Taipei: Yehliu, Jiufen & Pingxi Day Trip with Sky Lanterns

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Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/37

Duration9h

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN · VI +3

Mobile ticketAccepted

Jiufen alleys, Yehliu rocks and Pingxi lanterns in one day out of Taipei

You’ll taste taro balls in Jiufen’s hillside alleys, walk among Yehliu Geopark’s surreal rock shapes, watch Shifen Waterfall thunder down misty cliffs, and send your own wish skyward on a Pingxi lantern—with local stories woven in all day long.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Yehliu, Jiufen, and Pingxi

Visit Yehliu Geopark rock formations
See the Queen’s Head and other rocks
Tour Jiufen Village hillside alleys
Enjoy tea at a Jiufen teahouse
Taste local foods and buy souvenirs
Visit Shifen Waterfall viewing platforms
Walk Shifen Old Street and shops
Write wishes and release sky lantern
Return with optional Taipei 101 drop-off

The Experience

Did you ever wonder if those mushroom-shaped rocks at Yehliu really look like the photos? I did — and honestly, they’re even weirder in person. The sea wind was sharp that morning, carrying this salty smell that clung to my jacket. Our guide (Mr. Chen — he had a quiet way of pointing things out) showed us the “Queen’s Head” rock and I tried to see the royal profile everyone talks about. Maybe I just have a bad imagination, but it looked more like a tired camel to me. There were families from Kaohsiung snapping photos and laughing at the names: “Fairy Shoe”, “Ice Cream Rock”… I liked how nobody took it too seriously.

Jiufen was next — up these winding roads where the fog hangs low. The village is perched on a hillside and honestly feels like it belongs in an old movie (which apparently it does — Mr. Chen mentioned “A City of Sadness” was filmed here). The alleys are narrow and packed with people, but somehow it’s not overwhelming. There’s this sweet smell everywhere from taro balls frying on little carts. We ducked into a teahouse for a break; I still remember the way the steam curled up from my cup as rain started tapping on the paper windows. It felt like time paused for a second there.

Shifen Waterfall was louder than I expected — you hear it before you see it, sort of rumbling through the trees. The spray caught the sun just right for a minute and made this faint rainbow over the rocks (I almost missed it while trying to get my phone out). After that we wandered down to Pingxi Old Street where people were writing wishes on huge paper lanterns right on the train tracks. Our group shared one; I wrote something silly about wanting more good hair days — Li laughed when she read it out loud in Mandarin (I probably butchered it). Watching our lantern float up with dozens of others felt strange and peaceful at the same time.

I didn’t expect to feel so connected to places I’d only seen in travel blogs before — or to strangers sharing snacks under neon shop lights in Jiufen. If you’re looking for a day trip from Taipei that mixes odd geology, old streets, waterfalls, and that sky lantern tradition everyone talks about… well, this is pretty much it.

What’s included

Your day includes air-conditioned transport from Taipei (with hotel pickup if selected), entry tickets for Yehliu Geopark, guided sky lantern launching at Pingxi (shared per group), plus all guiding by a licensed local expert before returning to Taipei in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Edison Travel Service