Day 15 Yangmingshan

Yangmingshan is well worth the trip out of Taipei Central. It can be done in a day or even an afternoon. I have now been up there twice. If you are just going up for some casual walks then an afternoon should do it. If you are planning longer walks, say to Mt. Datun or Mt. Cising, then you need to plan out more and allow time for those walks which can be anything up to one hour just to get there from Yangmingshan itself.

The easiest way to get there is by bus. Taipei Main Station has the direct bus 260. I caught the 260 from Jiantan MRT and for just 30 NTD return. When you reach Yangmingshan there is a great little 7-11 (handy for free wi-fi) and a nice Starbucks for drinks later.

I walked to the Tourist information centre and the staff were very friendly in giving out information on walks but they did all speak in Chinese.In summer it gets hots; very hot. So do be prepared and have plenty of fluids. A good pair of walking shoes is also well advised.

Yangmingshan is a great escape from the noise of the central part of Taipei although, as I said, in summer, it is still hot. A great idea is to bus down a few stops to the Chinese Culture University and note the sign that denotes the Tianmu walking trail. By the time I found it it was too dark. This trail wanders downhill with steps all the way to Tianmu where one could bus to Zhishan MRT station. Leave yourself plenty of time to do this. In summer it is getting dark around 7.