6 Best Day Trips from Taipei, Taiwan (2024)
Wanting to explore beyond Taipei for a day (or two)? Here you’ll find the top jam-packed day trips to give you the best of culture, nature, and food offered beyond Taipei.
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Taipei is a fantastic city to be based in whether you’re visiting or living in Taiwan. However, getting out of Taipei is a must-do on any trip to this beautiful country.
There are so many places to visit outside of Taipei, it’s hard to choose just one.
After living here for four years, I’ve narrowed down the best day trips from Taipei, Taiwan so you can experience exquisite nature, try the best traditional Taiwanese food, and see what the surrounding towns and cities have to offer! Let’s get into it:
Tips & Tricks for Day Trip Travels:
1. Public Transportation
Public transportation along the coast isn’t always the most straight forward or convenient. If it’s within your budget, renting a car and using a SIM card/eSIM to get around is an excellent way to see the island. You’ll also save a ton of time by being able to be on your own schedule rather than the bus or train schedule.
On the other hand, you will also have to deal with find parking and traffic which can be a bit of a struggle during peak hours and/or days. With that being said, it’s still very possible and easy to get around the coastal areas using public transportation. It just takes a little more mental effort and time.
2. Organized Tours
If going off on your own adventure seems a little daunting, you can use klook.com to book organized tours to these sites as well as others. They’re typically reasonably priced and you can sit back and enjoy the ride. I prefer to travel on my own, but I’ve heard good things about their tours.
3. EasyCard
Buy an EasyCard ($100 NTD/$3 USD) from any convenient store, MRT station, or the airport and add money to it to pay for transportation for your excursions – it makes getting bus and TRA train tickets a breeze.
4. Best Day & Time for Day Trips
For all of the day trips from Taipei, it’s best to go on a weekday rather than the weekend to get the least amount of crowds.
5. Esim
If you’re interesting in an eSIM, I use airalo for my travels in Europe, the US, and Central America. I’ve only had great experiences and when I accidentally didn’t install the eSIM correctly, their customer service was top notch.
Use code HELENA4577 for $3 USD off your first purchase.
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1. Yehliu Park + Jiufen
This is the classic day trip that most people, tourists and locals alike, will take from Taipei. And for good reason – it’s absolutely worth going to both places based on the nature and the cute little village of Jiufen.
You will want to start your day as early as possible due to public transportation takes time and it’s nice to maximize your time in each spot. I recommend spending the morning at Yehliu and then going to Jiufen. The weather is usually best in the mornings, so it should be clear (and less crowded) at Yehliu. Once you get hungry, you will have a mountain of food to try in Jiufen for lunch and/or dinner.
What to Do
Yehliu (pronounced ‘yay-lee-oh’) is a geological park with wild shaped rocks, the most famous mimicking a Queen’s Head silhouette. There are other popular ones called Candle Rock, Ice Cream Rock, and Dragon’s Head Rock, these are all in the first and second sections of the park.
Beyond the rock formations is an easy trail you can hike up (maybe 10-15 mins max) to get a beautiful view of the coast and sea. The park is opened from 8am to 5pm and will cost $120 NTD ($4 USD) to enter.
Jiufen (pronounced ‘joe – fin’) is a village in the mountains that faces the sea. It’s history lies with gold mines and at its peak was nicknamed Little Shanghai/Little Hong Kong. Many people believe this is the village that inspired the movie Spirited Away, but alas – it’s been confirmed it wasn’t. Nonetheless, you can still feel the spirited away vibes as you walk in and around the small streets.
Nowadays, it’s a quaint town to get lost in the tiny alleys, drink tea at the many tea houses, try local foods, and overlook the Keelung coast. If you’re not in a hurry, you can book a hotel and see how the village lights up at night or just stay after sunset.
Here are my recommendations for all things Jiufen:
- Explore Jiufen Old Street
- Try Taro Ball Soup
- Bring home Gojinshan Peanut Brittle
- Snack on Traditional Taiwanese mochi
- Take the iconic pic of A-Mei Teahouse
- Gobble up classic Taiwanese steamed buns
- Drink Tea at 水心月茶坊 Artist Teahouse or Jiufen Teahouse
- Catch even more views on the Mount Keelung Trail
(takes about 1.5 hours total and is good for novice hikers) - Don’t knock it til you try it – Zhang Ji Traditional Fishballs
- Get my favorite Taiwanese dessert – the peanut ice cream roll
- Slurp up yummy noodles at Jiufen Old Noodle Shop
- Get to know the history at Jiufen Goldore Museum
It will most likely be very packed whichever day you choose to come. However, I recommend to come during a weekday if possible so there’s less crowds.
How to Get There
Taipei to Yehliu
Taipei City Hall OR Taipei Main Station: (1.5 hrs)
Bus 1815/1815A → Yehliu Geology Park
*Check for accurate bus times on the Bus Taipei app
Yehliu to Jiufen
From Yehliu Geology Park: (2 hrs)
Bus 1815 → Fujing Tainxia Community (roughly 20 mins)
Cross the street & switch to bus 787 → Ruifang Train Station Residential Square (roughly one hour)
Cross the street & switch to bus 827 → Fushan Temple 1 (roughly 15 mins)
From there, you can walk up into Jiufen and begin your exploration.
Taxi/Uber: I recommend saving time and taking a taxi or uber. It takes about 40 minutes and will cost around 1000 NTD ($31 USD). You can use Google Translate or practice your Mandarin and tell the taxi driver ‘Jiufen’ and they should know where to go.
Back to Taipei:
Jiufen to Taipei:
From Jiufen Old Street: (50 mins – 1 hr 30 mins)
Bus 1062 → Songshan Station (roughly 50 mins.)
From there you can take the MRT or find the best public transportation to get to your accommodation/home.
OR
Bus 1062 → Nuanjiang Bridge (roughly 20 mins)
Walk to the train station (2 mins)
Train 4215 [Hualien → Shulin]: Nuannuan Station → Taipei Main Station (roughly 40 mins)
2. Shifen Waterfall + Pingxi District + Hidden Waterfalls
This is another fantastic day trip from Taipei, full of nature and culture! Many people want to see the Shifen Waterfalls due to its nickname of being the little Niagara Falls of Taiwan.
But if you’re anything like me, when you go to a waterfall you don’t just want to look at it – you want to swim in it! Unfortunately, you can’t swim in the Shifen Waterfall pool, however I’ve included lesser known waterfalls that you can swim in within the Pingxi region.
Pingxi is another charming town in Northern Taiwan that’s known for releasing lanterns into the sky. As you come up to the district, you’ll begin to see them floating in the sky, it’s a special experience whether it’s day or night.
If you don’t mind crowds, you can attend the Pingxi Lantern Festival. It happens every year on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year (typically in February). For 2024, it will be held on Saturday, February 24th.
What to Do
Upon reaching the small town of Shifen, head to the Shifen Falls Walk to marvel at the waterfalls. It’s a leisurely, paved walk and doesn’t require any kind of gear.
Once you’re finished with the small hike, make your way to Shifen Old Street – this is where the magic is at. There is an active train track that runs through the town, you will see people standing on it to release sky lanterns (when a train comes, they hop off dw).
The Old Street is a charming little alley that goes through the town with plenty of shops along it to try traditional Taiwanese snacks and drinks.
If you would like to release a lantern, there are tons of little stands around the Old Street that offer markers and a lantern. You can take a gander around before choosing which color and price you would like.
Depending on the colors you want (and how many colors), the cost ranges from 150 to 200 NTD ($4.50 – $6.20 USD). Once you’ve chosen your lantern, write your wishes on it (they are large and in-charge, the more wishes the merrier) and release it to the sky.
I opted out because of the environmental impact and for me it was fun to just watch rather than participate – but that’s just me!
You can take the bus or train (about 30 mins) to the Pingxi Old Street to see more of the Pingxi District. There is a wild hike if you dare, its trail is very narrow and steep. It does have railings and rope, just be sure to proceed with caution if you try it out!
If you’d rather not potentially fall off a cliff, then it’s time for a swim! There are many waterfalls in the area where you can swim, I’ve listed some here in order of least secluded to most secluded:
Once you’ve had enough of the waterfalls, you can make your way back to Taipei or if you still have some time and would like to explore more – head to Keelung for their iconic night market!
How to Get There
I recommend the train over the bus, check the TRA website for the most accurate schedule. The website is a bit old school so here are instructions if you can’t figure it out yourself:
1. For departure station click Taipei City → scroll down → Taipei
2. For arrival station click New Taipei City → scroll down → Shifen
3. Click whichever day you would like to leave
4. Click Inquiry. It’s likely to say no data found – don’t worry, we’ll fix that
5. Under the departure and arrival station is Conditions of Transfer click Accept Transfer
6. Double check the Train type selected is All and the Inquiry method is regular car
7. Click Inquiry
8. Scroll down to see the available times and trains
9. If you hover your mouse over the train schedule, another box will drop down to give you the detailed information
10. I recommend using your EasyCard for tickets the day of, but if you wish you can purchase your tickets on the website
Taipei to Shifen: (1.5 – 2+ hrs)
Train [Beihu → Ruifang]: Taipei Main Station → Ruifang Station
Train [Badaouzi → Jingtong]: Ruifang Station → Shifen Station
Shifen to all Waterfalls:
Lingjiao Waterfall: Shifen Train Station → Lingjiao Station, walk 3 mins
Wanggu Waterfall: Shifen Train Station → Wanggu Station, walk 9 mins
Huiyao Falls: Shifen Tourist Center bus 795 → Wanbaodong, walk 30 mins
石硿子瀑布: Shifen Tourist Center bus 795 → Wanbaodong, walk 50 mins (you’ll pass the Huiyao Falls)
Shifen to Taipei: (1.5 – 2+ hours)
Train [Jingtong → Badu]: Pingxi/Shifen Station → Ruifang Station
Train [Hualien → Shulin]: Ruifang Station → Taipei Main Station
*be sure to check when the last train leaves (usually around 9pm) – you don’t want to get stranded!
3. Hike + Beach
You can’t go to Taiwan without visiting their lush trails and subtropical beaches! I decided to leave it up to you to choose the best day trip from Taipei for yourself.
This one is very dependent on the weather, so definitely check it in advance! But if the weather is sunny and warm, then I recommend a morning hike with an afternoon dip at the beach.
Hikes
Bitoujiao Park
This is a beautiful park on the northern coast that offers fantastic views of Taiwan. It’s a low intensity hike and there are three trails within the park (Coastal trail, Lighthouse trail, and Ridge Valley trail).
If you want to start on the main trail (the Lighthouse trail), head over to Bitou Elementary School and you’ll find the trail to the left of the school.
The total hiking time is roughly 1 – 2 hours depending on how often you rest (and take pics!).
How to get there
Taipei to Bitoujiao Park (1 hr 45 mins)
Bus 965: Beimen Station → Ruifang Train Station (District Square)
Bus 886/856: Ruifang Train Station (District Square) → Bitoujiao (Bitou Service Area)
Caoling Historic Trail
Slightly farther south and a little higher intensity, the Caoling Historic Trail is a fantastic hike. It was one of the first ones I did when I moved here and I absolutely loved it.
The view from the top is gorgeous and you can also walk along the ridge once you get up there, which I love to do. The total time is about 2 – 3 hours depending on how often you rest, take photos, and how far along the ridge you walk.
How to get there
Taipei to Caoling Historic Trail (1 hr 45 mins)
Train [Shulin → Su’ao]: Taipei Main Station → Gongliao
Bus Happiness Bus Fulian Line (yes, that is the name of the bus): Gungliao Station [New Taipei City Bus] → Yuanwangkeng Water Park
The trail starts right where you get dropped off from the bus!
Beaches
中角灣 Beach
This beach is farther north, but it was one of my favorites to go to. There typically weren’t as many people and less trash than other beaches in the area. There are some surfers, but not as crowded as Wai’ao and it has an equally beautiful view. They also have bathrooms (free) and showers ($10 NTD/min).
How to get there
From Bitoujiao Park (2 hrs 25 mins)
Bus 791: Bitoujiao (Bitou Service Area) → Women and Children Welfare Center
Bus 1815: Women and Children Welfare Center → Huangxi Bridge
From Caoling Historic Trail (2 hrs 45 mins)
Train [Su’ao → Shulin]: Dali Train Station → Badu Station
Bus R82: Badu Station → Fujing Tainxia Community
Bus 1815: Fujing Tainxia Community → Huangxi Bridge
Wai’ao Beach
This is one of the most popular beaches surrounding Taipei. It’s a black sand beach that’s great for surfing and has a beautiful backdrop of lush, green mountains.
You can also watch people paragliding off the cliff behind the beach. If you want to try it, you can contact them on their facebook page or add them on Line (0935181191).
How to get there
From Bitoujiao Park (1 hr 20 mins)
Bus 791: Bitoujiao (Bitou Service Area) → Fulong Terminal Station
Train [Shulin → Su’ao]: Fulong Station → Wai’ao Station
From Caoling Historic Trail (35 mins)
Train [Shulin → Su’ao]: Dali Train Station → Wai’ao Station
Fulong Beach
Somehow in my four years, I was never able to make it here. But it’s absolutely beautiful on a sunny day and they host fun sandcastle building competitions.
It’s right in the middle of each hike, so if you’re short on time, or want to maximize beach time, this is a great option.
How to get there
From Bitoujiao Park (40 mins)
Bus 791: Bitoujiao (Nitou Service Area) → Fulong Terminal Station
From Caoling Historic Trail (28 mins)
Train [Su’ao → Shulin]: Dali Station → Fulong Station
How to Get Back to Taipei
From most of these spots, you can check for bus 1815/1815A or go to any train station nearby and head back into Taipei from there (just make sure you’re heading towards Taipei, not away from it).
From Wai’ao beach you can take the train or bus 1877 (station: Lanyang Museum), I recommend the bus for Wai’ao because it’s considerably faster even with traffic.
4. Yilan
If you’re looking for a day trip from Taipei in one area filled with different activities – this one’s for you!
Yilan is a fun seaside town slightly southeast from Taipei. It has a ton of rice fields, beautiful mountains and beaches, hot springs, and delicious food! It’s a quaint little town with a main street running through it filled with various things to do.
What to Do
In Yilan the main street/area is called Jiaoxi (pronounced ‘j-ow’ ‘she’), it’s known for hot springs and the plenty of restaurants and food stands. I highly recommend walking up and down the street to see what you can discover on your own.
Here are my recommendations for Jiaoxi:
- Munch on a deep-fried scallion pancake with egg here
- Next to that shop is my favorite Taiwanese dessert
- If the wait is too long, try this little stand instead – it’s just as good (if not better imo)
- One more fun, tasty traditional dessert
- Feast on the classic dish of hot pot
- Soak your feet in the hot spring park
After you finish in Jiaoxi, don’t miss out on the other great parts of Yilan:
- Learn how to surf at Wai’ao Beach
- Feast on the best chicken you’ve ever tasted
- Be mind blown by Taiwan’s beauty at Dongao Bay
- Go whale watching and/or sail to Turtle Island here
- Take in history and culture at the National Center for Traditional Arts
- Check out one of the few places in the world with natural cold springs
- Check out the incredible architecture and exhibitions at the Lanyang Museum
- Drink and learn about the award-winning whisky at Kavalan Distillery
How to Get There
Taipei to Yilan (40 mins – 1 hr 15 mins)
- Bus 1877: Nangang Bus Station → 頂埔
OR - Bus 1915: Taipei Bus Station → Jiaoxi Transfer Station
Yilan to Taipei (45 mins – 1 hr)
- Bus 1917: Loudong Transfer Station → Taipei Bus Station
OR - Bus 1572B: Jiaoxi Transfer Station → Taipei City Hall Bus Station
5. Miaoli region
Typically most people skip Miaoli because there isn’t a lot of well-known things to see or do here. Luckily, one of my best friends and his Taiwanese girlfriend invited me to join them and I’m so glad I did!
While we didn’t see too much in Miaoli city, we were in the region and had a really fun day filled with delicious food, Taiwanese culture, and nature (I’m sensing a theme coming from my travels..).
While I was on this trip, I thought hmm if I ever start that travel blog, I definitely want to add this to it. So let’s get into our final day trip from Taipei, she’s a quirky one!
What to Do
Here is the quick overview of the day:
- Noods at 李麵店(裡面店)
- Got a delicious tea slushie here
- Suntanned on the beach
- Top strange things to do in Taiwan here
- Picturesque view of the coast
- Paid our respects at Baishatun Gongtian Temple
- Another delicious Taiwanese dessert here
- Saw history through one of the last remaining Japanese style train stations
- Watched the sunset at Xiangxie Boardwalk
- Ate the best Mexican food I’ve ever had
You can’t travel to Taiwan and not eat their local cuisine, it’s bomb with a capital B. So we’re starting off with a very authentic, Taiwanese noodle shop.
We ordered a dish that had pig intestines, tofu, and seaweed with spring onion on top and I know that doesn’t sound like the vibe – but trust me, it’s the vibe. Give it a go and see what you think!
We also ordered sesame paste noodles, dry rice noodles, wontons, and yang chun dry noodles. Highly recommend all of the dishes – plus the area it’s located in makes for a fun and colorful photo op!
We walked through the area to see what other shops were in it, but only a couple of others were opened so we continued out and checked out the temple right across from it.
It was also boiling lava hot the day we were there, so we decided to cool off at a lovely tea shop. And if you’re confused – Taiwanese people drink cold tea as well, so don’t worry – it’s not hot, it’s cold.
Anywho, they had a special that day – a fresh passion fruit slushie and let me tell you, it was phenomenal. If it’s available, I highly recommend ordering that. If passion fruit isn’t your vibe, don’t fret. They had a ton of other yummy options.
Next up: the beach. Some people do travel from Taipei to Miaoli just for the beach – I’ve heard there are some great beaches, but I’ve never been to any besides this one.
Overall though, I would say this beach is pretty average compared to others, but it is family friendly and the water is very calm. It had an art exhibition while walking from the parking lot to the beach, which was pretty cool. There also aren’t too many people on the beach, you get to see wind turbines to the right of you, and the water was the perfect temperature.
After a dip in the ocean, you can prepare for probably one of the most unique (and maybe strange..) things you can find in Taiwan. There is no English name, but it’s like a large garden filled with an eclectic collection of statues and figurines from all different places and cultures.
My best friend’s girlfriend told us it was a collection made by a successful man as a tribute to his family for supporting him during his childhood – don’t quote me on that though, that’s just what I heard!
You can find it here, it’s free to enter and after making your way around the garden, you can cross through it to get a magnificent view of the coast.
From there, head over to the Baixi village and pay your respects to Mazu, the goddess of the sea, at the Baishatun Gongtian Temple. Prepare for crowds because apparently miracles have happened after praying here.
If you’re in the mood for another traditional Taiwanese dessert, snack here!
Afterwards, head up to the Xiangshan Train Station (not to be confused with Elephant Mountain in Taipei, but yes, it’s the same name).
It is one of the last remaining Japanese-styled train stations. Japan occupied Taiwan from 1895 to 1945 and you can occasionally see the influence, such as this, around the island.
I won’t lie there is not much happening here, it really is just a small train station, but if you’re into history it can be fun to peek at!
If you want to go somewhere for the sunset like we did, go to the Xiangxie Boardwalk. It goes out into the ocean, but usually it’s low tide so you can see all the little crabs and creatures in the sand below. Pop a squat, and bask in the sunset for bit.
Lastly, if you would like to try one of the best Mexican restaurants Taiwan has to offer, make your way up to Hsinchu (pronounced ‘shin – choo’) after making a reservation in advance at El Mundo.
How to Get There
The most convenient way to get to the Miaoli region from Taipei is by taking the High Speed Rail, or the HSR. It’s super smooth and takes no time at all. I suggest buying the HSR tickets through their app, but you can also buy them in-person or on their website.
Public transportation is a bit scarce outside of Taipei (they’re working on it), so for this day trip I encourage you to rent a car instead. It will make going from place to place way less of a hassle – plus you can see the coast of Taiwan as you drive, which is absolutely beautiful.
6. Snorkel in Chaojing Park
What to Do
There are many spots to snorkel all around Taiwan, but one of my favorites is Chaojing Park. And luckily, it’s only a bus ride away from Taipei.
Upon arrival, you can walk over to one of the many small shops along the road to buy snorkel gear for around $200 NTD (roughly $6.20 USD). You’ll see the area where people are snorkeling and diving just passed the parking lot on the right side. Follow the trail down and pick a spot to place your things on the rocks, and jump in!
It’s a fantastic spot, full of vivid fish and creatures – don’t be afraid to swim up and along the coastal area to really see what life is like under the water.
One thing to note: Unfortunately there is a large trash problem along the coast in northern Taiwan. It’s really sad, but prepared to see garbage in the water and along the beaches, especially plastic (bags, bottles, etc.).
Once you’re finished snorkeling, you can return your gear and walk up the hill (past the iOcean building) and you’ll find a small area with food trucks offering classic taiwanese dishes, ice cream, and drinks.
If you continue past that, you will see a collection of large brooms scattered across a field. I don’t know the meaning or reasoning behind this fun art, but it gives Harry Potter vibes.
How to Get There
Taipei to Chaojing Park (1 hr 5 mins)
Bus 1579/1579A: Zhongxiao Dunhua Bus Station → National Museum of Marine Science & Technology
You can take the same bus to get back to Taipei 🙂
And there we have it – the best day trips from Taipei plus some tips and tricks for getting around. If you have any questions feel free to reach out. I hope you have a fantastic time traveling around Taiwan.
happy trails ♥