Shifen, Jiufen and Yehliu Guided Day Trip from Taipei

Where the four stops are

The day takes in two different landscapes. Yehliu Geopark is a cape on the north coast, in Wanli District. Shifen and its waterfall are inland, in a river valley in Pingxi District, on the old coal railway called the Pingxi Line. Jiufen sits between them on a hillside in Ruifang District, above the sea. The drives link them; one reviewer in October 2026 put the time between stops at 40 to 50 minutes.

The Yehliu, Jiufen and Shifen day tour, stop by stop

The shared tour meets at MRT Taipei Main Station (R10/BL12) exit M3 at 9:00 AM; the guide wears a yellow shirt. The stops, in their usual order (the order and the return time can change with traffic, weather or local conditions):

1. Shifen Old Street, 1 hour. Railway-side shops and the sky lanterns. A lantern is optional and not in the price; it costs approximately NT$200-250, depending on the colour, can be shared by 2 to 4 guests, and the guide can help you buy one.
2. Shifen Waterfall, 50 minutes. The Tourism Administration calls it “Taiwan’s Niagara Falls”.
3. Jiufen, 2 hours. Hillside lanes, shops and teahouses. Food and a teahouse visit are at your own expense; tell the guide on the day if you want one.
4. Yehliu Geopark, 70 minutes. The rock formations on the cape, the Queen’s Head among them. The ticket is included.

Drop-off is in Taipei City or at Raohe Street Night Market. The 9:00 departure has an estimated finish between 17:00 and 18:00.

Check dates for the day trip

Yehliu Geopark: the stop to plan around

Yehliu Geopark’s own site divides the park into three zones: the first two, which it calls the must-sees, hold the Queen’s Head, the Candle Rock and the Fairy’s Shoe and take about an hour; the third is a trail over the cape that takes about an hour and a half (14 November 2026). The day trip gives Yehliu 70 minutes, which fits the first two zones.

Several reviewers wished for longer there. “I liked Yehliu the best. It would be better to have more time in Yehliu and less in Jiufen,” a four-star review read on 1 November 2026; a five-star review on 31 October 2026 advised, “Especially for the geopark, you need to look at the time!” ORinn Travel and Tours’ option with Yehliu Geopark gives it 1.5 hours.

At the gate the park charges NT$120, or NT$60 for a concession ticket, and is open 08:00-17:00, with summer hours of 08:00-18:00. Yehliu Geopark has the full ticket rules, what each zone holds and which tours include the ticket.

Shifen: the falls, the railway and the lanterns

Shifen is a village on the Pingxi Line, which the Tourism Administration says was built in 1918 to carry coal and became a tourism route in 1992. The waterfall lies between Dahua Station and Shifen Station; Shifen Old Street runs along the tracks. Shifen Waterfall covers the falls and the walk, and the Pingxi and Shifen sky lanterns what a lantern costs, which tours include one and what New Taipei City says about releasing them.

Jiufen, in two hours

Jiufen is in Ruifang District. The Tourism Administration says someone struck gold near Jiufen in 1890, and that there are “many unique teahouses” there; New Taipei City lists Jiufen Old Street on Jishan Street.

On weekends and public holidays, traffic controls apply on the way into Jiufen. MyProGuide Inc.’s day with the Golden Waterfall includes the “required Jiufen shuttle bus fares during weekend or public holiday traffic controls”, and on its Viator day a weekend Jiufen shuttle bus fare of NT$15 is extra. On 9 November 2026, a Sunday, a three-star reviewer wrote that “coaches can’t park there on Sundays”, so the group parked outside the town and took shuttle buses in, with “lots of waiting around”.

What the US$45.00 buys

The shared tour’s price covers the licensed guide, the transport, the Yehliu Geopark ticket and insurance. Food and drinks and the lantern are extra. The two private options, a morning departure at 8:30 AM and a midday one at 11:00 AM, add hotel pickup and drop-off within set areas of Taipei City and cost US$279.00 for one person or US$299.00 for two (checked November 2026). Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later. The day trip prices set every Jiufen, Shifen and Yehliu tour here against each other.

What reviewers say

The day trip has 2,832 reviews on GetYourGuide at an average of 4.7. Of its 350 most recent reviews, the oldest from 17 September 2026, 272 give five stars and 28 give three or fewer (checked 14 November 2026). Much of the praise names the guide. The low ones are about the pace and the crowds. “Way too many people,” wrote a three-star reviewer on 20 September 2026, and a one-star review on 1 October 2026 said Jiufen in particular was packed (“Gerade in Jiufen war es irre voll”). On 22 September 2026 a reviewer had to walk at the front to follow the guide, “as he was switching to 3 different languages all the time”. If you want a quieter day, the private options have your own guide, and Edison Tours' small-group day caps its group at 25.

Before you book

• Houtong Cat Village is not on this day. Houtong Cat Village covers the one group tour that adds it.
• Walking. The day includes a lot of walking and is not suitable for people with mobility impairments, heart problems or high blood pressure. Bring comfortable shoes, rain gear and cash.
• Weather. If Yehliu Geopark is closed for bad weather or a typhoon, or the itinerary changes critically, you can have a full refund or reschedule.
• Where to sleep. Where to stay weighs a room near Taipei Main Station against a night in Shifen.