How to get from Taipei to Jiufen: Detailed Guide

Getting from Taipei to Jiufen is pretty easy, and there are a number of ways that you can do that.

But first, let’s cover a bit about what to do in Jiufen and why you should visit. 

Jiufen is one of the most popular day trips from Taipei, and it is easy to see why.

This mountain town is famous for its Old Street, where you will find bustling street food vendors, tea houses and expansive views out to the ocean. 

Back in its heydays, it was a gold mining town, and that lasted until the 50s. 

Luckily, the area was then developed into a tourist attraction, saving it from becoming a relic of the past. Jiufen Old Street is on everyone’s lips when you mention the town. 

Now with the gold gone, it has transformed into a lively mountainside village and preserving its heritage.

As part of the Ruifang district, you can also visit the nearby Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park, or its neighbouring town Shifen. 

Now that you have some basic knowledge of Jiufen, let’s take a look at how you can get there. But first, a summary table, followed by the details.

Transport type	Directions	Time needed	Cost
Train and bus combination	Train from Taipei Main Station, Banqiao, Wanhua, Nangang or Songshan, to Ruifang station. Turn left outside the station and walk 300 metres to bus stop. Take bus 825, 827, 788 and 965 to Jiufen.	60 - 90 minutes	NT$69 - 96
Bus	From Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station, exit 2, take bus 1062. From Banqiao MRT exit 2 or Beimen MRT exit 2 or Fuzhong MRT exit 1, take bus 965.	60 - 75 minutes	NT$90 - 98
Taxi	From Taipei city, flag down a taxi	50 - 60 minutes	NT$1000 - 1200
Shuttle bus group tour	Sign up below	7 hours total	NT$850

Get to Jiufen from Taipei

Easiest: By Shuttle Bus Group Tour

Although this option might require you to cater for a higher budget, it does give you and your party the most convenience. 

With a coach to pick you up from Taipei City, commonly from Taipei Main Station, it takes you to not just Jiufen but also Yehliu and Shifen. 

After your pickup, you will be shuttled to Yehliu Geopark, which is a display of peculiar looking rocks that defines its landscape.

It is here that you can see rock formations that seems to originate from another planet, and checking out the Queen’s Head and Dragon’s Head is a must. 

From Yehliu, it is a short drive to reach Shifen.

Shifen is well known for a unique activity, lantern releasing.

According to legend, you write your wishes on a lantern and set it to fly into the sky. Your wishes will then be granted. 

On this tour, you will get the chance to try it out, or you can explore the Shifen Old Street too.

Last stop will be at Jiufen Old Street, and you can enjoy a few hours sipping tea, tasting the delicious street food and admiring the beautiful views.

The trip consists of a tour guide too, who will share lots of information about the places you are visiting.

If you want your day trip to Jiufen to be hassle free, go ahead and book through the link below.

Sign me up for the Tour!

Taipei to Jiufen by Train and Bus

The train system in Taiwan is generally very efficient, with trains running smoothly and on time. 

The Easycard can be used on all public transport in Taipei, and you can buy them at any metro stations and also at convenience stores such as 7-11 and Family Mart. They are very commonly found everywhere, so you will not have any problems finding one. 

From Taipei city, people usually take the train from Taipei Main Station, but you can also do so at Banqiao, Wanhua, Nangang and Songshan.

There isn’t a Jiufen train station, so you will have to go to Ruifang train station instead (nearby town).

Buy a local train ticket to Ruifang station, and the journey typically takes around 45 to 50 minutes. 

Check schedules on Taipei Railway website to be certain of the schedules as they might change from time to time.

Price for an adult ticket is roughly NT$50.

Once you arrive at Ruifang station, take “Exit West”. 

Outside of the station, cross the road, turn left and walk roughly 200 metres along Mingdeng Road. The direction of travel is eastwards. 

You will then come across a bus stop right next to the Ruifang police station. 

Here at this bus station, you can board bus service 825, 827, 788 and 965 to Jiufen. 

The journey will take 10 to 15 minutes.

There are 2 Jiufen bus stops at which you can alight at.

First is at the Jiufen Police station, and you will find the visitor centre here.

If you are here to visit one of the most popular teahouses in Jiufen, the Amei Teahouse, this is where you alight.

Second stop is near the entrance of the Old Street (many will refer to it as Old Walking Street too).

After alighting, you will walk upslope and come across a 7-11. The entrance is right beside.

In general, you will not miss both stops as there are crowds at almost all times of the year.

• Time needed (total): 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on traffic
• Total costs: Between NT$69 to NT$96, depending on the type of train taken

Related: Where to stay in Taichung for every budget

Get to Jiufen from Taipei by Bus

Another way to get to Jiufen from Taipei is by bus. 

From Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station, you can take the 1062 bus to Jiufen. The bus operator is Keelung Bus and the direction of travel is towards Jinguashi.

At Zhongxiao Fuxing station, locate exit 2, and once at the ground level, you will see the bus stop, which is less than 20 metres away. 

It is outside SOGO department store. 

The bus 1062 journey will take you 1 hour, but will be longer during peak hours.

Our advice is to go early in the morning, because if you are caught in a long queue, you will have to stand the whole way there. Zhongxiao Fuxing station is a central and popular spot, so give yourself some time to find your bearings.

Price of a ticket is NT$98.

There is a newer bus to Jiufen, which is service 965. 

Choose to board the bus from the bus stops outside of Banqiao MRT exit 2 or Beimen MRT exit 2 or Fuzhong MRT exit 1. 

Since this line is newer and lesser known, the chances of getting on the first try and snagging a seat is much higher. 

The cost for the 1 hour journey is NT$90. 

As usual, the timing will depend greatly on traffic conditions.

For both bus services, you can use the EasyCard to pay for your fare.

Read more: How do I get from Taipei Airport to Taichung City: 4 Easy Ways! Updated 2020

How to take a taxi from Taipei to Jiufen

There are no shortages of taxis who will take you to Jiufen. After all, it is quite a good deal for them as well as it is for you if you are in a small group.

You can easily flag down a taxi from anywhere, or you can try looking around the areas where the bus stops to Jiufen are located. Two especially popular spots are at Zhongxiao Fuxing station or Taipei Main Station which we mentioned earlier.

These guys are usually ready to take the 50 minute journey and will offer you a good price, in the range of NT$1000 to NT$1200, or not more than NT$300 to NT$400 per person.

You are not likely to miss them as they are probably standing near the bus stop hustling people to car pool to Jiufen.

Make sure to bargain with them and not pay anything more than what we have suggested here. Let them know that you will alight at the entrance of Jiufen Old Street. 

Get to Jiufen using a private car hire

There is a service that connects passengers and drivers, and it is likely these drivers can double up as a guide too. 

So just imagine Uber with a twist.

Check out the offerings from Ownrides. 

We tried it once, and while the price is much higher than public transport, you sit in the comfort of a private car together with your group only.

How to go back to Taipei from Jiufen

Returning back to Taipei from Jiufen is pretty straight forward, so you can choose to use either the bus or train. 

Whichever you decide, it will be wise to get back to the bus stop near Jiufen Police Station and grab the bus there. 

Since there is not much of a difference whichever way you use to head back, just go ahead and board the first bus that comes your way. 

Alternatively, you can head back to the Jiufen Old Street entrance and walk about 80 metres uphill to the bus stop. 

From here you can take bus 1062 or 965 to get back to Taipei.

There are clear signs on the bus stop that tells you the direction to take.

How to get from Jiufen to Shifen

Earlier we mentioned the possibility of taking a tour, which includes a side trip to Shifen. 

If you want to combine Jiufen and Shifen with Yehliu, then be sure to book through this link.

Sign me up for the Tour!

However, if you prefer to take the public transport, it is pretty easy too.

Make your way back to Ruifang train station, and get your tickets for the Jiufen to Shifen train.

You will be using another train track at Platform 3, which is on the Pingxi line. 

The ticket takes a bit over 10 minutes and costs only NT$15.

As you approach Shifen, you might even see people scrambling out of the train tracks as this is the most popular place to release lanterns. 

Another thing you can do at Shifen is to take a 15 minute walk over to the Shifen Waterfall, which is the widest of its kind in the whole of Taiwan.

Get to Jinguashi from Jiufen

If you are taking a bus from Taipei to Jiufen, then you can stay on the bus for another 10 to 15 minutes where the bus still end at Jinguashi.

This is the location of the old gold mine, and you can still clearly see gold deposits that lives in the streams now. 

If you are an avid hiker, this is a great spot to experience one of the best hiking spots in Taipei, going up to Teapot Mountain. 

Or you can simply admire the Golden Waterfall.

This round trip will likely take you between 2 to 3 hours.

Related: Guide to Yangmingshan: A Day Trip

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Conclusion

So there you have it, ways to get to Jiufen Old Street and back plus a little more!

We were initially hesitant to visit Jiufen, as we knew that it would be very packed. In the end, we are glad we did as it was nice excursion out of the city. 

Even though Jiufen is incredibly crowded, we enjoyed exploring it and best of all, taste the yummy food.

Here are some useful links that you can use to find departure times and schedules, but do note that some might be in Chinese (especially at bus stops).

• Bus 1062 Taipei to Jiufen schedule
• Bus 965 Jiufen schedule
• Railway website

And don’t be shy to ask questions, both here or to a local. 

Taiwanese are warm and friendly people!

If you want to explore a night market of out New Taipei City, be sure to check out Keelung Night Market, not far from Jiufen Old Street and it is along the bus route.

Check out our Taipei Itinerary as part of it covers Jiufen as well.

If you find this post helpful, do share it on social media and pin it to Pinterest!

Read more: How to get to Kenting National Park from 3 Major Cities in Taiwan!

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