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⚠️ Seasonal Warning · Lunar New Year 2026 · Feb 17-23

Taiwan During Lunar New Year
Why to Avoid (And When It's OK)

Lunar New Year is the year's biggest spike in prices, closures, and transport chaos. First-time visitors should pick almost any other week — but if you plan it right, you can catch a cultural moment you won't find anywhere else.

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วัดหลงซานในตรุษจีน — แออัด
วัดในตรุษจีน = แออัด 5-10 เท่า
Quick answer

The honest bottom line

🚫 Not recommended for first-timers

Lunar New Year 2026 = Feb 17-23 (Year of the Snake)
First visit to Taiwan? Pick a different week.

Lunar New Year is Taiwan's "reverse Black Friday" — everything tourists want to do (street food, night markets, temple visits, outer islands, HSR rides) becomes harder, costlier, or impossible. Hotels surge 50-100%, restaurants close for 3-5 days, and crowds peak.

✖Most restaurants closed 3-5 days around Feb 17
✖Hotels +50-100% 4-star Taipei NT$3,000 → NT$6,000
✖HSR fully booked 30 days in advance
✖Ferries canceled Penghu, Green Island
✖Night markets quiet first 2-3 evenings
✖Temple queues Longshan, Bao'an 1-2 hrs
Before you go

What's closed vs open

The closures and openings that matter most to travelers, Feb 17-21, 2026

🚫

Closed 3-5 days

  • ✖Most restaurants — families eat at home for 團圓 reunion meals. Neighborhood spots close up to 5 days.
  • ✖Night markets — Shilin, Raohe, Ningxia partly open first 2-3 days; many famous stalls closed longer.
  • ✖Government offices, post, banks — closed Feb 17-22. ATMs work but some run dry.
  • ✖Small museums & neighborhood shops — lantern shops in Pingxi, pastry shops in Jiufen.
  • ✖Outer-island ferries — Penghu, Green Island, Orchid Island reduce or suspend service.
✅

Open (but packed)

  • ✓Temples — Longshan, Bao'an at peak energy. 1-2 hour queues days 1-3.
  • ✓International-brand hotels — Hyatt, Sheraton, W, Marriott all open (prices spike).
  • ✓Mall food courts — Taipei 101, Eslite Spectrum, Mitsukoshi run every day.
  • ✓National Palace Museum — open daily; perfect closed-restaurant-day backup.
  • ✓Ximending restaurants — your main eating fallback this week.
  • ✓7-Eleven, FamilyMart — 24/7, stock thins but never empty.
Price & transport surge

How much more everything costs

Real numbers comparing early February versus Lunar New Year week 2026

🏨

4-Star Taipei hotels

NT$3,000 → NT$6,000+

Mid-tier hotels like Caesar Park, citizenM, Hotel Cozzi raise rates 50-100% Feb 16-20. Book 3-6 months ahead to lock in. Many require non-refundable deposits.

🚄

HSR (Taipei-Kaohsiung)

Sold out +30 days

Locals all head home simultaneously — HSR and TRA sell out within an hour of opening (28 days in advance). Set a midnight alarm to grab seats if you need long-distance rail.

✈️

Domestic flights

+200-300%

Penghu, Nangan (Matsu), Kinmen tickets triple in price and sell out fast. Many ferry routes suspended. If outer islands are your goal, shift to March-April.

The upside

If you do come, what you get

Experiences you can't replicate at any other time of year

🏮

Lantern Festival (day 15)

The 15th day of the lunar 1st month — in 2026 this falls on March 3. Taipei Lantern Festival is huge. Pingxi sky-lantern releases hit their peak.

🛕

Mazu Pilgrimage begins

Taiwan's biggest religious procession — the 9-day Mazu pilgrimage from Dajia (Taichung) to Xingang (Chiayi) starts in early March-April. Over a million devotees walk together.

🏮

Authentic festival atmosphere

Red lanterns on every alley, mandarin 春聯 couplets on doorways, families in red — the kind of "unfiltered Chinese New Year" increasingly rare in mainland China.

Better windows

5 alternative weeks to choose instead

If your dates are still flexible, any of these beat Lunar New Year on every measure

1. Early January (1-15)

Recommended

Cool 14-19°C, lowest Q1 prices, all shops open as normal, ideal for Beitou hot springs. Just don't push past Jan 15 — that's when locals start booking travel home.

2. Mid-February (14-23)

Avoid

The worst possible week — covers the full Lunar New Year span. Peak hotel prices, peak closures, full transport. Trip will feel expensive and food-starved.

3. Late February (24-28)

Great

All shops reopen, hotel prices fall 50% overnight, cherry blossoms start, and you'll still catch the Lantern Festival on March 3. This is the patient traveler's reward.

4. Mid-March (10-25)

Best overall

After Lantern Festival the country settles. Cherry blossoms at peak on Yangmingshan. 16-23°C, normal prices, everything humming. First-timers should aim here.

5. April

Solid backup

19-26°C, everything open, mid prices, Mazu Pilgrimage to witness. Safe for first-time Asia travelers wary of rainy season.

If you've got some flex

When Lunar New Year travel can work

🌅
Land before Feb 16
If your only fixed dates fall in early-to-mid February, aim to land before Feb 15. Spend 5-6 days while everything's normal, then fly out before the 16th.
📅
Arrive after Feb 24
Touch down Feb 24-28 — prices have dropped, all shops are reopen, and you'll still catch the Taipei Lantern Festival on March 3 (bigger than Pingxi's, by the way).
🌅
Hit temples at sunrise
For Longshan Temple during Lunar New Year — show up before 7am on Feb 17 for far fewer crowds. Or go on the night of Feb 16 (NYE) for the midnight ceremony, an unforgettable scene.
🏨
Stay in tourist zones
Book hotels in Ximending, Taipei Main Station, or Xinyi where restaurants keep operating. Avoid residential neighborhoods like south Da'an where most shops close.
Prep checklist

If you're going anyway, prep these 5 things

💵
3-4 days of NT$ cash
Banks close Feb 17-22. Some ATMs run dry. Withdraw NT$15,000-20,000 before Feb 16. 7-Eleven ATMs work but charge higher fees.
🍽️
A list of guaranteed-open restaurants
Save spots inside Mitsukoshi Xinyi, Eslite Spectrum, Taipei 101 Mall, ATT 4 FUN, and Ximending. Mall food courts run daily. Din Tai Fung mall branches stay open.
📱
eSIM activated before arrival
Critical during Lunar New Year — plans change constantly. Set up your eSIM before boarding. Don't queue at the airport; lines can be brutal.
📝
A plan B for every day
Each day needs a backup restaurant and route. Don't lean on old blog itineraries — many spots won't be open this week.
🌈
Wear red, not white
White and black signal mourning. Wear red, orange, pink, yellow at temples — locals notice and photos look better against lanterns.
Plan next

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🌸

Cherry blossom spots compared

March-April alternative — top spots and bloom timing

Compare spots →
FAQ

Lunar New Year + Taiwan most-asked questions

When is Lunar New Year 2026 in Taiwan?
Lunar New Year 2026 (Year of the Snake) falls on February 17. Taiwan's official public holiday runs February 16-22, 2026. The practical impact on travelers stretches longer — roughly Feb 15-24 — because locals start traveling home early and small shops close for 3-5 days around the 17th.
Should first-time visitors come during Lunar New Year?
No — we recommend first-timers avoid February 16-23, 2026. Most restaurants you'd want to try are closed, night markets are quiet the first 2-3 days, hotels cost 50-100% more, and HSR/trains book out 30 days in advance. Either land before February 15 or arrive after February 24 for a much better trip.
Are temples open during Lunar New Year?
Yes — and busier than any other time of year. Longshan Temple and Bao'an Temple in Taipei can have 1-2 hour queues on days 1-3. If you want to visit, go before 7am or experience the New Year's Eve midnight opening on February 16, 2026 — a truly unique cultural moment.
Can I visit outer islands (Penghu, Green Island) during Lunar New Year?
Risky. Ferries to Penghu, Green Island and Orchid Island often reduce or cancel service for 3-5 days because crews go home and February seas are rough. Domestic flights to Penghu double or triple in price and sell out fast. If you want to visit outer islands, postpone to March or April.
If I must travel during Lunar New Year, what should I prepare?
Book hotels 3-6 months ahead to lock in rates. Book HSR and TRA train tickets the instant they open (28 days in advance). Carry enough NT$ cash because banks close. Plan to eat at mall food courts, hotel restaurants, and Ximending — these stay open. Build flexibility into every day, and expect heavy crowds at temples and major attractions.
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