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Hot springs were high on my list for my first trip to Taiwan. I love building slower experiences into my itineraries, especially when they involve being outside, and Beitou makes it surprisingly easy to do that without traveling far from Taipei.
We chose Spring City Resort Beitou, an outdoor hot spring resort with multiple pools tucked into the hills above Beitou. Rather than staying overnight, we booked access to the outdoor hot springs and spent a few hours soaking before exploring a little more of the area.
We actually went to Beitou almost immediately after arriving in Taiwan, taking the train there from Taoyuan International Airport. After a long flight, sitting in a hot spring was a pretty incredible introduction to Taiwan!
If you’re looking for a Beitou hot spring where you can wear a swimsuit, Spring City Resort is also a really approachable option for a first hot spring experience.
Spring City Resort Beitou at a Glance
Location: Beitou District, Taipei
Best for: Outdoor hot springs, couples, friends and first-time hot spring visitors
What we booked: Outdoor public hot spring access
What to bring: Swimsuit
Time to allow: Around 2–3 hours for the resort, or a half day if you’re exploring Beitou
My verdict: An easy and relaxing addition to a Taipei itinerary, especially if you want a hot spring experience without staying overnight in Beitou.
→ Book the Spring City Resort Beitou Hot Spring Experience on Klook
Why We Chose Spring City Resort Beitou
There are quite a few places to experience the hot springs in Beitou, ranging from inexpensive public baths to private rooms and luxury hot spring hotels. I didn’t necessarily need an elaborate spa day or an overnight stay. I wanted somewhere we could actually spend time soaking outside.
Spring City Resort ended up fitting what we were looking for really well.
The outdoor spa has nine different hot spring pools and bathing areas, including pools at different temperatures as well as features such as a waterfall pool and cold-water pool. The resort uses the white sulfur spring water Beitou is known for.
Most importantly for us, the outdoor area allowed us to experience the hot springs together while wearing swimsuits. Some traditional hot springs in Taiwan are separated by gender and require bathing nude, so this is something worth paying attention to when choosing where to go.
Our Experience at Spring City Resort
The entire experience was pretty easy, even though this was our first time visiting a Taiwanese hot spring.
There were changing rooms where we could get ready before heading outside, and we were provided with the things we needed for the spa. Having robes and slippers available made it feel much more like a resort experience than simply visiting a public pool. There are also lockers and showers, so you don’t need to arrive already dressed for the hot springs.
Once outside, there are several pools to move between rather than one large hot spring.
I loved the different pools you could soak in! This was probably my favorite part of Spring City Resort. The pools weren’t all the same temperature, so we could move around and find the ones we liked. I, of course, gravitated toward the hottest ones. If I’m going to a hot spring, I want it hot.
The different temperatures also made it easier to stay for a while. Instead of sitting in one extremely hot pool until we couldn’t take it anymore, we could move between the different areas, cool down and then get back in.
What Are the Outdoor Hot Springs Like?
Spring City Resort is more of an outdoor hot spring spa than a completely natural hot spring in the middle of the wilderness. The pools are built into a landscaped outdoor area with trees and greenery surrounding them.
There are nine different bathing areas in the outdoor spa, and current visitors can use the public spa without the one-hour limit that applies to the resort’s private hot spring rooms.
I think that’s an important distinction when deciding whether Spring City is right for you. If you’re imagining hiking through the mountains and climbing into a completely natural spring, this isn’t that. But if you want somewhere comfortable where you can spend a couple of hours moving between outdoor mineral pools, it works really well (they also have an indoor pool!).
It also felt accessible as a foreign visitor. We didn’t need to know a complicated hot spring routine beforehand, and having changing facilities and everything organized for us made the experience very straightforward.
Do You Need to Be Naked at Spring City Resort Beitou?
Not in the outdoor hot spring area we visited.
We wore swimsuits, which is one of the reasons I recommend Spring City Resort to travelers who want to experience Beitou’s hot springs but aren’t comfortable with a traditional nude bath.
Spring City does offer other bathing options, including private hot spring rooms and a separate bathing facility where nude bathing is required, so make sure you’re booking the outdoor/public hot spring option if you want the experience we had.
What Should You Bring?
Honestly you don’t The resort has changing facilities and provides many of the basics you need once you arrive.
The main thing I would make sure you have is your swimsuit. I’d also bring a water bottle, sunscreen if you’re visiting during the warmer months and whatever toiletries you personally want after showering.
Having the changing rooms made it easy for us to incorporate the hot springs into a larger travel day rather than having to return to our hotel first.
Getting to Spring City Resort Beitou
One of the reasons Beitou works so well in a Taipei itinerary is that you don’t need a car to get there. The Xinbeitou hot spring area is connected to Taipei’s MRT system via Xinbeitou Station.
We were coming straight from Taoyuan International Airport, so we used Taiwan’s rail and MRT system to make our way toward Beitou. It was a longer journey than coming from central Taipei, but it was completely manageable.
If you’re already staying in Taipei, I would personally make Beitou a half-day trip rather than treating it as a completely separate destination.
Spring City Resort sits farther uphill from the main Xinbeitou sightseeing area, so make sure you plan that final portion of your journey rather than assuming the resort is directly outside the MRT station.
Is Spring City Resort Beitou Worth It?
I wouldn’t necessarily describe Spring City Resort as an ultra-luxury spa, and I don’t think you need to stay overnight to make the experience worthwhile. What I liked was how easy and approachable it made experiencing Beitou’s hot springs.
We could wear swimsuits, there were changing rooms, the things we needed were provided and we could move between several different outdoor pools. I especially loved having different water temperatures because I could spend most of my time in the hotter pools while still having somewhere to cool down.
If you only have a few days in Taipei and want to experience Taiwan’s hot spring culture without committing an entire day to it, this is the kind of experience I would add to an itinerary.
→ Check current prices and book Spring City Resort Beitou on Klook
What Else Is There to Do in Beitou?
I would give yourself a little extra time rather than traveling all the way to Beitou solely for the hot springs. A lot of Beitou’s main sights are concentrated around Beitou Park and Xinbeitou Station, making it relatively easy to combine several stops into one half-day trip.
Visit Thermal Valley
If you only add one other stop, I would make it Thermal Valley.
This is where you can actually see the geothermal landscape that makes Beitou such an unusual part of Taipei.
The small valley contains a steaming, turquoise sulfur lake where water temperatures can reach around 80–100°C (176–212°F). A pathway runs around the area so you can see the steaming water safely from above.
You can’t soak here – and you definitely don’t want to touch the water, but it’s a great visual complement to actually bathing in Beitou’s hot springs.
Walk Through Beitou Park
Instead of immediately jumping back on the MRT, walk downhill through Beitou Park toward Xinbeitou Station.
The park follows the hot-spring valley and connects several of Beitou’s major attractions. You’ll see the green side of Taipei, a change of pace compared with the much busier neighborhoods you’ll probably spend the rest of your trip exploring.
See the Beitou Hot Spring Museum
The Beitou Hot Spring Museum is especially worth adding if you want to understand why hot springs are such a big part of Beitou’s identity.
The building was originally constructed as a public bathhouse during Taiwan’s Japanese colonial period and now tells the story of Beitou’s hot spring culture. The original bathing spaces are still part of the building, so it gives you some context for the modern hot spring resorts surrounding it today.
How to Spend the Rest of Your Day
One of the best things about visiting Spring City Resort is that the hot springs don’t have to take up your entire day. Beitou is close enough to central Taipei that you can easily soak for a few hours and still have plenty of time for sightseeing, food and night markets later in the day.
If this is your first trip to Taipei, I would head back into the city after the hot springs. Spend the afternoon exploring somewhere like Ximending, Dihua Street or Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, then finish the day at one of Taipei’s night markets. Beitou gives you a completely different experience from central Taipei, so I love the combination of a quiet morning in the hot springs followed by the energy of the city at night.
Or Make It a Beitou + Yangmingshan Day Trip
If you would rather stay outside the city, pair Beitou with Yangmingshan National Park. The national park sits just north of Beitou and is known for volcanic landscapes, mountain trails, steaming geothermal areas and seasonal flowers.
→ Book your half day tour to Yangmingshan National Park
I would start with the hot springs at Spring City Resort, spend a little time exploring Beitou, and then continue into Yangmingshan for the afternoon. You don’t need to tackle one of the park’s longest hikes to make the combination worthwhile. Pick one or two viewpoints or shorter trails, enjoy the mountain scenery, and then return to Taipei in time for dinner.
For me, this is one of the things that makes Taipei such an interesting city to visit. You can soak in a hot spring, hike through a volcanic national park and still be back in the middle of Taipei eating at a night market that evening.
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Hi, I’m Amber —
A Michigan native now living in Washington with a deep love for travel and the outdoors. What started with church mission trips and years of traveling across the U.S. as a nurse has grown into a passion for exploring destinations across Asia and America through hiking, scenic landscapes, local food, wildlife encounters, and underwater adventures. Sometimes I’m joined by my goldendoodle, Millie, but I’m always traveling with my camera. My goal is to help you feel inspired and confident that travel is possible — no matter where you’re starting from.
