If there’s one trip outside Taipei that almost every traveler ends up loving most, it’s Jiufen. A former gold-mining village an hour northeast of the city, draped over a steep hillside above the Pacific, with narrow stone-paved alleys, hundreds of red lanterns that come on at dusk, and tea houses with views that look like they were drawn for a Studio Ghibli film. The most famous of those tea houses, A-Mei Tea House, is the most photographed building in northern Taiwan — and the reason millions of people make the Jiufen day trip from Taipei every year.
It’s also a trip that’s easy to do badly. Show up at the same time as the tour buses (1–4 PM, every day), and you’ll spend most of the visit in a slow human conveyor belt through the alleys. Show up early or late, and you’ll have the photos and the tea house to yourself. The transport options are a small puzzle — train + bus, direct bus, or guided tour, each with trade-offs. And almost every day trip itinerary worth doing combines Jiufen with either Shifen (lantern-release town) or the old gold-mining village of Jinguashi just up the hill.
This guide is the practical one — how to actually get to Jiufen, when to go, what to eat, what to do beyond the famous tea house, and the best way to combine it with Shifen for a full day. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to plan your Jiufen day trip in 2026.
Jiufen Day Trip at a Glance
- Distance from Taipei: About 30 km northeast, in New Taipei City
- Travel time: 60–90 minutes one way
- Best transport: Train to Ruifang + Bus 1062 (cheapest) or direct Keelung Bus 1062 from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT
- Cost: Roughly NT$200–400 round trip on public transport per person
- Best time to arrive: 9:30–10:00 AM (right at opening) or after 6:00 PM (lanterns lit, day-trippers gone)
- Time at Jiufen: 3–5 hours, plus another 2–3 hours if combining with Shifen
- Best day: Tuesday–Thursday; weekends are mob scenes
- Highlight: A-Mei Tea House at sunset, when the red lanterns illuminate
What Is Jiufen?
Jiufen began as a tiny mountain settlement of nine families (the name literally means “nine portions”) that boomed into a Japanese-era gold-mining town in the late 19th and early 20th century. After the gold ran out and the mines closed in the 1970s, the village largely emptied. Then, in 1989, the Taiwanese film A City of Sadness won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and Jiufen — its setting — became a destination almost overnight.
The village’s narrow stepped alleys, lantern-lit nights, traditional tea houses, and dramatic mountain-meets-sea geography turned it into a kind of living film set. Visitors often connect Jiufen to Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away — the resemblance is real, even though Hayao Miyazaki himself has confirmed the actual inspiration was Dōgo Onsen in Japan, not Jiufen. Either way, the visual association sticks, and it’s part of what fuels the village’s enduring appeal.
How to Get to Jiufen from Taipei
Three main options, ordered from cheapest to easiest.
1. Train + Bus (Cheapest, Most Flexible)
The classic public-transport approach.
- From Taipei Main Station, take the TRA local or limited-express train to Ruifang Station. Trip time: 35–60 minutes (limited-express is faster). Cost: NT$49–76.
- From Ruifang Station, walk across the road to the bus stop. Take Bus 1062 (Keelung Bus) or one of the Keelung-Jiufen tourist buses. Trip time: 15 minutes. Cost: NT$15–30 (paid by EasyCard).
- The bus drops you at the Jiufen Old Street stop, right at the entrance to Jishan Street (the main pedestrian alley).
Total round-trip cost: NT$130–215 per person. Total time each way: About 90 minutes.
This is the option locals use, and it’s reliable and frequent. Trains run every 15–30 minutes and the bus comes every 10–20 minutes during the day. The downside is more transfers; the upside is that you can leave at any time without being tied to a tour schedule.
2. Direct Bus from Taipei (Easiest, Slightly More Expensive)
Keelung Bus 1062 also runs directly from Taipei without the train transfer.
- From Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station, take Exit 2.
- Find the bus stop on Fuxing South Road outside the SOGO mall.
- Board Bus 1062 to Jinguashi (which stops at Jiufen along the way).
- Trip time: 60–90 minutes. Cost: NT$90–116 each way (paid by EasyCard).
- The bus drops you at the Jiufen Old Street stop.
Total round-trip cost: About NT$200 per person. Total time each way: 60–90 minutes.
The advantage: zero transfers and the bus has Wi-Fi. The disadvantage: traffic on the freeway adds time on weekends, and you’re stuck in traffic if there’s any. On weekdays, this is often the fastest option.
3. Organized Day Tour (Most Convenient, Most Expensive)
Many tour operators run combined Jiufen + Shifen day trips from Taipei in air-conditioned minibuses, usually with a stop at Yehliu Geopark thrown in. Pickup is typically from a central Taipei location or your hotel; the tour is fully guided and the day flows in a structured order.
Cost: NT$1,500–2,800 per person depending on operator and inclusions.
This is the easiest option, especially if you’d rather not navigate Taiwan trains and buses solo. The downside: tour groups arrive at peak times (Jiufen 1–4 PM), so you’re guaranteed to hit the worst of the crowds. If your priority is photos and a calm visit, the public transport option timed for early morning or evening will give you a much better experience.
4. Taxi or Private Driver
A round-trip taxi from Taipei costs roughly NT$3,000–4,500 with waiting time. Worth it if you’re a group of three or four and want flexibility, or if you’re combining Jiufen with several other stops in one day. Apps like LINE Taxi can quote in advance.
When to Visit Jiufen
The single most important decision is when to arrive. Jiufen has roughly four crowd phases each day:
Early morning (8:30–11 AM): Calm. Most shops open at 9:30–10:00 AM. The alleys are quiet, the morning mist often hangs over the mountains, and you can take photos of the lanterns and stairs without dozens of people in the frame. This is the best window for photographers.
Midday (11 AM–1 PM): Steadily busier. Lunch crowds build, but it’s still manageable.
Peak (1–5 PM): Tour buses arrive. The famous Shuqi Road steps, the Jishan Street alleys, and A-Mei Tea House become genuinely shoulder-to-shoulder. If your only window is here, plan around the worst — eat early, stake out the tea house at 11 AM rather than 3 PM.
Evening (5–9 PM): Tour groups leave around 5–6 PM. Crowds thin sharply. Then around 6 PM, the lanterns turn on, and the village becomes its most photogenic. From 6:30 to 8:30 PM is often called the magic window — relatively quiet, fully lit, atmospheric. This is the best window for the iconic photos.
Best day of the week: Tuesday–Thursday. Worst: Saturday afternoons. Mondays are surprisingly good — most shops stay open, and crowds are noticeably lighter than weekends.
What to Do in Jiufen
Walk Jishan Street (基山街)
The main pedestrian alley running through the heart of Jiufen. Roughly 400 meters long, 2–3 meters wide, lined with food stalls, snack shops, souvenir vendors, and small restaurants. Walk from end to end at least once, then wander back through the side streets.
The Shuqi Road Steps (豎崎路)
Jiufen’s iconic stone-paved staircase, hung with red lanterns and lined with traditional wooden buildings. This is the most photographed view in the village. Best photographed from the bottom looking up at dusk, when the lanterns come on. Expect a crowd of photographers — be patient.
A-Mei Tea House (阿妹茶樓)
The wooden tea house at the edge of the Shuqi steps that you’ve seen in every Jiufen photo. The building once housed the only blacksmith in Jiufen and has been preserved and converted into a working tea house. Expect to pay NT$300–500 per person for a tea set (a pot of tea plus a tray of small Taiwanese snacks). Open daily 10 AM–9:30 PM. The view from the upper floors at sunset is genuinely special.
You can also just photograph the exterior and skip the tea — many travelers do.
Other Tea Houses
If A-Mei is full or you want a quieter experience, several other tea houses on Shuqi Road offer the same tea-set experience with similar views, often with shorter waits. Look for Jiufen Teahouse (九份茶坊), Hai Yue Lou (海悅樓), or Ah Gan Yi Yu Yuan (阿柑姨芋圓). Tea sets at any of these run NT$300–500.
Sheng Ping Theater (昇平戲院)
Jiufen’s restored 1934 movie theater, the oldest in Taiwan. Free to enter. The interior has been preserved with vintage wooden seats and reel-to-reel projection equipment. A 15–20 minute stop and one of the only quieter, no-queue indoor moments in town.
Jiufen Gold Museum / Jinguashi
One bus stop further uphill from Jiufen Old Street, the village of Jinguashi houses the Gold Museum, the remains of the Japanese-era gold mine, and the Crown Prince Chalet (a 1922 Japanese-style residence built for a never-completed visit by Crown Prince Hirohito). Add 1.5–2 hours if you want to explore here. From Jiufen, take the Keelung Bus 1062 one stop further to Jinguashi.
What to Eat in Jiufen
Jiufen has a famous and slightly idiosyncratic food culture — a mix of Taiwanese mountain-village classics, Japanese-influenced sweets, and local specialties found nowhere else in Taiwan. Don’t try to plan; just walk Jishan Street and graze.
Taro Balls (芋圓)
The signature Jiufen dish. Small chewy dumplings made of taro, sweet potato, and green tea, served in either hot bean soup or cold shaved ice. The most famous spot is Grandma Lai’s Taro Balls (賴阿婆芋仔冰) at the bottom of Shuqi Road. NT$60 a bowl. Worth the (sometimes long) line.
Peanut Ice Cream Roll (花生捲冰淇淋)
A scoop of taro ice cream, peanut brittle shaved over it, all wrapped in a thin spring-roll skin with cilantro. Sweet, savory, herbal. A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll on Jishan Street is the iconic shop. NT$50.
A-Lan Cudweed Buns (阿蘭草仔粿)
Pillow-shaped sticky-rice dumplings made with cudweed grass, filled with sweet red bean or savory radish. Distinctly Jiufen — found nowhere else in Taipei. NT$15 each.
Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐)
Several stalls in Jiufen serve some of the best stinky tofu in northern Taiwan. ShiMiOian on Jishan Street is a long-running favorite. NT$50–80.
Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵)
Jiufen Niu Rou Mian serves a clear-broth bowl that’s earned a strong local following. NT$140.
Tea (and the Tea Set Experience)
A pot of high-mountain Taiwanese tea (oolong, baozhong, or oriental beauty are local favorites) at one of the Shuqi Road tea houses. NT$300–500 per person. The traditional way to spend an unhurried hour with the view.
Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)
Eggs simmered in a soy-and-tea broth until they’re marbled and savory. NT$15 each, sold from countless stalls.
Combining Jiufen with Shifen and Houtong
Most travelers who do a Jiufen day trip combine it with one or two of these nearby stops on the same day.
Shifen (十分)
The town famous for sky lanterns. Buy a paper lantern (NT$200–300), write a wish on it, and release it from the railway tracks. The town also has the impressive Shifen Waterfall (often called Taiwan’s “little Niagara”) about a 10-minute walk away. From Jiufen, the easiest combo is to take the bus down to Ruifang Station, then board the Pingxi Line train two stops to Shifen.
Suggested order: Shifen first (mid-morning), Jiufen second (afternoon and evening). Day trippers tend to do them in reverse, which is why Jiufen is packed midday and Shifen is quieter.
Houtong Cat Village (猴硐貓村)
One stop before Shifen on the Pingxi Line. A small mountain village now famous for its hundreds of resident cats, who lounge across the railway, the cafés, and the bridges. Add 60–90 minutes if you stop. Free.
Yehliu Geopark
About 40 minutes’ drive northwest of Jiufen, with the famous wind-carved rock formations including the “Queen’s Head.” Most multi-stop day tours include all three (Jiufen + Shifen + Yehliu) plus a coastal drive. As a public-transport DIY trip, Yehliu is awkward to combine with Jiufen on the same day — better to do Yehliu separately.
Sample One-Day Itineraries
The Photographer’s Itinerary (Jiufen Only)
- 8:00 AM — Leave Taipei Main Station by TRA train
- 9:30 AM — Arrive Jiufen, photograph empty alleys
- 10:30 AM — Tea set at A-Mei or Jiufen Teahouse
- 12:30 PM — Lunch (taro balls, peanut roll)
- 2:00 PM — Sheng Ping Theater + walk Jishan Street side alleys
- 4:00 PM — Coffee with a view at a Shuqi Road café
- 6:00 PM — Lanterns turn on, photograph Shuqi steps
- 8:00 PM — Last bus / train back to Taipei
The Combined Itinerary (Jiufen + Shifen)
- 8:00 AM — Leave Taipei, take TRA to Ruifang
- 9:30 AM — Transfer to Pingxi Line, ride to Shifen (40 minutes)
- 10:30 AM — Sky lantern release at Shifen
- 11:30 AM — Walk to Shifen Waterfall
- 1:00 PM — Pingxi Line back to Ruifang, Bus 1062 up to Jiufen
- 2:00 PM — Lunch on Jishan Street
- 3:00 PM — Tea house, A-Mei or alternative
- 5:30 PM — Wait for lantern lighting, photograph the steps
- 7:00 PM — Bus back to Ruifang, train to Taipei
Should You Stay Overnight in Jiufen?
The most underrated tip for Jiufen: stay overnight. The village changes character entirely after the day-trippers leave. The 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM window is calm and atmospheric, and the early-morning hours before tour buses arrive are even quieter. Several restored guesthouses and small B&Bs occupy the old miners’ houses on the hill, with prices in the NT$2,500–6,000/night range.
If your trip allows for a one-night detour, do it. Otherwise, time your day-trip to arrive early and leave after the lanterns come on.
Common Jiufen Day Trip Mistakes
Arriving at 1 PM with the tour buses. Worst possible time. Move it earlier or later.
Going on a Saturday afternoon. Crowds at their absolute peak.
Leaving before the lanterns turn on. The single most common regret. Stay until at least 6:30 PM.
Eating only in restaurants. The street food is the meal. Graze rather than sit.
Not packing for weather. Jiufen sits at altitude, gets misty often, and is noticeably cooler than Taipei. Bring a light jacket year-round.
Wearing slippery shoes. The Shuqi Road stone steps get wet and slick. Wear shoes with grip.
Not bringing cash. Many small stalls and tea houses are cash-only. Withdraw in Taipei before you go.
Trying to do Yehliu, Jiufen, and Shifen all in one DIY day. This works as a guided tour but not on public transport — stretching that far means you’ll rush through everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to Jiufen from Taipei?
The two best options are the train + bus combo (TRA train to Ruifang Station, then Bus 1062 up to Jiufen) or the direct Keelung Bus 1062 from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT. Both take 60–90 minutes and cost NT$200 or less round trip. Guided tours are also available.
How much time should I spend in Jiufen?
3–5 hours is enough for the main highlights (Old Street, tea house, Shuqi Road, food). Add 2–3 hours if you want to combine with Shifen, and another 1–2 hours for Jinguashi or Houtong Cat Village.
Is Jiufen worth visiting?
Yes — it’s the most-recommended day trip from Taipei for a reason. The combination of mountain-meets-sea geography, lantern-lit alleys, traditional tea houses, and unique food make it a genuine highlight. Time it right (early morning or evening) and it’s magical.
Is Jiufen the inspiration for Spirited Away?
Hayao Miyazaki has explicitly said no — he cited Dōgo Onsen in Japan as the actual inspiration. But A-Mei Tea House and the lantern-lit alleys do strongly resemble the Studio Ghibli film, and most visitors connect the two regardless.
What time do the lanterns turn on in Jiufen?
Around sunset — typically 5:30–6:30 PM depending on the season. The lanterns stay on until about 9:00 PM.
Can I do Jiufen and Shifen in one day?
Yes — it’s the most popular combo. Do Shifen first (mid-morning) and Jiufen second (afternoon and evening) to dodge the worst tour-bus crowds at Jiufen.
What should I eat in Jiufen?
Taro balls at Grandma Lai’s, peanut ice cream rolls, A-Lan cudweed buns, stinky tofu, and a tea set at one of the Shuqi Road tea houses. Skip a sit-down restaurant in favor of grazing the street food.
Is Jiufen open on Mondays?
Yes, most shops and tea houses stay open on Mondays. It’s actually a great day to visit — quieter than weekends.
How crowded is Jiufen?
Very crowded between 1 PM and 5 PM, especially on weekends. Early morning (before 11 AM) and evening (after 6 PM) are noticeably calmer.
Final Take
The Jiufen day trip is the single trip outside Taipei that almost every traveler ends up calling their favorite. Time it for early morning or evening, take the cheap train + bus combo to keep your schedule flexible, eat your way down Jishan Street, and stay until the red lanterns come on. The 6:30 PM photo at the bottom of the Shuqi steps, with the lanterns lit and the day-trippers gone — that’s the photo you came for.
Leave a Reply