Jiufen and the North Coast: A Day Trip from Taipei

The northern day trip is almost a must on any visit to Taipei. Within an hour of the city, a trio waits that’s like nothing else: a picturesque tea town, a rail line of paper lanterns, and a coast of wind-sculpted rocks. You can do all three in one day.

Jiufen

An old tea town that climbed the hillside, with narrow alleys, old tea houses, and hundreds of red lanterns that light up at dusk. The key piece of advice: arrive late. By day the town is packed with groups; once they leave, it turns magical. Sit in a tea house with a view of the mountains and the sea.

Pingxi

An old, picturesque rail line that runs between mountain towns. Here people send paper lanterns into the air with a written wish, a local tradition that became an attraction. The Shifen station, with its nearby waterfall, is the popular stop.

Yehliu

A geopark on the north coast, with rocks in strange shapes carved over time by wind, rain, and sea, the most famous shaped like a queen’s head. A good morning start, before the heat and the crowds.

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