Taking Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Buses Between Tamsui and Keelung

The North Coast of Taiwan is the stretch of coastline from the port town of Tamsui in the west to the harbor city of Keelung in the east. Getting to the starting points of trips along this scenic coast from downtown Taipei is convenient. If you want to follow the coast from west to east, take the MRT Tamsui-Xinyi Line to the northern terminus, Tamsui Station; if you want to start in the east, take a commuter train to Keelung Railway Station. Then hop aboard a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus from designated stops located outside the MRT station in Tamsui or close to Keelung’s railway station.

In Tamsui, board a bus plying the Crown Northern Coast Line, which will take you to such scenic attractions as Baisha Bay, the Fugui Cape Lighthouse (at the northernmost tip of Taiwan), Shimen Arch, the town of Jinshan’s Shitoushan Park, and Yehliu Geopark. For a stretch (between Shimen Arch and Jinshan) the bus leaves the coast and takes a minor road uphill to the Juming Museum (Ju Ming is an internationally acclaimed Taiwanese sculptor) and Yun Garden (the cemetery where famous pop singer Teresa Teng is buried).

At Keelung, you can take a bus on the Keelung Shuttle Bus West Line, which passes by Lovers Lake Park and Green Bay and terminates at Yehliu Geopark. If you want to travel all the way between Tamsui and Keelung using the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service, you need to change buses at Yehliu Geopark or Guihou Fishing Harbor.

Note: Other regular buses ply the coastal road as well, in full or in part, including No. 860 (Tamsui-Sanzhi), No. 863 (Tamsui-Jinshan), and No. 862 (Tamsui-Keelung), but these do not stop at some of the tourist attractions, such as the Juming Museum/Yun Garden, Shitoushan Park, and Yehliu Geopark.

A third way to get to the North Coast (at Jinshan) from central Taipei by bus is via the mountain route traversing Yangmingshan National Park. Take a Royal Bus Co. (www.royalbus.com.tw) No. 1717 bus from Taipei Main Station (the bus stop is a 3-min. walk from Exit M8 at MRT Taipei Main Station, on Gongyuan Road). Buses leave every 30~60 minutes, the ride from Taipei to Jinshan takes about 90 minutes, and tickets are priced NT$150. This route has the advantage that you can take in the splendid mountain scenery of Yangmingshan on your way to the coast. At Jinshan, you can then take a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus headed for Tamsui or Yehliu.

Stops of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle North Coast Bus Routes

Crown Northern Coast Line Stops

MRT Tamsui Station, Exit 2 (捷運淡水站 – 2號出口)

Hotels in Tamsui

Qianshui Bay (淺水灣)

Sanzhi Visitor Center and Gallery (三芝遊客中心及名人文化館)

North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area (Baisha Bay)

(北觀風景區管理處[白沙灣])

Fuji Fishing Harbor/Shimen Wedding Plaza [富基漁港(石門婚紗廣場)]

Fugui Cape Lighthouse (富貴角燈塔)
Laomei Green Reef (老梅綠石槽)

Fugui Cape Lighthouse North Coast — Fugui Cape Lighthouse

Shimen Arch (石門洞)

Yun Garden (筠園)

Juming Museum (朱銘美術館)

Jinshan (Old Street) (金山[老街])

Jinshan Visitor Center (Shitoushan Park) (金山遊客中心[獅頭山公園])

Jiatouli (Hot Spring Area) (加投里[溫泉區])

Yehliu Geopark (野柳地質公園)

Queen's Head at Yehliu Geopark — Queen’s Head at Yehliu Geopark

Guihou Fishing Harbor (龜吼漁港)

Tickets and Times

Fare:

1. NT$15 charge per section

2. One-day pass NT$160 (purchase pass on day of bus ride)

EasyCard and iPASS accepted

Departures:

Weekdays (May~October): Top of the hour between 9am and 5pm except for 12noon from MRT Tamsui Station and Guihou Fishing Harbor.

Weekends/Holidays (May~October): Every half hour between 9am and 5pm except for 12noon from MRT Tamsui Station and Guihou Fishing Harbor. Service is less frequent November through April; please refer to the timetable on the official website and bus-stop signs.

Hotels in Keelung

Keelung Shuttle Bus West Line Stops

Yehliu Geopark (野柳地質公園)

Guihou Fishing Harbor (龜吼漁港)

Green Bay (翡翠灣) [Paragliding at Wanli]

Dawulun Tourism Factory (大武崙觀光工廠)

Lovers Lake Park (情人湖公園)

Keelung Railway Station (Visitor Information Center) (臺鐵基隆站[旅遊服務中心])

Keelung Harbor, near Keelung Railway Station

Tickets and Times

Fare:

One-day pass NT$50

Departures:

Weekdays (May~October): Top of the hour between 9am and 5pm from Keelung Railway Station and between 10am and 6pm from Yehliu Geopark.

Weekends/Holidays (May~October): Top of the hour between 8am and 6pm from Keelung Railway Station and between 9am and 7pm from Yehliu Geopark. There are only five departures a day in each direction November through April; please refer to the timetable on the official website and on bus-stop signs.