Taiwan from India: TAC, visa, Taroko Gorge and night markets
Plan Taiwan from India: the free TAC or TECC visa, flights, Taipei, Jiufen, Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, vegetarian food, best months and costs.
By the Agrima Holidays Team · Updated October 2026 · 3 min read
Why Taiwan
Taiwan packs a lot into a small island: a modern capital with some of the best street food in Asia, marble gorges on the east coast, tea hills, hot springs and a high-speed train linking it all. The island is safe, clean and easy to navigate, and few Indian travellers have been yet. For vegetarians, Taiwan is one of the easiest countries in East Asia, thanks to its Buddhist food tradition.
Visa for Indians
Indian travellers need prior permission to enter Taiwan.
- If you hold a valid visa or residence permit from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea or a Schengen country, apply for the free online Travel Authorization Certificate (TAC). Approval comes within minutes and allows stays of up to 14 days
- Everyone else applies for a visitor visa at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in New Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai. The single-entry fee is about ₹4,200 and processing takes two to five working days
From 1 October 2026, every visitor also completes the online Taiwan Arrival Card within three days before arrival. Rules checked in October 2026.
Getting there
Flights from India to Taipei connect once, usually in Bangkok, Hong Kong or Singapore. The total journey takes seven to ten hours from Delhi or Mumbai. Taoyuan airport links to central Taipei by an express metro in about 40 minutes.
Taipei
- Taipei 101 and its observation deck
- The National Palace Museum, with one of the largest collections of Chinese art
- Longshan Temple and the old Wanhua district
- Shilin, Raohe and Ningxia night markets
- Elephant Mountain for the sunset view
- Beitou hot springs, 30 minutes by metro
Day trips go to Jiufen, the hill town of lanterns and teahouses, and to Shifen, where visitors release sky lanterns over the railway line. Plan three to four nights.
Taroko Gorge
Taroko National Park on the east coast has marble cliffs, river gorges and trails cut into the rock. The Hualien train from Taipei takes about two hours. Parts of the park closed after the April 2024 earthquake and reopen in stages. We check open trails before every trip and plan around closures.
Sun Moon Lake and Alishan
Sun Moon Lake in the central hills offers boat rides, a cycle path round the shore and the Ita Thao village of the Thao people. Alishan, higher up, is known for sunrise over a sea of clouds, old cypress forest and tea plantations. Each needs one or two nights.
Vegetarian food
Taiwan has thousands of vegetarian restaurants, many Buddhist, with no meat, fish, egg, onion or garlic. Look for the 素 sign. Convenience stores label vegetarian items, and night markets sell scallion pancakes, corn, sweet potato balls and bubble tea. Jain travellers manage well with Buddhist vegetarian places.
When to go
- October to December: clear and mild, the best months for Taroko
- January to March: cool, blossoms in the hills, the lantern festival
- April: pleasant before the plum rains
- May to June: the plum rain season
- July to September: hot, with typhoon risk
How many nights
- 4 nights: Taipei with Jiufen and Shifen
- 5 nights: add Taroko or Sun Moon Lake
- 7 nights: round the island by train and car
What our trips cost
Our Taiwan packages start from about ₹51,000 per person for four nights in Taipei and run to about ₹81,000 for a seven-night round-island trip, on twin sharing, without airfare. Return flights usually add ₹30,000 to ₹45,000.
Practical tips
- The New Taiwan dollar is the currency. Get an EasyCard for metro, buses and convenience stores
- Trains and stations have English signs
- Tipping is not expected
- Plugs are the same two flat pins as the US. Carry an adapter
Share your dates and we send a plan within 24 hours on working days.
