5 Ways to Get to Jiufen from Taipei: The Ultimate Transport Guide

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Visiting Jiufen was one of our favourite stops in our 2-month trip around Taiwan and I can’t wait to go back (hopefully with better weather next time). Jiufen is a cute mountain town in the northeast part of Taiwan and one of the most popular trips from Taipei for tourists and locals.

We decided to stay for 2 nights in Ruifang instead so we can travel to both Jiufen and Shifen and then head south to Jiaoxi hot spring parks. We wish we had spent a night in Jiufen though but all hotels were fully booked when we looked (which was the same week we went so we had it coming!).

In this guide, I will cover 5 distinct ways to get to Jiufen from Taipei to help you plan your trip. If you are visiting for the first time, check out our guide answering all your questions about Jiufen.

5 Ways to Get to Jiufen from Taipei

Public transport and commuting in Taiwan proved to be very easy, at least to the more popular and touristy areas. If you decide to head southeast for example, toward Hualien or Taitung counties you’ll quickly realise this is not the case.

Luckily for us though, there are not just 1 or 2 but 5 ways to get to Jiufen from Taipei which I cover in detail below.

1. Taipei to Jiufen by Bus

There are many buses leaving from Taipei to Jiufen Old Street so choosing the right one depends on where your accommodation is. For example, there is Bus 965 leaving from Beimen Station (west side), or Bus 1062 from Songshan Station (east side) departing very frequently.

Make sure to check the most recent timetable so you don’t miss the bus back to Taipei.

You can pay using your EasyCard on the buses, though keep in mind that you can only top-up with cash at designated places like convenience stores and train stations.

If you are taking a bus during the weekend or local holidays then keep in mind that you might arrive with delays due to heavy highway traffic. To make sure you avoid this, you can catch a train!

Note: We found Google Maps to be quite accurate in Taiwan for buses and trains.

2. Taipei to Jiufen by Train (What We Did)

Another popular way to get to Jiufen is by train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang town, which serves as a central connecting point to all towns and villages nearby. Jiufen itself doesn’t have a train station, so in this case, you’ll need to catch a local bus from Ruifang (either Bus 1062 or 788) which takes about 20 minutes to arrive in Jiufen.

Although this route means a little more complicated logistics and changing means of transport, personally we didn’t mind it as we had plenty of time and wanted to check out Ruifang too. It turned out to be a rural and authentic Taiwanese town with very few tourists, so we don’t regret the way things turned out.

You can use your EasyCard to pay for the bus, but not the express train from Taipei. For the latter you will need to book a ticket either online, or at the station in Taipei.

Note: There are coin-operated luggage lockers in Ruifang station but keep in mind that availability is limited and the lockers might fill up early in the day by tourists.

3. Taipei to Jiufen with an Organised Tour

If, however, you don’t have as much time as we did and you don’t want to have to deal with logistics and overnight stays in that area, then joining an organised tour will be your best option!

Such tours normally include visiting the Shifen waterfalls and sky lanterns in the morning and then heading to Jiufen in the evening to catch the town when the red lanterns turn on.

Unfortunately this would mean that you’ll be going during the busiest time of the day in Jiufen but if you are short on time, enjoying it for a few hours is better than not seeing it at all.

Another alternative is to combine visiting the Yeliu geopark in the northern end of Taiwan with Jiufen due to their close proximity.

Before deciding to go for a long weekend in Jiufen-Shifen-Jiaoxi, we also checked out some organised tours and we had found many with very good recommendations on both Viator and Klook platforms.

4. Taipei to Jiufen by Car

This is also an option but not the best one, especially for Jiufen. If you’re road-tripping eastern Taiwan (like Yilan or Hualien), renting a car makes sense since the east coast lacks the West’s public transit network.

However, the roads to Jiufen are narrow and steep, parking is limited, and vehicles can’t reach Old Street. Unless your hotel provides parking space, driving here isn’t recommended.

If you do need to travel by car and your hotel doesn’t offer parking space then maybe it is best to stay in Ruifang or another location nearby and then take a bus to Jiufen for the day.

🚕 Note on license and IDP: Driving a car in Taiwan as a tourist requires both your valid home country driver’s license and an International Driving Permit (IDP). Make sure you obtain the 1949 Geneva Convention booklet version; Taiwan does not accept the 1968 IDP. Always carry your physical license alongside the booklet.

Writing about Taiwan’s road trips makes me want to go back and rent a car to explore remote areas. Another item for the bucket list!

Have you planned a road trip in Taiwan? Let me know below!

5. Taipei to Jiufen by Bicycle

Here is something you might not expect to see but apparently cycling is a popular thing to do in Taiwan. In case you don’t know, Taiwan is the manufacturer of Giant bicycles and almost the entire country is bicycle friendly.

It is very common for people to cycle the entire island (yep, you read right!) or take shorter routes using bikes rented from participating flagship Giant stores across the country.

The amazing part is that you can rent a bicycle in Taipei and drop it off at another participating store across the country.

💡 Note: For quick city cruising, you can also use Taiwan’s public YouBike system with your EasyCard, but for climbing up into the mountains toward Jiufen, you’ll want a proper geared trekking bike from Giant or a specialized cycling outfitter!

If this is you, I have the utmost respect. I only cycled in the Netherlands where I lived for 5.5 years and my max distance was 26km on flat ground!

The route to Jiufen is flat at first, but the closer you get the more elevation you’ll gain. Mountain weather changes fast, so pack waterproof gear.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to get to Jiufen from Taipei and it depends on your traveling style and your available time to decide which suits you and your itinerary better. We spent 2 months in Taiwan so we had plenty of time and took it easy but you might only have a day so it’s best you do what works better for you.

Hopefully this guide has given you the insights and information you need in order to make this decision. It has for sure given me a spark to go back to Taiwan!