Status

63 days to departure. Window: Mon 2 Nov – Fri 6 Nov 2026. Base: Finders Hotel Fu Qian, No. 86 Sec. 1 Chongqing S. Rd, Zhongzheng. MRT Red Line eastern extension opened Aug 30 as scheduled; fully fared by Nov 2.

Confirmed Events — Within Nov 2–6

NTCH ARTQUAKE In Autumn 2026

Nov 6 confirmed: Philippe Quesne / Vivarium Studio — first night of a Nov 6–8 run at the National Theater and Concert Hall. Tickets via npac-ntch.org. Nov 2–5 ARTQUAKE programming not yet publicly listed; check npac-ntch.org directly from September. Nov 6 is the final day of the trip: book this slot early.

ART TAIPEI 2026

TWTC Hall 1, Xinyi District. Runs Oct 30–Nov 2. Final public day: Nov 2, 11:00–18:00. 127 galleries confirmed. Tickets live on Accupass (event ID 2607080649073395119800). Children under 6 free on public days. Buy before departure. This is day one of the trip; plan accordingly — the fair closes at 18:00.

Taipei Art Week 2026

Oct 24–Nov 7. Third edition. Theme: "Velocity." Approximately 70 galleries across 8 districts, 8 programs. MOCA Taipei confirmed partner. Entire trip window falls inside the festival. Venue-level event listings for Nov 3–6 not yet posted; check September for specifics. Individual venue admission applies — no single pass.

New Exhibition — TFAM

Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time — Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Opens Oct 31, 2026. Closes Mar 14, 2027. Open for the full trip; Nov 2 is day 3 of its run. Individual admission. TFAM: No. 181 Zhongshan N. Road Sec. 3, Zhongshan; MRT Yuanshan (~10 min walk).

Note: "Surrealism: Worlds in Dialogue" closed Aug 30, 2026 — out of scope.

NT$8,000 Repeat Visitor Voucher — Action Required

Portal opens Oct 1, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Program name: "Return to Taiwan, Double Your Luck." Structure: weekly prize draw — not a guaranteed credit. For a Nov 2 arrival, registration deadline is Oct 26. Credits load onto 7-Eleven stored-value cards. Check taiwan.net.tw from Oct 1.

Transit

Airport MRT: NT$160 one-way to Taipei Main Station (35 min T1 / 38 min T2). EasyCard: ~20% MRT discount, NT$8 transfer rebate, deposit NT$100 refundable. Contactless credit card / NFC (Apple Pay, Google Pay): live on Taipei MRT from Jul 1, 2026 — no MRT discounts; use EasyCard for cost efficiency. Sanying Line (Light Blue): open Jun 30, 2026 — connects Yingge/Sanxia to Dingpu (Blue Line), useful if visiting Yingge ceramics.

Red Line eastern extension (Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, 捷運廣慈/豁然亭站): open Aug 30, 2026. Free-ride period ends Sep 28; fully fared by Nov 2. Serves Four Beasts Mountain eastern trailheads (Tiger, Leopard, Lion Hills) — quieter alternative entry to the ridge than Elephant Mountain.

Entry Requirements

TWAC (Travel Web Authorization Certificate): mandatory; digital only; submit at twac.immigration.gov.tw within 7 days of arrival; free. US/UK/EU/EEA: 90-day visa-free, unchanged.

Weather

22–25°C day / 16–18°C night. NE monsoon: ~15–17 rain days, 80–130mm/month. Persistent drizzle, not tropical downpours. Pack: waterproof jacket, layers, waterproof shoes. Outdoor sites (Taipei 101 Skyline 460, Elephant Mountain) subject to closure in high wind or rain — build flexible, weather-contingent scheduling.

Day Trips

  • Taipingshan beech (Yilan): Historical peak mid-Oct to mid-Nov. No 2026 Forestry Bureau forecast yet. Check tps.forest.gov.tw in early October. TRA to Luodong + Yilan Bus (~2 hr from Taipei). Nov 2–4 most likely to be viable if peak holds to historical window.
  • Jiufen + Houtong: Atmospheric in Nov (mist, autumn light, quiet on weekdays). Bus 1062 from Songshan or TRA to Ruifang.
  • Yangmingshan: Silver grass + fumaroles, Lengshuikeng pool (free). Bus 260.

Check in September

  • npac-ntch.org — full ARTQUAKE Nov schedule (Nov 2–5 slots)
  • Taipei Art Week — venue-level event listings for Nov 3–6
  • Legacy Taipei — Nov 2–6 concert listings typically posted Oct
  • tps.forest.gov.tw — Taipingshan beech foliage forecast (expected mid-Oct)
  • NPM — confirm no special closure Mon Nov 3 (ordinarily closed Mondays; Nov 2 is the Monday, so Nov 3 = Tue, open)

Closures and Dead Days

Mon 2 Nov — museum dead day: NTM main building, 土銀展示館, 228 Memorial Museum, Mitsui Warehouse, Railway Department Park all closed. NPM closed. Outdoor items all open: 228 Park, Beimen, 撫臺街洋樓, 中山堂, Camera Street, Hengyang Rd. ART TAIPEI runs 11:00–18:00 this day — use the morning for outdoor Zhongzheng sites, afternoon for the fair.

3 Nov is the first Tuesday of November — venues that close on 1st/3rd Tuesdays (e.g., 東一排骨 closes 1st/3rd Tue; closed 2 AND 3 Nov — open Wed 4 onward). 土銀/NTM opens Tue–Sun; 阜杭豆漿 closes Mon only.