Day Trip: Wulai Waterfall & Hot Springs

Wulai is home to the largest waterfall in Northern Taiwan. That said, we came, saw and weren’t that impressed. It’s a super convenient trip for getting some fresh air and the food’s amazing, but something just didn’t do it for me. We weren’t able to enjoy the river at all as the public pools have been destroyed and closed off. Similarly, we weren’t able to get near the waterfall. It just served as a pretty backdrop, which is nice, but if that’s what you’re looking for, Shifen Waterfall is the better option.

We also tested out the Lover’s Walk, which was a joke (Don’t waste your time.) and a hot spring hotel. The hotel was nice: clean, peaceful and with windows overlooking the mountains. It would have been perfect if the water had actually had sulfur in it, which it didn’t. It just felt like piped in hot water. So, for enjoying natural hot springs, I’d recommend somewhere else, like XinBeitou.



Maybe we just didn’t do it right and missed something that would have made it more memorable. Again, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad and we had a good day. The highlight was probably relaxing our tired city legs at the hotel. It was nice, but there are better waterfalls and hot springs to be had in Northern Taiwan. The one thing the area does get right is the food. It was some of the best street food we’ve had on the island, so eat up 😊

On a parting note, beware of taxi drivers. Cars aren’t actually allowed back to the waterfall, but that doesn’t stop drivers from claiming that they can get you there. Just know that “take you to the waterfall” actually translates to driving two minutes around the corner to a road block. Upon seeing this, we were not amused and felt superior in our decision to hoof it. There are similar scams at Shifen.

Wulai vs. Shifen

My boyfriend completely disagrees with me on this one, saying that the easy transport and excellent food makes Wulai a better choice. I disagree: Wulai is the tallest; Shifen is the prettiest. While Wulai may be easier to get to, it’s not near any other fun attractions. Shifen is more difficult to access, but it’s located on the Pingxi Line, making it an easy jump off point for other great activities, such as the Sandiaoling Waterfall Hike or Lingjiao Cliff Jump. You also won’t find any hot springs, but there will be lots of locals making and releasing lanterns. Broken down, the score is:

	Wulai	Shifen
Location		⭐
Transport	⭐
Food	⭐
Lanterns		⭐
Hot Spring	⭐
Scenery		⭐
Taxi Scams	⭐	⭐

Getting Around

This is an easy and inexpensive little day trip. We were playing tour guide and to maximize time, we did this and the gondola all in day. Just catch the 849 bus from Xindian Station and ride it to Wulai. Wulai is popular with both locals and tourists, so start early unless you’re all right with standing, which isn’t a huge issue as it’s less than an hour.  At Wulai station, follow your nose into town, down the old street and then either catch the tram or walk to the waterfall. There are more food stalls and souvenir shops at the base of the waterfall, so you could bypass the town and head straight there.