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Major city · Taiwan

Yilan宜蘭

Give Yilan one night as a base for the county's hot springs, coast and night market; two nights if you want Toucheng or Suao without rushing.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
TWD
Best months
Oct–Apr
avoid Jul–Sep (typhoons and heavy rain)
Airports
TPE · TSA
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • Taiwan ↗Check visa-exemption length, passport validity and the online arrival card (TWAC) on the official sites before you fly.
  • Taiwan ↗An EasyCard (or iPASS) covers MRT, buses, local trains and many convenience-store purchases; buy one at the airport or a station.
  • Taiwan ↗When a local government declares a typhoon day, transport and sights can close for the day; follow the official notice, not the forecast alone.

Yilan is the county seat and rail hub of the Lanyang plain, about 1 h 30 min from Taipei through the Xueshan Tunnel or by train. The city itself is a half-day of old Japanese-era buildings, museums and one good night market; the draw is the county around it — Jiaoxi hot springs, Toucheng's old street, Wujie and the coast. Most travellers come for a weekend, and rain is the constant.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Yilan, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a caféNT$60–150 (≈ US$2–5)
  • Street or quick mealNoodle or rice bowlNT$80–180 (≈ US$3–6)
  • Beerconvenience store can / barNT$40–70 (≈ US$2–3)NT$150–250 (≈ US$5–9)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entryNT$30–100 (≈ US$1–4)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personNT$600 (≈ US$20)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, guesthouse or hotel, a night, per roomNT$2,800 (≈ US$95)
  • High-end bedDouble room, guesthouse or hotel, a night, per roomNT$5,500 (≈ US$190)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget NT$1,200 (≈ US$40) · Mid NT$2,200 (≈ US$75) · High NT$4,000 (≈ US$140)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Birthplace of Taiwanese opera (gezaixi)Dongmen night marketJapanese-era public buildingsGateway to Jiaoxi hot springs and the east coast
Airports
TPE Taiwan Taoyuan International (No direct rail link to Yilan; bus or MRT to Taipei, then train or bus east — about 2.5–3 h door to door) · TSA Taipei Songshan (Closer for a Taipei transfer; trains to Yilan leave from Taipei Main and Songshan-area stations)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Yilan: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

19°C

13°C

17 rd

Feb

19°C

13°C

16 rd

Mar

22°C

15°C

17 rd

Apr

25°C

18°C

15 rd

May

28°C

21°C

17 rd

Jun

31°C

24°C

15 rd

Jul

33°C

26°C

12 rd

Aug

33°C

26°C

14 rd

Sep

30°C

24°C

16 rd

Oct

27°C

21°C

16 rd

Nov

24°C

18°C

17 rd

Dec

21°C

15°C

16 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The city centre is walkable; scooters and bicycles are the usual way to reach the county's spread-out sights, with rentals near Yilan station. Trains on the Yilan line link Yilan, Luodong, Jiaoxi and Suao cheaply and often. Bus and taxi drivers rarely speak English — have addresses written in Chinese.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Jiaoxi

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Train on the Yilan line from Yilan station, about 20–25 min

Hot-spring hotels and a small old street; easiest half-day from the city.

Touchenggo

Door to door: About 45 min

Train north on the Yilan line, about 25–30 min

Old street and the coast; pair with a beach stop on a dry day.

Suao

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Train south on the Yilan line, about 40–50 min

Harbour and seafood; the rail ride along the coast is the point.

Wujie

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Train to Luodong, then bus or taxi

Spread-out sights; only worth it with a scooter or car.

Datong Township

overnight

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Bus or car up the mountain roads

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep up there.

Nanao

overnight

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Train south along the coast, about 1 h 20 min

Coast and Indigenous villages; a day return leaves no time.

Yuanshan

go

Door to door: About 30–40 min

Bus or scooter west of the city, about 20 min

Riverside cycling and farms; the flat 12 km loop from the city works by bike.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Yilan Station area

Walk to the night market, museums and the old warehousing block; best for one night with bags.

Jiaoxi

Hot-spring hotels 20–25 min south by train; pick this if the springs are the point of the trip.

Luodong

Bigger night market and more beds, 15 min south; use it if you are looping the county by rail.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
NT$1,200–2,000 (≈ US$40–70) excl. bed
Mid
NT$2,000–3,500 (≈ US$70–120) excl. bed
High
NT$3,500 (≈ US$120)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, guesthouse or hotel1 × 1 night × NT$2,800NT$2,800
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × NT$2,200NT$4,400
Train Taipei → Yilan, one way2 × NT$250NT$500
Train Yilan → Jiaoxi, one way2 × NT$40NT$80
Scooter rental, one day2 × NT$500NT$1,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × NT$300NT$600
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeNT$940
Trip total≈ NT$5,160 per person per day, bed includedNT$10,320≈ US$350

2026 estimate in New Taiwan dollars; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a caféNT$60–150 (≈ US$2–5)
Noodle or rice bowlNT$80–180 (≈ US$3–6)
Night-market snack (scallion pancake, chicken cutlet)NT$30–80 (≈ US$1–3)
Beer: convenience store can / barNT$40–70 (≈ US$2–3) / NT$150–250 (≈ US$5–9)
Train Yilan → TaipeiNT$200–280 (≈ US$7–10)
Scooter rental, one dayNT$400–700 (≈ US$14–25)
Museum entryNT$30–100 (≈ US$1–4)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe for tourists; the real risks are scooter traffic, wet roads and typhoon-season closures. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and do not ride mountain roads in heavy rain.
  • Rain is year-round and heaviest in the monsoon and typhoon season; pack a shell, not an umbrella you trust.
  • Scooter rental needs a valid licence and an IDP for many nationalities — check before you count on it.
  • Religious parades fill streets on festival weekends; do not cross the procession line and give temple workers room.
  • English is limited outside hotels and the visitor centre; translation apps and written Chinese addresses help.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire and ambulance
119
Tourism helpline (24 h)
0800-011-765

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Yilan宜蘭

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

請到這個地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance119
  • Tourism helpline (24 h)0800-011-765

Embassy

No embassies in Yilan; most are in Taipei. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all maintain offices in Taipei — check the address before you need it.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Train Taipei → Yilan: about NT$250 (≈ US$9), 1 h 30 min–2 h
  • Train Yilan → Jiaoxi: about NT$40 (≈ US$2), 20–25 min
  • Taxi in Yilan city: metered from about NT$100 (≈ US$4)

Say or show

  • 不好意思 — Excuse me / Sorry (bu hao yi si)
  • 謝謝 — Thank you (xie xie)
  • 多少錢？ — How much is it? (duo shao qian)
  • 可以刷卡嗎？ — Can I pay by card? (ke yi shua ka ma)
  • 廁所在哪裡？ — Where is the toilet? (ce suo zai na li)
  • 不要味精 — No MSG, please (bu yao wei jing)

Rain gear and a written Chinese address are the two things that make a Yilan day work.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Yilan. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Apr · avoid Jul–Sep (typhoons and heavy rain) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for TPE: last trains and buses toward Yilan field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Yilan station and the old warehouses, the museum and memorial-hall quarter, Dongmen night market.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Taiwan Theater Museum, Yilan Museum of Art, Memorial Hall of Founding of Yilan Administration) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Typhoon and heavy-rain fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Taiwan

Sources