For most first-time visitors to Taiwan, Jiufen is pretty much a must-see. Built into the hillside, the town’s narrow stone staircases wind past lane after lane strung with red lanterns. By day, it has the easy, lived-in feel of an old mountain town; but once the lanterns flicker on at dusk, the whole place takes on a dreamier, almost cinematic glow. It’s this atmosphere that has earned Jiufen a reputation as one of Taiwan’s most “quintessentially Taiwan” spots. That said, once you sit down to plan your trip, a few questions tend to come up:
- What’s the easiest way to get to Jiufen?
- Is a day tour to Jiufen worth it?
- Should I combine it with releasing sky lanterns in Shifen?
- Daytime or evening — which is better?
There’s no single “right” way to visit Jiufen. How you experience it really comes down to your travel style and how much time you have. This guide breaks down the most popular ways for first-time visitors to explore Jiufen, along with KKday’s top-rated tours, so you can find the approach that best fits your trip.
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1. Four Ways to Experience Jiufen
1 | The Easiest First-Timer Pick: Jiufen + Shifen Classic Day Tour
If this is your first trip to Taiwan, this is the option that takes the guesswork out of planning. Pairing Jiufen’s scenery with the lantern-release experience in Shifen is about as classic a combination as Taiwan sightseeing gets — the itinerary flows smoothly, and you get two completely different travel moods in a single day. In Shifen, you’ll write your wishes on a paper lantern and watch it drift up over the railway tracks; in Jiufen, you’ll wander the hillside lanes and watch the mood of the Old Street shift as the light changes throughout the day.
👉 Best for: First-time visitors to Taiwan, travelers who’d rather skip the transportation logistics, and anyone who wants to see the classic sights without overthinking it.
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2 | Mountains and Coastline in One Day: Jiufen + Shifen + North Coast
Short on time but still want to see as much of northern Taiwan’s signature scenery as possible? This is the most efficient option on the list. Along with Jiufen and Shifen, it takes you out to the North Coast’s dramatic natural landscapes — including the wind-carved rock formations at Yehliu Geopark — so in a single day, you get three completely different kinds of scenery: a hillside town, a heritage railway village, and a rugged coastline. The pace is busier, but for travelers with limited time in Taiwan, it’s the smart way to cover more ground.
👉 Best for: Travelers with limited time who want to see multiple highlights in one go.
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3 | Just Want to Soak Up the Atmosphere: Slow Wander & Mountain Night Views
If checking off sights isn’t really the point, and what you’re after is the feel of Jiufen itself, this tour suits you better. By day, Jiufen has an unhurried, lived-in charm; once evening falls and the red lanterns light up, the whole town seems to take on a different character. Rather than rushing through for a quick photo, it’s worth slowing down — strolling the Old Street, waiting for the lanterns to flicker on, and experiencing Jiufen at its most atmospheric. Tours built around this pace give you more breathing room to enjoy the scenery and get the shots you actually want.
👉 Best for: Slow travelers who’d rather not cram too much into one day
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4 | For a Deeper Jiufen Memory: Teahouses, Qipao & Immersive Experiences
If wandering the Old Street alone doesn’t feel like enough, this approach adds an extra layer that can make the trip more memorable. Beyond the usual stroll, you can settle into a teahouse and sip tea while taking in the mountain views, or slip into a qipao (traditional Chinese dress) and wander the stone steps and lantern-lit lanes for some genuinely atmospheric photos. None of this requires a full day to enjoy, but it can make your Jiufen memories noticeably more vivid.
👉 Best for: Travelers who love photography, care about the experience feeling special, and want a keepsake from the trip
📌 Top KKday Picks
2. A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
Getting there: There are a few ways to reach Jiufen by public transport — Keelung Bus 1062 (board outside MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station in Taipei City), Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus 965 (board outside MRT Ximen Station), or take a train to Ruifang Station, then take a bus or taxi from near the station plaza. Each option comes with its own transfers and wait times to keep track of. If sorting it all out sounds like more hassle than it’s worth, a local tour or shuttle service is the easier route — direct, no timetables to check, and no lines to wait in.
📌 Jiufen Shuttle Service
Best time to visit: If you want to dodge the crowds and enjoy a quieter hillside town, aim to arrive on a weekday before 9am. If you’re after that postcard shot of the red lanterns lit up at dusk, 4:30–6pm is the sweet spot — the sky starts to dim, the lanterns along Shuqi Road flicker on, and the whole town looks at its most romantic. It’s also around this time that most tour groups start heading out, so the crowds tend to thin out a little.
Plenty of side trips nearby — but don’t overdo it: Jiufen sits in the middle of a region packed with things to see — Jinguashi, Shuinandong, the Pingxi Line (Shifen), the Shen’ao Line, Keelung (night market included), and the North Coast can all be worked into a single trip. The catch is that each connects differently, and it’s easy to underestimate travel time between them. If this is your first visit and time is tight, it’s worth picking just one or two extra stops rather than trying to fit everything in. If you do want to see several spots in one day, a day tour — like the Jiufen + Shifen or Jiufen + North Coast options mentioned above — is by far the less stressful way to do it.
Plenty of side trips nearby — but don’t overdo it: Jiufen sits in the middle of an area packed with things to see — Jinguashi, Shuinandong, the Pingxi Line (Shifen), the Shen’ao Line, Keelung (including Miaokou Night Market), and the North Coast can all be worked into a single trip. The catch is that each connects differently, and it’s easy to underestimate the travel time between them. If this is your first visit and time is tight, it’s worth picking just one or two extra stops rather than trying to fit everything in. If you do want to see several spots in one day, a day tour — like the Jiufen + Shifen or Jiufen + North Coast options mentioned above — is by far the less stressful way to do it.
What to bring: Jiufen gets its fair share of fog and rain, so a lightweight rain jacket or umbrella is worth packing. The stone-step streets aren’t the easiest to walk on either, so comfortable, grippy shoes are a smart choice.
By now, you’ve probably got a good sense of how to do Jiufen your way — whether that means sticking to a classic route, covering mountains and coastline in one day, or taking it slow and soaking in the hillside atmosphere. Each style brings out a different side of Jiufen, so pick whichever one matches the trip you’re actually after, and you’re good to go.
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