Taichung Launches Six More NT$100 Sightseeing Bus Tours – Food and Fun Included, On Sale May 13

▲ This year marks the 8th anniversary of Taichung’s City Tour Guide Bus, which offers all-inclusive fun for NT$100 plus a souvenir. (Photo / Provided by Taichung City Government)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

The perennially sold-out “Greater Taichung City Tour Guide Bus” is back and better than ever this year with six new routes to choose from—fashionable, romantic, nostalgic, and more. For just NT$100, you can enjoy a full day of fun, with meals, activities, and souvenirs included. Affordable and great value, many locals consider it an annual must-book travel deal.

The “Greater Taichung City Tour Guide Bus” enters its 8th year this year, with an official launch ceremony and press conference held at the municipal government building on May 8 to kick off the tour season starting May 18. Several route partners also set up booths, including A’Cong-shi Taro Cultural Sightseeing Factory, Pu-Hu Foot Village Farmers' Market, Taiwan Music Culture Park, and Taiwan Miso Brewing Culture Museum.

Taichung Mayor Hu Zhiqiang noted that tickets for the tour bus sell out instantly every year, “in demand as much as concerts by A-Mei and Jody Chiang.” He added that Taichung's tourism traffic has been growing rapidly, likely leading the nation. During this year’s Tomb Sweeping Festival holiday, for instance, the city was flooded with visitors who snapped up all the sun cakes, leaving shops unprepared—“they were all gone by 5 p.m.” Hu said the city government is promoting its sightseeing train initiative to help people discover new attractions, with 2,800 spots available this year and inviting everyone to explore the beauty of Taichung.

The Taichung Tourism Bureau has designed six routes this year: “Sweet Honey Scenery,” “Brilliant Nocturne,” “Lively Countryside,” “Gourmet & Fashion,” “Nostalgic Times,” and “Love Among Indigenous Peoples.” Over 80% of the attractions are different from those in 2012, ensuring last year’s participants won’t feel it’s repetitive. With a registration fee of just NT$100, participants receive complimentary insurance, a lunchbox, eco-friendly chopsticks, and a commemorative badge—total value reaching NT$500–600, offering great value. Tourism Marketing Section Chief Cao Zhongyou mentioned special anti-scalping measures have been put in place to prevent travel agents or individuals from hoarding spots online—each person can only register for one bus trip per session, with a maximum of four people, and additional spots are reserved for disadvantaged and senior citizens.

The tour buses will run every Saturday and Sunday from May 18 to December 15, totaling 72 trips with a limit of 40 passengers per trip. Registration for the first session opens at 9 a.m. on May 13 via fax, phone, or online, and will close once the 1,080 available spots are filled. The next two sessions open on June 3 (20 trips, 800 spots) and July 1 (25 trips, 1,000 spots). For details, visit http://www.taichung.gov.tw (the official site of the Enjoy Travel event) or the Taichung Tourism website (http://travel.taichung.gov.tw/index.asp).

Six Major Tourist Guide Routes:
1.Sweet Honey Scenery: Waipu Tiger Foot Village Farmers' Market → A’Cong-shi Pastry Shop → The Mysterious Tunnel of Niumatou – Qingshui Ghost Cave → Gaomei Wetlands
2.Brilliant Nocturne: Taiwan Miso Brewing Culture Museum → Houli Horse Ranch → Tunghai International Street → Wanggaoliao Night View Park
3.Lively Countryside: National Chung Hsing University Farmers' Market → Baozhilin Recycled Furniture Center → Xindu Ecological Park → Dakeng Farmers' Market → Dakeng Farm Fun → Xinshe Mushroom Picking
4.Gourmet & Fashion: Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Market → Qiuhong Valley → Shuntian Tang Traditional Chinese Medicine Wellness Culture Museum → Taichung Humanities and Lifestyle Aesthetics District → Caotidao Boulevard → Art Museum
5.Nostalgic Times: No. 20 Railway Art Museum → Museum of Human Music → KISS Radio Taichung Broadcasting Bureau Kaleidoscope Market → Taiwan Music Culture Park → Wufeng Dreamland → Wufeng Laigarden
6.Love Among Indigenous Peoples: Taichung City Indigenous Peoples Comprehensive Service Center → Yongchun Tea Garden → Songhe Tribe Tour → Guguan Hot Spring Culture Museum