Best DayTrips From Taipei: Shifen, Jiufen, Keelung, & More
BY JARED DILLINGHAM
TRAVEL GUIDE: THE BEST DAY TRIPS FROM TAIPEI
This is probably my favorite blog to write about Taiwan. My website’s name has the word “detours” in it for a reason: day trips are almost always the best parts of our travels.
Taipei’s metro area has a population of more than 10 million people, so day trips outside the city are “a must!” These are some of the best options, which are all in Northern Taiwan, to enjoy the fresh air, natural beauty, and local cultures.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The best, and most popular, day trips from Taipei include Shifen, Jiufen, Wulai, and Keelung. We’ll go through the options in detail below, whether you’re driving yourself, taking trains and buses, or hiring a driver.
Taipei DayTrip Tours
If you’re not into public transportation and don’t want to drive yourself, you can always take a tour from Taipei.
These are some of the best day trip options from Taipei to spots in Northern Taiwan:
➡️ Click Here: Tour of Shifen & Jiufen from Taipei
➡️ Click Here: Private Tour of Shifen & Jiufen
➡️ Click Here: Shifen Tour from Taipei
➡️ Click Here: Private Tour of Shifen from Taipei
➡️ Click Here: Full Day Tour of Northern Taiwan
➡️ Click Here: Private Charter from Taipei
➡️ Click Here: Tour Shifen & Jiufen from Keelung Cruise Port
Taipei DayTrip to Shifen, Taiwan
A day trip from Taipei to Shifen is easy and enjoyable. The small town is home to a famous waterfall, and a local tradition that involves launching giant lanterns into the sky.
The drive from Taipei to Shifen is about 22 miles, and in normal traffic it takes about 40 minutes.
An Uber or taxi from Taipei to Shifen will cost $35 to $40, which is incredibly inexpensive compared to what we’re used paying in the US!
The Train from Taipei to Shifen
Taking the train from Taipei to Shifen is even more cost-effective, but it’ll take a bit longer than driving.
If you use Google Maps to choose your timing and route, you can commute from Taipei to Shifen in about an hour and 40 minutes.
In Taipei, head to the Songshan Station, and take a train to Ruifang. The train ride is about 45 minutes, and only $1.30!
From there, you’ll change trains to get to Shifen. The second train will take 25 minutes, and cost less than a dollar!
Just keep in mind: the second leg train runs less frequently, so check the timing on Google Maps.
Things to do in Shifen
Two main attractions lure tourists to Shifen: the waterfall, and the sky lanterns.
I’ll go over the lanterns first, since you’ll see them right from the train station in Shifen…. literally on the tracks.
It’s tradition in Shifen to write your wishes on big paper lanterns, and launch them over the town using hot air from a flame inside.
It’s about $7 or $8 to buy and launch a sky lantern in Shifen. People at the stores will give you ink and brushes to write your wishes on the lanterns’ sides. Then someone will help you launch them from the tracks.
As a side note, the practice is under scrutiny for environmental reasons. The lanterns don’t burn up, so some of the debris lands in the town and the nearby river.
As for the waterfall in Shifen, it’s the widest waterfall in Taiwan. It’s almost 70 feet high and 130 feet wide, and part of the Keelung River.
The hike to the waterfall is pretty easy and flat. It’s less than two kilometers from the Old Street area to the waterfall.
You’ll cross two suspension bridges on a mostly-paved path, so the walk is good for seniors and children, too.
A few things to keep in mind about the Shifen Waterfall:
- It’s free!
- Drones are not allowed.
- The waterfall is open from 9:00am to 4:30pm
- If you don’t want to walk, you can take a taxi from the train station.
From the waterfall, you can head back to walk through Shifen’s Old Street area, which is lined with shops and restaurants and street food.
An Extended Option Close to Shifen
Since you’re already in the area, I’d recommend spending your time in Shifen, and then going up to the northern coast of Taiwan. It’s very close, and accessible by Uber or taxi.
Ask the driver to take you to the marina at the Shan’ao Fishing Port or Fanziao Park. It’s home to fishing boats, equipped with big lanterns used for squid fishing at night.
Beyond the marina, you can hike to a really interesting rock beach.
It’s also where you can find a famous rock formation, known as Elephant Trunk Rock. Access is restricted these days, presumably due to people getting hurt while taking photos. Still, you can head over to check it out, and take photos with the other interesting rocks on Taiwan’s northern shore.
When you’re done here, an Uber or taxi driver will pick you up for the ride back to Riufang Train Station, so you can catch a train back to Taipei.
Taipei DayTrip to Jiufen, Taiwan
Jiufen is another great day trip option from Taipei. The town’s revitalized Old Street market is one of the most popular sites to see in this part of Taiwan.
Jiufen is just about an hour or so from Taiwan. The timing is similar, whether you take the bus all the way from Taipei, or use a combination of the train and bus.
I’ll go over both options below.
The Train from Taipei to Jiufen
Again, the price is unbelievably low. It’ll cost $10 or less to get from Taipei to Jiufen by train!
You’ll still have to take a car part of the way.
From Taipei’s Main Station, take a train to Ruifang, which should take around 40 minutes.
Outside the station, you’ll find taxis waiting. Otherwise, you can call an Uber. The cost will be about 205 TWD, or around $7 USD for the 10-minute drive from Ruifang up the mountain to Jiufen.
The Bus from Taipei to Jiufen
The bus is the most economical option to get from Taipei to Jiufen, and it’ll set you back a whole $3 (USD).
From Taipei’s Songshan Station, find Bus 1062. It’ll get you to Jiufen in about an hour.
Things to do in Jiufen
Jiufen was once an abandoned gold mining town. These days, its narrow, winding streets are lined with restaurants, shops, and teahouses.
You’ll find all kinds of Taiwanese food in Jiufen, from buns to fish to pineapple cake and noodles.
The streets are mostly closed to vehicles, so it’s very pedestrian-friendly.
Jiufen is known for its tea houses, and its most famous is probably the Amei Tea House.
Otherwise, you can enjoy a beer or coffee from a patio at one of the cliffside restaurants.
Jiufen is also home to several temples, including the Nine Fukuyama Palace, Jinquan Temple, Xiahai Temple, and Qingyun Temple.
Jiufen has been largely rebuilt and revived in the last 30 years. The mining town, first established in the 1890s, was abandoned in the 1970s.
In 1989, a director used it as the setting for the movie “A City of Sadness.” People saw the potential to turn the ghost town into a charming tourist attraction, which now makes a great day trip from Taipei!
Taipei DayTrip to Wulai, Taiwan
Wulai is south of Taipei, and is another great day-trip destination.
The trip is relatively easy to handle, and it should take just about an hour. You can choose to get there using a combination of the subway and bus system, or a taxi from Taipei.
The Train from Taipei to Wulai
There are no trains running from Taipei to Wulai, but you can take the subway, or MRT, at least part of the way. Head to the last stop on the Green Line, which is Xindian.
From Xindian Station, you’ll have to take the bus the rest of the way to Wulai.
The Bus from Taipei to Wulai
You’ll find Bus 849 outside the Xindian Station in Taipei. Line up with other people waiting to head toward Wulai.
The bus runs at least four times per hour, so you won’t be waiting long. Bring change to drop in the payment container as you board. It’s 15 TWD per person, or about 30 cents, to ride the bus from Taipei to Wulai.
This may be the least expensive day trip ever!
The ride will take as long as 45 minutes, depending on how many riders ask to be dropped off along the way. The bus will take you right to the main bus and taxi station along the river in Wulai.
Taking a Taxi or Uber from Taipei to Wulai
Taxis are a fixed price to Wulai. It’s $22 USD for a one-way trip from Xindian Station in Taipei.
It’ll be the same price for a ride home, and you can find a driver for your return trip at the bus station in Wulai.
Things to do in Wulai
It’s best to take a day trip to Wulai when it’s not raining, unless you’re heading specifically to one of the indoor hot spring spas.
Hot springs are the big draw for a lot of visitors to Wulai, even though you can no longer bathe in the natural springs or open-air pool.
Across the Nanshi River from Wulai’s Old Street, you can see the remnants of what used to be a large public pool, which was fed by water from the hot springs.
Flooding and rockslides from a typhoon in 2015 wrecked the pool, and it was never rebuilt. Instead, the water from the natural hot springs is now pumped into a variety of spas along the river.
You’ll find several along the Old Street, and also on the other side of the river, offering soaks in hot spring water baths. The cost varies, between 100 – 1200 TWD for an hour, which comes to about $5 – $40 USD for an hour.
Wulai’s waterfall is also a popular draw, even though you can’t really hike to its base.
You’ll take a one-mile walk up a paved road from Wulai’s bus station to the waterfall viewing area, where you’ll find patios at restaurants overlooking the falls.
Another option is to take the trolley or tram, known as the scenic train or log cart, to the waterfall area.
The trains are leftover from the old mining days. They run from 9:00am – 5:00pm daily, and cost about 50 TWD, which is less than $2 USD.
Wulai’s Old Street & Market
I wasn’t expecting to love Wulai’s Old Street as much as I did! It was probably my favorite part of the day trip from Taipei.
Wulai’s market is a short walk into town from the bus station.
You’ll find dozens of local vendors, chefs, and business owners selling food, crafts, and other goods.
Other things to check out in Wulai include the suspension bridge, which crosses the river right near the bus station, and the cable car over the waterfalls.
The gondola takes you up into the mountains, where you can walk through Taiwan’s first theme pack, called the Yun-Hsien Resort, or Yunxian Paradise.
The cost to ride Wulai’s cable car or gondola is 220 TWD, which about $7-8 USD.
Wulai is also known for its extensive cherry blossom season. A variety of species of cherry trees line the roads and hillsides, and they bloom intermittently through the spring.
Taipei DayTrip to Keelung City, Taiwan
Keelung City is a port and fishing city in Northern Taiwan, where cruise ships and cargo ships often dock. For cruise passengers looking for day trips from Keelung, here are a couple great options right from the port:
➡️ Click Here: Best Tour of Keelung & Taipei
➡️ Click Here: Taipei Tour from Keelung Port
While Keelung is an industrial city which brings in a lot of cargo, you can find unique gems in the area that make it worth visiting on a day trip from Taipei.
The Train from Taipei to Keelung
There are direct trains from Taipei Station to Keelung. They run frequently, and take about 45 minutes. The cost is 40 TWD, or about $1.30 for a one-way fare. It’s another great deal!
Things to do in Keelung
You can go shopping along the maritime plaza, which is walkable from the train station, and go check out Keelung’s well-known night market. It’s small, but thriving!
Keelung’s market opens in the afternoon, rather than the evening, and is home to dozens of street food vendors and restaurants, serving authentic local cuisine.
From this area, I would take a taxi or Uber to another draw, called the Zhengbin Port “Color Houses.” It’s a newly-developed touristy spot in Keelung.
The buildings are painted in bright colors, and have become popular with tourists, who line up across the water for photos of the buildings reflecting in the water.
They also house different restaurants on their bottom floors, which are enjoyable for a quick meal or drink on the dock.
From here, it’s a short walk over the bridge to Heping Island. It has trails and temples and interesting rock formations to check out. Plus they have an old historic shipyard, which is eerily pretty:
Between the two bridges over to Heping Island, it’s worth a walk by the local fish market.
It’s full of people buying and selling live fish, sharks, clams, urchins, and anything else the boats have brought in.
If you buy something from their tanks, you can take it to a restaurant next door (with big numbers: “35” on it) and they’ll apparently prepare it and cook it for you to eat.
Taipei DayTrip to Taroko National Park
Taroko National Park is a lengthy, but worthwhile day trip from Taipei. You’ll love the natural beauty, trails, and bright blue river water.
For a day trip to Taroko National Park, I’d definitely recommend a private driver, rather than going on your own.
There’s no parking at many of the trailheads, so a driver will eliminate any stress you’d encounter trying to figure out the logistics on your own.
The best option includes a hotel pickup in a private car, and a 2.5 hour drive to Taroko, which you can use to nap 😀
Trails in Taroko National Park
The trails in the park are largely paved and well-defined. They’re not overly challenging, and frankly provide more overlooks than access to the beautiful sites in Taroko.
The Shakadang Trail is an easy, well-maintained trail, which runs about 1.5 kilometers along the bright blue water in the Shakadang River gorge.
It’s largely shaded, and you’ll find several seating areas along the way.
Shakadang is good for children and seniors, since it’s mostly flat with long stretches that are fully paved.
The Swallow Grotto is another popular spot, which is really more of a walk on pavement above the gorge. You’re actually walking on what *was the main road through Taroko National Park. After they built a tunnel and a new road, the original road turned into a hiking path.
This is a prime example of why hiring a driver is the best way to go. There’s no parking for the Swallow Grotto. A driver can drop you off, and pick you up at the end.
The Buluowan Shanue Suspension Bridge crosses the Liwu River in Taroko National Park, 150 meters above the water.
Buluowan is the park’s highest and longest suspension bridge, and is a great stop for children, seniors, and also people with mobility issues. There are no steps involved, so you’ll have easy access to the bridge for wheelchairs and strollers.
The Eternal Spring Shrine is in a beautiful setting, perched atop a stunning waterfall in Taroko National Park.
The shrine was built to honor the 225 workers who died building the highway running through the park in the 1950s. Their names are all on a stone monument at the beginning of the trail to the temple.
Food in Taroko National Park
The indigenous people of the area who still live in the park depend largely on tourism these days. Many of them work in restaurants and cafes in different parts of Taroko.
The biggest cluster of restaurants is at the Tianxiang Recreation Area, which is a little village within the national park. The families who run the restaurants live in the buildings behind them.
There’s also a 7-11 in Taroko National Park. It’s kind of odd to see in this setting, but I was happy to find iced coffee inside!
Things to Keep in mind for a day trip to taroko:
- Bring Dramamine if you’re prone to motion sickness.
- Avoid visits in July and August (ideally)
- While you can buy water in the park, bring plenty of your own.
- Some trails are bound to be closed when you visit, due to rockslides, earthquakes, etc.
Another stop outside Taroko
The Qingshui Cliffs are part of Taroko National Park, even though they’re outside the park’s boundaries.
Rock cliffs drop into the bright blue waters of the Pacific Ocean on the northeastern shore of Taiwan. They were formed by the collision between tectonic plates.
Again, you can’t really hike down to the beach here, but there are viewing platforms to admire the beauty!
Wrap: The Best Day Trips from Taipei
Aside from the culture and food and natural beauty of these different day trip destinations, I also love that they’re so easy to get to.
Don’t worry about not speaking the language! Whether you choose a tour option or choose to use the trains and buses, you’ll quickly learn how easy it is to navigate your own adventure from Taipei.
When’s the best time to visit?
Anytime but the summer!
July and August are really too hot and too humid to be able to enjoy yourself outside. Fall and spring are most enjoyable, and pretty mild.
The day trip destinations vary in elevation, so the weather can be a bit different from Taipei’s. Make sure to check the radar each day before you venture out.
No matter which day trips you take from Taipei, leave early so you can arrive before the crowds!
Check out our other posts from Taiwan for more travel ideas:
