If you’re headed to Taipei and have the time to spare, then you must, must, must take a day trip to visit nearby Shifen, Jiufen and even the waterfalls of Sandiaoling!
Only an hour train ride from Taipei Main Station, these three destinations offer a glimpse into the quieter and natural side of Taiwan and make for one of the best Taipei day trips.Seeing all three in one day makes for a mega busy day with an early start, but it’s possible if you’re up for it!
Otherwise I recommend saving the Sandiaoling waterfalls for another day and focus solely on Shifen and Jiufen. You could even make a quick stop to the cat village of Houtang if you’re feeling crazy (it’s easier to get to than Sandiaoling and takes less time to see and enjoy).
Before venturing out of the city, be sure to check out my top travel tips for Taiwan. It may help you on your journey!
Taipei Day Trips: How to Visit Sandiaoling, Shifen and Jiufen
The Sandiaoling Waterfall Hike.
If you’re a fan of hiking and nature, the Sandiaoling Waterfall Hike is a great stop to make on your day trip out of Taipei. The trail is not too difficult and takes you through beautiful forest, over swinging rope bridges and past three natural waterfalls.
The entire hike shouldn’t take you longer than 2-3 hours, pending rest and photo breaks. It can be a little difficult to find your way to the trail, but this blog does an amazing job explaining the route in great detail. Be sure to pack plenty of water and snacks as the trail is quite remote without amenities!
How to get to the Sandiaoling.
The trailhead of this hike is easily accessible from the Sandiaoling Train Station, so starting your hike is as easy as hopping on a train from Taipei Main Station to Sandiaoling.
Direct trains leave about once every hour. You can also take a train to Ruifang and make a transfer to the Pingxi Line to get to Sandiaoling if the direct train timetable doesn’t line up well with your schedule. The ticket for my direct train cost me NT$53 / USD$1.80.
You can find the exact timetable if you copy and paste this address into your search bar – twtraffic.tra.gov.tw/twrail/English/e_index.aspx. The information desk at Taipei Main Station is absolutely wonderful and the staff speaks English – so any if you have any questions or are in need of help, don’t hesitate to ask the kind folks there!
What to do in Shifen.
Shifen is a cute little village between Sandiaoling and Jiufen. The railroad tracks run right through the main area with shops, restaurants and cafes lining both sides of the tracks.
Shifen’s main attraction is sending off to the skies wishes and goals on famous Taiwanese paper lanterns and is also home to the widest waterfall in Taiwan.Stop by to send off your own lantern, gaze at Shifen Waterfall, or even just to watch and enjoy the magic from the sidelines.
How to get to Shifen.
From the waterfall hike, you can actually walk all the way to Shifen or you can walk to the nearby train station called Dohua and take the train one stop to Shifen.
The walk to Shifen Waterfall is about 45 minutes from the end of the hike, and then another 20 minutes to the actual village. Laura Liberated does a wonderful job describing in great detail how to get to Shifen from the Sandiaoling Waterfall Hike on her blog here.
If you’re coming from Taipei Main Station, hop on a train headed to Ruifang Station. You’ll need to transfer to the Pingxi Line and get off at Shifen Station. Trains leave about once every hour and you can actually purchase a Pingxi day pass that allows you to ride on the Pingxi Line for the day.This blog goes into greater detail about the Pingxi 1 Day Pass.
What to do in Jiufen.
Jiufen is one of the most popular destinations in all of Taiwan. With charming lantern lined streets going up and down the hillside, it’s no wonder why! Come to Jiufen to explore the markets along Old Jiufen Street, taste and enjoy local foods, sip tea at the famous tea house and just enjoy the charm of the city.
How to get to Jiufen.
From Shifen, you’ll need to hop on the train and head back to Ruifang Station. From Ruifang, there is a bus that leaves about every 15 minutes or so headed directly to Jiufen.
To get to the bus stop, go straight out of Ruifang Station and turn left onto the street in front of you. Cross the street and walk for about 5 minutes or so. I believe it’s the Keelung Bus 788 but be sure to ask the driver to confirm. The train ticket costs about NT$60 / USD$2.05 and the bus ticket is about NT$20 / USD$0.70.
If you have an EasyPass card, you can use it to pay for your fare! If you’re coming from Taipei, you can take a train to Ruifang and transfer to the same bus that leaves from the city.
There’s also a direct bus from Taipei that leaves from exit 2 of Zhongxiao Fuxing Station. The bus is the Keelung Bus #1062. The bus ticket is about NT$100 / USD$3.40 and you can pay with cash or EasyPass.
How to get back to Taipei.
This same bus leaves Jiufen and takes you back to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station. The last bus of the day leaves around 6pm and the line to catch it starts early and can get long, so keep that in mind when getting ready to leave. If you miss the bus, you can always catch a taxi back to the city.
More Taiwan Tips
This is just an example itinerary of the many Taipei day trips you can take on your visit to wonderful Taiwan. It’s a busy, jam-packed day but with enough coffee and enthusiasm – it’s easy!
