Updated:2026-03-31
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Yilan County
Just about an hour’s ride from Taipei by train or bus, Yilan County is known for its Jiaoxi hot springs, rich forestry heritage, the highest number of Leisure Agriculture Areas in Taiwan, and a wide variety of distinctive agritourism farms. It’s an ideal destination to slow down, unwind, and embrace a more relaxed pace of life.
Recommended Itineraries and Experiences
Pacific Whale Watching and Rural Experiences
Whale watching in Taiwan is concentrated in three counties—Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung. From May to September, during the annual whale-watching season, travelers can visit the Shin Gang Ao Leisure Agriculture Area in Toucheng Township and set out from Wushi Harbor to observe whales at sea while taking in views of Yilan’s iconic Guishan Island. If you’re interested in Taiwan’s brewing traditions and mountain village culture, consider visiting Toucheng Leisure Farm or Cangjiu Winery in the hills above Toucheng. Set amid beautiful landscapes, both offer buffets made with local ingredients. Cangjiu Winery, in particular, stands out for its distinctive fruit wines, brewed with regional kumquats and plums.
Stepping into Local Kitchens: Traditional Market Tours
Near Yilan Railway Station, you’ll find an in-depth guided market experience led by local hosts offering tours in English and Japanese. They take visitors into bustling traditional markets to sample hidden local specialties known mainly to residents, while introducing regional ingredients and even specialty knife shops—an immersive way to experience Yilan’s market culture through all five senses.
Retro Train Stations and Scallion Fields
Sanxing Township is a key stop on the way to Taipingshan and is famous for its charming wooden railway station and Taiwan’s most renowned scallions. Tiansongpi Station was once an important stop on the forest railway used to transport timber and has since become a popular photo spot. Surrounding Tiansongpi are vast scallion fields. Thanks to local growing methods and climate, Sanxing scallions mature slowly, producing especially sweet and tender white stalks. Several nearby farms offer hands-on scallion harvesting, where visitors can also make authentic scallion pancakes themselves. Freshly fried, the pancakes are crisp on the outside and juicy inside—a must-try delicacy when visiting Yilan.
Green Travel Along the Dongshan River
Near Dongshan Station, Dongshan Excellent Food Agricultural Park is a cultural hub converted from former grain warehouses. Here, you can shop for Su Hsin Black Tea grown by local farmers and refined agricultural products, or enjoy afternoon tea in thoughtfully designed spaces.
Misty Forest Railways and Tea Country
Yilan’s Taipingshan was once one of Taiwan’s three major forestry areas, boasting spectacular giant-tree forests, ferns, mosses and other natural ecosystems, with sections of the forest railway dating back to the Japanese rule period still preserved. On the way to Taipingshan, stop by the Yulan Leisure Agriculture Area, a renowned tea-growing region dotted with plantations overlooking the beautiful Lanyang River valley. Visitors are recommended to visit a tea garden, savoring the distinctive flavor of locally grown tea.
Recommended Itineraries and Experiences
Pacific Whale Watching and Rural Experiences
Whale watching in Taiwan is concentrated in three counties—Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung. From May to September, during the annual whale-watching season, travelers can visit the Shin Gang Ao Leisure Agriculture Area in Toucheng Township and set out from Wushi Harbor to observe whales at sea while taking in views of Yilan’s iconic Guishan Island. If you’re interested in Taiwan’s brewing traditions and mountain village culture, consider visiting Toucheng Leisure Farm or Cangjiu Winery in the hills above Toucheng. Set amid beautiful landscapes, both offer buffets made with local ingredients. Cangjiu Winery, in particular, stands out for its distinctive fruit wines, brewed with regional kumquats and plums.
Stepping into Local Kitchens: Traditional Market Tours
Near Yilan Railway Station, you’ll find an in-depth guided market experience led by local hosts offering tours in English and Japanese. They take visitors into bustling traditional markets to sample hidden local specialties known mainly to residents, while introducing regional ingredients and even specialty knife shops—an immersive way to experience Yilan’s market culture through all five senses.
Retro Train Stations and Scallion Fields
Sanxing Township is a key stop on the way to Taipingshan and is famous for its charming wooden railway station and Taiwan’s most renowned scallions. Tiansongpi Station was once an important stop on the forest railway used to transport timber and has since become a popular photo spot. Surrounding Tiansongpi are vast scallion fields. Thanks to local growing methods and climate, Sanxing scallions mature slowly, producing especially sweet and tender white stalks. Several nearby farms offer hands-on scallion harvesting, where visitors can also make authentic scallion pancakes themselves. Freshly fried, the pancakes are crisp on the outside and juicy inside—a must-try delicacy when visiting Yilan.
Green Travel Along the Dongshan River
Near Dongshan Station, Dongshan Excellent Food Agricultural Park is a cultural hub converted from former grain warehouses. Here, you can shop for Su Hsin Black Tea grown by local farmers and refined agricultural products, or enjoy afternoon tea in thoughtfully designed spaces.
Misty Forest Railways and Tea Country
Yilan’s Taipingshan was once one of Taiwan’s three major forestry areas, boasting spectacular giant-tree forests, ferns, mosses and other natural ecosystems, with sections of the forest railway dating back to the Japanese rule period still preserved. On the way to Taipingshan, stop by the Yulan Leisure Agriculture Area, a renowned tea-growing region dotted with plantations overlooking the beautiful Lanyang River valley. Visitors are recommended to visit a tea garden, savoring the distinctive flavor of locally grown tea.