The first time I planned this route, I spent more time staring at bus schedules than actually being present at the places I had traveled to see. Three stops, multiple train lines, buses that only run once an hour, and the very real possibility of missing the last ride back to the city. If any part of that sounds familiar, this guide was written for you.

Hitting Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen in a single day is absolutely doable. But the order you visit them and the timing you keep makes the difference between a smooth, memorable day and a sweaty, stressful sprint between transit points. Here is the sequence that works, from the moment you leave Taipei.

Yehliu Geopark is your first stop, and for good reason. The crowds around the Queen's Head and the surrounding rock formations build up as the morning goes on, so arriving early gives you the park at its calmest and most photogenic. From central Taipei, make your way to Taipei City Hall Station. Once you are above ground, look for the signs pointing toward City Hall Bus Station and follow them to Platform 7. The bus you want is the 1815. The fare is 96 NTD and the ride out to the coast takes roughly 65 minutes.

Get off at the Yehliu Bus Stop and walk about 10 minutes into the geopark entrance. I would budget a solid two hours here. The formations are genuinely strange and striking up close, and the surrounding coastal scenery pulls you in. Once you are ready to move on, retrace your steps back to where you got off the bus. Cross to the opposite side of the road, because your next bus runs in the other direction. You are looking for bus 790, which takes you to Keelung Transit Station.

At Keelung Station, head inside and take the escalator down to the ticketing level. There is a ticketing machine near the platforms that accepts cash, but not international Visa credit cards for local lines. A ticket from Keelung through to Shifen costs 57 NTD. The route takes you through Badu Station, where you transfer to Platform 2, then ride for around 15 minutes until you reach Ruifang. From Ruifang, you transfer one final time to the Pingxi line, which carries you directly into Shifen.

One important detail: the Pingxi branch line runs roughly once per hour. The moment you arrive at Ruifang, check the schedule for the next departure so you are not standing on the platform for nearly an hour wondering where your afternoon went. Your EasyCard is actually worth tapping here instead of buying physical single-trip tickets. Tapping your card gives you a 10% discount on the local train fare.

Shifen Old Street is built right along the train tracks, and the scale of it surprises most people the first time they arrive. You do not need to pre-book sky lanterns anywhere in advance. The shops lining the street sell them on the spot in various colors, and the whole process of painting your wishes on the paper, lighting the lantern, and watching it rise above the valley is worth every second of the day.

Before you leave the street, find the peanut-rolled ice cream. It is a thin crepe-style wrap packed with shaved peanut brittle and fresh cilantro around your choice of ice cream. It sounds like a combination that should not work, and it absolutely does.

When you are done in Shifen, ride the Pingxi line back to Ruifang Station. Exit through the front side of the station, turn left, and walk past the police station. The bus stop nearby is where you catch buses 965, 1062, or 788 toward Jiufen. Locals here are genuinely helpful if you need to confirm you are in the right spot. The ride up into the hills takes between 15 and 20 minutes.

The old street shops sell everything from taro balls to sesame-stuffed pastries to locally made ceramics. There are proper sit-down tea houses with panoramic views over the bay if you want to slow down and take it all in, which is very much worth doing. A coffee shop near the upper street will usually let you linger over a drink while you watch the bay transition from gold to dark.

The last bus from Jiufen back toward Taipei runs at 9 PM. This is not a flexible deadline. Miss it, and you are looking at an Uber back to the city, which adds time and cost you were not planning for. Head to the bus stop located uphill from the 7-Eleven entrance in Jiufen and arrive early, because you will not be the only person trying to get home. On weekends, especially, the line builds up fast. The return ride on bus 965 back toward Ximending takes roughly an hour.

The total transit cost across the entire day, covering every bus and train between Taipei and all three stops, runs around 300 NTD if you start and end in the Ximending area.

What nobody tells you before doing this route yourself is that the sightseeing is easy, but the transportation can be exhausting. A surprising amount of your day goes into checking bus schedules, figuring out transfers, waiting for trains, and making sure you are standing at the right stop. If you miss the Pingxi Line train, you could be waiting nearly an hour for the next one.

By the time you reach Jiufen in the evening, you're not just thinking about the lantern-lit streets. You're also watching the clock, wondering if you'll make the next bus back to Taipei before the crowds fill the queue.

If that kind of DIY adventure sounds fun, this guide gives you everything you need to do it yourself. If you'd rather spend your day enjoying Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen instead of managing transportation, a private driver is easily the most stress-free option. With hotel pickup, flexible timing, and no transfers to worry about, the entire experience feels smoother from start to finish. 

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