Taipei Main Station

The route from the airport's arrival floor to the MRT is clearly marked on the floor, making it easy to navigate. The KKday counter is located along this route, making it easy to find. The staff at the counter provided excellent service in polite English. The exchange process was very smooth, and the price was also reasonable, which was great. I was initially confused about how to use the token, but once I realized that you read it at the automatic ticket gate and then insert it into the slot, it became very easy to use. The EasyCard is convenient because it can be used on the MRT, Taiwan Railways, buses, and more. We purchased 400 NTD top-ups for each member of our family. It was a 2-night, 3-day trip, and we visited major tourist spots and night markets in Taiwan, but it was very convenient as we only had to top up once at a convenience store along the way. When we arrived at Taoyuan Airport to request a refund on our return journey, we searched around for a counter, but it took us a while to realize that it could be done at the MRT ticket gate counter, so I recommend heading straight to the counter located right outside the ticket gate.

The bus tour departed at 12:30 PM, and our guide, Chen Qingxiang, was efficient in explaining things and making all the arrangements. She seemed to be around my age, but to us, she was like a reliable older sister. Thank you for all your help! My husband and I went on the tour, and most of the other participants seemed to be in their 20s. As the title suggests, we visited three locations. Travel time was just under an hour for each section, with stays of about an hour in Yehliu and Shifen, and about two hours in Jiufen. Below, I'll offer my personal comments on each location. - Yehliu: We went to Yehliu Geopark. After entering, we were free to do as we pleased. There was a long line at the most popular spot, Queen's Head. There are two photo spots here, and everyone is posing for photos, so be careful, as you'll likely spend quite a bit of time here. - Shifen: We were able to release lanterns on the train tracks. They took our lantern order on the bus. A single color was NT$200, four colors for NT$250, and there was also an eight-color option, but most groups seemed to choose the four-color option. They also took our order for charcoal-grilled chicken wings and ice cream crepes. We received them after the lanterns were released. We ordered two chicken wings, which I recall costing NT$160. The wings were stuffed with steamed rice, and they were delicious. We were told we could eat inside the restaurant (the restaurant also provided the lanterns), but there were no chairs in sight, and it seemed like no other participants were eating inside. We purchased a pineapple cake at a shop introduced by Mr. Chen. We were able to sample it, and it was indeed delicious. Jiufen: We signed up for the optional tea experience at Amei Teahouse. It included four types of tea snacks, and the staff member brewed the first cup of tea while explaining the process. We were told we could make five cups, so we ate five, and they gave us a bag to take home the unused tea leaves. This option was the reason I decided to take this tour. I was able to reserve a seat in advance, and the tea experience went smoothly without any waiting time.