Maokong Gondola Tickets, Hours and Crystal Cabins

Fares and which ticket to use

The operator's fare table has one single-journey price with no distance bands, so the fare is the same whether you ride one stop or the whole line. Prices below were checked on 8 October 2026.

The operator's Chinese-language ticket-types page explains the card rule: on the same day, the first tap deducts the NT$180 single fare, the second deducts NT$120 (the difference to a day pass) and later taps deduct nothing. A stored-value card therefore never costs more than a day pass, and you do not need to decide in advance.

For two adults riding up and back in regular cabins, that means NT$600 on cards or day passes, against NT$720 on four single tickets. Choosing crystal cabins in both directions adds NT$200 for the pair.

Discount fares (NT$50 a ride, NT$100 a day) exist for children aged 6 to 11, seniors, Taipei residents and disabled passengers, but the operator lists them as for Taiwanese nationals only. Children aged 0 to 5 ride free with a ticketed adult, limited to two per adult (ticket types).

How to pay at the station

The multi-payment notice sets out three ways in:

• Tap a stored-value card (EasyCard, iPASS or icash) at the gate. This is the simplest option if you already carry one.
• Use a ticket machine. It takes NT$100, NT$500 and NT$1,000 notes, but gives change only in coins, so the operator recommends NT$100 notes. The same machines accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Taiwanese wallets such as EasyWallet, LINE Pay, JKOPAY, PX Pay Plus and icash Pay. You get a QR-code ticket to scan at the gate.
• Book online. Tickets bought on the gondola's own ticketing website need no exchange; vouchers from other e-commerce platforms must be collected at a ticket machine before entry.

Group tickets for 20 or more people and chartered cabins are sold only at the information counters.

Crystal cabins (Eyes of Maokong)

The crystal cabins have a floor of three layers of toughened glass, about 48 mm thick in total, according to the operator's Eyes of Maokong page, last updated in March 2018. That page lists 31 of them, and on average one leaves every 2 to 4 minutes. Each carries at most 5 people (400 kg), against 8 people (640 kg) in a regular cabin.

The surcharge is NT$50 per person for each ride. With fewer crystal cabins in the loop and fewer seats in each, the wait for one can be longer than for a regular cabin at busy times; the operator asks riders to buy and board according to the notices at the station. If the glass floor turns out to be uncomfortable, the operator suggests getting off at the next station and continuing in a regular cabin.

Stations and the ride

The line is 4.03 km long, roughly in the shape of a 7, with four passenger stations: Taipei Zoo, Taipei Zoo South, Zhinan Temple and Maokong (Routes and System). The two corner stations are not passenger stops.

The lower terminus, Taipei Zoo Station, is about 350 m south-west of MRT Taipei Zoo Station on the Wenshan-Neihu line, along Xinguang Road Section 2.

Two rules affect how you plan the day:

• At Taipei Zoo and Maokong, the end stations, everyone must get off. Riding back requires a new fare or tap.
• A One-Day Pass is collected when you exit at Taipei Zoo Station; if you still need it, staff stamp it so you can re-enter.

The operator does not light cabins after dark, so that riders can see the city at night (Chinese-language riding notices). Eating and drinking anything other than water is not allowed on board.

When the gondola does not run

Regular hours. 9:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 22:00 on weekends and holidays, per the hours page. The operator can change hours for festivals, events, weather or other special circumstances, and it does not run on Lunar New Year's Eve.

Monday maintenance. The English hours page gives the general rule: closed on Mondays except national holidays and the first Monday of the month. The operator's 2026 suspension calendar (in Chinese) lists the exact dates, and it does not close every remaining Monday. The 2026 closure days still ahead after 8 October are:

• 12 October
• 9, 23 and 30 November
• 14 and 28 December

The same calendar shows that 2026's longer stoppages, a cable-cutting job from 20 to 24 April and the annual overhaul from 8 to 28 June, have already passed.

Weather and earthquakes. The suspension rules stop the system when gusts reach 16 m/s for more than 3 seconds or exceed 18 m/s, when lightning strikes along the route, after an earthquake of intensity 4 or more (Chinese-language rules), and during a land typhoon warning covering Taipei, depending on conditions and whether work and school are cancelled. Service resumes once conditions are judged safe.

Who should not ride

The operator advises people with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or fear of heights not to ride, and says older people, young children and anyone needing help should travel with a companion (important notices). Prams, wheelchairs and mobility scooters can board if they fit within 140 × 70 × 170 cm and can be locked in place; the gondola may slow down or stop at the platform to help wheelchair users board.

If you plan to walk the hillside tea trails instead of riding both ways, Taiwan hiking permits explains which trails need permission. For a view over the city from inside rather than above it, compare Taipei 101 observatory tickets.