or hotel straight to a destination
2. Return transfer: Both legs locked in at once. Works out around 5% less than booking two separate one-way trips
3. Hourly charter: Multiple stops. Booked in 2-hour blocks, and you can add stops or change the order as you go

On the hourly charter, the app has a translated messaging function, so you can talk to your driver directly and adjust the plan on the day if the weather turns or you simply change your mind.

⚠️ What a charter is not: it's a driver and vehicle for the hours you book. No tour guide, no itinerary planning. Decide where you want to go beforehand.

How the booking works:

1. Enter your pickup point and final destination in the app or on the website
2. Choose date, time and number of passengers. For hourly charters, add your stops
3. Pay by credit card
4. Booking confirmation arrives by email
5. Download the app before you fly, so meeting your driver is straightforward
6. 8:00pm Taiwan time the day before, your driver's details arrive by email and in the app
7. From 30 minutes before pickup, track your driver's location live in the app
8. Confirm the exact pickup spot via app message, and you're away

💡 Referral code: download the app and book with code tripoolblog for a discount.

The app also handles live tracking, translated messaging, schedule management and repeat bookings, which is worth having if you're booking more than one leg.