Luye Hot Air Balloon Festival — 2 Days

The Luye sky lights up in summer.

The Taiwan International Balloon Festival is Asia's earliest and largest hot-air-balloon gathering. From July 4 to August 20, 2026, more than 30 balloons rise from Luye Highland at the same time — one by one off the grass at 05:30 — and at night the Light & Music Concert turns them into glowing sculptures. This year, for the first time, the festival joins forces with the Japanese character Chiikawa — limited-edition shaped balloons.

This 2-day package places you inside the festival — not as a day-tripper, but as someone who sleeps in Luye, wakes at 4 in the morning to watch the launch, walks the Chishang rice fields in the afternoon, and hears village stories at night.

2026 Taiwan International Balloon Festival · Official details

• Festival period: July 4 – August 20, 2026 (closed Tuesdays)
• Opening day: Saturday, July 4, 05:30 — the rise of a thousand balloons
• Location: Luye Highland (46 Gaotai Road, Yong'an Village, Luye Township, Taitung County)
• 2026 highlight: Chiikawa collaboration — Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi shaped balloons
• Daily sessions: Morning 05:30–07:00, Evening 17:00–18:30
• Tethered ride: NT$500 / person, about 5 minutes airborne
• Free flight: NT$9,000–12,000 / person, book at least 7 days ahead
• Admission: Free to watch the launches and Light & Music Concerts
• Official site: Taitung County Tourism Office · Taiwan International Balloon Festival

2026 Light & Music Concerts (8 sessions)

| Date | Time | Venue | Acts | |---|---|---|---| | Jul 5 (Sun) | 19:00 | Luye Highland | Sabrina Tseng, 831 | | Jul 9 (Thu) | 19:00 | Taitung International Landmark | Wang Yan-wei, Sam Lee | | Jul 16 (Thu) | 19:00 | Luye Highland | Nam Min-jung & Lee Hao-jen, Bii | | Jul 23 (Thu) | 04:00 | Taimali Sunrise Memorial Park (dawn session) | — | | Jul 30 (Thu) | 19:00 | Luye Highland | GENBLUE | | Aug 6 (Thu) | 19:00 | Chishang Dapo Pond | — | | Aug 13 (Thu) | 19:00 | Taitung International Landmark | Claire Kuo, Van Fan | | Aug 20 (Thu) | 19:00 | Luye Highland | Hsu Wei-hsiang, Crowd Lu |

Day 1 — Luye · The Festival

• 14:00 Pick-up at Taitung Station; drive north on Provincial Highway 9 to Luye
• 15:30 Check in to your Luye guesthouse (5 minutes from the highland)
• 17:00 Enter Luye Highland for the evening balloon launch
• 18:30 Dinner at a local tea-side kitchen, paired with red oolong
• 20:00 (festival nights) Light & Music Concert — balloons glowing in the dark, set to live music
• 22:00 Back to the guesthouse for an early night

Day 2 — Highland · Rift Valley

• 04:30 Wake up, drive up to Luye Highland in the dark
• 05:30 The golden moment — 30+ balloons lifting off at once, the whole highland a colour-sculpture garden
• 07:00 (optional) Tethered ride — 5 minutes airborne, Pacific to Central Range in one glance
• 08:30 Highland breakfast at a local kitchen
• 10:00 Chishang — Mr. Brown Avenue, the Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree, the famous Chishang lunchbox
• 13:00 Chishang lunch — country cooking
• 15:00 Luye red-oolong tea garden visit
• 17:30 Drop-off at Taitung Station

Included

• 6-seat private vehicle and local guide throughout
• 1 night in a Luye guesthouse (breakfast included, 5 minutes from the highland)
• 1 breakfast + 2 lunches + 1 dinner
• 50 g Luye red oolong as a souvenir
• Festival shuttle and parking arrangements
• Travel responsibility insurance

Not included

• Tethered-ride fee (NT$500 / person, paid on site with our guide's help)
• Free-flight fee (NT$9,000–12,000 / person, book at least one week ahead)
• Paid Light & Music Concert sessions, if any
• Personal expenses, souvenirs

Notes

• Balloons depend on weather: Cancelled if wind exceeds 3 m/s or it rains. We don't guarantee the balloons will fly — this, too, is what Taitung teaches.
• Early mornings on the highland are cool — bring a light jacket.
• Luye rooms book out fast during the festival; please reserve at least 4 weeks ahead.
• Tethered rides are not recommended for infants; children 6+ may ride with parental consent.
• Free-flight landing points depend on the day's wind; we arrange the shuttle back.
• 2026 sessions, times and fees follow the official Taitung County Tourism Office announcements.

Many people see the balloons. Few actually sleep in Luye and wake up where they rise.

Why this trip

• ✅ No commuting — sleep in Luye, walk 5 minutes to the highland at 04:30; no early-morning drive from town.
• ✅ Beat the crowd — the 05:30 launch matters; arriving at midday is a different festival.
• ✅ Not only balloons — Chishang rice waves and a Luye tea garden woven into the same trip.
• ✅ Done for you — Taitung Station transfers, plus on-site help with the tethered-ride queue.

Who it's for

• Travellers visiting Taitung for the first time, after its most iconic landscape
• Families (children 6+ love the morning launch)
• Photographers — the dawn launch is the golden hour
• Anyone who wants to book ahead of the 2026 summer crowd

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This itinerary is indicative. The guesthouses, restaurants and guides actually used, along with the confirmed 2026 sessions, will be aligned with you in writing before departure. We don't sell what you can't see.

Festival details follow the public announcements of the Taitung County Tourism Office; final sessions, times and fees may change.