Taipei to Wuling Farm - 2024 cherry blossom season - Camping - Maple Season/Autumn Foliage

Table of Contents

• 1. WULING FARM CHERRY BLOSSOMS
  • 1.1 When is the Wuling Farm cherry blossom season?
  • 1.2 Ways to go to Wuling Farm during the cherry blossom season
• 2. WULING FARM CAMPING
  • 2.1 How to book a tent/cabin in Wuling Farm Camping Area
  • 2.2 How to go to the Wuling Farm Camping Area
  • 2.3 Things to bring/consider when camping at Wuling Farm
• 3. WHEN TO SEE THE MAPLE/AUTUMN FOLIAGE AT WULING FARM
• 4. HOW TO GO TO WULING FARM DURING THE MAPLE SEASON
  • 4.1 by tripool taxi
  • 4.2 by Klook
  • 4.3 by bus
• 5. PLACES TO SEE AUTUMN FOLIAGE/MAPLE AT WULING FARM AND WHAT TO SEE
  • 5.1 Wuling Farm Visitor Information Center: maple, ginkgo, Formosan sweet gum trees on the mountain slopes
  • 5.2 Wuling National Hostel (Wuling Farm Guest House): pine tree, maple
  • 5.3 Wuling Veteran Farm Building: ginkgo, taiwan qingfeng
  • 5.4 Hoya Resort Wuling: pine tree
  • 5.5 Wuling Farm camping site/Alpine Botanical Garden: maple, pine tree

1. WULING FARM CHERRY BLOSSOMS

1.1 When is the Wuling Farm cherry blossom season?

The Wuling Farm cherry blossom season happens in February with its expected peak happening every February 20. Because of the changing weather patterns, it could becomed advanced or delayed by 7 days.

So what to do?

Know first how to go to Wuling Farm every month of February.

1.2 Ways to go to Wuling Farm during the cherry blossom season

There are 3 ways to go Wuling Farm

1. Klook has a Wuling Farm sakura package[Reserve here] but you have to get 4 tickets for a successful order. Choose the dates near Feb. 20, so you can have the best cherry blossom viewing experience.

2. Ride a bus from Yilan (Bus 1751 or 1764) or book a ride at tripool taxi from Taipei. Stay overnight at Hoya Resort, Wuling [Reserve here] or Wuling Farm Guest House [Reserve here] and wake up to see a thousand sakura flowers.

For tripool taxi and other private transportation, it is required to have an accomodation at Wuling Farm or at the camping site [More info here].

The car will be allowed to enter the farm if the plate number has been submitted and is on the official list. For tripool taxi: Book first a hotel accomodation at Wuling Farm then reserve the tripool taxi ride. Contact via the official e-mail about your hotel booking info and they will be the one to apply for the plate number pass at Wuling Farm. I know it's hard to get a room these days but your next option will be the camping site.

This limited control is for private cars (which includes taxis) will be imposed during the official sakura season in mid-February [TO BE ANNOUNCED]. Before or beyond that dates, it's ok to visit Wuling Farm via car without a confirmed accommodation.

3. Buy the NTD 730 round trip Taipei to Wuling Farm ticket at Taipei City Hall Bus Station (selling of tickets start at 2:00 pm) or any convenience store kiosk. I recommend getting the tickets at the bus station because you will have more choices on which date to go. But remember the peak happens every February 20.

For people living outside Taipei like Taichung. Tickets are available at convenience store kiosk but the tour will still start at either Taipei or Yilan.

The entrance ticket is already packaged together with the round trip bus fare from Taipei. When you're at the counter, you will be asked on which place you want to start. It's either Taipei Main Station or Taipei City Hall Bus Station. The departure time also varies and depends on what's available.

I have tried the Taipei Main Station to Wuling Farm route with a Travel Buddy. We went there last February 19. To find the bus stop, go out of the Taipei Main Station building and search for the Kuo-Kuang bus station [Google Map]. The bus will not wait for you so you have to be on time. Before entering the bus, you should be given a number card.

And that will be your pass to enter the bus again with the same plate number and seat number for the return trip to Taipei.

When looking for the bus stop, go outside the Taipei Main Station building.

We were almost late when we found the bus stop. My goodness! Haha!

The Taipei to Wuling Farm ticket with our return trip pass with indicated time of departure (13:50). The bus left Taipei Main Station at 5:50 am and travel time to Wuling Farm is 4 hours.

All passengers are dropped off here.

Take note of the bus plate number. There will be lots of buses parked at the Wuling Farm bus stop and you will easily get confused.

As an added tip: Take a photo of the bus plate number after arriving at Wuling Farm. Passengers will be dropped off near the peach orchard and everyone will walk to the Wuling Farm Visitor Information Center. That's the standard route for the Wuling Farm cherry blossom festival.

picnic under the sakura trees

TAIWAN CHERRY BLOSSOM VIEWING SPOTS

THINGS TO DO IN TAIPEI

2. WULING FARM CAMPING

Wuling Farm is not just a place to see cherry blossoms in Taiwan. The recreational area is also a perfect site to go camping. The young and old, singles or couples, friends and family members will enjoy eating meals together under the stars. Feel the coldness of the night and be awaken with the chirping of birds in the morning. Your stay in Wuling Farm's camping area will surely change the way you see and look at Taiwan. There are things to know if you want to camp here. I listed them below to help the increasing number of Taiwanderers have a successful trip.

Let's talk about camping in Wuling Farm

2.1 How to book a tent/cabin in Wuling Farm Camping Area?

There is an online booking system and prospective campers can go to this website: https://camping.wuling-farm.com.tw/camp/. It is written in Chinese but most of the text can be converted into English using Google Translate. The first thing that visitors must know is that there are different kinds of tents and cabins to rent and the available slots are indicated in the online booking system. Prospective campers can also call the office at +886-4-25901470 or +886-4-25901265 to reserve a slot. You can talk to them in English but speak slowly so they will have time to understand what you are saying.

online booking: Guests can book within 3 months from the current date

by phone: Reservations are accepted 7 days before the date of arrival

Screenshot of Wuling Farm's online booking system for its Camping Area

Screenshot from the online booking system of Wuling Farm for its Camping Area after getting a slot for Area D. I was charged NTD 300 as a reservation fee. The website is in Chinese but you can convert most of the text into English via Google Translate. Upon arriving at the campsite, I showed this image to the staff to make my transaction easier at the Camping Management Center.

The Camping Management Center in the morning. The office is open from 7:00 am to 9:30 pm.

The scene upon my arrival at the Camping Management Center.

My receipt after being re-assigned to Tent B-29. I was asked to pay NTD 1,500 but I gave only NTD 1, 200 because I already paid NTD 300 online.

Depending on your budget, you can stay in a European style house, sleep in a pre-assembled tent or have yourself assemble your own. You don't need to buy your own tent and bring it to Wuling Farm. You can borrow it from the Camping Management Center. The same goes for sleeping bags and other camping paraphernalia.

Price comparisons of the camping facilities at Wuling Farm. Weekdays are Sun to Fri. Holidays are Saturday, national holiday, winter and summer vacation periods. No pets allowed at the campsite. There are public showers and toilet at each camping area.

Camping Area	Camping board, tent or cabin?	Price per night	110V power plug?	Camping board/sleeping mat size	Shared parking or a personal parking space?	Camping time/check-in time
A/A-1/D/D-1/E	Camping board, set up your own tent	NTD 1,000	yes	300*320 cm or 320*220 cm camping board	personal parking space provided	Pitch camp time: 12 noon Strike camp time: 12 noon the following day
B	Tent provided, already assembled	NTD 1,300		210*240 cm sleeping mat	shared parking
C	Camping board, set up your own tent	NTD 1,500		420*420 cm camping board	personal parking space provided
	Tent provided, already assembled	NTD 1,800		240*240 cm sleeping mat
Cute camping cabin	cute cabin (The room does not have a bed nor a pillow)	NTD 1,800 (holidays) NTD 1,600 (weekdays)		195*195 cm sleeping mat
A1 (Camping cabin with view)		NTD 2,200 (holidays) NTD 1,800 (weekdays)		240*240 cm sleeping mat		Check-in time: 2:00 pm check-out time: 11 am the following day
Parking overnight (weekdays only)	Tent not allowed to set up or it will be charged as camping board	NTD 700	no	none	-	-

camping board

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A

Camping Area A1 (cabin with view)

Camping Area A1 (cabin with view)

Camping Area B

Camping Area B

Camping Area B

Camping Area B

Camping Area B

Camping Area B cute cabin

Camping Area B cute cabin

Camping Area B cute cabin

Camping Area B cute cabin

Camping Area B parking lot

Camping Area B parking lot

Camping Area C

Camping Area C

Camping Area D

Camping Area D

Camping Area D

Camping Area D

Camping Area D

Camping Area D parking lot

Camping Area D parking lot

Camping Area D parking lot

Camping Area D parking lot

Camping Area D parking lot

Camping Area E

Camping Area E

Camping Area E

Camping Area E

Camping Area E

I was successful in booking a tent in Area D which costs NTD 1,000. I paid a reservation of NTD 300 online and I would pay the rest upon arriving at the camping site. All of my plans changed, when I tried to register at the Camping Management Center. Campers wishing to stay at Area D must have prior experience in assembling a tent but I it was my first time to go camping. Yikes! Haha!

After paying, I was led by one of the staff of the Camping Management Center to Camping Area B and we searched for Tent B-29.

Tent B-29 in the morning

Inside Tent B-29. The sleeping mat (the one I'm lying) is moist and very cold at night so I made the right decision in choosing the NTD 200 sleeping bag (inside the black bag).

Area D is a DIY area and the staff put me in Area B where there are pre-assembled tents to make my life easier. The tents in Area B are priced at NTD 1,300 each and comes with its own 110 V electric socket, and a sleeping mat which I found to be very cold. All the tents were standing on top of a wooden platform so there is no need to worry that you will be sleeping above a field of grass.

The two kinds of sleeping bag/mat that you can rent at the Camping Managment Center.
Black bag: NTD 200 per night of rent, can tolerate temperatures below zero degrees Celsius.
Light blue bag: NTD 100 per night of rent. It's so thin!

Had it been that I came at 3:00 pm where there is still enough sunlight, I could have open my tent in Area B. But I arrived at 7:30 pm and there weren't enough lamp posts to illuminate the area so the best option was to stay in Area B. Aside from renting a tent, campers can also borrow a sleeping bag from the Camping Area Visitor Center. The sleeping mat wouldn't be enough to keep you warm at 5:00 am. It will be cold as the night and a little bit moist.

Sleeping bag types in Wuling Camping Area. To rent them, guests must register them on-site and they can be used until 12 noon the following day.

Temperature tolerance	Remarks	Rental Price per night
up to 5°C	Looks thin, not enough to keep you warm at 5 am in the morning when it is cold	NTD 100
up to -5°C	Like a winter jeacket, can keep you warm even when it snows in Wuling Farm	NTD 200

My chosen sleeping bag when unpacked

I was given two choices for the sleeping bag. One can keep you warm up to 5°C (price: NTD 100) and theother one up to -5°C (price: NTD 200). I chose the more expensive sleeping bag. The cheaper one is not thick enough to protect you from the winter-like environment in the forest. It turned out that I made the right choice. At 12:30 am, I woke up from after sleeping for four hours and it was freezing cold inside my tent. Temperatures were ranging from 9°C to 12°C at that time in Wuling Farm during my visit. I could still hear noises from the other tents but my sleeping bag kept me comfy. I closed my eyes again to continue dreaming of my exciting adventures in Taiwan.

Camping paraphernalia	Price per day of rental, up to 12 noon only
6 pax tent	NTD 500
Instant canopy	NTD 500
Gas stove	NTD 70
Camp lantern	NTD 100
Waterproof mat	NTD 50
Surge protector	NTD 50

2.2 How to go to the Wuling Farm Camping Area

If you want to camp, there is no public transportation that will take you to the Wuling Farm Camping Area [Google Map]. Although there are buses that take people from Lishan or Fengyuan to Wuling Farm, the bus stop[Google Map] is 5.5 kilometers away from the Camping Area. Locals usually go with their own cars. If you are a DIY traveler, you must arrange our own transportation in going to the camping site, or else you would have to hike for 5.5 kilometers before you can register and arrange your own tent.

Bringing your own car is a must when you want to go camping at Wuling Farm.

It's a bit risky to go to the Camping Area without your own car. Wuling Farm becomes dark after sunset and the staff at the Wuling Farm Visitor Center wouldn't be able to help you because they don't speak English. If you're able to book a yellow cab that would take you the Camping Area, then congratulations. But going back to the Wuling Station where you can wait for the bus, that would eventually take you to Yilan or Fengyuan is another story. The staff working at the Camping Management Center aren't good English speakers and they don't care if you have your own car or not. Calling the Wuling Farm Visitor Center or the Sheipa Police Station to ask for help will be useless. They would just tell you to walk to reach the bus stop.

2.3 Things to bring/consider when camping at Wuling Farm

a. There are shower rooms with hot water at the camping areas. No need to worry about washing your dishes because there are areas where you can clean them with flowing water from a faucet. Don't forget to bring your own soap and dishwashing liquid.

b. The Camping Management Center is open from 7:00 am to 9:30 pm. Aside from borrowing camping equipment like tent, sleeping bag or portable stove, campers can also buy food here.

The Camping Management Center at night

The office is still very busy as campers visit the office to rent stuff and buy some food.

Some of the food/items that you can buy from the Camping Management Center

c. Don't forget to bring a flashlight or an electric lamp. I already anticipated going inside a dark tent so I brought a flashlight (with batteries inside) before coming to Wuling Farm.

d. Bring your own pillow. The sleeping bag is not equipped with a soft pad large enough to put your head on when you are about to close your eyes. Before my trip, I bought a NTD 99 travel pillow from a Carrefour and it made my sleep comfortable.

The 110V electric socket (encircled in red) at the tents in Camping Area B

e. It will be perfect to bring an extension cord. Each camping board is equipped with a 110V electric socket where you can plug in your favorite devices. The extension cord would allow you to charge your cellphone or camera batteries while you are sleeping in the middle of the night. For campers staying in Area B, the electric sockets are placed on the side of the camping board.

f. Formosan macaques sometimes wander in the Camping Area. They are looking for food so campers must secure their valuable items inside a tightly packed and heavy bag which animals could not carry. I was more concerned with this information rather than the coldness of the night.

To keep the monkeys away from my tent, I made sure that I tightly zipped the windows and door, and I also didn't eat inside. These animals infer that the sound of a plastic bag means food to them. Reduce the noise inside your tent at night so you don't attract attention from these monkeys. Visitors are advised to put their garbage at the waste bins at the Camping Management Center.

THINGS TO DO IN TAICHUNG - CENTRAL TAIWAN

3. WHEN TO SEE THE MAPLE/AUTUMN FOLIAGE AT WULING FARM

Wuling Farm is picturesque every autumn! As the cold breeze of the northeasterly wind blows at Taiwan, colored leaves suddenly appear. The yellow Ginkgo, the orange hue of pine trees, and of course, the red shades of maple. Are you excited to see them in their dramatic colors?

While travellers in Taipei are hungry to experience autumn foliage in November, little that they did know they can see better it Yilan.

In another exciting travelogue of the luomujie blog's “Maple Series” I will take you to best place to see autumn foliage here on Taiwan's top cherry blossom viewing spot, Wuling Farm.

The best time to see maple/autumn foliage in Wuling Farm is from mid-November to mid-December. I been here to Wuling Farm twice during the maple season and the color change of the leaves is not consistent. So it could be very good this year but the following year it may not. I recommend visiting here around Nov. 20 when Fushoushan Farm is at its peak of its maple foliage. Most likely when you come to Wuling Farm on this day, you will see some Ginkgo leaves in their golden color.

4. HOW TO GO TO WULING FARM DURING THE MAPLE SEASON

4.1 by tripool taxi

If you are going as a group like a family with kids and elders, or just a group of friends, you can try tripool taxi. It's cheaper than Uber and this is your best option for private point-to-point transportation in Taiwan. See the fares below to go Wuling Farm from Taoyuan Airprot and Taipei.

4.2 by Klook

Klook has a "Wuling Farm tour from Taipei" package and the price looks cheap. The only problem here is you need to book as a group of 4 people. A little reminder: Taipei is 3 to 4 hours aways from Wuling Farm. So the bus would leave Taipei Main Station at around 7 am just to be at the recreational site at 11 am. Wake up late and you wasted your money.

Wuling Farm is not just a place to see cherry blossoms during spring. The autumn season is also good time to go here.

This bee is so big. It's bigger than my thumb. Yikes!

4.3 by bus

by bus: Luckily, I know a technique in which solo travellers would love to try. It's starting the trip from Yilan by boarding Bus 1751 or 1764. Get off at Wuling Farm stop and explore the surrounding areas to see the autumn leaves. For the return ride, the bus going to Taipei would come at the bus stop around 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm. If you will arrive at Wuling Farm at 10 am, I think you have enough time to wander around the Wuling Farm Visitor Information Center.

A word of caution: Wuling Farm is a very big place and not all maple viewing spot can be found in just one corner.

5. PLACES TO SEE AUTUMN FOLIAGE/MAPLE AT WULING FARM AND WHAT TO SEE

5.1 Wuling Farm Visitor Information Center: maple, ginkgo, Formosan sweet gum trees on the mountain slopes

Hop-off on the bus and run to the open area near the mountain slopes. The ginkgo trees and the maple trees are waiting for you. The maple leaves here are the type which five leaflets.

Compared to the soft Japanese maples that you would see at Fushoushan Farm. The ones you will see here are very fragile and bigger. With their heavier weight, it's easy for their tree to drop them, so they conserve their food/energy for the upcoming winter season. I suggest to lower your expectation when you go to Wuling Farm to see the maple leaves, because Fushoushan Farm is still the best place to go for experiencing autumn foliage.

Visitors enjoying to take photos with the ginkgo leaves.

But what Wuling Farm lacks in terms of the beauty of their maple leaves is the advantage that it has when it comes to the ginkgo trees. Also called as the grandfather trees, the ginkgo tree takes a generation to mature and have seeds. So if you're a young boy when you planted them, you're already a grandpa when you see them bear "fruits".

The ginkgo trees here at Wuling Farm are still young, and are growing taller as the years pass by. Look for the rows of the ginkgo here at the farm, and you might tell yourself that there's no need to go to South Korea. At the peak of the leaves' color change to yellow, they shine like gold on broad daylight.

There are also colored leaves on the mountain slopes. Have some time to look at the hills when you visit Wuling Farm.

5.2 Wuling National Hostel (Wuling Farm Guest House): pine tree, maple

Guests who opted to stay at Wuling National Hostel for at least one night can enjoy waking up and see red fallen leaves outside. DIY travellers don't need to worry because it's a walking distance from the Wuling Farm bus stop.

You will have to go to the direction of the entrance of the farm and cross the bridge. There will be path leading to a guesthouse, which looks similar in style to the Wuling Farm Veteran's building.

A maple leaf that you could also find at Alishan

Walk further and you will see an open area are surrounded with maple trees and pine trees and this is the area of the Wuling Farm Maple Log Cabin. Visitors love to go here and take photos especially when the feathers of the pine trees change to an orange color. Taking a selfie here is like giving a warm hug to the approaching winter season of Taiwan.

5.3 Wuling Veteran Farm Building: ginkgo, taiwan qingfeng

Sit on a chair and sip a hot cup of tea under the tall ginkgo tree at the Wuling Veteran Farm Building . It's hiding on one of its side.

When is the best time to see the ginkgo? Wait when the leaves turn into a golden yellow color.

Can you see the yellow ginkgo tree on this photo?

Around the Veterans Building is a tiny forest of qingfeng trees. With the help of the shining rays of the sun, their leaves sparkle, revealing their autumn hues. They are too tall to take selfies, but as the wind blows, their leaves fall one by one giving you a chance to take them home.

5.4 Hoya Resort Wuling: pine tree

Near the Hoya Resort Wuling are towering pine trees. Climb uphill to see them.

5.5 Wuling Farm camping site/Alpine Botanical Garden: maple, pine tree

I had the chance to camp at Wuling Farm and I was so amazed when I saw the foliage of the trees here. The only problem going to this place, is that you would need your own transportation to reach the campsite. It's more than five kilometers away from the Wuling Farm bus stop. I know you can walk but it would take hours.

If you're interested on how to camp here, then go back again to the Wuling Farm Camping section. There are lots of cabins/tents to choose from, ranging from those already assembled to just a wooden platform where you can set-up your own tent.

Aside from the pine trees, there are also the qinfeng and the red maple, bu they're not many. What I like the most about camping site is the scenery which is unique at Wuling Farm. Look at the mountains and can will see some shades of red and orange.

There's also a seasonal flower farm at the camping site!

See you again Wuling Farm!

MAPLE LOCATIONS IN TAIWAN