Taiwan New Year's Day Sunrise Road Trip 2027: Best First-Sunrise Spots, Traffic Controls & When to Pick Up Your Rental Car

Taiwan New Year's Day Sunrise Road Trip 2027: Best First-Sunrise Spots, Traffic Controls & When to Pick Up Your Rental Car

Watching the first sunrise of the year (元旦曙光) is one of Taiwan's favourite New Year traditions: people count down on New Year's Eve, then head to the east coast, the southern tip of the island or a high mountain before dawn. The catch is timing. Sunrise on January 1 is around 6:30 am, you need to be in place before the sky starts to glow, and at that hour trains and buses are barely running — while the best viewpoints are on the remote east coast, the Hengchun Peninsula or up in the mountains. A rental car is what makes the trip work. This guide covers the 2026→2027 New Year only: the dates, which GoodCars branch to pick up from for Taimali, Sanxiantai, Longpan, Hehuanshan, Alishan and the Northeast Coast, how long each drive takes, the traffic controls and shuttle buses used in past years, and how to time your pickup for a pre-dawn start.

Sanxiantai's eight-arch bridge and islet — the classic east-coast sunrise view (Unsplash, location tagged Chenggong Township, Taitung)

New Year 2026→2027 in Taiwan: dates and what's a working day

Two things to know if you're visiting: December 31 falls on a Thursday and is a normal working day, and New Year's Day is a Friday, so Taiwan gets a natural 3-day weekend. The week before, Friday December 25 is Constitution Day (行憲紀念日), a public holiday that creates another 3-day weekend from December 25 to 27. Expect domestic travel demand — and rental cars — to be busy across both weekends.

Dates follow the official government office calendar published by Taiwan's Directorate-General of Personnel Administration. For all nine 2027 long weekends, see our 2027 holiday calendar (in Chinese) and long-weekend road trip ideas (in Chinese).

Where to watch the first sunrise: 7 spots, nearest branch and drive times

Decide where you'll start from, then pick a viewpoint. The drive times below were checked late at night with no traffic; on New Year's morning, add at least 30 minutes for traffic and finding a parking space. Chinese names are included so you can type them into your navigation app.

Drive times: Bing Maps driving directions checked on the evening of September 25, 2026, from each branch's official coordinates to the Taiwan Tourism Administration's coordinates for each attraction, showing the range of suggested routes. Freeway routes carry ETC tolls.

East coast: Taimali and Sanxiantai (pick up in Taitung or Hualien)

Taimali Sunrise Park — the easiest sunrise from Taitung Station

The Millennium Sunrise Memorial Park in Taimali (太麻里千禧曙光紀念園區) takes its name from the concert held on this beach to welcome the first sunrise of the year 2000. According to the Taiwan Tourism Administration, it's on the coast right in front of Taimali railway station, where Sunrise Avenue crosses Provincial Highway 9; it's open 24 hours and has parking and public toilets. It's about 35–50 minutes' drive from Taitung Station.

Pairing it with a countdown: last year (for 2026), the Taitung County Government's New Year's Eve concert was held at the Taitung International Landmark (台東市國際地標) on the city's seafront, from 6 pm on December 31 to 1 am on January 1. Linhai Road, Siwei Road and Mahengheng Boulevard were closed to traffic, and cars in the temporary parking areas had to leave by 2 am or be towed. Details for the 2026/12/31 event will be announced by the Taitung County Government.

• Dec 31, before 21:00: pick up at Taitung Station and drop your bags at your hotel.
• Evening: park outside the closed roads and walk to the concert.
• After the countdown: rest for a few hours, leave for Taimali around 5 am and be in place by 6 am.

Sanxiantai — watch from the shore in 2027

Sanxiantai sits near the 110.5 km mark of Provincial Highway 11 in Chenggong Township and is one of the east coast's classic New Year sunrise spots. Important for 2027: the East Coast National Scenic Area Administration says the eight-arch footbridge is closed for repairs, with completion expected by the end of 2027. On New Year's Day 2027 you will most likely have to watch from the shore and pebble beach rather than crossing to the islet — check the administration's latest notice. The area is open around the clock, and parking fees are charged from 8 am.

From Taitung Station it's 1 hour 5 minutes or more (about 60 km) along the Highway 11 coast road, so leave by around 4:30 am. For more ideas in Taitung, see our Taitung car rental guide.

Starting from Hualien: Qixingtan nearby, or south to Sanxiantai

GoodCars' Hualien branch is at Hualien railway station, with self-service pickup and return in the station car park; the website lists service hours of 09:00–21:00, so collect the car on the evening of December 31. For a relaxed start, watch the sunrise at Qixingtan Beach, 15–20 minutes away. Sanxiantai is 2 hours–2 hours 15 minutes' drive, meaning a start after 3 am; afterwards you can continue south on Highway 11 and return the car in Taitung with a one-way rental, or spend January 2 driving back north through the East Rift Valley.

Hualien's coast faces the Pacific, so on a clear morning the sun rises straight out of the sea (Unsplash, location tagged Chongde Beach, Xiulin, Hualien)

The south: Longpan Park and Eluanbi, Kenting (pick up at HSR Zuoying)

According to the Taipei Astronomical Museum's calculations for New Year's Day 2026, Eluanbi (鵝鑾鼻) is the first place at sea level on Taiwan's main island to see the sunrise. Nearby Longpan Park (龍磐公園), between Eluanbi and Fengchuisha, is a broad grassland on the Pacific edge. The Tourism Administration lists the car park and park as open 24 hours, but the public toilets only open 08:00–17:00 — plan accordingly.

Traffic controls in past years: the Pingtung County Government holds a sunrise event at Longpan. Under the arrangements announced by the Highway Bureau and the county, from midnight until 8–9 am on New Year's Day, Highway 26 between Eluanbi (43 km) and the Manzhou boundary at Fengchuisha (51 km) was closed to private cars and scooters. Visitors parked at Eluanbi Park (鵝鑾鼻公園) or the Manzhou boundary car park (滿州界碑停車場) and took a free shuttle bus (for New Year 2024, shuttles started at 3:30 am). Whether the same applies on January 1, 2027 will be announced by the Pingtung County Government and Kenting National Park.

It's about 2 hours–2 hours 10 minutes from HSR Zuoying to Eluanbi, so we suggest driving down on December 31 and staying overnight in Hengchun or Kenting. For a full itinerary, see our Kaohsiung, Kenting & Xiaoliuqiu 3-day road trip.

Dunes and grassland on the east side of the Hengchun Peninsula, where Longpan and Fengchuisha are (Unsplash, location tagged near Taiwan's southern tip; illustrative)

The mountains: Wuling on Hehuanshan and Zhushan at Alishan

Hehuanshan (Wuling): check snow-season controls before you commit

Wuling (武嶺) is the highest point on Taiwan's road network and famous for sunrise above a sea of clouds — but New Year's Day falls in Hehuanshan's snow season. Using the Nantou County Government's notice for 2026 as an example: snow-season traffic control ran from January 1 to March 1, with New Year's Day listed as a key date, covering Highway 14A from Dayuling and Cuifeng up to the Hehuanshan visitor centre. When roads are icy or snow-covered, the section can be closed as a precaution from 5 pm until 7 am the next day, with only official and snow-clearing vehicles allowed; closures are announced by 3 pm each day, and parking is banned on both sides of the road between Kunyang and the visitor centre. When conditions allow, the Highway Bureau may instead open the road to vehicles fitted with snow chains only.

• What this means: if a closure is announced on the afternoon of December 31, you won't be able to drive up to Wuling for sunrise. Check the Highway Bureau's live road conditions (168.thb.gov.tw) or call 0800-231-035 after 3 pm the day before.
• Drive time: mapping tools put HSR Taichung to Wuling at about 2 hours at night, but the last stretch is steep and winding; our Cingjing & Hehuanshan self-drive guide suggests allowing 3.5 hours one way. Most people stay in Cingjing on December 31 and drive up before dawn.
• Snow chains: ask the branch in advance whether chains can be fitted to your car. If the road is closed or restricted to chained vehicles and you're not prepared, watch the sunrise lower down around Cingjing or head to the coast instead.
• Snow-season dates and road sections for 2027 will be set by the Nantou County Government and the Highway Bureau (the 2026 notice was published on December 24, 2025).

The Hehuanshan area sits at around 3,000 m — winter mornings are cold and roads can ice over (Unsplash, location tagged Xiulin, Hualien; illustrative)

Alishan: drive up, then take the sunrise train

Most people drive to the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area and ride the Zhushan Line sunrise train to the viewing platforms. Based on the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office's notice for New Year 2026: the first sunrise train left at 2:50 am, individual tickets went on sale online from December 18, and first light at the Xiaolishan viewing platform came at about 7:05 am, because the sun rises from behind the Yushan (Jade Mountain) range, a little later than at sea level. Train times and ticket sales for 2027 will be announced by the office.

It's about 2 hours–2 hours 20 minutes from HSR Chiayi to the recreation area, so plan to stay on the mountain on December 31. More in our Alishan self-drive guide.

The north: Taipei to the Northeast Coast (pick up at Taipei Main Station)

If you're based in Taipei, the Northeast Coast is the closest sea sunrise. Taipei Main Station can be booked online for pickup and return between 09:00 and 21:00, so collect the car after work on December 31 but before 21:00 (book online at least 2 hours before your pickup time). The branch lists self-service outside business hours (21:00–09:00); if you need a night-time pickup, call first to confirm (+886 2-2550-2200). For the branch address, enter 台北市大同區重慶北路一段26巷19號 in your navigation app.

• Bitou Cape (鼻頭角): about 50 minutes–1 hour 10 minutes (about 47–55 km).
• Sandiaojiao (三貂角): about 1 hour 15–20 minutes (about 65–81 km). Sandiaojiao Lighthouse is the easternmost lighthouse on Taiwan's main island, but its winter opening hours are 09:00–17:00, so the lighthouse grounds are still closed at sunrise — watch from nearby open areas where parking is permitted.
• Taipei's countdown: in past years, large areas around Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 were closed to traffic on New Year's Eve. Don't try to drive into the closed zone; check the Taipei City Government's announcement for this year.

From countdown to sunrise: a working-back timetable

Whichever spot you pick, work backwards from "in place 30 minutes before sunrise":

Taipei 101's New Year fireworks. If you're heading off to chase the sunrise afterwards, park outside the closed roads (Unsplash, location tagged Xinyi District, Taipei)

Booking your car: timing, car types and one-way rentals

• When to book: for a 3-day holiday, 3–4 weeks ahead; for a one-way rental (for example, pick up in Hualien and return in Taitung), add another 2 weeks. 7–9 seaters usually sell out first.
• Booking lead time: each branch has a minimum booking lead time (at Taipei Main Station it's at least 2 hours before pickup); the booking page shows the current rules.
• Car types: for 2–4 people heading to coastal spots, a 5-seater such as a Vios or Yaris is plenty; for a little more ground clearance, look at a compact SUV such as the Yaris Cross; for 5 or more people or lots of luggage, choose a 7–9 seater (such as the Wish, M7, Touran or Staria). See our 5-seater and 7–9 seater pages and our guide to 7- and 9-seat rentals; the cars available at each branch on your dates are whatever the booking page shows.
• One-way rentals: choose different pickup and return branches on the booking page to see availability and cost. More in our one-way rental guide.
• Self-service pickup: read the self-service pickup and return guide first; the exact pickup location is in your booking notification.
• Documents: bring your passport and your home-country driving licence; most nationalities also need an International Driving Permit (IDP). Japanese licence holders can drive with their licence plus an official Chinese translation instead of an IDP. See our complete Taiwan car rental guide for foreign visitors.

What it costs: rental + mileage fee + a fuel card

• Rental: depends on the car and the dates; check live New Year prices on the booking page.
• Mileage fee: charged on the distance you actually drive, and there is no cap on how far you can go — driving Hualien to Taitung is no problem.
• Fuel card: every car comes with a GoodCars fuel card, so you refuel along the way at no extra cost — fuel is covered by the mileage fee — and you don't need to top up before returning the car.
• Forgot to use the card? Keep the receipt and the full amount is deducted from your mileage fee.
• Other costs: freeway ETC tolls are charged separately, as set out on the website.

See how the mileage fee works on our mileage fee page and in our mileage charges explainer; for typical daily rates by car type, see how much a rental car costs in Taiwan.

Driving before dawn in winter: 5 safety tips

• Don't drive tired: after staying up for the countdown, take turns at the wheel and stop somewhere safe if you feel sleepy.
• Take it slow in the dark: coastal highways and mountain roads have few streetlights and many bends, and high roads can be foggy or frosty. Slow down, use your headlights and keep your distance.
• Park legally: no parking on the hard shoulder, on red lines or double-parked; follow traffic officers at controlled sections — in past years Longpan was shuttle-only on New Year's morning.
• Refuel first: petrol stations are scarce in the mountains and on remote coasts and may be closed at dawn. Fill up with your fuel card before heading up — no out-of-pocket fuel cost.
• Dress warmly: the Taipei Astronomical Museum also warns that New Year mornings in the mountains are cold and windy — bring a jacket, hat and gloves.

FAQ

Q1. How long is the 2027 New Year holiday in Taiwan? Is December 31 a day off?

The holiday runs from Friday, January 1 to Sunday, January 3, 2027 (3 days). Thursday, December 31, 2026 is a normal working day, so shops and offices are open and traffic builds in the evening.

Q2. What time is sunrise on January 1, 2027?

Around 6:30 am. The Central Weather Administration's 2027 sunrise table gives 06:36 for Taitung County, 06:37 for Hualien County and 06:39 for Pingtung and Nantou counties. Individual viewpoints differ by a few minutes depending on location and altitude; check the Central Weather Administration and the Taipei Astronomical Museum for spot-level times before New Year's Day. The sky starts to brighten a little over 20 minutes before sunrise, so arrive by about 6:00.

Q3. Can I pick up the car at 3 or 4 am?

It depends on the branch. The website lists service hours of 09:00–21:00 for Taitung Station and Hualien, so collect your car before 9 pm on December 31. Taipei Main Station's online-bookable pickup and return times are also 09:00–21:00; the branch lists self-service outside business hours (21:00–09:00), but for a night-time pickup, call first to confirm (+886 2-2550-2200). Available pickup times and booking lead times for each branch are shown on the booking page.

Q4. Can I pick up in Hualien and return in Taitung after the Sanxiantai sunrise?

GoodCars offers one-way rentals: choose Hualien (花蓮站) for pickup and Taitung Station (台東車站) for return on the booking page to see availability and cost, including any one-way fee. Holiday one-way rentals need extra planning on our side, so book as early as you can — see our one-way rental guide.

Q5. Is it safe to drive up Hehuanshan for the New Year sunrise?

Check the snow-season controls first. In 2026, when roads were icy or snowy, the controlled section of Highway 14A could be closed from 5 pm to 7 am the next morning, which would rule out a sunrise drive. Check the Highway Bureau's road conditions after 3 pm the day before and ask the branch about snow chains; if in doubt, watch the sunrise around Cingjing or on the coast.

Q6. Do I have to add fuel before I drop the car off?

No. Every car comes with a fuel card, fuel is covered by the mileage fee, and you don't need to top up before returning — just bring the car back at the agreed time.

Q7. What do I need to rent a car as a foreign visitor?

Your passport, your home-country driving licence and, for most nationalities, an International Driving Permit (IDP). Japanese visitors can use a Japanese licence with an official Chinese translation. Full details are in our foreign visitor car rental guide.