Taipei Day Trip 2026: Yehliu, Shifen & Jiufen Tour Review

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Taiwan Taipei Travel

Yehliu Geopark, Shifen, Jiufen

Yeh-Shifen-Jiufen (YesJi) Day Trip Tour Review

If you're planning a trip to Taiwan,

you absolutely can't miss these incredibly famous tourist spots.

YesJi / YesPoJi / YesJinJi

While preparing for a Taiwan trip, you might suddenly, out of nowhere,

come across the terms YesJi, YesPoJi, or YesJinJi.

At first, I wondered what on earth they meant!

Turns out, if you're visiting Taiwan,

this is one of those tours everyone absolutely takes at least once.

(A must-do day trip!)

YesJi = Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen

YesJinJi = Yehliu, Shifen, Jinguashi, Jiufen

YesPoJi = Yehliu, Shifen, Waterfall, Jiufen

They're located at the outskirts of Taipei,

making it convenient to group them together for a tour.

If you think about traveling independently,

there's the hassle of figuring out separate transportation,

and you'll end up spending a bit more precious time.

That's why, usually for a trip to Taipei, Taiwan,

people often opt for tour packages that cover these attractions.

I also traveled to Taiwan independently,

but for exploring YesJi, YesPoJi, or YesJinJi on my own,

I figured there would be a lot to research and it might be inconvenient to get around.

So, I decided to go with a tour package!

Being able to choose and tour the attractions I personally wanted to visit

made the experience highly satisfying.

Yehliu Geopark, an absolute must-see on any Taiwan tour,

Shifen, where you can release sky lanterns,

and Jiufen, which famously inspired the setting of "Spirited Away,"

are pretty much essential stops!!

That's probably why YesJi is the basic option,

and if you want to see more, many people go for the YesPoJi or YesJinJi tours,

which include a waterfall or Jinguashi.

During my trip to Taipei, Taiwan, my travel period was

short, so I decided to stick to the essential YesJi route

and went on the YesJi tour!

When you arrive at the designated meeting point at the scheduled time,

a large bus will be waiting. You meet your guide,

board the bus, and the tour begins!

Once on the bus, the guide shared simple information and historical tidbits about Taiwan,

making the journey far from boring.

Along the way, they offered recommendations for must-visit places and great restaurants,

as well as tips on what souvenirs are good to buy.

It was truly fantastic to get all these insider tips!

So, personally, I recommend taking the YesJi tour

early in your Taiwan trip.

(You'll be set for the rest of your trip with all those amazing tips!)

Our very first stop was Yehliu Geopark.

Amidst the vast ocean,

this geopark is filled with incredible rock formations

that have been sculpted over 10 to 25 million years.

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The rocks, eroded repeatedly by wind and sea,

have taken on truly diverse and fascinating shapes –

a true wonder of nature.

Yehliu Geopark was much larger than I expected,

which was a bit surprising, but the great weather made it very satisfying.

However, since I visited in mid-summer,

it's no secret that the humidity and heat made it challenging.

(An umbrella or hat is a must, and bring a portable fan!!)

One of the main spots at Yehliu Geopark:

the heart-shaped rock!

Since so many people were taking photos here,

it was clearly a popular hotspot.

You can also step inside the half-heart shape

and complete the heart with your own picture,

so keep that in mind!

After exploring all of Yehliu Geopark, there's a small rest area,

so no worries about restrooms.

Next, we arrived in Shifen to release sky lanterns!

If you follow the alleyways straight through,

you'll find a small train track, and since trains were actually

running, I captured this photo.

It was a bit chaotic with so many people in the narrow streets,

but I loved the unique atmosphere of this neighborhood.

Oh, that old-school charm!

Following our guide's instructions, we entered a designated sky lantern shop.

Each team picked out a sky lantern,

and we wrote our wishes on them with a brush.

There were single-color lanterns,

and also four-color lanterns, with each color representing a different meaning.

Since we were already doing it, we went for the four-color lanterns,

writing messages that aligned with each color's special meaning before releasing them into the sky.

(Things like wishes, love, health, and business success!)

Once we finished writing our messages, a sky lantern staff member came over,

lit the lantern for us, and enthusiastically took lots of photos.

They took so many photos and videos, from us holding the lantern to releasing it,

which was perfect for capturing these memorable moments!

Next up, the famous Chicken Wing Rice in Shifen!

Since it's so famous, there was no way we could miss trying it.

We each ordered one to try.

（It was even more delicious than we expected, a truly satisfying treat!）

And you *have* to try the garlic sausage! 👍

After releasing sky lanterns and enjoying delicious food in Shifen,

we headed straight to our final destination:

Jiufen.

With red lanterns adorning every street corner,

it's absolutely magical to visit around sunset!

Perhaps because we visited on a weekend,

it was incredibly crowded; (a real ant-hell!).

The alleys aren't wide, so it felt a bit overwhelming with so many people packed closely together,

but it was unavoidable.

(Because the streets are just so beautiful!)

We wandered through all the nooks and crannies of the alleyways, soaking it all in.

The famous

Jiabing Bakery Nougat Crackers from Taipei, Taiwan!

There were samples, and they were seriously delicious,

so I ended up buying several boxes of different flavors! LOL.

(Definitely try the samples and pick your favorites!)

It had a market-like atmosphere, so when I saw fried squid in the middle of it all,

I had to buy some to try – and was genuinely surprised by how delicious it was!

(The thick squid legs were fantastic!)

Why is there so much amazing food in Taipei, Taiwan?!

Walking through Jiufen's streets, it truly felt like being in the setting of Spirited Away,

making the connection real.

While the crowds were too dense to get perfect photos,

I was completely satisfied just taking it all in with my own eyes.

Jiufen becomes even more beautiful at night, once complete darkness falls.

From the vibrant red lanterns filling Jiufen's streets,

the Yehliu-Shifen-Jiufen tour was absolutely fantastic!

(Especially since we could relax and ride the bus back!)

Regarding the Yehliu-Shifen-Jiufen (or YSJZ or YSPJ) tour,

there's a perfect event happening right now, so I've brought you a related link!

A 1+1 day tour where two people can enjoy it for the price of one?!

That's an incredible deal!

Seriously, a buy-one-get-one-free offer like this is too good to miss!

⬇️ Taiwan Yehliu-Shifen-Jiufen Day Tour ⬇️

[Guaranteed Solo Departure] Taiwan Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen & Golden Waterfall Day Tour | Jiufen & Yehliu & Shifen & A-Mei Tea House & Golden Waterfall3ha.in

The MyRealTrip tour I actually booked and took

for the Taiwan Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen Day Tour is right below!

⬇️ Taiwan Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen Day Tour ⬇️

[1:30 PM Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen + Night View] Taiwan Bus Tour, 2 Hours in Jiufen, Ximen Station/Main Station pickup available & Night Market drop-off3ha.in

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It included only the essential attractions I personally wanted to see, allowing for plenty of time.

We started the tour feeling energized after having lunch.

Being able to choose to depart from a station of my choice

and arrive at either a night market or a station

was a great feature.

The tour happened to end around 8 PM,

which was perfect for hitting a night market right after.

So I got off at the night market and had an incredibly fulfilling day, haha!

If you're planning a trip to Taipei, Taiwan,

this review of the absolutely recommended Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen day tour

is all for today!!