The Xitou Nature Education Area (溪頭自然教育園區) is a mountain forest park in Nantou County run by National Taiwan University's Experimental Forest. It is a cool, green escape from the city: walking trails through tall trees, a pond with a bamboo bridge, and air that feels a world away from Taichung's streets. A direct tourist bus makes it an easy day out.
- Hours Entry from 07:00; no entry after 17:00
- Entry NT$250 adults; NT$200 students 12 and over; NT$130 children 6 to 11; NT$40 seniors 65 and over; under 6 free
- Bus 6883 Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Xitou Line, from Gancheng Station or HSR Taichung Station (Exit 5, Platform 2)
- Fare NT$192 from Gancheng Station, NT$163 from HSR Taichung Station, one way
- Ride About 75 minutes from the HSR station, about 95 minutes from Gancheng
Good to know: mountain parks close after typhoons. Xitou closed on 23 and 24 October 2026 for a typhoon and reopened normally on 25 October, and the forest office warns that landslides, rockfalls and fallen trees are still possible after heavy rain. Check the park notices on the morning you go.
How to get to Xitou from Taichung
Nantou Bus runs the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Xitou Line (台灣好行溪頭線, 6883) from Gancheng Station (干城站), No. 35-8, Section 1, Shuangshi Road in central Taichung, and from HSR Taichung Station, where it leaves from Platform 2 at Exit 5 on the first floor. On the timetable we checked, the first buses leave Gancheng at 06:40, with frequent runs through the morning; the last bus back leaves Xitou at 17:20. Some runs skip the city stops, so check the board.
Tap an EasyCard or iPASS on and off, or pay at the Nantou Bus counters. There is no cash ticket office at Xitou for the trip back, so carry a transit card, or buy a token from the driver. → EasyCard and iPASS
Coming from Sun Moon Lake instead? The Sun Moon Lake to Xitou line (日月潭溪頭線, 6801) links the two for NT$185 one way. → Sun Moon Lake
What to see
The park has ten marked trails, from the short University Pond walk to a longer hiking trail. Good ones for a first visit:
- University Pond (大學池): the pond with the arched bamboo bridge, the picture everyone takes. The forest office posted a notice on 12 October 2026 about renovation of the bamboo bridge, so check whether it is open.
- Giant Tree Trail (神木步道): stone paths through the old forest.
- Bird-Watching Trail (賞鳥步道) and Riverside Trail (沿溪步道): quieter walks, with a suspension bridge on the bird-watching trail.
- Ginkgo Trail (銀杏步道): the ginkgo grove has been under a temporary closure notice because of fungal rot that can bring trees down; where you are allowed through, keep moving.
By the bus stop, Monster Village (妖怪村) is a themed street of snack and souvenir shops.
Before you go
- No pets. Dogs, cats and other mammals are not allowed in the park.
- Watch your bags. The forest office warns that monkeys have been snatching visitors' things.
- Bring a layer. It is cooler and damper than the city, and the trails are wet after rain.
- Afternoon discount in summer. From 1 April to 30 September, adult and student tickets drop to NT$130 from 15:00 to 17:00.
→ Cingjing and Hehuanshan · Taichung as a base for central Taiwan · All day trips
Sources
Hours, tickets, trails, closures and notices from the NTU Experimental Forest's Xitou site: tickets, trails, transport and park notices. The 6883 bus, fares and stops from the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Xitou Line page and its timetable; the 6801 fare from the Sun Moon Lake Xitou Line page. Checked October 2026.