TAIPEI ZOO
Taipei Zoo is considered as the largest zoo in Asia located at Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is also the home to Yuan Zai, the first giant panda cub born in Taiwan. The zoo was originally privately owned zoological garden by a Japanese citizen way back 1914 yet after the ROC relocation, the place became public under the Taipei City Government.
The zoo, which is a perfect destination for both kids and adults, is accessible through Taipei MRT (Brown Line) and is 100 meters walking distance from the Taipei Zoo Station. Entrance fee (payable either with Easy Card or Cash) is 60NT$ for adult and 30NT$ for students. It is already cheap considering this is a 900-acres zoo and has numerous of animals and areas to visit from like Formosan Animal Area, Children’s Zoo, Asian Tropical Rainforest Area, Desert Animals, Australian Animals, African Animals, Temperate Zone Animals, and Birds World.
There are also food stalls, souvenir shops, and vending machines inside the zoo. At the entrance, you can stop by the visitor information center where you can get the whole map of the zoo which can guide you along the way. Be sure to wear your comfortable shoes as you need to walk for a couple of hours for you to enjoy the whole Taipei Zoo. There are also shuttle trains available inside but the route is for limited areas only. So, for those animal lovers out there, they will surely love this place.
MAOKONG GONDOLA
Maokong Gondola is a gondola lift (cable car) transportation system available in Taipei City going to Maokong Mountain for which it is widely known for its breathtaking view of Taipei City and locally-grown tea. Maokong Gondola is a 4.3km (2.7miles) line with four stations – Taipei Zoo, Taipei Zoo South, Zhinan Temple, Maokong.
You can pay it through Cash or Easy Card. There are two kinds of cable cars available: the normal cabin and the crystal cabin (glass-bottom cars) with a maximum of 5 passengers. I would suggest that you take the normal cabin in going to Maokong Station and Crystal Cabin in going back. This strategy is to avoid long qeues for the Crystal Cabin and save time as well.
As you go out the Maokong Station, there are a lot of food stalls that serves local delicacies and specialties. There are also cafes and restaurants where you can rest and stay for awhile.
Below is our sample itinerary for a Day Tour in Maokong Gondola and Taipei Zoo.
It would be better to have your Gondola Ride first if the weather is good because there might be suspension for cable cars if lightning or heavy rain strikes the area. Heavy rain can also ruin the view since fog will cover up the view above. Due to these unpredictable circumstances, make sure to check on the weather forecast before scheduling your trip to Maokong. TAKE NOTE! Maokong Gondola is close every MONDAYS for maintenance.
For more places to visit in Taiwan, check TAIWAN BLOGS.
Enjoy your vacation in Taiwan and I hope you have the most out of your stay here!
Is it okay to go to taipei zoo and maokong gondola in winter? I’m just wondering if the animals will still be outdoors or be indoors considering the cold weather. Thank you. 😊
[…] YAMVENTURES […]
Can we go down in every station or in Maokong station only? Is the NTD 120 good for a two-way journey? thank you
how long does it take to go to zoo from 101? is it better to take bus or subway?
Hello Helen! The travel time will take around 30-45minutes. Better to take MRT from Taipei Zoo to Taipei 101. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi how could i start my itinerary if iI am staying near zhongli railway station?I mean, how to get to Taipei station zoo to begin with maokong gondola?direction please.thanks!
Hello Catherine, if you are from Zhongli, it would be better to take the MRT from Taipei Main Station going to Daan Station. From there, you can change change line (RED to Brown) going to Taipei Zoo. Then from Taipei Zoo, you can already take the cable car from there. Hope this helps!
Hi, what is the operating hours of Maokong Gondola? 🙂
Hi John! Maokong Gondola is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00-21:00. They have their regular maintenance on Mondays 🙂
Going to Taiwan soon and I’m reconsidering Maokong gondola. I initially included it in my itinerary but removed it and opted for Tamsui.
Hi Kim! We can help you arrange your future tour here 🙂
Hi po! How can I go to MRT station ( brown line) if I will came from hsinchu xinfeng station? I have never been to taipei but i was planning to visit this august and I want to go to taipei zoo to see the panda ☺ thank you in advance for your reply 😊
If you will be from Hsinchu, you can take Train going to Taipei (Main) Station then from there, you take the Red MRT Line going to Daan MRT station. It is an intersection of Red and Brown Line.
Thank you so much! 😊
No problem! Our pleasure 🙂
That gondola seems to much fun, what a view!!!
The gondola ride lets you see a wonderful view of the whole Taipei especially the stunning Taipei 101.
This is a really informative post, plus who doesn’t like a day trip to the zoo! The panda looks amazing, hope to see them in person myself one day
Hi Lisa! The daytrip to the zoo is really worth it plus you get the chance to meet these amazing species personally 🙂
How cool! I have to go!
Hi Reema! You should definitely go here. Im sure that you will really enjoy your day trip here 🙂
Beautiful pics! Now i’m craving to go to Taiwan <3
Hi Mariia! You should definitely come and visit Taiwan because this country has so much to offer to its tourists 🙂
I always want to visit a zoo and these photos of yours are just aaaamazing! Maayo kaayo mu mukuha ug pics ba! 🙂 Great post you have here. By the way I’ve never tried riding a gondola, so I should put this on my list if ever I visit Taiwan! 😀
God Bless,
JM Kayne | #InMyHeart♥
Ive never been to Taiwan, didnt realize there was a gondola option there, how fun! I love when blog posts give informative info like costs etc. Helps other folks plan their best adventuers!
Hi! Its good to hear that you really appreciate our blog. We always wanted to give informative itineraries to our readers to make the most out of their stay here in Taiwan 🙂