ULTIMATE WULAI DIY ITINERARY & BUDGET: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

I traveled around Taiwan for 14 days and Wulai is the most worth it day trip I recommend if you are staying in Taipei for 3-5 days. Located just an hour away from Taipei, get ready to spend a day to one of the most relaxing and scenic destinations that is super accessible and easy to visit!

Aside from its proximity, exploring Wulai is very budget-friendly too! So if you don’t have the time and extra money to opt for Alishan National Forest for a nature trip in Taiwan, Wulai will be the best and recommended option!

Packed with dense forest on top of scenic rivers, ride a mini log cart with a refreshing view of the lush mountains, sip a nice hot coffee while enjoying the cold weather with an overlooking view of the waterfalls from a cafe’s glass walls, ride a cable car on top of a waterfalls or maybe row a boat in a river located on top of a mountain surrounded with lush greenery! These are just some of the things you can do in Wulai.

WULAI DIY ITINERARY — Wulai DIY Itinerary

Table of Contents

PLACES TO VISIT IN WULAI

The places to visit in Wulai that I’ve listed below is in chronological order as you get off the bus. Wulai’s places to visit are stones throw away to each other which makes it an easy destination for DIY travelers because you can just walk to the next destination.

Nanshin River and Suspension Bridge

As you get off the bus station of Wulai, the first thing you will see is the Nanshin River and the iconic Suspension Bridge. Take time to appreciate this refreshing scenic view before walking towards the Wulai Old Street.

Wulai Old Street

I recommend trying out some local foods at Old Street for your breakfast. And just like any other Old Street and Night Markets I’ve been to in Taiwan, they sell local street foods, souvenir items, and more.

Wulai Lansheng Bridge

After you get past the Wulai Old Street, it is impossible for you not to notice the iconic Wulai Lansheng Bridge. This is the bridge you can cross to get to Wulai Mini Log Cart station.

Wulai Mini Log Cart

Definitely a must! The Wulai log cart is the only existing log cart railway in Taiwan! This is the best way to enjoy the scenery of forested mountains in the open carriages.

So after crossing the Lansheng Bridge, you will read signs of Wulai Mini Log Cart. Just follow these signs to get to the station and it’s quite uphill to get to the station too.

Moreover, from Wulai log cart station there will be about 8 minutes log cart ride to get to Wulai Waterfalls. The fare is 50NTD per way and per person. Another option to get to Wulai Waterfalls from the station is to walk approximately 20 minutes. But I highly recommend to take the scenic log cart ride because it offers a breathtaking view of the mountains.

Wulai Waterfalls

Dubbed as the “waterfall in the cloud,” the Wulai waterfalls is definitely one of the highlights of Wulai! It boasts off the most significant drop in height in Northern Taiwan. And just like any other waterfalls in the world, the Wulai waterfalls is most abundant in water during the rainy season.

Three Cafe

To get a more scenic and for the ‘gram view of the Wulai waterfalls, I highly recommend Three Cafe which is located just after the log cart station. I guess it’s the most famous cafe you see on Tiktok, lol. Don’t worry because everyone gets the chance to get a photo here. Because this spot is only for photo ops, meaning tourists can’t dine in this spot.

You have to buy food and beverage before taking photos and videos. The menu is a bit pricey for me, ranging from 500-1000NTS per person. Note that they don’t accept cart payments here so make sure you have enough cash.

Cable Car to Yun Hsien Resort

BOOK DISCOUNTED WULAI CABLE CAR ON KLOOK

Make sure to book your Wulai cable car on Klook because it is cheaper compared to walk in rates of 300NTD roundtrip rate per person. Plus you can use my Klook code to get a discount: JOANSFOOTPRINTSKLOOK

To get a more scenic view of the Wulai waterfalls, I highly recommend to take the cable car to Yun Hsien Resort. It’s a very short trip to get to the other side but definitely one of the best activity in Wulai!

Photo credits: Klook. Book your cable car on Klook!

Yun Hsien Lake

Definitely the cherry on top of my Wulai trip! The Yun Hsien Resort provides activities and accommodation to guests who wishes to stay for a day or two. The Yun Hsien Lake is one of the activities you can do here and it is my most recommended activity to do in Wulai.

It provides a breathtaking view of the lush mountains, and the most relaxing thing you can ever do in Wulai! Row a boat at the Yun Hsien Lake while appreciating nature at its finest. The activity fee is 120NTD per person good for 20 minutes.

SAMPLE WULAI DIY ITINERARY FROM TAIPEI

While Wulai can be visited DIY way and it’s pretty convenient because all tourist spots are few stones throw away from each other, there are day trip tours available on Klook should you opt for a hassle-free trip.

BOOK DISCOUNTED WULAI DAY TRIP TOURS HERE

HOW TO GO TO WULAI FROM TAIPEI MAIN STATION?

Find your way to any green line MRT to Xindian Station (G01). If you are coming from Taipei Main Station, ride the red line MRT to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (G10/R08) and then transfer to green line MRT to Xindian Station (G01). Alternatively, if you are staying in Ximending, just ride the green line MRT Ximen Station (G12) to Xindian Station (G01). The fare is NTD30/PHP57.00.

Once you arrive at Xindian Station, go outside the station and ride bus # 849 going to Wulai. The bus frequency is every 15-30 minutes from 7:30AM to 12MN and will take 30-40 minutes to Wulai. Bus fare is NTD15/PHP28.00.

TIME:	ACTIVITY:	EXPENSES:
7AM	ETD to Wulai	NTD30/PHP57.00 MRT fare; NTD15/PHP28.00 bus fare
8AM	ETA Wulai, photo ops at Nanshin River and Suspension Bridge	FREE ENTRANCE
8:30AM	Breakfast at Wulai Old Street	NTD200/PHP380.00 breakfast
9:30AM	Photo ops at Lansheng Bridge	FREE ENTRANCE
10:00AM	Ride the scenic 8 minutes mini log cart to Wulai waterfalls	NTD50/PHP95 per way per pax (NTD100 roundtrip)
10:10AM	Wulai waterfalls	FREE ENTRANCE
10:30AM	Ride the Cable Car to Yun Hsien Resort	PHP570 roundtrip
10:45AM	Explore Yun Hsien Resort, boating at Yun Hsien Lake	NTD120/PHP228.00 per pax for 20 minutes
1PM	Go back to Wulai waterfalls, lunch at Three Cafe	NTD500/PHP950.00
2PM	ETD back to Taipei, spend the night at Ximending Night Market

TOTAL COST: PHP2,488.00 DAY TRIP WITH FOOD EXPENSES

Disclaimer: the total expenses will still depend on your food expenses and will depend on the current fare price and activity price. I highly recommend booking the cable car and other activities on Klook to get a discounted rate.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS FROM JOAN’S FOOTPRINTS

Bring enough cash if you plan to splurge on food at Wulai Old Street and Three Cafe. Most establishments do not accept card payments, so better to bring enough cash. ATM machines are located at the bus stop or 7-11 before going to the Old Street. In my experience, I failed to withdraw cash and I was already at the waterfalls. I needed to ride the mini log cart again to go back to the Old Street and withdraw cash so it was very inconvenient for me. Lol.
Start early in the morning if you want to get the most out of Wulai! Although it is doable to spend 4 hours in Wulai, but it will be more worth it to spend the whole day.
During the summer season, bring umbrellas and caps and wear sunscreen too. It tends to be hot during the summer season.
Check the weather before going and dress up accordingly. During the ber months, the weather goes down to 10 degrees. And during summer season, it can go up to 30 degrees.
Although Wulai is an all year round destination, the best time to go here is during the cold season as it provides a more relaxing and scenic views.

Help me improve my WULAI DIY ITINERARY! By commenting suggestions in the comment section below, I am very open to new ideas. Drone shots by yours truly.
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