Teapot Mountain

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LOOKING TO HIKE TEAPOT MOUNTAIN IN TAIWAN?

While it’s been a few years since I hiked to Teapot Mountain in Taiwan, I decided to finally write about it. Teapot Mountain is the perfect day trip from Taipei if you want to get outside without going too far.

If you want to hike in Taipei, try Elephant Mountain or Fairy Footprint. But, back to Teapot Mountain. This is a moderate hike in Jinguashi, about an hour from Taipei, with spectacular views.

Most of the Teapot Mountain hike is stairs with a little scrambling through the teapot at the top, at least as of 2016 when I was there. On the other side of the teapot continuing on to Mount Banping, it was a dirt path.

Our experience on the Teapot Mountain hike in Taiwan

Once we got to Jinguashi, we headed right to the trailhead to get started. The trail started off with approximately a million stairs, which kick my butt every time.

Once you climb the eight miles of stairs (not really eight miles, but it’s a lot) you’ll follow a maintenance road for a bit before branching off onto the trail again. There will be a sign for the trail so you can’t miss it.

Once you’re off the road, it’s quite a bit of windy trail to get you up to the top. There are a couple of pavilions and benches to stop and rest on the way up while you enjoy the stunning views.

There are plenty more stairs, so fear not if you were missing them. Make sure you look behind you on your way up to enjoy the view.

Looking ahead at the teapot, the highest part of Teapot Mountain in Taiwan

Climbing through Teapot Mountain

Once you get to the top, the teapot, you will have to use fixed ropes to climb through the teapot formation. This wasn’t too tough, but if you’re not a fan of rock scrambling, it may not be for you.

There is no way around this but it’s not necessary to do if you’re not continuing on to Mt. Banping. There are ropes in the cave that make getting up and through the teapot of Teapot Mountain easier.

The hole you have to squeeze out of isn’t tiny but it’s not large either. If this has changed, let me know and I’ll update this!

Spend a little time relaxing at the top, enjoying the views of the city and sea sprawling below you. If you’re up for more of a challenge and more rock scrambling with ropes, continue to the top of Mount Banping.

The hike down Teapot Mountain is much easier, obviously, and you get to enjoy the views the whole way down.

I really liked this hike and would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a moderate hike close to Taipei. I’d like to do it again but keep going next time.

Looking out of the teapot on Teapot Mountain

Where is the Teapot Mountain Trailhead?

The Teapot Mountain trailhead is in the town of Jinguashi and specifically at the Jinguashi Gold Ecological Museum.

It’s slightly north of Taipei and almost on the east coast. You can see the ocean from the trail and it’s beautiful!

Here are some other distances:

Jiufen Old Street to Teapot Mountain: 5-15 minutes (by vehicle)
Pingxi Old Street to Teapot Mountain: 2 hours 12 minutes (by train and bus)
New Taipei City to Teapot Mountain: 2 hours 12 minutes (by train and bus)
Keelung City to Teapot Mountain: 1 hour (by train and bus)

How to get from Taipei to Teapot Mountain

It’s pretty easy to get to Teapot Mountain from Taipei. First, get to Taipei Main Station, then take a train to Ruifang.

Once you’re in Ruifang, cross the street and head left out of the train station. There is a bus stop, wait there for a bus towards Jiufen and Jinguashi. If you’re not sure where the bus is going, just ask the driver.

Get off the bus in Jinguashi and head over to the Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park and you’re there!

How long is the Teapot Mountain hike?

About 2.5 miles round-trip for the Teapot Mountain hike, but up to 7 if you continue on to Mount Banping. I would plan 2-6 hours depending on how far you want to go.

Is the Teapot Mountain Hike hard?

I would go with a firm moderate as it has almost 1000 feet of elevation gain, and I would say strenuous if you continue on to Mount Banping. I would use AllTrails to make finding and following the trail easier.

Teapot Mountain entrance fee

When I hiked Teapot Mountain in 2016 there was no fee, but there is now an 80TWD fee. It’s technically the entrance fee for the Jinguashi Gold Museum but that’s where the hike starts so you still have to pay it.

View of Shuinandong and the Yinyang Sea from Teapot Mountain

What is the best time for hiking Teapot Mountain?

There isn’t really a bad time, but clear days will be best so you can admire the views of Taipei and the surrounding area. In the summer, make sure you set out early to beat the midday heat.

Overall, I think hiking to Teapot Mountain is a great way to spend a day outside of the bustling city life of Taipei.

If you’re short on time, it’s still a great afternoon or morning hike so you won’t miss out on the night markets and everything else Taipei has to offer.

Is hiking Teapot Mountain worth it?

Yes! Even though I hate stairs I really enjoyed the Teapot Mountain hike. The views from the top are 100% worth it and it’s fun scrambling through the teapot.

Are there other hikes near Teapot Mountain?

Yes! There are a couple of other hikes on and around Teapot Mountain if you want to do more. Most of them include Teapot Mountain in part of a looop or longer trail.

Teapot Mountain and Benshan Wukeng Loop – 4.4 miles, 1900 feet of elevation gain
Teapot Mountain and Martyr’s Shrine Loop – 9 miles, 3500 feet of elevation gain
Golden Waterfall Trail – 1.3 miles, 670 feet of elevation gain
Jinguashi Mountain Trail Loop – 1.5 miles, 560 feet of elevation gain
Keelung Mountain Trail – 1.1 miles, 820 feet of elevation gain
Gold Ecological Park Loop Trail – 1.6 miles, 820 feet of elevation gain
Mount Keelung Loop – 2.3 mile, 1100 feet of elevation gain
Giofeng Shuanxi Trail – 10.4 miles, 1900 feet of elevation gain

Is Teapot Mountain in a national park?

Nope! It’s just a great mountain hike. Yangmingshan National Park is 1-2 hours northwest of Teapot Mountain though if you want to hike there.

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.

Looking down at the Teapot Mountain and all the stairs

What to bring on your Teapot Mountain hike

Water bottle – It’ll be hot and you’ll need to stay hydrated. Even if it’s not hot you need to stay hydrated. A Hydro Flask will keep your water ice cold all day long.

Sunscreen – If you plan on being outside, you’ll want sunscreen. I like the Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch a lot AND it’s reef safe! If you’re sensitive to fragrance though, it’s not a good choice. I also like the same one but specifically for your face.

Hat – You’ll want some kind of hat to keep the sun out of your eyes, or a visor. A baseball hat should be fine but I like my giant sun hat, too.

Sunglasses – This is a must no matter where you are.

Light Jacket – Because you just never know. Weather can change quickly depending on where you are, time of day, and season. I usually use my rain jacket for this.

Headlamp – I tend to carry my headlamp around all the time when we’re hiking, just in case.

Final thoughts on hiking Teapot Mountain in Taiwan

I have no idea how I found out about this but I’m so glad I did because it was a great day hike not far from Taipei! I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for hikes near Taipei.