# 6 Best Day Trips from Taipei > Hot springs, sunsets and one-of-a-kind markets right next to Taipei. We rounded up six of the best day-trip ideas around Taiwan's capital. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/6-luchshykh-odnodnevnkh-poezdok-yz-taibia/ - Language: en - Published: 2025-03-07 - Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Tours, Taiwan, Food & Drinks, Relaxation --- Taipei offers one of the widest selections of cheap, easy day trips of any major Asian city. Perched on Taiwan's northern edge, the capital sits right next to jaw-dropping natural spots, along with lively little towns and markets. Everything is just a few minutes away by train or metro. We narrowed the list down to our six favorite destinations from Taipei, all of them refreshingly low-effort. ## 1. A Steam-Soaked Retreat: Beitou ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-88-1-2024.jpg) Welcome to Taipei's very own volcanic hot springs, tucked right at the foot of Yangming Mountain. You can smell the sulfur before you even step off the metro at Xinbeitou Station. Start the day with a photo session at Thermal Valley, the source that feeds many of the local hot springs. The name will feel spot-on once you peer into the churning blue marsh wrapped in steam. The water here can reach boiling point. In the main park area right in front of the metro station you'll find the original Japanese-era hot spring building, along with the Beitou Public Library, a triangular structure inspired by the bungalows built during the Japanese occupation. Follow Hot Spring Road up past the park to reach Puji Temple, a charming wooden temple built by Japanese railway workers. Tired from all that walking? It's time to treat yourself to a soak, and the park's atmospheric open-air public springs are your best and cheapest option. For a more luxurious bath, try the public springs at the Broadway Hotel next to the park, or spend the night in one of their traditional Japanese-style rooms with a private bath. SweetMe Hot Spring Resort is another solid choice with similar amenities, located right by the metro station. If you want privacy on a tighter budget, every hotel in Beitou offers comfortable rooms with private baths that you can rent for two hours. Getting there: All of Beitou's sights are within walking distance of Xinbeitou metro station. ## 2. The Best Sunset: Tamsui ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-88-2-2024.jpg) While practically every trip in Taiwan includes a night market or two, Tamsui has not only a wild night market but also some of Taiwan's most iconic sunsets. Tamsui Market is packed with endless rows of food stalls, game booths and even a homemade "believe it or not" museum. Enjoy a lunch on the go made up of classic snacks like grilled cuttlefish, stinky tofu and fried ice cream. Then burn off the calories by renting a tandem bike and cruising the coastal path, or stroll over to Fort San Domingo, built by the Dutch (also known in Chinese as "Fort of the Red-Haired"). It was later used as the residence of the British consul and was once home to Herbert Allen Giles, who completed part of his work on the Wade-Giles system there. If that's too much history for your vacation, hop on a bus to Baishawan to spend the day at the beach. As the day winds down, head to Fisherman's Wharf to catch Taipei's most famous sunsets. Just north of Tamsui proper, the waterfront is touristy but well worth it for the perfect shot of Tamsui's Lover's Bridge against the setting sun. For the return trip to Tamsui, skip the bus and choose one of the little ferries that cross the river. You can use your metro card to hop aboard. Getting there: Get off at Tamsui (Danshui) Station on the Red Line. For Fisherman's Wharf, take the red bus 26 right behind the metro station or the ferry departing from Tamsui Pier. To reach Baishawan, take any bus heading toward Keelung, also from the metro station. ## 3. The Best Night Market: Keelung ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-88-3-2024.jpg) Northern Taiwan's largest port sees few tourists, which is just one of many reasons to make the quick trip out there. The hill in Zhongzheng Park is a great place to start. It's a lookout point for taking in the city of Keelung and the surrounding ocean. Zhupu Altar at the top of the hill is the center of Taiwan's Ghost Month events, held during the seventh lunar month. Next to the temple, you can enjoy the view from a slightly surreal Buddhist-style children's amusement park, which includes a 22-meter statue of Guanyin with staircases leading up several floors inside. During the day, choose between a boat trip to the cliffs of Keelung Island or a visit to Yehliu, a windswept cape dotted with hoodoos and other rock formations. Hungry? Cap off the day at one of Taiwan's best night markets. Named Miaokou, or "temple entrance" after the beautiful temple at its heart, this market is also one of Taiwan's most visitor-friendly, with English signs listing each stall's specialty. Complete with the crowds that make wandering the night markets one of Taiwan's defining experiences, it's one of the best places to take part in "re nao," or the "hot and noisy atmosphere" that's a sure sign of a good time. Getting there: Frequent trains run from Taipei to Keelung. A number of private bus companies also run to Keelung from Taipei Main Station or from bus stops along Zhongxiao East Road. Ferries to Keelung Island depart from Bisha Harbor, and buses to Yehliu leave from Keelung Railway Station. ## 4. River Hot Springs and Indigenous Culture: Wulai ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-88-4-2024.jpg) Free river hot springs, Indigenous food and drink, and waterfalls, all in a scenic river valley just a stone's throw from Taipei. Wulai is a day trip that's hard to beat. Once home to the Atayal, an Indigenous tribe known for its tradition of facial tattooing, Wulai is the Indigenous village closest to Taipei. Walking along the market strip after you arrive, keep an eye out for local specialties like grilled wild boar, raw pickled pork, fragrant rice steamed in bamboo tubes and river shrimp eaten whole. A bottle of xiaomi jiu (millet wine) will help it all go down. A word of warning: you might already be a little dizzy from the free samples handed out by persistent vendors. After the market, cross the bridge over the river and find a spot in one of the natural hot spring pools or makeshift saunas. If the heat gets to you, just roll over into the cool river, then head back to the warmth for another round. There are more hot spring resort options here than in Beitou, and a wider range of quality. Getting there: Bus 1061 departs every 15 to 30 minutes from Xindian metro station, and the ride to Wulai takes about 40 minutes. ## 5. A Vertical Escape: Pingxi ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-88-5-2024.jpg) With so many hiking regions in the Greater Taipei area, why did Pingxi make the list? For one, between hikes you can ride the old-fashioned Pingxi Railway Line, a single-track railway once used to haul coal. The seven stops along the 12.9-kilometer route boast picturesque old villages that transport visitors to times gone by. If it's waterfalls you're after, this is the best spot too. The trail from Sandiaoling Station boasts three of Taiwan's tallest waterfalls. The second, where you can climb beneath a rock overhang and peer into the valley from behind the falls, is a real treat. At Shifen Station, don't miss Shifen Waterfall, a 40-meter beauty and the widest in Taiwan. Last but not least, for some thrilling fun, try scrambling up the cliffs at Pingxi Station, a town otherwise known for its mass sky lantern releases during the Lantern Festival. Metal ladders and steps carved into the rock faces take you hundreds of meters up for dramatic views. Getting there: Trains depart from Taipei hourly to Ruifang. At Ruifang, transfer to the Pingxi Railway Line. Some of the stops on the Pingxi Line, including Jingtong and Pingxi, are also reachable on bus 1076, which departs hourly from Muzha metro station. ## 6. Golden Mining Towns: Jiufen and Jinguashi ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-88-6-2024.jpg) Once-thriving mining towns Jiufen and Jinguashi are alive and thriving once again these days. Crowds of domestic and international tourists come here to enjoy stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, along with excellent opportunities for hiking, shopping and snacking. The centerpiece of Jiufen is Jishan Street, a narrow market strip that winds through the town. Everyone is eager to try Jiufen's specialty, soft taro and sweet potato balls served hot in a sweet soup or cold over shaved ice. If the crowds of foodies wear you out, take a break in one of the quiet teahouses with a view, or head over to Jinguashi. The Gold Ecological Park in Jinguashi tells the detailed story of the town's mining industry. The park's Benshan Fifth Tunnel takes visitors into the mines to get a feel for how miners worked in the past. Visitors to Jinguashi also flock to the Golden Waterfall, where minerals in the water give it a golden sheen. Add to that the ruins of a Japanese Shinto shrine that call Greece to mind, and you have a truly unique place. Getting there: Bus 1062 departs regularly for Jiufen and Jinguashi from Exit 1 of Zhongxiao Fuxing metro station. Alternatively, take the train to Ruifang, then a bus right in front of the railway station. Passengers can get off at Jiufen, but all buses continue up the mountain to Jinguashi.