Maokong is a picturesque village located at the top of a mountain in the Wenshan District of Taipei. Steeped in tea culture, having once been the biggest tea growing area of Taipei, it is where you can rise above the bustle of the city to enjoying stunning views of it.
We visited Maokong on the second morning of our family holiday in Taipei, combining it with a trip to the Taipei Zoo, that’s located in the vicinity, in the afternoon. As we stayed near Ximending in Taipei, it was easy for us to take the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) from the Ximen Station to the Taipei Zoo Station.
From there, the best way to reach Maokong is by the Maokong Gondola, a cable car system that takes visitors through a 4 km ride up, offering panoramic views of the surroundings and Taipei city along the way.
There are altogether four passenger stations. From the lowest point at the Taipei Zoo stop to the highest at Maokong stop, the journey takes about 30 minutes. Not only is it convenient, it’s good fun too!
Since we had booked return tickets on Klook, we planned to take the gondola all the way up to the Maokong Station, spend some time at the village, then ride it down to the Taipei Zoo South Station for our zoo visit.
Our Klook tickets were not only 18% cheaper than the round-trip tickets sold at the Maokong Gondola ticketing booth for NT$260 each, they included a bonus double decker sightseeing night bus ride through Taipei city too!
Enjoy BIG Savings with Klook’s Summer Sale!
Klook is having a Summer Sale with up to 10% off Klook activities from 3 May to 30 June 2019. The promo codes for the Klook Summer Sale are:
<ESCAPE8> for 8% off Klook activities, min spend $150
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Maybe because we visited on a weekend, there was a considerable queue to the gondola platform. The line moved along rather quickly though, and we soon found ourselves ushered into a cable car.
You can choose to ride in an ordinary cable car or a glass-bottomed one. Both cost the same, but you’ll have to wait longer for the latter as there are only 31 of them, out of the 147 in operation.
Exiting from the Maokong Station, we were immediately drawn into the world of tea. Whether we took the road to the left, turned right, or walked straight ahead, we would encounter teahouses, tea gardens and cafes selling tea ice cream.
Many of the teahouses offer meals with a view. We took our early lunch at such a place and enjoyed the tea-infused cuisine, looking out to the picture postcard vista, with the iconic Taipei 101 standing out in the distance.
In the mood for local street food instead? You can get your fill from the food stalls lining the roads in Maokong.
If you’re game for a 20- to 30-minute uphill walk, the Taipei Tea Promotion Center offers an educational experience, with exhibits showcasing the machines used for tea processing and a big surrounding area that houses a tea garden, an ecological pond, and an osmanthus trail, among other features.
The unique combination of nature and culture at Maokong was definitely an interesting experience for city folks like us, made even more memorable by the scenic Maokong Gondola ride. Now to the zoo!
Enjoy BIG Savings with Klook’s Summer Sale!
Klook is having a Summer Sale with up to 10% off Klook activities from 3 May to 30 June 2019. The promo codes for the Klook Summer Sale are:
<ESCAPE8> for 8% off Klook activities, min spend $150
<ESCAPE10> for 10% off Klook activities, min spend $400
Get the full details on how you can enjoy SAVE on your holiday here.
