Best day trips from Taipei: top 6 destinations
If you are visiting Taiwan for a few days, why not go beyond the lively city of Taipei with a half day trip to experience historical towns, local street food, and the wonders of nature on this island nation.
If you are a bit short on time, any of these destinations can be experienced in about half a day from Taipei, including transportation time.
If you have a bit more time, many of these destinations can be combined together for a fun and interesting full day trip to see some highlights of northern Taiwan from Taipei.
1. Yehliu Geopark
This half day trip is a great option for the nature lovers and amateur geologists ! Yehliu Geopark features a unique geological landscape, with some of the only known pedestal rock formations formed in a seaside environment.
Created by erosion over thousands of years, these unusual rock formations are known by fun names like Sea Candles, Fairy Shoe, Elephant Rock, Ice Cream Rock, and the most famous of all, the ‘Queen’s Head’ rock formation, which looks like a monarch in profile at the right angle.
What to do at Yehliu Geopark
There are marked walking paths you can follow around the site to view this distinctive landscape from several perspectives. Just watch your step on the slippery rocks, as the small pools of water can be much deeper than they look.
There are often long lines to take photos with the most famous rocks, and expect the site to be busy especially when tour buses stop by in the mid-morning. You will need to purchase tickets to enter the Yehliu Geopark either at the visitor centre, or in advance on the website.
Make sure to stay inside the marked boundaries and avoid touching the rock formations, as the soft limestone is constantly eroding and will someday fall over into the sea !
Visit Yehliu Geopark from Taipei
How far is Yehliu Geopark from Taipei: Yehliu is about 45 minutes away by car for the fastest option and between 90 minutes and 2 hours away on public transportation.
How to get to Yehliu Geopark from Taipei: It will take 90 minutes each way on a public bus or shuttle from central Taipei. The fastest option will likely be taking the 953 shuttle in the direction of Jinshan from Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station. Another option is a 45 minute taxi ride or joining a day tour to reach Yehliu from Taipei.
How much time do you need to see Yehliu Geopark: A typical visit to the Yehliu Geopark lasts around 2 hours. But if you are particularly fascinated by this unique landscape, you can schedule a longer visit and stop by the visitors centre or oceanographic centre on site, or wander back into the adjacent small town of Yehliu to explore.
2. Tamsui
This half day trip is the best for budget travellers ! Tamsui is a small seaside city located about 40 minutes north of Taipei and there is no need for expensive taxis, as you can reach this destination easily on the Red Line of the Taipei Metro system. It’s a great place to try street food or just enjoy the ocean breeze on the waterfront.
What to do in Tamsui
Wander down Tamsui Old Street to sample local street food specialties like fish balls, egg tarts or A-Gei, a dish consisting of glass noodles stuffed into a piece of fried tofu and sealed with a fish paste. You can also walk along the waterfront past the arcade style games and stop for a towering soft serve ice cream Tamsui is known for. If you choose the afternoon to visit, head over to the Lover’s Bridge in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, as Tamsui is known for beautiful sunsets.
This former fishing village has a fascinating cultural history, the Spanish and British were present in colonial times, and the architectural influence can still be seen with a visit to the San Domingo Fort historic site. Venture off the Old Street to stop by the Tamsui Longshan Temple, or one of several small museums and historic sites which share the history of Tamsui as a shipping port.
Visit Tamsui from Taipei
How far is Tamsui from Taipei: It is only 40 minutes away by MRT train, which is very convenient for a half day visit to get out of Taipei and experience more of Taiwan !
How to get to Tamsui from Taipei: It will take 40 minutes each way on the MRT Red Line from Taipei Main Station, simply ride in the direction of Tamsui until the last stop.
How much time do you need to see Tamsui: A visit can last anywhere from a few hours to an entire day, but you could experience the highlights of Tamsui in about 4 hours. An afternoon visit is ideal for watching the sun set from the Lover’s Bridge before you return to Taipei.
3. Shifen Old Street
Number three on the list is the Shifen Lantern Village, a great choice for those who enjoy a colourful, festive atmosphere and want to see the sky lanterns outside of official festivals. As you emerge onto Shifen Old Street, you will probably notice lanterns in a rainbow of colours floating across the sky.
Depending on who you ask, lanterns were historically used either for railway signalling or by villagers to indicate that a siege or attack on the village had ended.
In modern times, there is an annual festival held on the 15th day of the first lunar month, usually in mid-February, where thousands of lanterns are released into the night sky. However, you can still experience sending a lantern into the sky any day of the week in Shifen !
What to do in Shifen
Where can you fly a lantern in Taiwan ? If you want to send your own lantern off into the sky, the shops lining the train tracks on Shifen Old Street will sell you a lantern in any colour combination of your choice along with paint to write down your wishes on the lantern.
The colours are supposed to represent different themes, red symbolizes health, yellow is usually for fortune and wealth and blue is for good luck and hope, so choose whatever suits you ! The shop owners will help you with actually lighting the lantern and will usually be happy to act as a photographer as well.
Once your lantern has floated away, grab a street food snack like chicken wings stuffed with sticky rice or peanut pancakes rolled with ice cream while you wait for the train to roll into town.
If you are worried about the environmental impact, there is apparently a program in place to collect fallen lanterns from the countryside. While this is certainly more of a tourist activity, it is a chance to see the sky lanterns if you can’t make it to an official festival.
Visit Shifen From Taipei
How far is Shifen from Taipei: It will take about 1 hour each way by car or taxi, or between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 45 minutes, by a combination of either buses and trains.
How to get to Shifen from Taipei: You can get on a train at the Taipei Main Station, get off at Ruifang Station and change trains for the Pinxi Line, alighting at Shifen Station. Many people opt for a tour bus or shuttle to reach Shifen directly from Taipei. Alternatively, you can hire a car or take a taxi, thought these options will be more expensive.
How much time do you need to see Shifen: You can release a floating lantern, walk around the Old Street and have a street food snack in less than 2 hours. However, you can extend your visit with a walk or hike to nearby sites like the Shifen Waterfall, or continue your train journey to visit Jiufen in the same day.
4. Shifen Waterfall
If you are visiting the town of Shifen on a half day trip from Taipei, why not add on a visit to Shifen waterfall ? It is only about a ten minute taxi ride away or less than a twenty minute walk to go see the biggest waterfall in Taiwan.
There are several different levels of observation decks, along with a visitor centre and a few food and shopping options. It’s not Niagara Falls, but it’s always nice to be amazed by nature !
Visit Shifen Waterfall from Taipei or Shifen
How to get to Shifen Waterfall from Shifen Lantern Village: It is fairly easy 15 minute walk from Shifen Old Town or Shifen Station to Shifen Waterfall. The walk crosses bridges which are safe for pedestrians and are clearly signposted. An alternative is a 10 minute taxi ride.
How to get to Shifen Waterfall from Taipei: You can get on a train at the Taipei Main Station, get off at Ruifang Station and change trains for the Pinxi Line, alighting at Shifen Station then walk the remaining distance in about 10 minutes. You could also take a shuttle bus from Taipei Main station to Shifen Station in about 1 hour 15 minutes and walk the remaining distance to the falls in about 15 minutes. Another choice is to take a 40 minute ride by car or taxi from central Taipei. Many day tours from Taipei which stop at Shifen Lantern Village will also stop at Shifen Waterfall.
How much time do you need to see Shifen Waterfall: A typical visit would be around 1 hour to view the Shifen Falls from the different observation decks and take a break for a snack in the visitor centre.
5. Jiufen
The last option is probably the most famous on the list, you have likely seen a picture of Jiufen at some point even if you didn’t realize it ! The village was made famous from the 2001 movie ‘Spirited Away’ and attracts visitors with its narrow walkways and tea houses lit by distinctive red lanterns on the mountainside.
This is a popular destination and the small streets can often feel packed with other visitors. You just have to go with the flow of the crowd as you pass by food stalls and souvenir shops, but if you wander out of the main tourist area, you can turn a corner and all of a sudden you will be overlooking beautiful ocean views from the mountainside.
What to do in Jiufen
There so many little streets and alleyways in Jiufen that getting lost is half the fun ! Stop for a street food snack and try a local specialty like glutinous rice cakes or taro ball soup, which is served both hot and cold, or the popular ice cream sandwich served in a pastry puff.
Jiufen can be a memorable place to have a tea house experience, you can wander around and just choose one you like the look of or you can pre-book a tea house experience if you will be visiting during a busy time.
Ideally, if you plan a visit towards the late afternoon, you will be in Jiufen when the iconic red lanterns light up the village, in some ways, it feels like going back in time!
Visit Jiufen from Taipei
How far is Jiufen from Taipei: It will take about 45 minutes in a car or taxi, or 1 hour and 30 minutes each way on the bus from Taipei.
How to get to Jiufen from Taipei: You can take a train from Taipei to Ruifang and switch for the bus to Jiufen from there. You can also take the 965 direct bus from Taipei Beimen Station to Juifen. A taxi or car ride will take between 40 to 60 minutes. An alternative is booking a day tour from Taipei to Juifen.
How to get from Shifen to Jiufen: From Shifen, you can get back on the train towards Ruifang and switch there for a bus or train to Jiufen. This will take between 1 hour and 15 minutes to two hours. You could also take a 40 minute taxi ride to save time. Many people also book day tours from Taipei which include stops at both Shifen and Jiufen if you don’t want to spend time on public transportation.
How much time do you need to see Jiufen: While the Old Street area of Jiufen is not very big, any visit less than about 2 hours will probably feel rushed. A half day is probably enough time to explore the streets and have a meal, but if you are able to stay overnight, you can experience the streets without the daytime crowds.
6. Jinguashi Region and Golden Waterfall
If you are visiting Jiufen from Taipei, why not add an extra stop on the far side of the mountain to learn more about the mining history of the area ? This region was historically an important site of gold and copper mining and today you can still see the abandoned ruins of the old mines on the mountainside or visit the Museum of Gold in Jinguashi to learn more about the history of Taiwan’s own ‘Gold Rush’.
Slightly further away, the Golden Waterfall was created by the minerals in the mining run off water and you can easily view this site from the road on the mountainside.
How to get to Jinguashi and the Golden Waterfall from Juifen: The mine ruins and Golden Waterfall can be reached by a ten minute taxi ride from Juifen. The town of Jinguashi can be reached in about 20 minutes on a local bus or 10 minutes in a taxi.
The best half day trips from Taipei
Whether you are looking for nature, culture, food or fun, consider a half day visit to Yehliu Geopark, the city of Tamsui, Shifen lantern village or Jiufen and remember that you can combine many of these stops into a full day experience !
If you are looking for some activities to try back in Taipei, check out the independent reviews below to see if a guided tour is an experience that you might enjoy on your visit to Taiwan.
Pin it or share it
On this 1 day tour from Taipei, we visited unusual rock formations, waterfalls, tea houses, saw sky lanterns, tried street food and more ! Find out if I recommend this Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen day trip with Klook Taiwan.