One of the best day trips from Taipei is to visit Jiufen, a quaint little town 40km east of the capital city. You can easily spend the entire day seeing some of the best highlights, including Jiufen Old Street, Yinyang Sea and the Golden Waterfall.
And since public transit in Taipei is super efficient, there are several ways to go to Jiufen from Taipei for independent and solo travellers. Each transportation method is cost-effective and easy to navigate.
In this guide, I’ll show you three ways to travel from Taipei to Jiufen with my step-by-step guide. I also included maps and travel tips for getting to and from the charming town of Jiufen from Taipei.
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How to go to Jiufen from Taipei
Before getting on a train or bus to Jiufen, take a look at my post on all my best tips for travelling to Taiwan. I included information like how to get a Taiwan prepaid SIM card, transportation around the country, and more.
Here are a few quick tips for travelling to Jiufen from Taipei:
- Get a contactless smartcard, EasyCard or iPass, for your journey from Taipei to Jiufen and back to Taipei. It will save you time from purchasing individual tickets and money as the fare is discounted when you use the smartcard.
- During weekends and holidays, leaving Jiufen can be hectic since many tourists will be leaving simultaneously. The good news is that many buses leave Jiufen for Ruifang and Taipei. But make sure to allow some waiting time and note the time for the last bus.
How to travel from Taipei to Jiufen
There are several ways to go to Jiufen from Taipei. Besides calling an Uber, which is a viable but more expensive option, there are 3 ways of getting to Jiufen by public transportation:
- Bus 1062 from Taipei to Jiufen (easiest and most direct way)
- Bus 965 from Taipei to Jiufen (direct but less frequent)
- Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) train to Ruifang and bus to Jiufen
1. Bus 1062 from Taipei to Jiufen
The easiest way to get to Jiufen from Taipei is to take a direct bus 1062 from Taipei city centre to Jiufen. Taking a direct form of transportation can take out all the headaches of figuring out where to transfer, bus schedule, etc.
Bus 1062 route starts from Zhongxiao Fuxing Station (忠孝復興站) in Taipei, travels via the National Freeway No.1 and ends at Quanji Temple (祈堂廟) in Jinguashi.
To go to Jiufen, get on bus 1062 at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station bus stop and alight at Jiufen Old Street bus stop.
- Time: 60 minutes +
- Frequency: every 5-15 minutes (peak hours) and 10-20 minutes (off-peak hours)
- Cost: NT$101 (EasyCard or iPass)
- Fare and schedule: Taiwanbus
Start at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station bus stop
Wherever you are in Taipei, take the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, which is on both Bannan Line (blue) and Wenhu Line (brown).
Once there, take Exit 2, which will take you to Sogo Department Store (Fuxing Branch).
The bus stop is at the southwest corner of the Zhongxiao Fuxing Station intersection, on Fuxing South Road, between Zhongxiao Road and Section 3, Zhongxiao East Road.
Alight at Jiufen Old Street bus stop
The bus journey takes about 60 minutes and stops at various places, including Ruifang Station.
Alight at Jiufen Old Street bus stop, three stops after Ruifang Station. Then walk 3 minutes up the same road, and you will arrive at Jiufen Old Street.
Tip: going to Jinguashi
If you want to hike Teapot Mountain or visit the Gold Museum in Jinguashi, stay on bus 1062 and do not get off at Jiufen Old Street bus stop.
For the Gold Museum, alight at the Gold Museum bus stop. Walk one minute in, and you will see the tourist information sign and ticket counter.
For Teapot Mountain, alight at the last stop at Quanji Temple. Teapot Mountain Trail starts at the road just northeast of Quanji Temple, off Qitang Road.
2. Bus 965 from Taipei to Jiufen
There is another direct bus from Taipei to Jiufen, and this option is excellent if you are starting in Ximending.
Bus 965 passes by Beimen Station (捷運北門站) and goes to Ruifang Station, Jiufen and Jinguashi. The route is similar to bus 1062, but there are fewer buses on this route.
Once you are at Beimen Station, take Exit 2. The bus stop is near the subway entrance on Tacheng Street.
To go to Jiufen, get on bus 965 at Beimen Station bus stop and alight at Jiufen Old Street bus stop (same stop as bus 1062).
- Time: 60 minutes +
- Frequency: every 30-40 minutes (peak hours) and 40-60 minutes (off-peak hours)
- Cost: NT$90 (EasyCard or iPass)
- Fare and schedule: Taipei Bus
3. TRA train to Ruifang and bus to Jiufen
Train travel in Taiwan is easy and efficient. However, you cannot go directly from Taipei Main Station to Jiufen via Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) train system. The train only goes to Ruifang Station.
If you take this route, you must take a train from Taipei Main Station (platform 4) to Ruifang Station and then a bus to Jiufen.
- Time: 47 minutes + (local train and local fast train)
- Cost: NT$49 (EasyCard or iPass)
- Fare and schedule: Taiwan Railways website
Arrive at Ruifang Station
Once you arrive at Ruifang Station, take the West Exit for Jiufen and Jinguashi.
Then walk 4 minutes east on Section 3, Mingdeng Road, and find the bus stop at District Square.
At Ruifang Station, there is a large map and chart for all the bus routes from Ruifang Station. This infographic is useful when you need more information to navigate the towns near Ruifang.
But if you are only going to Jiufen, I have included all the necessary info. But here is the graphics for your information:
Wait for one of many buses from Ruifang to Jiufen
Once you are at the District Square bus stop in Ruifang (or referred to as Resident Square), wait for one of these buses going to Jiufen. The bus journey takes 12 minutes and costs NT$15 (EasyCard or iPass).
- Bus 788 – goes to Jiufen Old Street and Gold Museum in Jinguashi
- Bus 825 – goes to Jiufen Old Street
- Bus 827 – goes to Jiufen Old Street
- Bus 856 – goes to Jiufen, Gold Museum in Jinguashi, Golden Waterfall, Yingyang Sea, Bitoujiao, Fulong Beach
- Bus 965 – goes to Jiufen Old Steet and Gold Museum in Jinguashi
- Bus 1062 – goes to Jiufen Old Street and Gold Museum and Teapot Mountain in Jinguashi
Returning to Taipei from Jiufen
After a day of exploring Jiufen and surrounding areas, it is time to head back to Taipei. And the only way to leave Jiufen is via a public bus.
When you leave Jiufen to Taipei, catch one of the buses going to Ruifang or Taipei at the Jiufen Old Street bus stop on the other side of the road and up the hill.
The following buses pick up passengers from Jiufen Old Street bus stop and either go to Ruifang Station or Taipei.
- Bus 788 – goes to Ruifang Station and Keelung Station (last bus 10:30pm)
- Bus 825 – goes to Ruifang Station and Keelung Station (last bus 9:30pm)
- Bus 827 – goes to Ruifang Station (last bus 5pm weekday and 3:30pm holiday)
- Bus 856 – goes to Ruifang Station (last bus 3:10pm)
- Bus 965 – goes to Ruifang Station and Beiman Station (last bus 9pm)
- Bus 1062 – goes to Ruifang Station and Zhongxiao Fuxing Station (last bus 9:35pm)
Take note of the time for the last bus (I noted the time written on the website – I’m assuming it is the last bus from the end of the bus route so the actual time of leaving Jiufen Old Street could be earlier).
How are you going to Jiufen from Taipei?
Jiufen is one of many easy day trips from Taipei. If you want to see the rural side of Taiwan and get out of the hustle and bustle of Taipei, make your way out to Jiufen and enjoy a day of exploring a charming town and taking in breathtaking views.
I hope this post was helpful in navigating your way from Taipei to Jiufen. There are many ways to get to the charming village. Which way are you going to take?
Thank you for reading my Jiufen bus post
You might also like these other posts on solo travel in Taiwan:
Introduction to Taiwan
- Things to know before visiting Taiwan
- How and where to buy a Taiwan prepaid SIM card
- How to spend 3 weeks in Taiwan
- 22 must-eat food in Taiwan
- Top 10 must-try Taiwan 7-11 Food
Northern Taiwan posts
- Things to do alone in Taipei Taiwan
- Where to stay in Taipei for solo travellers
- Dadaocheng Taipei: what to do, buy and eat on Dihua Street
- 9 Places to eat breakfast in Taipei
- Top 21 food to try in Ximending in Taipei
- 7 Best day trips from Taipei
- A complete beginner’s guide to Beitou Hot Spring
- Bitoujiao Trail: short and easy hike from Taipei or Yilan
- Monka Hotel: affordable Taipei boutique hotel
- Kimpton Da’an Hotel: best luxury boutique hotel in Taipei
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