Taitung County

A county of mountains and sea in southeastern Taiwan, with two offshore islands, Green Island and Orchid Island, and slow-travel experiences such as hot-air ballooning in the valley.

Taitung County is in southeastern Taiwan, backed by the Central Mountain Range and facing the Pacific, with a long, narrow coastline; the southern section of the East Rift Valley runs through it, and Indigenous culture is rich. Popular destinations include Sanxiantai on the east coast, the rice fields of Chishang and Luye Highland in the valley (which hosts a hot-air balloon festival in summer), and Zhiben Hot Springs, as well as the undersea hot spring and snorkeling of Green Island and the Tao (Yami) culture and flying fish season of Orchid Island. Autumn through spring has pleasant weather; summer suits offshore-island activities, but you should watch for typhoons. The gateways are Taitung Airport and TRA Taitung Station, and Green Island and Orchid Island are reached by ferry and small aircraft.

Destinations

• Orchid Island (Lanyu)
• Taitung & Green Island

Itineraries

• Lanyu and Green Island Hopping – Set sail from Taitung, staying on Lanyu to see Tao settlements, then transferring to Green Island for snorkeling and sa…
• Classic Taiwan Rail Loop – Connect Taipei, Jiufen, Hualien, Taitung, Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Sun Moon Lake using TRA and THSR trains.
• In-Depth Taiwan Island Self-Drive Loop – Drive clockwise around the island, connecting the North Coast, Suhua, East Rift Valley, Hengchun Peninsula, and Alishan.
• East Rift Valley and Coastal Highway Loop – Travel from Hualien to Taitung, heading south along the Coastal Highway, exploring Rift Valley rice fields, and crossin…