Wulai District of New Taipei includes some of Taiwan’s most amazing waterfalls, hot springs, aboriginal culture, an old street with snacks and restaurants, a gondola, a train, an amusement park, hiking trails, camp sites, wildlife, and endless mountain scenery to explore. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Taipei.
🏞️ Planning your trip to Wulai? ♨️
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: March-May, and October – November when the temperatures are nice and there is not as much rain
- How to get there: Taiwan High Speed Railway and Inter-City Bus
- Best place to stay: Wulai SungLyo Spring Resort
- Book tours and activities in Wulai on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Background:
Wulai was originally an Atayal aborigine village, and its name means hot and poisonous. There have always been natural hot springs in Wulai, but much of that water has been channeled into hotels and public bathhouses. The free hot springs stood at the bottom of the hill next to the river, and were a collection of used hot spring water from the hotels and paid hot springs above. In its prime, it boasted the largest free outdoor hot springs in Taiwan. Recently, the District of Wulai in New Taipei has become a major tourist attraction, partly because of its close proximity to Taipei. It has museums, waterfalls, a gondola, a train, an old street night market, and most of all, hot springs. The main delicacies on the old street are Taiwan’s indigenous foods, such as wild boar meat and rice steamed in bamboo.
Wulai waterfall is 80 meters high, making it the highest waterfall in northern Taiwan. It’s highest point sits at 230 meters above sea level, and drops to 150 meters above sea level. The waterfall is also about 10 meters wide.
Yunceng Amusement Park began construction in 1960 and was completed in 1970. It includes a gondola, a hotel, a swimming pool, a canoe pond, and other activities. Originally, it had a roller coaster,a pirate ship, and other rides, but these have all been taken down.
Hours:
Waterfall: 24/7
Cable Car and Yun Hsien Amusement Park Entrance: 9 AM to 4:30 PM
You can book tickets to the gondola and to Yun Hsien theme park on Klook here or KKday here.
Neidong Waterfall: 8 AM to 5 PM.
You can book tickets to Neidong Forest Recreation Area on KKday here or Klook here.
Price:
Wulai Waterfall: Free
Cable Car and Yun Hsien Amusement Park Entrance: 220 NT per person
You can book tickets to the gondola and to Yun Hsien theme park on Klook here or KKday here.
Neidong Waterfall: 65 NT per person. You can book tickets on KKday here or Klook here.
Hot Spring Bath: 300-500 NT. You can look for hot spring bath experiences on Klook here or KKday here.
Tours and Activities:
You can book a Taiwan Wulai Aboriginal Tribe afternoon Tour on TripAdvisor here.
You can also book a tour of Wulai on KKday here.
You can also book a ticket on the Wulai Train on Klook here, or a river tracing experience in Wulai on Klook here, or a SUP paddleboarding experience in Wulai on KKday here, hot spring baths on Klook here or KKday here, or tickets to the gondola and to Yun Hsien theme park on Klook here or KKday here.
Hotels in Wulai:
There are many hot spring hotels in Wulai that have a hot spring tub right in the room.
We have stayed at and recommend Wulai SungLyu Hot Spring Resort, which is a hot spring resort with great views just above Wulai Old Street. You can book on Booking.com here, Agoda here, Trip.com here, Klook here, or Expedia here.
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
How to get there:
By Bus: From central Taipei, take bus 849 to Wulai Waterfall. The trips takes about an hour and a half. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on a bus to Wulai on Klook here or KKday here. You can also book a Taipei travel pass on Klook here.
By Car: From Taipei, take provincial highway 9甲 to Wulai. There is a large paid parking garage in front of the old street. You may also be able to find free parking further up the road closer to the waterfall but car parking is very limited.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
By Taxi: You can take short rides for about 150 NT, or hire a Taxi for a day for around 150 USD on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here.
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here.
Map:
Please see below the places covered in this blog:
Our Journey:
I have been to Wulai four times. I have not yet been up to Yun Hsien Amusement Park （雲仙樂園), but I want to. It is great to enjoy the old street, hot springs, waterfalls, hikes, aboriginal culture, and explore nature here.
You can book a Taiwan Wulai Aboriginal Tribe afternoon Tour on TripAdvisor here.
You can also book a tour of Wulai on KKday here.
Drone Footage:
360 Degree Panoramas:
360 degree view of Wulai Waterfall. The Gondola goes right over the waterfall to Yun Hsien Resort, a nature themed amusement park only accessible by this gondola. #烏拉瀑布 #烏來 #雲仙樂園
Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Thursday, July 2, 2020
Check out our 360 pano of Wulai Waterfall above or via this link.
Aerial view of Neidong Waterfall in Wulai District of New Taipei. #內洞 #瀑布 #烏來 #空拍 #新北市
Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Saturday, November 23, 2024
Check out our 360-degree view of Neidong above or via this link.
360 view from Wulai, a magical aborigine hot spring destination in New Taipei. #烏來 #新北 #溫泉 #原住民 #泰雅族
Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Check out our 360 pano of Wulai Old Street above or via this link.
360 degree view from Wulai Old Street, which specializes in Ayatal aborigine cuisine,has an Ayatal museum, and has all other normal Taiwanese night market snacks you would expect. #烏來老街 #烏來 #泰雅族
Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Check out our 360 pano from closer to the old street above or via this link.
Wulai Waterfall 烏來瀑布
Wulai Waterfall is the highest waterfall in northern Taiwan. Here you can find a street with snacks and restaurants, and a gondola that leads to a second tier of the waterfall and an amusement park. In addition, there are hikes, wildlife, and endless mountain scenery to explore…(read more)
Wulai Gondola/Cable Car 烏來纜車
At a building up the mountain, you can buy tickets and go visit the amusement park via gondola. The gondola and park entrance are included in the 220 NT ticket.
You can book tickets to the gondola and to Yun Hsien theme park on Klook here or KKday here.
Yun Hsien Amusement Park 雲仙樂園
Yun Hsien Amusement Park is less of an amusement park nowadays and more of a nature and cultural park; however, there are activities here such as boat rowing, archery, and aboriginal dances, as well as food and lodging options. The gondola and park entrance are included in the 220 NT ticket.
You can book tickets to the gondola and to Yun Hsien theme park on Klook here or KKday here.
Wulai Visitor’s Center 游客中心
At the bottom of the waterfall is a visitor’s center, which includes a small museum, where you can learn some more interesting things about the area when it was used as a logging area for the Japanese.
Wulai Trolley 烏來小火車
The trolley ride is 50 NT per person, one way, and is faster than walking or driving a car between Wulai Old Street and Wulai Waterfall.
You can also book a ticket on the Wulai Train on Klook here.
Wulai Old Street 烏來老街
Wulai Old Street has become a major tourist attraction, partly because of its close proximity to Taipei. It has museums, waterfalls, a gondola, a train, an old street night market, and most of all, hot springs. It has an old Japanese era coal mining railroad track, which has been restored with a working train. In addition, there are hikes, wildlife, and endless mountain scenery to explore…(read more)
Lansheng Great Bridge 攬勝大橋
From Wulai Old Street, you can walk across Lansheng Bridge and up the steps to the Wulai Trolley and vice versa. This bridge was built around 2016. It includes a glass floor that lets you see down to the river below.
Wulai Ayatal Museum 烏來泰雅民族博物館
Right on the old street on the north side is the Ayatal museum where you can learn more about the history and culture of the Ayatal people. Entrance is free and it is worth a trip
Wulai Hot Spring Hotels 烏來溫泉飯店
Our stay at the hot spring hotel was nice. We had our own hot spring to ourselves and took two days to relax. There are many hot spring hotels in Wulai that have a hot spring tub right in the room.
We have stayed at and recommend Wulai SungLyu Hot Spring Resort, which is a hot spring resort with great views just above Wulai Old Street. You can book on Booking.com here, Agoda here, Trip.com here, Klook here, or Expedia here.
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
Wulai Public Hot Springs (wild hot springs) 烏來公共溫泉，野外溫泉
In 2015, Typhoon Soudelor wreaked havoc on the town and destroyed many hot springs. Due to this and sanitation concerns, New Taipei City decided to shut down the hot springs, and gave the owners until April 2017 to tear it down. When the owners did not comply, New Taipei took the matter into their own hands and tore down the springs in May 2017. This was a sad time for me, and I wrote a blog about it here. However, there are still free public hot springs near the river on the south side of the bridge. See below for details.
Looking south from the Lansheng bridge, you can see people making makeshift hot springs on the riverside. This is the child of the original Wulai Public Hot Springs health hazard.
Wulai Suspension Bridge 烏來吊橋
Circling back, there is also a suspension bridge on the north side of the old street that offers some great views of the surrounding area.
Neidong Waterfall 内洞瀑布
Neidong Waterfall is a beautiful scenic forest area in Wulai District of New Taipei. Here, for a small entrance fee, you can enjoy one of the most picturesque trails in northern Taiwan. It is an easy, family-friendly hike that is pretty much flat, stroller-friendly, and wheelchair friendly, with bathrooms on both ends of the trail. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Taipei…(read more)
Price:
Neidong Waterfall Forest Recreation Area: 80 NT per person on holidays or 65 NT per person on weekdays.
You can book tickets to Neidong Forest Recreation Area on Klook here or KKday here.
Luohao Dam 羅好水壩
Luohao Dam sits right in front of Neidong Waterfall. The name Luohao comes from the Atayal word kahaw, which means “a trap placed on trees to catch flying squirrels.” The dam was built in 1947, and a radial floodgate was added in 1963 and an inlet was built to direct water into a 4,740-meter tunnel to the Wulai Power Plant. The drop in elevation was used to generate hydroelectricity—and is still used to supply power during periods of peak and emergency demand. The spectacular dam has become one of Neidong’s top tourist sights.
Wusha Creek Falls 烏紗溪瀑布
Wusha Creek Waterfall is about 20 meters high and is an impressive sight along the trail to Neidong Waterfall.
The trail was closed in 2015 due to damage from Typhoon Soudelor and was reopened in 2018.
Xinxian Suspension Bridge 信賢吊橋
If you want an even longer nature walk, you can start down the road at Xinxian Suspension Bridge 信賢吊橋 which is about 2 KM downriver from Neidong. The trail across the river connects up to the Neidong Visitor Center.
Places we missed:
- Hu-die Park/ Butterfly Garden 蝴蝶公園
- Meiguichi 玫瑰池
- Songluo Lake 松蘿湖
- Xiaozhang Waterfall 蕭張瀑布
- Wuchong River Waterfall 五重溪瀑布
- Fushan Botanical Garden 福山植物園
- Tonghou Forestry Road 桶後林道
- Jiuruliao 加九寮
- And many more places for you to explore!
You can book a Taiwan Wulai Aboriginal Tribe afternoon Tour on TripAdvisor here.
You can also book a tour of Wulai on KKday here.
You can also book a ticket on the Wulai Train on Klook here, or a river tracing experience in Wulai on Klook here, or SUP paddleboarding experience in Wulai on KKday here, hot spring baths on Klook here or KKday here, on or tickets to the gondola and to Yun Hsien theme park on Klook here or KKday here.
Check out our full blog on Wulai Waterfall here, our post on Wulai Old Street here, and our post on Neidong Waterfall here.
Check out our guide to Taipei’s Waterfalls here.
Check out our Taipei hiking and trails guide here.
Check out our guide to the best day trips from Taipei here.
Check out our guide to Taipei’s Old Streets here.
Check out our one day guide to Taipei here.
Check out our full guide to Taipei here.
You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
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