Taipei is one of my favorite cities in Asia — the night markets alone could keep you busy for a week. But the real magic of basing yourself in Taipei is what’s within an hour or two of the city: misty gold-mining towns, dramatic coastlines, hot spring valleys, and old railway villages. Thanks to Taiwan’s brilliant trains and buses, you don’t even need a car. Here are my favorite day trips, all doable from the city.
Jiufen — The Lantern-Lit Mountain Town
Clinging to a mountainside above the Pacific, Jiufen is a former gold-mining town whose narrow lantern-strung alleys are often said to evoke the bathhouse world of Spirited Away. Come for the atmosphere: red lanterns glowing in the sea mist, teahouses stacked on the cliffside, and Old Street stalls selling taro balls, peanut ice cream rolls, and herbal cakes. My tip — arrive in the late afternoon, let the day-trip crowds drain away, and stay for the moment the lanterns switch on at dusk. That’s the Jiufen everyone comes for. Getting there is about an hour by train to Ruifang plus a short bus, or a direct bus from Taipei.
Shifen — Release a Sky Lantern on the Tracks
On the charming Pingxi railway line, Shifen is famous for two things: writing your wishes on a paper sky lantern and releasing it right from the railway tracks that run through the middle of town, and Shifen Waterfall — a broad, thundering cascade nicknamed “Taiwan’s Little Niagara,” an easy walk from the village. Combine Shifen with Jiufen in one day; they’re close together and pair perfectly.
Yehliu Geopark — Walk on Another Planet
An hour north of the city, Yehliu is a cape of honey-colored rock eroded into surreal mushroom shapes — the most famous formation, the “Queen’s Head,” has a profile so regal it draws pilgrimage-level queues. Go early, wander the further reaches of the cape where the crowds thin, and marvel at a landscape that looks genuinely extraterrestrial against the blue of the East China Sea.
Beitou — Hot Springs Inside the City Limits
Technically still on the Taipei metro, Beitou feels like a world away: a steaming valley of sulfur springs, Japanese-era bathhouses, and forested walking paths. Visit the emerald, gently boiling Thermal Valley, then soak in the public hot spring baths or splurge on a private tub at one of the resorts. The beautiful wooden Beitou branch of the Taipei Public Library and the Hot Springs Museum round out an easy, restorative half-day.
Tamsui — Riverside Sunsets and Street Snacks
At the end of the red metro line, Tamsui is where Taipei goes for a seaside stroll. Wander the old street snacking on grilled squid and the town’s famous “iron eggs,” visit the colonial-era Fort San Domingo, and time your visit so you’re at Fisherman’s Wharf or the riverside promenade for sunset over the Taiwan Strait — it’s consistently one of the best sunsets in northern Taiwan.
Wulai — Waterfalls and Indigenous Culture
South of the city, Wulai is a mountain village in Atayal indigenous territory, reached by a scenic bus ride along a river gorge. It offers a dramatic 80-meter waterfall, a cute mini railway, hot springs, and Atayal cuisine — try the bamboo-tube rice and wild boar sausage on the old street. It’s greener, quieter, and less touristed than the northern day trips.
Keelung — Night Market by the Harbor
Often overlooked, the port city of Keelung is under an hour from Taipei and home to the Miaokou Night Market — one of Taiwan’s very best. Food stalls fan out around a glowing temple, each numbered and famous for a single dish: crab thick soup, one-bite sausages, “nutritious sandwiches” (a deep-fried bun stuffed with ham, tomato, cucumber and mayo that defies explanation but works), and pao-pao ice. Pair the market with a stop at the rainbow-tinted Zhengbin Fishing Harbor or the moody clifftop trails of Heping Island Park for a full day out.
Yangmingshan — Taipei’s Volcano Park
You can watch the city disappear behind you from a public bus: Yangmingshan National Park sits right on Taipei’s northern edge, a landscape of grassy calderas, fumaroles hissing sulfur steam, hot spring streams, and flower fields that erupt with cherry blossoms in late winter and silvergrass in autumn. Hike up Qixing Mountain — the highest peak in the Taipei area — on a clear day and you’ll get a panorama across the entire basin to Taipei 101. Finish with a soak in the hot springs at Lengshuikeng or back down in Beitou.
Practical Tips
Get an EasyCard — it works on the metro, buses, and local trains and makes multi-stop days effortless. Weekdays beat weekends everywhere, especially Jiufen. Northern Taiwan is famously drizzly, so pack a light rain jacket year-round. And if your schedule allows only one trip: do the Jiufen + Shifen combination. Lanterns rising over the tracks in the afternoon, tea over a misty ocean at dusk — it’s the perfect distillation of what makes northern Taiwan special.
