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Voykit pocket guide · 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.
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.
- Country
- Taiwan
- Local name
- 宜蘭
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jul–Sep (typhoons and heavy rain)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TWD
- Money
- Night markets, breakfast shops and many small restaurants take cash only; carry NT$1,000–2,000 in small notes.
- Daily spend
- Budget NT$1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid NT$2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High NT$3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at TPE and KHH arrivals; a passport plus a second photo ID is required (check).
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Tourism helpline (24 h) 0800-011-765
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 110 V · 60 Hz · US and Japanese plugs fit; European, UK and Australian plugs need an adapter, and 220 V-only appliances need a converter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; a 10% service charge appears in many sit-down places and hotels.; Taxis: No tip; round up if you like.; Hotel porter: Not expected; NT$100 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not required; NT$200–500 a day or a meal is a thank-you.
- Water
- Treated at source, but locals boil or filter it. Filtered hot-and-cold dispensers are in stations, hotels and many public buildings; bottles cost NT$20–30.
- Toilets
- Free, clean toilets in every MRT station, convenience stores and department stores; paper goes in the toilet in most new buildings — follow the sign.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | NT$60–150 |
| Noodle or rice bowl | NT$80–180 |
| Night-market snack (scallion pancake, chicken cutlet) | NT$30–80 |
| Beer: convenience store can / bar | NT$40–70 / NT$150–250 |
| Train Yilan → Taipei | NT$200–280 |
| Scooter rental, one day | NT$400–700 |
| Museum entry | NT$30–100 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- 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
Typical fares
- Train Taipei → Yilan
- about NT$250, 1 h 30 min–2 h
- Train Yilan → Jiaoxi
- about NT$40, 20–25 min
- Taxi in Yilan city
- metered from about NT$100
Get 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 and do
Known for
- Birthplace of Taiwanese opera (gezaixi)
- Dongmen night market
- Japanese-era public buildings
- Gateway to Jiaoxi hot springs and the east coast
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jiaoxi | Train on the Yilan line from Yilan station, about 20–25 min | About 40 min |
| Toucheng | Train north on the Yilan line, about 25–30 min | About 45 min |
| Suao | Train south on the Yilan line, about 40–50 min | About 1 h |
| Wujie | Train to Luodong, then bus or taxi | About 1 h |
| Datong Township | Bus or car up the mountain roads | 1.5–2 h |
| Nanao | Train south along the coast, about 1 h 20 min | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 不好意思bu hao yi si |
| Thank you | 謝謝xie xie |
| How much is it? | 多少錢？duo shao qian |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡嗎？ke yi shua ka ma |
| Where is the toilet? | 廁所在哪裡？ce suo zai na li |
| No MSG, please | 不要味精bu yao wei jing |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A nod or light handshake; 'nǐ hǎo'; avoid: Hugs with new acquaintances
- Handing things: Two hands for cards, gifts and money; avoid: Tossing money on the counter
- Gifts: Fruit or a boxed sweet for hosts; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, pears and anything in fours — they sound like death or parting
- MRT: Queue at the markings, give up priority seats; avoid: Eating, drinking or chewing gum past the gates
- Temples: Enter right, exit left; one or three sticks of incense; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; pointing at deities
- Home visit: Shoes off; slippers provided; avoid: Writing names in red ink
- Sensitive topics: Follow your host's lead; many people hold a range of views on identity and cross-strait ties; avoid: Assuming everyone thinks the same about China or the ROC's status
Scams and watch-outs
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yilan yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Birthplace of Taiwanese opera (gezaixi)
- Dongmen night market
- Japanese-era public buildings
- Gateway to Jiaoxi hot springs and the east coast
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Taiwan Tourism Administration: eng.taiwan.net.tw/
- Taiwan Railways Administration: www.railway.gov.tw/tra-tip-web/tip?lang=EN_US
- Wikivoyage: Yilan, revision 5273167 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5273167
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Yilan宜蘭
請到這個地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Tourism helpline (24 h)0800-011-765
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.
Rain gear and a written Chinese address are the two things that make a Yilan day work.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/yilan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.