TAICHUNG TRAVEL GUIDE FOR A DAY : DIY ITINERARY, GUIDE & BUDGET

TAICHUNG TRAVEL GUIDE FOR A DAY : DIY ITINERARY, GUIDE & BUDGET || Thinking where to go beyond Taipei? Let me share with you My Trip to Taichung, approx. 2 hours travel time from Taipei City.

This was part of my 5D/4N Trip to Taiwan where I spent Day 4 in Taichung.

RELATED : TAIWAN TRAVEL GUIDE : DETAILED ITINERARY FOR 5D/4N

My pinterest photo peg! I exclaimed, looking at how Taichung looks like thru photos with flowers and sweets and everything cute and pink. With the greenery view, unusual place to look and visit by the tourists, I knew that this trip could really be a great idea.

For this trip you have an option for a DIY Escapade thru train and bus and cab or you may do the same way that I did where I rented a van service for a whole day exploration.

I did series of research on this, and I wanted to make sure that I’ll be able to visit the places I’ve searched for!! With the least amount of money to splurge I go for a private van tour.

Taichung, known as an industrial city on the western side of central Taiwan. Is a  gateway for exploring the island’s mountainous interior, including nature. It is Taiwan’s second largest city next to Taipei.

HOW TO GO TO TAICHUNG FROM TAIPEI? :

Option 1;

• ride the express train from Taipei Main Station to Taichung for an hour, one way would cost around NTD 600 – 700 or Php 1,170-1,365 so around NTD 1,200 or Php 2,240 for two-way trip.
• After alighting the Taichung Station, you may DIY bus by checking actual time of pick-up and drop off to the places you’d want to head. But trust me, it’ll take much time to locate one site to the other and you’d end up riding cab.
• DIY is possible if you’d only want to visit 1 or 2 specific spots in Taichung, but as for me, I’d like to maximize this trip with all my travel checklist J

Option 2; Rent a van service for whole day Taichung Trip.

It was initially me and my best friend flying to Taiwan, and when I inquired about car service the cheapest I got was NTD 7,000 or roughly Php 15,000 for the whole day trip. I posted over my FB page and thru the DIY Travel group on FB scouting and hoping they’ll be fellow Filipinos traveling at the same time.

And luckily I got 4 of them!!! Hooray!!!

So we were six already to share the NTD 7,000 Van Service Ride. So approx. NTD 1,170 per person for the whole trip. What makes it more cheaper is the fact that the service fetched us straight from Taipei where our hotel is staying, which makes us save for the train transpo going to Taichung.

My driver was a Filipino who turned out to be a childhood bestfriend of my DAD hahahahaha!! Small world it is.

• Here’s his number if you need a service, contacted him via viber +886988-493-677 Mr. Edward Tecson | He was so kind to let us finished our itinerary for the day.

We started the trip by 9AM and ended it and back to Taipei by 10PM, there was no extra charge as well. It was me who decides on the list of places to go on the day and I just consulted our driver on the right flow of the trip, which turns out pretty well and good for us.

ACCOMMODATION

If you are thinking of spending an overnight stay in Taichung, try to look for hostel options or you may opt for an Airbnb room instead.

If you are booking Airbnb for the first time, please use my special link to get discount on your first stay! : https://www.airbnb.com/c/nathalies2488?currency=PHP

ITINERARY IN TAICHUNG FOR A DAY

• Houli / Zhong She Flower Farm – NTD 120 or with BBQ Buffet for lunch NTD 280 with the Houli Entrance Fee.

• We started our Taichung trip with Houli Flower Farm, It is a flower farm filled with various types and colors of flowers. Very Instagrammable and a nice place to roam around and play around. It could have been better to visit this on “ber” months as the flowers when we visited were drying maybe due to the striking sun and heat of summer (August)
• Everywhere you go, you’ll definitely have a photo op. An hour and a half may be enough to explore this place, depending on your photo op schedule hahaha!!!

Since we arrived in Houli at around 11AM, after walking around we availed the BBQ Buffet as well  worth NTD 160 per person, it lets you cook and fry chicken, pork, beef and veggies as much as you can, which was pretty good 🙂 and I must say that it is cheap enough for the price. You may eat for max of 2 hours and should be a minimum of 4 pax per table if not, you need to add additional NTD 50

I tell you that it is better to eat here as the sites and places to see on next have more expensive rates on food and drinks

• Xinshe Castle –NTD 250 Entrance Fee | NTD 100 is consumable for the resto or souvenir house

• Lavender Cottage – NTD 150 – Entrance Fee | NTD 100 is consumable

• Almost an hour of travel time, as this is hard to go to.
• This is like a retreat house area, with coffee and resto shop. Situated on top of a mountainous trail. If you are a nature lover and would love to immerse in the greenery forestry feels and field you go for this.
• However, since I kinda felt that I have immersed with all flowers and gardenish all day I could skip this one as part of the Taichung trip

• I’m Talato – NTD 150 minimum order per person for 2 scoop of gelato with cone.

• This was located at Taichung City Proper, It took us an hour of travel time to be here, just in time before it closes at 7:30PM!!!
• My main favorite part of the day is the trip to this cute and pink ice cream shop!!! I was super excited to finally see a pinterest peg for my presentations before hahaha!!
• It was just a simple photo op area but I was looking at this peg ever since so I was super excited about this. Do not raise your standards as it may not be your thing hahaha!! *disclaimer
• There is a minimum of NTD 150 per person, and you need to purchase first before you enjoy the photo op session 🙂  hahaha!!
• Note : If you prefer more on a Harry Potter feels Ice Cream Shop you may head to Miyahara instead, the interiors and everything were all so beautiful!! but the price of the food were pretty much expensive, if that isn’t a problem to you — go for it!!

• Rainbow Village – FREE
  • It was past 7pm when we made it to the Rainbow Village, tourists usually visit this place in the morning. But I say, it was great to see it by night as well. There were less people and we were able to appreciate its lanterns around.
  • You won’t take much time to roam around this cute village but it is very colorful and cute.
  • Going to Rainbow Village only took us around 10 – 15 mins from the Ice Cream Shop before we headed back in Taipei.

It was past 8PM already when we finished at Rainbow Village, there is no traffic in Taiwan but our travel time was still 2 hours from Taichung to Taipei, back to our accommodation area.

We decided to have our dinner over Ximending Night Market as it is the nearest in our place and was also my favoriteeeeeee!!! Hahahaah!!!

I must say that I enjoyed our Taichung Trip!! And it was really one of the highlight of my Taiwan Escapade. A day of exploration and It was a great to see Central Taiwan.

Here’s the summary of my Taichung Expense :

Please do note that this itinerary and expense summary was based on my personal trip and travel. Everything might be subject to change.

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To more travel destinations. – xoxo

*All photos were all original from the blogger @nathaliecsalcedo