🇹🇼 Taiwan

Taiwan First Timer Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go 🇵🇭🇹🇼

First time sa Taiwan? This guide covers everything — visa rules, transport cards, best time to visit, day tours, and free planning templates.

Ian Calimbahin

25 Apr 2026 • 7 min read

Planning your first Taiwan trip? This guide covers everything you need to prepare — from travel requirements and best time to visit, to transport cards, navigation apps, and day tours. Ganito lang 'yan! 😉🇹🇼

1. Travel Requirements 📋

The good news: Taiwan is one of the easiest countries to visit as a Filipino. Konti lang ang kailangan mong i-prepare.

✅ Valid Passport

Your passport is your most important document. No special endorsements needed — just make sure it's valid for at least 6 months.

✅ Visa-Free Entry (Until July 31, 2026)

🎉 Philippine passport holders are currently visa-free for Taiwan until July 31, 2026. If your trip falls after that date, it's worth monitoring for an extension announcement — nothing confirmed yet, but an extension is widely expected.

✅ eTravel (Philippine Immigration)

Before leaving the Philippines, you need to fill out your eTravel form — this is your official document for Philippine Immigration when departing and returning. Fill it out within 72 hours before your flight. After submission, save a copy of the QR code (screenshots are ok!).

✅ Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) 🆓

Taiwan has its own equivalent of eTravel: the Taiwan Online Arrival Card (TWAC). This is filled out online and submitted within 3 days before your arrival. It is the official document for Taiwan Immigration on entry.

⚠️ Important: Both eTravel and TWAC are completely free. If any website asks you to pay — credit card, debit card, GCash, Maya — that is a scam. Only use the official TWAC site: twac.immigration.gov.tw

One more thing: every traveler in your group needs to submit their own TWAC — but you can do a group submission in one go for families traveling together. Read the full scam warning here: Fake Taiwan Arrival Card Websites Are Scamming Travelers in 2026

2. Best Time to Visit Taiwan 🗓️

Taiwan has four distinct seasons — summer, autumn, winter, and spring — so the best time to visit really depends on your temperature preference.

Personally, December to February is the sweet spot 🥶 — the coolest months, lower humidity, and some of the driest weather of the year. June and July are best avoided if possible — peak heat, peak humidity, and the rainiest stretch of the year.

Check out this detailed month on month weather forecast:

3. Booking Your Flight ✈️

Coming from the Philippines, there are two main airports in Taiwan depending on where you're headed:

🛬 Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) — Located in northern Taiwan, this is your gateway to Taipei and the surrounding region. Most flights from the Philippines land here.
🛬 Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH) — Located in southern Taiwan, this serves Kaohsiung and the south.

⚠️ These two airports are very far apart — one is in the north, the other in the south. Know your destination city before booking to make sure you're landing at the right airport. Most first timers enter via TPE.

4. Where to Stay in Taipei 🏨

Two areas dominate for first-time Taipei visitors — and both are great for different reasons:

🏙️ Ximending — The livelier, more energetic option. Night markets, shopping streets, tons of food options, and a young, buzzing atmosphere. Hotels here range from budget to premium, so there's something for every price point.

🚉 Taipei Main Station area — Slightly calmer, but strategically positioned. You're right next to the Airport MRT (the fastest way in from Taoyuan Airport) and close to the pickup points for most Klook day tours. A strong choice for logistics-first travelers.

🏷️ Travel Discount Codes

Planning to book hotels or activities for your Alishan trip? Use these exclusive discount codes before you check out — tap the buttons below to open the app directly and save the code to your account automatically.

✅ Agoda Hotels Up to 10% off hotel bookings `HEYIANCHOTEL`	Claim Code →
✅ Agoda Activities Up to 5% off activities `HEYIANC`	Claim Code →
✅ Klook Up to 5% off hotels, insurance & activities `HEYIANCKLOOK`	Claim Code →

⚠️ Codes are limited use only. Tap the buttons above to open the app and save your code before booking.

5. Getting Around Taipei: Transport Cards 🚆

Taiwan's public transport is excellent — both trains and buses are efficient, punctual, and easy to navigate. The key is getting the right transport card for your trip style.

✅ EasyCard

Think of it as Taiwan's beep card. Reloadable, pay-per-use — tap in, tap out, and the fare is deducted from your balance. It works on:

🚇 MRT trains across all of Taiwan (not just Taipei)
🚌 Buses
🍽️ 7-Eleven, convenience stores, and even some restaurants

Reload at any MRT station or 7-Eleven. This is the most versatile option and works whether you're in Taipei, Kaohsiung, or anywhere in between. → Get your EasyCard on Klook

✅ Unlimited MRT Pass

A time-based pass covering unlimited MRT rides only — no buses included, and not reloadable once it expires. Available in 24, 48, and 72-hour variants. Best if your day involves a lot of MRT rides but you don't need bus coverage. → Get the Unlimited MRT Pass

✅ Taipei Fun Pass Unlimited

The all-in-one tourist card — and the best value for first-timers planning to hit multiple paid attractions. Covers:

✅ Unlimited Taipei MRT
✅ Unlimited Taipei city buses (3-digit route numbers)
✅ Tourist shuttle buses
✅ Entrance fees to famous tourist attractions and experiences

If you're planning to visit places like Taipei 101 Observatory, Shifen Sky Lantern Experience, and more — this pass often pays for itself in a single day. → Get the Taipei Fun Pass Unlimited

✅ Taipei Fun Pass Transportation

Same unlimited transport coverage as the green version (MRT + city buses + tourist shuttles) but without the attraction entrance fees. A good middle ground if you mostly need the rides. → Get the Taipei Transport Fun Pass

⚠️ Important: None of the above cards cover the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR). The THSR is a separate ticketing system — think of it as Taiwan's bullet train. Book THSR tickets separately on Klook → Taiwan HSR Tickets

6. Getting from Taoyuan Airport to the City 🚌

Once you land at Taoyuan International Airport, here are your main options for getting into Taipei city center:

🚇 Airport MRT — Fastest option. Drops you at Taipei Main Station in about 35 minutes. Runs from 5:30 a.m. to midnight.
🚌 Kuo-Kuang Bus 1819 — Runs 24 hours, affordable, and goes directly to Taipei Main Station. Best for red eye or early morning arrivals when the MRT isn't running yet. Check other bus options on Google Maps depending on your hotel location.
🚐 Private Airport Transfer — Best for groups, families with kids or seniors, or very late arrivals. Door-to-door, no transfers, no stress.

Google Maps is all you need. It handles MRT routes, bus numbers, walking directions, and travel time estimates with impressive accuracy across Taiwan. Just type in your destination and it'll figure out the best route from wherever you are.

A few other apps worth having:

🚗 Uber — Works in Taipei. Set it up and add your payment card before you leave the Philippines — the app may ask for an OTP during setup when linking your credit card.
🚗 Bolt — Similar to Uber, available in Taiwan. Good as a backup option.
❌ Grab is not available in Taiwan. Don't rely on it.

8. Day Tours 🗺️

Taiwan is very DIY-friendly — trains are efficient, Google Maps is reliable, and most tourist spots are easy to reach independently. But for first-timers, especially those traveling with kids or elderly companions, or heading to destinations that involve long multi-stop routes, a booked day tour can genuinely be the better call.

The advantage of Klook day tours: you get on a tour bus, get dropped off at the destinations, and get returned to your pickup point — typically Taipei Main Station or Ximending.

One highly recommended option is the North Coast Day Tour — covering Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Shifen, and more in a single day. → Book the North Coast Day Tour on Klook

9. Tourist Spots and Itineraries 📍

Taiwan has an enormous amount to see and do — far more than one post can cover. Dedicated guides for individual tourist spots, sample itineraries, and destination-specific cheatsheets are all available here in our Taiwan 2026 Guide.

10. Plan Your Trip Properly 📊

The final step — and the one most people skip — is putting everything together in one organized file. Itinerary, budget, bookings, transport, accommodation — all of it.

A free All-in-One Travel Budget & Itinerary Planner is available to download at no cost. It covers day-by-day itinerary planning, budget tracking, and includes all the booking links with instructions for claiming promo codes.

Hope this helps! More travels soon!