New Taipei City Tour: Yehliu, Jiufen & Shifen Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.50 (2 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/18

Duration9h 15m

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN · CM

Mobile ticketAccepted

The Queen's Head rock formation at Yehliu Geopark is only visible at certain tide levels, so timing matters.

A full-day guided tour from Taipei covers three northern destinations: the dramatic rock formations of Yehliu Geopark, the lantern-lit alleys and local snacks of Jiufen (a former gold mining town), and Shifen Waterfall, Taiwan's "Little Niagara." The tour includes a professional English or Mandarin-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, and pickup at MRT Ximen Station at 8:15 AM. The Pingxi Branch Rail Line runs through Shifen Old Street, where you can experience the sky lantern tradition (lanterns are optional and paid separately on-site). Yehliu Geopark admission is also paid on-site in cash.

9h 15m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Yehliu, Jiufen, and Shifen

Admire rock formations at Yehliu Geopark
Wander lantern-lit alleys in Jiufen
Savor local snacks in Jiufen
Visit Shifen Waterfall
Experience sky lantern tradition on Shifen Old Street

The Experience

The day starts at MRT Ximen Station, where you meet the guide holding a red flag labeled "R Day Tour" at 8:15 AM, with departure at 8:30 AM. This setup means no separate hotel pickup logistics — you arrive at a central station and the group moves together in an air-conditioned vehicle. The route covers roughly 50 kilometers of Taiwan's north coast and inland valleys, passing through areas most first-time visitors to Taipei don't reach on their own.

Yehliu Geopark comes first, where you walk among rock formations shaped by erosion over millions of years. The "Queen's Head" — a mushroom-shaped outcrop that resembles a profile — is the signature sight, though tide levels affect which formations are fully visible and accessible. From there, the tour moves to Jiufen, a hillside village built on gold mining wealth in the early 1900s. The narrow alleys stay crowded with visitors and lined with stalls selling taro balls, fish cakes, and tea, so the lantern-lit atmosphere the description mentions is real but shared. You wander and eat at your own pace, then regroup for the drive to Shifen.

Shifen Waterfall is a 25-meter drop into a narrow gorge, and the Pingxi Branch Rail Line runs directly past it — an old mining railway now used by tourists and locals. Shifen Old Street, where the tracks run through the village itself, is where the sky lantern tradition happens. If you choose to release a lantern (optional, paid separately in cash on the day), you write a wish on it and watch it drift upward. The whole tour runs about nine hours from pickup to return, though traffic and weather can shift the schedule. The guide manages timing and transitions; you follow the group through each stop.

What’s included

Professional guide in English or Mandarin.
air-conditioned transport.
liability insurance.
pickup and drop-off at MRT Ximen Station.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Sanpu Travel Service

Is this one for you?The tour departs from MRT Ximen Station in central Taipei, so you don't need a car or a separate hotel pickup arrangement — just arrive at the station 15 minutes early. This works well if you're staying anywhere on the Taipei metro line and want to see the north coast and mountain villages in a single day without navigating public buses or renting a vehicle yourself.