Summary
Because Yilan is very close to Taipei, it is often chosen as a suburban travel destination for Taipei residents during weekends and holidays. Excluding the inconvenience of driving to Yilan and being restricted by factors such as high passenger load control, choosing to take a bus to Yilan and then renting a motorcycle for travel may be a good choice. This itinerary focuses on how to ride a motorcycle to explore Yilan and arrange a two-day, one-night light travel itinerary in Yilan, so that you can easily visit the main IG attractions in Yilan without traveling far.
One-day and Two-day Itinerary in Yilan
Yilan is very close to Taipei, and it takes about 1.5-2 hours by car or bus via National Highway No. 5 to reach there.
Popular Attractions in Yilan
There are many tourist attractions in Yilan, but if you are traveling from Taipei, most of them will be concentrated in the towns between Toucheng and Su’ao…such as the Lanyang Museum, Luodong Night Market, Nanfang’ao Fishing Port, etc. If you have a two-day itinerary, you can consider arranging a trip to Datong Township or Nan’ao.
Transportation Options in Yilan
When arranging a trip to Yilan, both driving and riding a motorcycle are very convenient. I personally recommend taking a bus to Yilan and then renting a motorcycle for travel. The advantage is that you don’t have to worry about getting stuck on National Highway No. 5, and it will be easier to find parking spaces during the peak travel season. However, riding a motorcycle from Jiaoxi to Luodong is also a short distance, so you can make appropriate adjustments to your itinerary. For motorcycle rental, I recommend renting for two separate days so that you don’t have to travel back and forth between the north and south, or choose a rental service that allows you to rent in one place and return in another. The “https://www.facebook.com/pang.pang.motorcycle/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener” rental service I chose for this trip provides this kind of service, which saves a lot of time and is very convenient.
Online Motorcycle Rental in Yilan
Here are a few attractions in Yilan that are worth including in your one-day or two-day itinerary, and I recommend them to everyone.
Ji Mi Square Park in Yilan
Ji Mi Park, located at Yilan Station, is still a popular spot for Yilan sightseeing and taking photos, even though it has been open for several years. It includes famous scenes from Ji Mi’s picture books, such as the Happiness Transfer Station, the scenes from “Turn Left, Turn Right,” and the “Doudou Forest” with the flying train. Every corner is a place where people stop to take pictures. It is highly recommended for friends or couples to visit Yilan.
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On Shen Nong Road, which is about a 10-minute walk from Ji Mi Square, there is a Yilan local recommended restaurant called “Pizza Guest.” Although the storefront decoration may not be eye-catching, their signature dish, “Cola Chicken” roasted chicken, is definitely not inferior to the famous Xiang Ji Roast Chicken in Yilan! In addition to Cola Chicken, I also highly recommend ordering a 10-inch pizza to taste. How delicious is it? You can imagine that the two of us finished half a chicken and a 10-inch pizza!
Sanqi Boulevard in Yilan
Taitung has its own Boulevard, and Dongshan Township in Yilan also has the “Sanqi Boulevard.” The golden season when the rice is ready for harvest in June is the most beautiful time to visit Sanqi Boulevard. If you have a drone, you can bring it along and capture a different perspective, overlooking the magnificent and vast golden rice fields in a more beautiful way.
Further Reading: [Yilan] Dongshan Sanqi Beautiful Trail | Yilan Boulevard's Beautiful Painted Rice Fields
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Chung Hsing Cultural and Creative Park
Chung Hsing Cultural and Creative Park is a newly emerging attraction in Yilan, officially opened to the public in early 2018. The park was formerly the “Chung Hsing Paper Mill,” which closed down in 2001 due to international price fluctuations and economic changes. After being taken over by the Yilan County Government in 2014, it was gradually opened and transformed into the current Chung Hsing Cultural and Creative Park. The factory buildings in the park have retained their original appearance and have only undergone simple cleaning and transformation. It is a popular spot for many art enthusiasts and photography enthusiasts. You can easily spend one or two hours wandering around. It is highly recommended to include it in your itinerary when visiting Yilan.
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Little Wooden House on Sky Island
The “Little Wooden House on Sky Island” in Jiaoxi is actually a unique Yilan-style homestay (Homestay Official Website). Although we didn’t choose to stay there this time, we still made a detour because it is very close to our accommodation in Jiaoxi. The biggest feature of the homestay is that the roof is painted in colorful colors, and the homestay is located in the middle of a large field, making it very eye-catching and prominent. It has become a popular homestay with high popularity. Perhaps it can also be considered as one of the choices for your next visit to Yilan.
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Toucheng Coastal Forest Park
Toucheng Coastal Forest Park in Toucheng not only offers a beautiful view of the Yilan coast and a distant view of Turtle Island, but also unexpectedly became one of the popular Yilan attractions on the internet because of its octagonal-shaped observation deck. When you enter the octagonal-shaped observation deck, you can take unique portrait photos whether you shoot from top to bottom or from bottom to top. The 360-degree staircase surrounding the observation deck also makes it a popular photo spot. However, besides the octagonal tower, there is no other good spot to take photos in Toucheng Coastal Park. If you can’t arrange it in your itinerary, it’s not necessary to include this location.
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Ching-He Bridge Qingmei Trail & Yilan Brick Kiln
Ching-He Bridge Qingmei Trail and Yilan Brick Kiln are two attractions that are very close to each other, with a travel time of only about 3-5 minutes by car, so they are introduced together and can be arranged as a combined visit. Ching-He Bridge Qingmei Trail is located next to Yilan Social Welfare Hall (the exterior of Yilan Social Welfare Hall is also very distinctive). Because the trail itself combines ruins and industrial features, you can take very distinctive portrait photos on the long corridor of the trail. Strictly speaking, Ching-He Bridge Qingmei Trail is just a pedestrian bridge, but because of its architectural features, it is still worth a visit as a Yilan attraction.
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Yilan Brick Kiln is an antique-level attraction in Yilan with a history of over a hundred years. It has regained popularity on Instagram in recent years. With its well-preserved red brick houses and towering chimneys, it is very eye-catching and attractive even if you simply take photos of the brick kiln itself.
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Rabbit Maze Cafe
The “Rabbit Maze Cafe” in Yuanshan Township is one of the best places for Yilan residents to enjoy the night view of Yilan and a good place for families to take their children for a walk. It is also a popular dating spot for couples. Admission to the park requires a ticket of NT$150 (which can be fully redeemed for food and drinks in the cafe). In addition, there are many artificial landscapes in the park, which are very suitable for couples to take photos. Order a drink or coffee, enjoy the gentle breeze, and spend a leisurely afternoon with your loved one. In 2017, the Rabbit Maze Cafe opened the “Sky Walk,” which attracts many people, although there may be a queue for taking photos on it.
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Su’ao Su’ Dong Tunnel
The Su’ao Su’ Dong Tunnel, which was opened at the end of 2021, uses 3D painting to light up every half hour, instantly transforming the originally calm tunnel into a beautiful 3D underwater tunnel! Su’ Dong Tunnel is adjacent to Nanfang’ao Fishing Port and is very suitable to visit when arranging a trip to Nanfang’ao.
Further Reading: [Yilan] Su'ao Su' Dong Tunnel | 3D Underwater Painted Tunnel, Recommended Yilan Su'ao Rainy Day Attraction
