Well laid out station, conveniently located near the MRT station and with a lane out front for taxi/car pickups. The staff is helpful and there are some cute photo booths on the 2nd/3rd floors. Note that EasyPass can be used to take the gondola, but other cards like iCash are not accepted. There are machines outside as well as on the 4th floor to purchase paper tickets, and you can use iCash/iPass on those. Note that Taiwan residents with their Taiwan ID get a discount so their tickets are 50NT. Regular price is 120NT on the weekends, and on weekdays it is 100NT if you are using an EasyPass. If you need to purchase from the machine it is always 120NT. Also note there are two different lines for crystal (clear bottom) gondolas and regular ones. Crystal gondolas seat 5, regular ones seat 8. The wait for a regular one will only be a few mins, but for a crystal one it may take longer since they don't come as frequently so you need to queue. The view from the crystal gondola is best during...
Read moreMaokong Gondola was originally built as a means to encourage tourists to learn about Taiwan teas and bring commerce to a much neglected and rural section of South Western Taipei. It definitely succeeded in both. The gondola provides awesome views of New Taipei City, and if it's a clear day (which is and isn't often), you can actually see views of Taipei City. Taipei 101 is pretty visible even through overcast skies. Once you get to the top, take in the views at one of the local tea cafes, where they also serve tea infused meals, or desserts if you aren't hungry. You can hike up to the top gondola area if you know the routes to take, or from any of the other way stations on the way there. If you're afraid of heights, skip the glass bottom experience. It also makes no sense to pay extra at night. You can use Easypass, and it does cost more than your MRT ride, but it is kind of a once in a...
Read moreCame here after visiting the zoo and it was already dark by the time I got on the gondola. The gondola only had a very dim light and I couldn't view much of the sight near me, I could only see Taipei's illuminated skyline from faraway. The gondola system was impressive and it took me around 20 mins to get from the Zoo station to Mao Kong station. If you're travelling at a public holiday and is only visiting to experience the gondola system, I would suggest not to travel the entire system until Mao Kong station, instead, get off 1 station eariler at Zhinan Temple Station. I visited at the Chinese New Year and lined up for only around 15 minutes at the Zoo station to get on the gondola, but lined up for around 45 minutes at the Mao Kong station just for...
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