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Jiufen was one of those places in Taiwan that I knew was going to be a bit touristy before we even arrived. The photos of steep staircases, glowing lanterns and traditional tea houses are everywhere, and it is one of the most popular day trips from Taipei.
And yes, Jiufen really is that crowded.
We visited Jiufen after spending the first part of our day hiking nearby on the northeast coast. By the time we arrived, the Old Street was packed, the famous tea houses were busy and there were moments where we were basically moving through the narrow streets with everyone else.
But I still think Jiufen is worth visiting.
It has a completely different feel from Taipei, and wandering through the hillside streets, stopping for Taiwanese tea and browsing little shops filled with pineapple cakes and snacks was genuinely fun. I wouldn’t come expecting to discover a quiet, untouched mountain village. Jiufen is famous, and it feels famous.
Sometimes places are touristy for a reason.
Is Jiufen Worth Visiting?
I think Jiufen is a perfect day trip from Taipei.
Jiufen is built into the mountainside above Taiwan’s northeast coast, with steep staircases connecting narrow streets filled with tea houses, snack shops and traditional buildings. The town originally grew during the area’s gold-mining era, and its mountain setting and historic streets later helped turn it into one of Taiwan’s best-known destinations.
That doesn’t mean it’s going to be everyone’s favorite place in Taiwan.
Jiufen was very crowded when we visited in November. At certain points, walking through the Old Street felt more like following the flow of people than casually wandering. There are also plenty of tourist shops selling pineapple cakes, tea, packaged treats and souvenirs.
I didn’t necessarily see that as a negative. We browsed the shops, bought snacks and just enjoyed the chaos of it.
If you go into Jiufen expecting one of Taiwan’s biggest tourist attractions rather than a quiet hidden village, I think you’ll enjoy it much more.
What to Do in Jiufen
You really don’t need a complicated Jiufen itinerary. The town itself is the attraction, and I think part of the fun is walking through the narrow streets and stopping whenever you see something interesting.
Walk Through Jiufen Old Street
The obvious place to start is Jiufen Old Street, which winds through the hillside village along Jishan Street. It’s a very atmospheric area filled with lanterns and crowds. It was rumored that the town was the inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s famous Spirited Away film – buttttt, Hayao Miyazaki had denied this.
The fun of Jiufen is to soak in the atmosphere. The Old Street is lined with food stalls, bakeries, tea shops and souvenir stores. We saw tons of Taiwanese treats and pineapple cakes being sold here, and it is an easy place to pick up snacks or gifts to bring home.
Apart from the main street, there’s little side alleys you can walk through that are much quieter. I really would encourage you to explore these – you may find some interesting things or photo ops.
There’s a famous photo area at the street next to A-Mei teahouse. It’s really atmospheric because of all the lanterns, just don’t anticipate getting it all to yourself!
If you want those classic Jiufen views with lanterns hanging between wooden buildings and tea houses stacked along the hillside – this is the spot.
I used to think that all my photos needed to be peaceful, whimsy and without people in the background. But what I’ve learned about traveling and travel photography – is that showing a spot in this way, is disingenuous. We didn’t experience Jiufen as a quiet place at all, and I wouldn’t plan a visit around getting perfectly empty Instagram photos. Part of the Jiufen’s story, is it’s crowds.
Visit A Cafe or Tea House in Jiufen
Tea is CENTRAL to Taiwan, and visiting a tea house is quite an experience. We visited quite a few on our first Taipei trip, including A-Mei Tea House in Jiufen.
Having tea overlooking the water, was probably the experience I was most excited about in Jiufen – and A-Mei Tea House delivered. It’s the most famous spot in Jiufen, so anticipate it will be busy.
I also wouldn’t feel like you absolutely have to choose the most famous tea house. There are several tea houses throughout Jiufen, and if another one has a shorter wait, a beautiful view or simply looks inviting, I would be open to going there instead.
Another popular spot is Jiufen Tea House, which has a section of hand-crafted tea ceramics you can search through as well. It’s the oldest tea house in Jiufen. You won’t get the same outdoor view, but I doubt you’ll be disappointed with the aesthetic inside.
What tea should you get?
The most well regarded tea in Taiwan is the High Mountain Oolong from Alishan. It’s a delicate tea with a smooth, almost creamy texture and soft floral notes. It’s fragrent without being overpowering.
Not a tea lover? Although I think you should lean into the tea culture a bit, check out Hima Cafe. They serve coffee, handcrafted drinks and sweet treats, but are most known for their gorgeous hillside views.
Where to Eat in Jiufen
Come to Jiufen hungry! One thing that Taiwan does better than anywhere is STREET FOOD. And Jiufen is no different. Jiufen is particularly known for traditional foods like taro balls, meatballs and mugwort rice cakes. Many of the snacks here are sweet treats, so you may need to slow down from the sugar overload- but even better if you’re visiting with friends and you can share.
Where to Stop And Snack
Jiufen is especially associated with taro balls, but you’ll also find traditional rice cakes, meatballs, tea, pastries and plenty of packaged Taiwanese treats (like pineapple cakes).
If you want to try Taro Balls, you’ll see plenty of places to grab one. Two of the most popular spots are A Gan Yi Taro Ball and Grandma Lai’s Sweet Taro Ball.
Another one of the most popular snacks is the Peanut Ice Cream Roll from A-Zhu. Although it’s famous here, I also saw it at other night markets in Taipei. Honestly, I was a bit underwhelmed with this one. I was anticipating a bit more flavoring than it had. Felt like too much “ice” and too little “cream”.
I really wanted to try the giant cream puff from Misty Cripsy Puff – but we were so full by the time we got back to it!
Where to Eat For a full Meal in Jiufen
We actually didn’t end up eating a full sit-down meal in Jiufen because we were completely full from snacking our way through the Old Street. Between tea, sweets and all the little things we kept picking up along the way, lunch basically happened without us planning it.
That said, I had a few places saved in case we wanted something more substantial, and honestly, now I wish we had been hungry enough to try one of them.
Age Inn Beef Noodles was high on my list for a warm, filling bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup. If you’re visiting on a cooler or rainy day, this is probably the kind of meal I would want after walking around Jiufen.
Zhang Ji Traditional Fishballs was another option I had bookmarked for something casual and quick. Fish balls are one of the traditional foods associated with Jiufen, and this would be an easy stop if you want a more substantial meal without committing to a long sit-down lunch.
Day Eat Tea House & Co. was also on my list. It would be perfect if you’re looking for a tea experience, but with a fuller meal. It could be a good alternative if the famous tea houses are packed or you want more than just tea and dessert.
For something a little more intentional, Shipi 23 Snack Bar was another place I had saved. I REALLY wanted to go here, because everything is chef-driven and prepared fresh. It looked like a good option if we wanted to sit down for shareable dishes instead of continuing to snack through the Old Street.
And if your priority is a proper meal with a view, Jiufen Xingyu Restaurant is worth looking into. This was one of the options I had saved for a more traditional Taiwanese meal where we could sit down and enjoy the hillside setting.
In the end, we never made it to any of them because Jiufen Old Street completely filled us up. If it’s your first visit, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happens to you. My advice would be to keep one or two restaurants saved, but don’t make a reservation or lock yourself into a big meal unless you know you’ll want one. Part of the fun of Jiufen is eating whatever catches your eye as you walk.
Other things in Jiufen
I didn’t realize it when I was there, but you can get stamps in Jiufen Visitors Center to collect (just like in Japan!). I was bummed about finding this out AFTER my visit, so don’t miss out like I did.
If you have extra time while wandering, Shengping Theater is another easy place to add to a Jiufen day trip. It has an old ticket window, most posters and vintage atmosphere. It’s a bit of a glimpse into a glimpse into Jiufen’s entertainment culture during its busier mining years
How Long Do You Need in Jiufen?
A half day trip around 4 hours should be plenty for most people.
That gives you enough time to slowly walk through Jiufen Old Street, browse the shops, eat a few things, have tea and explore some of the staircases without feeling like you’re racing through town. You could easily spend longer if you want a leisurely tea experience or plan to stay into the evening, but I don’t think most visitors need an entire day exclusively in Jiufen.
That also makes it easy to combine Jiufen with another stop in northeastern Taiwan.
Side Trips from Jiufen
Hiking Around Jiufen
We personally went hiking before visiting Jiufen and loved structuring the day that way. We did Teapot Mountain nearby in Jinguashi before heading into Jiufen for tea and exploring.
I don’t want to go too far into that hike here because it deserves its own guide, but if hiking is a priority for your Taiwan trip, it’s a really good addition.
→ Read my Teapot Mountain hiking guide (coming soon)
The other hike (that is actually a bit closer), is Keelung Mountain. It gives you some-what similar, but better views of the coast than on Jiufen Old Street. I wanted to hike this trail, but ultimately we chose Teapot Mountain for the vastly different views.
Nearby Towns
Jiufen also pairs really nicely with Shifen, a spot known for their lantern festival in the winter. But you can release lanterns all year round here! You can also stop by the nearby Shifen Waterfall. Unfortunately, when we went to Taiwan in November the area suffered from a Typhoon and the day we were supposed to visit Shifen, the trains were shut down due to flooding. Nearby, you can visit the smaller village of Pingxi – which is the main lantern release area during the annual lantern release.
You can also visit Houtong Cat Village – a quirky old mining town known for their number of outdoor cats. This is defintely a quieter stop than Jiufen.
How to Get to Jiufen From Taipei
Public transportation in Taiwan is generally easy enough that I wouldn’t rent a car specifically for Jiufen. Although Jiufen doesn’t have its own train station, it is still relatively easy to reach from Taipei using public transportation.
One of the easiest choices is simply taking a direct bus from Taipei toward Jiufen. There are a few buses that will reach Jiufen from Taipei depending on where you’re starting from. We personally used Bus 965, the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle from Taipei Main Station, which comes every 30 minutes.
Another option is taking a Taiwan Railways train from Taipei to Ruifang Station and then transferring to a local bus or taxi up to Jiufen. This can work well if you are already comfortable navigating Taiwan’s train system or are combining Jiufen with other places around Ruifang.
I would check the current route in Google Maps or the official Taipei/New Taipei bus system on the morning of your visit rather than building your entire trip around an old timetable you found in a blog post.
What Is the Best Time to Visit Jiufen?
Spring is probably the best time to visit Jiufen, especially March and April, when temperatures are mild and comfortable for walking the steep streets.
We personally visited in November, and a typhoon actually came through Taiwan that same week, so fall weather can still be unpredictable. Jiufen is also known for mist and rain, which honestly fits the moody atmosphere pretty well.
I’d bring a light rain jacket or umbrella no matter when you visit and avoid planning your whole day around perfectly clear views.
Should You Stay Overnight in Jiufen?
Should You Stay Overnight in Jiufen?
If you’re based in Taipei, Jiufen works very well as a day trip, and I think that will be enough for most first-time visitors. We were perfectly happy spending the afternoon here, having tea, wandering the Old Street and eating our way through the different snack stalls.
That said, I can see a really good argument for spending one night in Jiufen if you want to experience the town a little more deeply. Staying overnight gives you more time to explore the local cafes, tea houses and restaurants without feeling like you need to fit everything into a few hours. You also get to see both sides of Jiufen: the busy, chaotic Old Street during the day and the lantern-lit streets once evening settles in and many of the day-trippers begin heading back to Taipei.
If I were staying overnight, I’d be looking at 山午 雲在屾房 Home Stay. It is a few minute walk from Old Street and has gorgeous hillside views.
So while I don’t think an overnight stay is necessary, it could still be fun if you have the extra time!
Jiufen Day Trip From Taipei: My Honest Feedback
Jiufen wasn’t quiet, undiscovered or especially relaxing when we visited, but honestly, that’s okay. I really enjoyed our time there and would still recommend visiting at least once if you’re traveling in Taiwan.
I wouldn’t tell anyone to visit Jiufen because it’s an untouched mountain village, because it isn’t. What makes it special is the atmosphere it has developed over time. It is busy, a little chaotic, touristy in places and still incredibly memorable.
I would honestly go back. Next time, I’d spend more time exploring different tea houses and cafes, maybe stay overnight to experience the town after dark, and add a hike up Keelung Mountain while I was there. If you’re planning your first visit, go expecting the crowds, give yourself time to wander and don’t get too fixated on one specific tea house or one perfect photo. Jiufen is much more enjoyable when you just let yourself experience it for what it is.
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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.
