Jiufen Taiwan is one of the most popular day trips from Taipei.This city is a perfect mix of history, nostalgia, shopping and sightseeing and is very easy to get to from Taipei.
Known for its resemblance to the village from the movie Far away from the soulThis mountain town in Taiwan also attracts crowds of tourists who want to see Jiufen Old Street, which has many souvenir shops, teahouses and good restaurants.
This travel guide will explain how to get to Jiufen, what day tour packages to use, what to see and do in the city, and everything you need to know before you go.
What is Jiufen Taiwan?
Jiufen Taiwan is an old gold-mining seaside town (turned-ghost town) made famous by its association with Japanese animated films. City of Sorrow and: Far away from the soul.
The town of Jiufen (also spelled Jiufen or Chiufen) was revived by tourism in the 1990s, and many people now come here for street markets, good food, tea, and neat photo ops.
Most people visit Jiufen on a day trip from Taipei, but if you want to stay longer, there are plenty of guesthouses.
Things to do in Jiufen Taiwan
- Jiufen Old Street. The street markets are packed with cafes, souvenirs and of course lots of great street food, including boiled pork rice, squid kabobs, mango ice cream, taro balls, Japanese mochi and Taiwanese tea.
- A-Mei Tea House. This traditional tea house with its rows of windows and paper lanterns is the most famous sight in Jiufen. If you plan to have tea there, make a reservation online.
- Qipao Rental. For women, Jiufen is a great place to wear traditional Chinese dress.My wife decided to do hers in Taipei City instead, but Jiufen would be a good place too.
- Golden waterfall. This is a unique looking waterfall on the orange cliffs just 10 minutes from Jiufen. Most Jiufen tour packages include this in the itinerary, or you can take a quick taxi from Jiufen.
- Teapot Mountain Hike. If you have more time, take this hike to the coast with stunning mountain views.It starts at the nearby Jinguashi Gold Ecological Museum and takes about 4 hours.
How to get to Jiufen Taiwan?
Jiufen is located about 40 kilometers (25 mi) east of Taipei, Taiwan.
You can get there by taxi, private car charter, public transport or a day tour package.
• By taxi
A one-way trip to Jiufen will cost at least TWD 1,200-1,400 (US$40-50) and takes about 45 minutes from Taipei.
• By private car charter
Klook has a private car charter in Taipei for TWD 3,100 ($105 USD) as of this posting.
This is the most convenient and cost-effective option if you are traveling in a group, as you can split the costs and your driver will wait for you all day while you go sightseeing.The round-trip cost is not much higher than a taxi.
• By train and bus
You can take a train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station (by TRA train), then take a bus from Ruifang Station to Jiufen.
The whole journey will take about 1 hour (40 minutes on the train and 20 minutes on the bus) and will cost 65 TWD (50 TWD for the train and 15 TWD for the bus).
• Best Jiufen tour from Taipei
Klook has a Jiufen day bus tour from Taipei starting at TWD 450 ($15 USD) per person as of this posting. That’s for a 9-hour full-day tour.
This is the same tour we used to visit Jiufen from Taipei and the great thing is that it also includes Yehliu Earth Park, Shifen Waterfall and the Hutong Cat Village near Jiufang.There was plenty of time at each attraction.
We have used Klook for many tours and events around the world and they are great.Highly recommended.
Book now. Jiufen Tour + Yehliu + Shifen
Where to stay in Jiufen?
More Taiwan travel tips
Thanks for looking, I hope you enjoyed these travel tips for visiting Taiwan’s “soulful” village and Jiufen Old Street.
Don’t forget to check out my Taiwan travel guide for more tips, information and photos.