Yangmingshan travel blog — The fullest Yangmingshan national park guide for first-timers

Yangmingshan Park is one of the eight famous parks in Taiwan, known for its unique volcanic terrain and rich flora and fauna. Coming here, visitors will be immersed in a fresh natural space, dotted with the brilliant colors of cherry blossoms, rhododendrons, and lilies. Besides, this place also attracts tourists with interesting experiences such as walking, cycling, trekking, soaking in hot springs…

So, is Yangmingshan National Park Taiwan worth visiting, how to visit Chicago, what to do in Yangmingshan national park and how to plan a budget trip to Yangmingshan for the first-time perfectly? Let’s check out our Yangmingshan travel blog (Yangmingshan national park blog) with the fullest Yangmingshan national park guide (Yangmingshan guide, Yangmingshan travel guide, Yangmingshan national park travel guide) from how to go to Yangmingshan national park, best places to visit, best time to come as well as top things to do in Yangmingshan to help you maximize your trip as follows!

Overview of Yangmingshan National Park (#yangmingshan travel blog)

Yangmingshan National Park is a natural park located in the largest volcanic and hot spring complex in Taipei. As a large park, cool climate all year round, flower farms, beautiful meadows all year round, you will have a great time when exploring Yangmingshan National Park. Yangmingshan is only about 45 minutes by car from the center of Taipei, is one of the most beautiful parks in Taiwan, this place is a destination not to be missed when visiting Taipei. Yangmingshan is the paradise of flowers in Taiwan.

Yangmingshan is in the top of the most beautiful parks in Taiwan, a destination not to be missed during a trip to Taipei. This place is known as the paradise of flowers, with more than 1,000 species of peach blossoms and 800 species of azaleas.

Yangmingshan has an area of ​​about 11,338 hectares with more than 20 volcanoes about 200-1120m high above sea level. Rainfall of about 190 rainy days/year has created favorable conditions for the development of diversity and abundance of vegetation. Yangmingshan is classified as a class II national nature reserve, located at an altitude of 200m to 1,200m. The climate here is cool all year round, the scene is smoky because of the white color of sulfur rising from the vents. In the past, this area had many sulfur mining sites, but today these activities are banned.

Yangmingshan Park is also home to more than 800 types of rhododendrons from around the world, of which more than 600 are native to China. It is known that in 1937, Yangmingshan was named Daiton National Park. In 1950 it was renamed Yangmingshan Park in memory of the great Ming Dynasty researcher Wang Yangming.

Yangmingshan National Park Management Board also pays great attention to investment in the road system. There are about 1,700m of stone trails, 1,000 steps leading up to the mountain, and wooden chairs and guesthouses are scatteredly arranged to serve visitors to enjoy flowers.

This place is also known as Caoshan (Grass Mountain) because this mountain is full of grass, plants and herbs. As the main volcanic area of Taiwan, over time Yangmingshan gradually formed diverse terrains, volcanoes, hot springs, weedy hills, etc.

Coming to this place, visitors will be able to see the vast pine forests, subtropical rain forests, check-in with white reed grasslands, explore the volcanic system and thousands of years old hot springs.

When is the best time to visit Yangmingshan Taiwan? (#yangmingshan national park blog)

With diverse natural scenery, visitors can visit this park in any season of the year. However, the most beautiful is still in spring (February – April) and autumn (September – November). At this time, the weather is extremely cool and pleasant, suitable for you to admire the beautiful scenery in Yangmingshan National Park.

Spring (around early January) is the time when the flowers bloom at the same time, visitors will have to be overwhelmed by the gentle, beautiful beauty of cherry blossoms, camellia, azaleas… If you want to see white lilies you should come from December to May. In particular, from the end of March to the end of April is the time of the White Calla Lily event, visitors who want to enjoy the festive atmosphere can consider this time.

From October to February, the weather is still pleasant enough to visit the area, and there will come a time when the leaves turn orange and red. Rainfall will decrease a bit but it is still advisable to bring rainproof clothing and accessories. Drizzle is most common, and if you’re one of the lucky few, you might see snowfall.

Admission to the park (#yangmingshan travel guide)

Yangmingshan National Park is open to visitors to visit and take pictures free of charge. Guests only need to pay the parking fee and rent a bicycle if they use the service.

How to get to Yangmingshan? (#yangmingshan national park travel guide)

Tourists who want to go to Yangmingshan must first take a flight to Taipei, then choose other means of transportation.

You can also choose to take the minibus route 18 with many stops to explore unique places.

The park is located in the Beitou district, located quite close to the center of Taipei city. If you are traveling on your own, you can get here by bus, car or motorbike. Tourists often choose the bus as a means of transportation because of its convenience and low price.

From Taipei Main Station (#yangmingshan national park travel guide)

Located in the northern area of Taipei city, you can travel by many means, especially the MRT from all stations because the park is surrounded by a convenient road transportation system.

From Taipei Main Station, you have to walk about 350 meters to get to Taipei Main Station (Zhengzhou). Here, you take bus number 260 to MTC Bus Yangmingshan Stop. From this station, get off the bus and walk to the gate of Yangmingshan National Park at 1-20, Jhuzihhu Rd, Beitou District, Taipei 112, Taiwan.

From Jiantan Subway Station (#yangmingshan travel blog)

You can take bus Red 30 or 208.

Some roads in Yangmingshan are closed on weekends. So at these times the only way you can go to the park is by bus. However, if you go by car or motorbike (on a weekday), it will be much more convenient for sightseeing.

Transportation in Yangmingshan National Park

Yangmingshan offers bus service number 108 serving the main sightseeing routes. This is a one-way roundabout route that serves all the major attractions in Yangmingshan. Buses operate from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, every 30 minutes. Particularly on weekends and holidays, the bus will depart continuously, every 8 – 9 minutes / trip. Ticket prices range from TWD 60/ticket.

With bus 108, you can get on or off at any of the 13 stops on the route. Notable stops for your reference:

• Stop 4 – Zhuzihu: Where there are vast flower farms, ideal for you to see flowers and check-in.
• Stop 7 – Xiaoyoukeng: Great coordinates for visitors to admire the misty steam and sulfur spewing from the vents.
• Stop 9 – Lengshuikeng: From this stop, you can walk on the trail that cuts through the forest, to the Qingtiangang grassland.

What to do and where to go in Yangmingshan?

Yangmingshan National Park accounts a large area, with unique volcanic terrain and many valleys and rich flora and fauna. Coming to this park, visitors must definitely experience all of the following things.

Admire the Giant Flower Clock

The Flower Clock is the most distinctive symbol of Yangmingshan. This is an artistic flower garden, located on the west side of the park, made entirely of flowers. The giant clock measures up to 22 feet (about 7m) in diameter, and is a combination of many flowers, creating a vibrant and impressive artwork.

It looks like a miniature flower garden that attracts visitors to stop to rest and admire. The most impressive point is that the watch will play music every hour, creating a relaxing and poetic space.

Each petal is made up of a different flower, surrounded by rows of green plants. Besides, Hoa Clock is also designed with a water column system running around, with music playing every hour.

Take “virtual living” photos with shimmering flower gardens and grasslands

Despite the impact of humans, Yangmingshan still has a brilliant, natural beauty. There are more than 1,000 species of flowers grown and grown wild in the mountains such as peach blossoms, cherry blossoms, azaleas, peonies, begonias, etc. This is the ideal place to see all kinds of flowers.

Yangmingshan is also famous for its picturesque reed fields that are both wild and dreamy. The color of the reed grass is white, spread over the nature trails and rolling hills. On days with a lot of dew, clouds and grass seem to merge into one, so beautiful.

Not only that, this is also the place to gather beautiful flowers, from lilies, peonies, cherries to rhododendrons. In which, the most prominent is still 800 species of rhododendron from around the world with 600 species originating from China.

Flowers in Yangmingshan are meticulously cared for, creating fields of flowers of immense color. Coming to this place, visitors not only have the opportunity to enjoy flowers but also have the opportunity to check-in with unique flower varieties.

The experience of discovering Yangmingshan shows that if you have the opportunity, visit Yangmingshan on the occasion of the Calla Lily flower festival in spring (around March – April). This is the time when the fields of lilies originating from Africa are very unique and beautiful.

Participate in jogging, hiking and trekking activities

If possible, spend time jogging or hiking in Yangmingshan. Surely you will be completely overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery of flowers blooming here. With fresh air and many trails through the fields, this is an ideal spot for jogging or trekking. Surely it will bring you an unforgettable Yangmingshan discovery experience. The popular trails can be mentioned such as Tianmu, Erzihping trail, Jinbali trail…

Hiking and jogging are activities that visitors cannot miss when coming to Yangmingshan. This place is famous for its super stunning trekking routes, crossing the vast reed fields. Besides, the cool air in this place is also very suitable for sports.

If you want to enjoy the scenery and experience trekking, you can refer to the roads such as: Erziping, Tianmu Trail, Qingtiangang, Jinbaoli, Xiaoyoukeng…

If you don’t want to trek alone, you can sign up for eco-tours. At that time, it is easy to see the pine forest, explore the ancient volcano with underground geysers or smoky hot springs. This is a very enjoyable experience.

Experience cycling to conquer the trail

Along with trekking routes, Yangmingshan has routes dedicated to scenic cycling. Walking around these roads, visitors will be able to see the scenery of mountains, meadows, and flower gardens in full bloom. To experience this activity, visitors can contact in advance to rent or buy a cycling tour.

Relax with a variety of hot springs and minerals

You should once experience the natural hot springs here. Taking a hot bath helps blood circulation easily, open blood circulation. Soaking in hot water also helps to kill skin-related diseases. Explore the Seven Star Mountain (Shichisei Mountain) – formerly a volcano. Currently, the volcano is no longer active, but the crater still spews hot gas from the ground to create smoky hot springs. Immerse yourself in the hot springs to enjoy the feeling of relaxation.

Scattered throughout the park are craters, volcanic lakes and geothermal vents. Thanks to that, hot springs have become an important resource of this place. The hot springs here can be compared to Hakone onsen (Japan).

Yangmingshan Hot Spring, which contains many healthy minerals, is a familiar relaxation and health destination for Taipei residents. In addition to the free hot springs, you can go to the Lengshuikeng public bath. The bathtub is designed with separate bathing areas for men and women, free of charge, open until 21:00 daily.

Other beautiful attractions

Walking around Yangmingshan, you will see some of the following attractions:

• Yangmingshuwu – Office of former President Chiang Kai Shek.
• Zhuzhihu (Bamboo Lake) – This is a must-see attraction in the itinerary to visit Yangmingshan. Get off at Zhuzhihu stop and walk for about 30 minutes (about 1.5km onto the side road).
• Qingtiangang Grassland – This is a plateau formed from the lava of Zhumao volcano. To get here, it takes you about 5 minutes to walk from Qingtiangang stop.
• Erzhiping Trail (This is a trail with a lot of butterflies) – The best time to see butterflies is during butterfly season (May and June every year).
• Xiaoyoukeng – This is a sulfur vent on Mount Qixing. Here sulfur is spewed out all year round.
• Lengshuikeng Hot Spring: Here the water is milky white due to the very high sulfur content in the water.
• Lake Meng Huan (Songluo River) – Also known as Lake Seventeen. This is a quiet destination with beautiful blurred scenery. You can take bus 108 and get off at Lengshuikeng stop and walk for about 10 minutes.
• Chungshan Mall – Part of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Complex.

What and where to eat?

When visiting Yangmingshan, it is recommended to bring food. Some of the places to eat and drink that you can find are a few stores like 7-eleven and Starbucks. Next is:

• Lavender Garden: A vegetarian restaurant in Tianmu – which connects directly to the Tianmu trail Tianmu trail.
• Shiyang Culture Restaurant (食養山房餐廳), 160 Lane 101 Jinshan Road
• Serving coffee and simple snacks: Garden 91 Cafe ( 玉溪 ), No. 91, Sec.2, Yangde Blvd., Shilin, Taipei

Where to stay?

Yangmingshan National Park is only about 1 hour by bus from central Taipei. Therefore, visitors should choose to rent hotels in the central area to facilitate sightseeing and travel. Taipei has a variety of accommodation types with prices from low to high, depending on your needs, you can choose a suitable place for yourself.

Hotel Royal Beitou (Agoda, Booking)

Location: No. 2, Zhonghe St., Beitou Dist, Beitou
Price: from $229 VND/night

Hotel Royal Beitou is a must-stay for visitors to Yangmingshan, especially family groups. In addition to its distinctive and eco-friendly architecture, this hotel also offers a variety of wellness treatments, restoring body and mind.

Green World Grand NanJing (Agoda, Booking)

Location: No. 8, Section 3, Nanjing E. Rd, Zhongshan Dist, Zhongshan
Price: from $145/night

Green World Grand NanJing is a hotel with 116 rooms, designed in Japanese style. The floors and rooms are decorated with a 4-season theme, providing an enjoyable experience for guests.

Beauty Hotels Taipei – Hotel Bstay (Agoda, Booking)

Location: ZhongShan N. Road, Sec. 2, No. 71, 3F, Zhongshan
Price: from $109/night

Beauty Hotels Taipei – Hotel Bstay is a great place to stay for tourists in Yangmingshan in particular and Taipei in general. This is a boutique hotel with a simple design but equally unique and fancy. The hotel is located in the financial district, near the station and popular tourist attractions. The room system is also highly appreciated for its quality.

Below we recommend more best budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

• Yanmin Hot Spring Resort (Agoda, Booking)
• American Village Resort (Agoda, Booking)
• JBG Hot Spring Resort Hotel (Agoda, Booking)
• Chyuan Du Spring Resort (Agoda, Booking)
• CHECK inn Select Taipei Yangmingshan (Agoda, Booking)
• Yang Ming Shan Tien Lai Resort and Spa (Agoda, Booking)
• Golden Hot Spring Hotel (Agoda, Booking)
• Beitou Hot Spring Resort (Agoda, Booking)

Check out more top and best hotels near Yangmingshan on Agoda.com or Booking.com

Some useful tips before you go

• First you have to bring plenty of water, especially during the summer months, snacks, and mosquito repellent.
• You should bring a hat and sunscreen, although it is a park, some areas have little shade.
• Although it can be sweaty walking, you need to pack an extra jacket as the weather can be windy and a bit colder than in the city.
• If you don’t want a tan, don’t forget to apply sunscreen and bring a hat as this trail has very little shade.
• It is recommended to bring a light jacket because the weather in the mountains is often windy.
• Flower picking and littering are not allowed in Yangmingshan.
• Don’t forget to bring your phone, camera to record great moments here.
• Here is the crater area, so there are many sulfur pits, the smell of sulfur is not very pleasant. You should know in advance to be prepared. People with high blood pressure, heart disease or open wounds should not enter the hot springs.
• The form of hot spring bath here is quite similar to the traditional onsen bathing style in Japan: You must wash thoroughly before entering the bath, do not wear clothes (including swimwear), need to tie your hair, do not let hair touches the water.
• If you want to save time and travel costs, you can sign up for a day trip (Yangmingshan park tour from Taipei 1 day) with shuttle bus back and forth during the day, including a guide, hot spring bath tickets…

You should spend at least half a day or more to visit all the wonderful sights that nature has to offer, you can also spend more time climbing mountains, bathing in hot springs at this large park. With beautiful scenery, Yangmingshan is an extremely worthwhile suggestion during a trip to Taipei. Hopefully, the above article will provide you with a lot of useful information to prepare for your upcoming journey.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Yangmingshan you can refer to

• Yangmingshan National Park & Hot Springs Tour
• Taipei: Beitou and Yangmingshan One-Day Tour
• Taipei｜Yangmingshan Jiaxin Hot Spring Hesheng Hotel｜Seaview Soup House
• Futian Leisure Farm Ticket in Taipei
• Private Yangmingshan Volcano Tour
• Yangmingshan Half-Day Private Hiking Tour in Taipei
• Taipei: Hot Spring Experience at Spring City Resort
• Beitou and Yangmingshan Day Tour in Taipei
• Yangmingshan Private Car Charter
• Yangmingshan Hiking Tour from Taipei
• Beitou and Yangmingshan Day Tour in Taipei
• Taipei: Glimpse Of Volcano Sulfur Valley Outdoor Rock Climbing

Read more Taiwan guide here.