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LOOKING FOR THE BEST DAY TRIPS FROM TAIPEI?

Taipei is in the perfect location.  It’s centrally located in Northern Taiwan making it super easy to get to either coast.

These are some of the best day trips from Taipei to the surrounding cities and towns while you are based in the city.

Whether you want to hike, visit a night market, wander through old streets, or all three, there are tons of easy day trips from Taipei.

You can even do all three in one day if that’s all you have, it’s just deciding which that is the hard part.  If you’ve only got 5 days in Taiwan, this can help you narrow down what to do with your limited time.

Perfect day trips from Taipei

There are a lot of great places in northern Taiwan that make great Taipei day trips. I’ve set a lot of places up as combinations (like Tamsui and Beitou) but some you could easily spend a whole day in on their own (like Jiufen).

Tamsui and Beitou Taipei day trip

While these are still technically in Taipei, I’m still counting them as a day trip from Taipei.  These two can even be reached by MRT, on the same MRT line, which is why I kept them together. 

I would start at Beitou in the morning and go to Tamsui in the afternoon/evening.  Of course, it can be done in reverse, too.

In Beitou, make a stop at the Beitou Hot Springs.  If you’re on a budget, hit up the Millennium Hot Spring, the most popular hot spring in Beitou. 

If you want to splurge a little, stop into one of the private hot springs along the river (there’s actually one called Gorgeous Hot Spring Resort.) 

While you’re here, don’t forget to stop at Thermal Valley to admire the steaming jade water.

Book a Beitou and Yangmingshan volcano tour here!

In Tamsui, make sure to check out the Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf and the Lover’s Bridge.  This is a fun area to wander around near the water, to enjoy some ice cream, and to just do some people watching. 

Don’t forget to wander the Tamsui Old Street.  I wish I did this, but I didn’t even know it existed when I was there.  I didn’t know a whole lot about Tamsui, it was a last-minute (literally, the last day) trip.

You can hang out in Tamsui until sunset and watch it from the Wharf or Lover’s Bridge before heading to (or back to) the Old Street to have a little something to eat before heading back into Taipei. 

Or, you can head to one of the markets around Taipei to sample tons of treats for dinner.

Tips for visiting Tamsui and Beitou as a day trip from Taipei:

• Weather can change pretty drastically between Taipei and Tamsui, so I’d suggest bringing layers, at least in January. 
• Definitely, bring a daypack to carry anything you might need for the hot springs.  It will be easier for the rest of the day.
• Research hot springs before you go to Beitou and make sure you know the etiquette before going in, gender, clothing, all that.
• To get to both, just take the MRT red line to the end for Tamsui and almost the end for Beitou.
• If you’re going to the Beitou Hot Springs, take the MRT to Beitou station, then take the pink line one more stop to Xinbeitou.  The hot springs will be straight ahead on either side of the park when you leave the station.
• There is a beach nearby that you can take a bus to, but we couldn’t get the bus to stop, so I wish I could help more with this.
• Even if it’s super foggy, still go to the wharf.  It looks pretty cool in the fog.

Jiufen and Jinguashi Taipei day trip

These two would make the perfect day trip from Taipei together as they are only a ten-minute bus ride apart. 

You can do a little hiking, wander the old streets, eat everything, and drink some tea while watching the sunset over the coast.  If you can only do one day trip from Taipei, I would highly suggest this one.

Jiufen is a charming little town, sometimes called Taiwan’s Santorini, that may look familiar if you’ve seen Lost in Translation. 

It’s got a few temples and stellar views of the coast, but it’s known for it’s Old Street, where you can wander for hours trying local food and shopping for souvenirs.

Take a few hours to wander through the Old Street, admire the views, and even stop in a tea house or two.  The one in the picture on the right under here is wonderful. 

I actually went there twice.  I would go in the afternoon to see it in the daylight and as the sunsets into the night.  This is probably one of my favorite day trips in Taipei.

In Junguashi, you can wander around the town, check out it’s Old Street, head to the Gold Ecological Park to visit the Gold Museum and Benshan Fifth Tunnel, or do a little hiking and climb Teapot Mountain, which also leaves from the Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park.

I would definitely recommend doing the hike and maybe wandering around the Old Street before heading over to Jiufen to get something to eat. 

It’s a pretty easy, straightforward hike taking you up the mountain through the rock that looks like a teapot from Jinguashi. 

I didn’t get a picture of it, but the bottom left picture is from inside the teapot.  It’ll take a couple hours, but it’s a great way to experience some of Taiwan’s amazing hiking on a short trip to the area.

Tips for visiting Jiufen and Jinguashi as a day trip from Taipei:

• They can easily be combined into one trip and you could even add in a stop at the Keelung Night Market on your way back into Taipei if you want a real night market experience before leaving.
• Another day trip option is to combine Jiufen and Yehliu Geopark into one.
• Jiufen is pretty much always busy, so be prepared to fight the crowds.  Don’t let this stop you from going, though.
• From the bus stop, just walk straight (to the right) to get to the Jiufen Old Street.  Or just follow the crowd.
• To get to Jiufen from Taipei, take the MRT to Taipei Main station, get a train to Ruifang, leave the train station in Ruifang, cross the street and walk to the bus stop off to the left.  From here catch a bus up to Jiufen.  If you’re going to Jinguashi, just stay on for a couple more stops.
• If you’re there during Chinese New Year, Jiufen does shut down at least one day during festivities.

Yehliu Geopark Taipei day trip

Yehliu Geopark is a geological oddity on the northern coast of Taiwan.  It’s a rocky area jutting out into the ocean covered in strange rock formations, the most well known being the Queen’s Head.  There is also one that looks like a whale’s tail that I personally preferred.

You can wander among the formations and climb up the little hill thing off to the right of the rocky area.  It offers some pretty nice views of the park and surrounding area.

You’ll have to take a bus to get here.  Start at the Taipei West Bus Station in Terminal A.  This is at Taipei Main Station.  You’ll get the ticket at the KuoKuang window for 120TWD to Yehliu Geopark.   

The bus ride takes about 90 minutes, and the bus will drop you off on the main road just outside the park entrance. Walk down the lane on the left side to enter.

This may not be a full day trip, but it will take up a good portion of the day, so there will be a little spare time for something else once you’re back in Taipei, or head to Jiufen for some tea in the hills at sunset. This is one of the best day trips from Taipei if you want to get outside.

Tips for visiting Yehliu Geopark as a day trip from Taipei:

• The weather can change pretty quickly here, so be prepared.  It was cold and rainy when we got there, but it was warm and sunny soon after.
• It can be pretty busy here, so be prepared for that, too.  While it is busy, it’s easy to get pictures without people.
• If you want a picture with the Queen’s Head, there is a line and a guard shooing people out of the background for you.  Not that I would know what it’s like to get shooed out of the way.. If you’re in that area, just watch out for the lines on the ground.
• If you’re limited on time, this wouldn’t be my first choice of day trips, unless you love this kind of thing, but if you have a lot of time, definitely check it out.
• If you’re traveling around the island and liked Yehliu, consider a quick trip to Xiao Yehliu as well.  It’s a small (less impressive, but still fun) version of Yehliu.

Houtong, Shifen, and Pingxi Taipei day trip

If you decided to do all three of these in one day, it’s going to be a busy day, so make sure you get going early!  Even just doing two would still be fun. 

If you do all three, you can get a taste of the classic Old Streets, the weird things Taipei has to offer, and a little bit of nature with some hiking. 

This is a great option to get a little variety and see a few old streets and villages on a Taipei day trip.

First stop, Houtong Cat Village!  Yes, an entire village dedicated to, and filled with, cats.  If you like cats, this is a must-see place. 

You can hang out with cats (live ones) in shops and restaurants as well as on the streets.  You can enjoy cat music, like meowing versions of popular songs.

You can buy anything you can imagine with cats on it.  I came home with two pairs of cat socks.  Even if it’s rainy you can still spot cats outside, and especially in the shops. 

It’s a small place, so you don’t have to spend tons of time here.  There are restaurants if you decide to eat here.

Next up on the Pingxi Railway Branch is Shifen making it the next logical stop.  Right off the train, you’ll be able to explore the charming little Old Street, which isn’t much of a street, but still worth exploring. 

I wish I made it to Shifen when I was in the area.  I saw it from the train and thought it looked adorable! 

While you’re here, on the most popular stop on the Pingxi Railway Branch, you can send a lantern into the sky or hike about 20 minutes to the Shifen waterfall.

Finally, we have Pingxi, most famous for its Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival during Chinese New Year, which I was lucky enough to make it to. 

And believe it or not, I didn’t even know it was a thing when I first booked my tickets to Taiwan.  Even if you aren’t there for the festival, which happens in late January, it’s still worth a visit to send up your own lantern or to explore, you guessed it, the Old Street. 

I bet you never saw that one coming.  It’s a fun little town to wander around and is definitely worth a day trip.

Tips for visiting Pingxi, Shifen, and Houtong as a day trip from Taipei:

• Even if it’s rainy, still go and do these things.  It was rainy the majority of the time I was in Taiwan.  If I didn’t still go do things, I wouldn’t have seen anything!  Just dress in layers (it can get cold) and bring an umbrella or rain jacket.
• You can get a day ticket for Pingxi Railway Branch unlimited uses.  I would suggest that since all of these are on the line.  It’s super easy to get from Taipei to Shifen, too.
• Even just going to Pingxi and Shifen would be great.
• Check train times the day before you plan to go so you can plan a little better and make the most of your day.  When we went to Houtong, we had to do a lot of waiting for trains.
• While send up a lantern may be fun, consider skipping this activity for the environment.  The lanterns and their frames end up stuck in trees for a little too long and they can cause fires.  I would still consider going back for the festival if I was there then, but only as a spectator.

Yangmingshan National Park Taipei day trip

Finally, we have Yangmingshan National Park, which, I’ll admit, I didn’t even know about until recently.  This is an easy escape from the city and perfect for fans of hiking. 

It’s about an hour from Taipei and you can hike from the Visitor Center up to the peak of Quixing Mountain, about halfway up to Xiaoyoukeng.  Here, you can admire sulfur being puffed into the air.

To get there from Taipei, take the MRT to Jiantan Station. From there, head outside and take bus R5, leaving every 15 minutes.

Another option is to take bus 260 outside from Taipei Main Station for a more direct route to Yangmingshan.  Bus 260 from Taipei Main Station does take longer than from Jiantan Station. 

If you want to get out and hike this is definitely one of the best Taipei day trips you could pick.

Tips for visiting Yangmingshan National Park as a day trip from Taipei:

• From Xiaoyoukeng, you can take a bus back to Taipei City or keep walking back to the Visitor Center.
• The hike up takes a couple of hours, especially if you stop and take a lot of pictures.
• The park is famous for it’s venomous snakes, so watch out on the trail, and if you go off trail, definitely watch out there.
• Try and be down before sunset so you’re not walking on the steep trails in the dark.
• Check out the Erziping Recreation Area if you’re here.  There is also a trail here.  It sounds pretty tough but worth it.
• Like most hikes, dress in layers and bring a rain jacket, especially if you go in the winter.

Where to stay in Taipei

Meander Taipei – I stayed here and absolutely loved it! They have dorms and private rooms and it was so good for meeting people without being a party hostel. It’s near Ximending.

Meander 1948 – This is a beautifully modern hostel conveniently located above a 7-Eleven near Taipei Main Station!

Taipei 109 Hostel – This is another nice, modern hostel near Ximending. There isn’t much for a common area so it might not be the best if you want to meet people or socialize.

Star Hostel – This is another beautiful modern hostel near Taipei Main Station. This is a hostel with sustainability practices aimed at reducing waste.

Other Taipei area posts you may like

Spirited Away To The Hills Of Jiufen: What To Do In Jiufen

Yehliu Geopark: Spend A Morning On Mars

Modern Toilet: Taipei’s Toilet Restaurant

Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf + 4 Other Cool Things To Do In Tamsui

Spend An Afternoon at Huashan 1914 Creative Park

7 Ways To Spend One Day In Taipei

Elephant Mountain And Fairy Footprint: Two Best Hikes In Taipei

Everything You Need To Know To Go To The Pingxi Lantern Festival

Hiking Teapot Mountain In Taiwan: A Great Day Hike From Taipei

Have you been to Taiwan?  Did you go to any of these places?  What was your favorite day trip from Taipei?