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Region

Penghu

Go May–June or September; base in Magong and day-trip the islands — winter wind cancels boats.

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Key facts · Taiwan

Best months
Apr–May
Visa
Depends on your passport
Currency
New Taiwan dollar (TWD, NT$)
Language
Mandarin
Plugs
A · B · 110 V
Time zone
UTC+8 all year
Month by month hereIn detail ↓
Rules in force · 5
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • Taiwan ↗Check visa-exemption length, passport validity and the online arrival card (TWAC) on the official sites before you fly.
  • Taiwan ↗An EasyCard (or iPASS) covers MRT, buses, local trains and many convenience-store purchases; buy one at the airport or a station.
  • Taiwan ↗When a local government declares a typhoon day, transport and sights can close for the day; follow the official notice, not the forecast alone.

Penghu is about 90 islands in the Taiwan Strait, and only four of them are joined by road. Magong is the ferry port, the airport bus and the food; Baisha and Xiyu are the bridge-linked countryside; Cimei and Wang'an are separate boat rides south. Two or three nights is the honest minimum — one night means you see the airport twice and nothing else.

Where to sleep

5 places in this region

Sleep base

  • MagongCity guide

    Ferry terminal, airport bus, Tianhou Temple, most beds and food.

    Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct

    Open Magong →

Day trip

  • BaishaCity guide

    Bridge-linked north; Jibei boats and the beaches.

    Best May–Jun, Oct

    Open Baisha →

  • HuxiCity guide

    East side of the main island; Aimen and Lintou.

    Best May–Jun, Sep

    Open Huxi →

  • CimeiCity guide

    Southern islet, 90 min by boat; worth a night, not a rushed return.

    Best May–Jun, Sep

    Open Cimei →

  • JibeiCity guide

    North islet; the sandbar and the watersports crowd.

    Best May–Jun, Sep

    Open Jibei →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

2 nights
Magong 2 nights; one full day on the bridge-linked islands (Baisha + Xiyu)
3 nights
Magong 2 + Cimei 1, or Magong 3 with a Jibei boat day
4 nights
Magong 2 + Cimei 1 + Wang'an or a second Magong night for the south-sea boats
  • October to February the wind is the trip: boats to Cimei and Wang'an are cancelled often, and scooters on exposed bridges are genuinely hard work.
  • Typhoons July–September delay or cancel flights; keep a buffer day before an international connection.
  • Beach bottoms drop off fast and there are tidal currents between islands — swim where locals swim.

Day-trips door to door

ToFromDoor-to-door p50Last returnNote
Baisha and JibeiMagong40 mincheckBridge to Baisha; Jibei is a short boat from the north coast. Boat times change with the season.
XiyuMagong45 mincheckCross the long bridge; Erkan's coral courtyard houses and the old stone weirs.
CimeiMagong90 mincheckBoat from the South Sea terminal; one boat a day in the low season, and wind cancels it.
South Penghu Marine National ParkMagong60 mincheckTour boat or charter only; the best snorkelling in the archipelago.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding worth planning here; you carry bags on and off the boats yourself.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
CountryJFMAMJJASOND
Magong
Baisha
Huxi
Cimei
Jibei
Taiwan (country-wide)
Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month
ZoneJFMAMJJASOND
Penghu main islandsMagong, Huxi, Baisha, Xiyuwindwindokbestbesthothothotokwindwindwind
best: dry, mildok: workablehot: short walking windows
Penghu main islands
April–September is hot and humid, usually above 30 °C (86 °F), and is the high season. October–February is the windy low season. March–April and September are the sweet spots: warm water, working boats, thinner crowds.

Penghu's summer is also Taiwan's school-holiday peak — beds in Magong fill weeks ahead for July and August weekends.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate
FromToHowp50Note
Taipei (Songshan)Magong AirportDomestic flight, about 50 min~50 min in the airUni Air and Mandarin Airlines fly the route frequently; book early for summer weekends.
KaohsiungMagongFlight about 40 min, or ferry about 5 h~40 min air / ~5 h seaThe ferry runs year-round but is far more frequent in summer; winter sailings are often cancelled.
Chiayi (Budai)Magong HarbourFerry, summer only~90 minRuns until about mid-October. Budai terminal is awkward to reach by public transport.
KinmenMagongDomestic flightcheckUseful if you are island-hopping the strait.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Airport bus into Magong

buy

Cheapest way in; the stop is at the corner of the airport building with a timetable posted.

Taxi from Magong Airport

check

Meters are not used — agree the fare before you get in. Many B&Bs offer free pick-up; ask.

Scooter rental

buy

The default way to see the bridge-linked islands; bring an IDP with a Chinese translation.

South-sea boat day tour

check

Pays if you want Cimei or the marine park without chartering; compare operators at the South Sea terminal.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works
DishWhereTiming / trap
Xiaoguan (small squid)Magong and the fishing villagesThe affordable local seafood order — in soup, noodles, fried or grilled. Not the imported squid-on-a-stick.
Turban snails and sea mushroomsMagong seafood restaurantsLocal specialities and priced accordingly; ask the price before ordering.
Prickly-pear cactus sorbetMagong, Wang'anThe red-purple fruit grows on the wind-scoured slopes; sold all over Magong.
Brown sugar cake (he tang gao)The alley below the old well, MagongBoxed to carry; several shops sell the same thing, so buy on your last morning.
Grass jelly shaved iceMagong old streetThe standard cool-down between temple stops.

Go next

Taipei

Flight about 50 min from Magong

Most Penghu trips start and end here.

Kaohsiung

Flight about 40 min, or the year-round ferry

The southern gateway; pair with Tainan.

Tainan

Flight from Tainan, or ferry via Chiayi plus rail

Old capital food and temples, two to three nights.

Taichung

Flight about 45 min

Useful if you are working north through central Taiwan.

Kinmen

planned

Domestic flight

Planned. The other strait island county; different history, different food.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep
1 base
Day trips
4, 40 min to 1 h 30
Nights suggested
2–4 nights
Ways in
4 listed
Best months
Apr, May

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

Ask about Penghu

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