Taipei Ye-S-Jin-Ji Tour 2026: Bus vs. Taxi, Which is Best?
Planning a Taipei trip in 2026? Discover the must-do Ye-S-Jin-Ji tour! Compare bus vs. taxi options for flexibility, cost, and comfort to pick your perfect adventure.
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Planning a Taipei trip in 2026? Discover the must-do Ye-S-Jin-Ji tour! Compare bus vs. taxi options for flexibility, cost, and comfort to pick your perfect adventure.
Yes-Jin-Ji in Taipei, Taiwan
Bus Tour vs. Taxi Tour: Which Should You Pick?
Text/Photos © HiCouple
If you're visiting **Taipei, Taiwan for the first time** and looking for that one must-do tour, I wholeheartedly recommend the
**Yes-Jin-Ji tour.**
The Yes-Jin-Ji tour takes you to four incredible suburban attractions – **Yehliu Geopark, Shifen,**
**Jinguashi, and Jiufen** – all in a single day! What's more,
the pricing is super reasonable, making it an
**incredibly cost-effective tour.**
But as you start researching the Yes-Jin-Ji tour,
you'll probably find yourself pondering this very question:
'Should I go for the bus tour or the taxi tour?'
Since both options have their pros and cons, it's natural to feel a bit torn. Today, I'll walk you through **the criteria for making your choice**, along with
**reviews of all four Yes-Jin-Ji locations**!
First, let's **compare the pros and cons** of the Yes-Jin-Ji bus tour versus the taxi tour.
First up, a **taxi tour** means you'll be hiring a private car and driver for your exclusive excursion.
Because it's a private tour, you'll enjoy **greater flexibility and more freedom to allocate time** at each stop on your itinerary.
▶️ This makes it the **perfect tour for families traveling with young children or elderly parents**, and it's also a great choice for anyone who prefers to avoid crowded group bus tours.
On the flip side, the price is relatively higher.
**✅It typically ranges from ~$25 to ~$35 per person depending on the number of people, with a minimum cost of around ~$138 for the Yes-Jin-Ji tour.**
So, as mentioned before, I recommend this for travelers who prioritize convenience over cost.
❗️You can **book your taxi tour** via the link below, so make sure to check it out!
>> Book Your Yes-Jin-Ji Taxi Tour & Get a Discount
On the other hand, a **bus tour** involves traveling in a large coach under the guidance of a tour leader.
These tours typically use 45-seater buses, and you can generally expect them to be quite full.
This means there might be some discomfort due to crowds, and as it's a group tour, you'll need to strictly adhere to the schedule at each destination.
However, despite these minor inconveniences,
**the tour cost is incredibly affordable, usually around ~$7 per person.**
(And the quality is surprisingly high!)
**▶️ If you're traveling as 2-3 adults**, opting for a bus tour via the link below will be much more advantageous from a budget perspective!
>> Book Your Yes-Jin-Ji Bus Tour
I've just compared the pros and cons of the Yes-Jin-Ji bus and taxi tours.
Before we dive into the full tour reviews,
**let me share some essential items to pack that will enhance your experience.**
It's the **Taipei Fun Pass**!
The Fun Pass includes **admission to Yehliu Geopark, Shifen Sky Lantern experience, Jiufen Grandma Lai's Taro Balls, and entrance to the Jinguashi Gold Museum**, making it the perfect companion for your Yes-Jin-Ji tour.
Beyond that, it also covers **city subway and bus rides,
admission to the National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, and more**, so you can keep using it for your city explorations after the Yes-Jin-Ji tour.
However, only the 3-day pass offers excellent value, so
**▶️I only recommend it for those traveling for 3 nights / 4 days or longer.**
Plus, **discount codes are available**, so be sure to
**get yours ready via the link below**!
I've actually been to Taipei, Taiwan twice,
and on both occasions, I've had the chance to experience the Yehliu, Shifen, Jinguashi, Jiufen tour.
Let me share my experience, breaking it down by each fascinating stop on the tour.
Yehliu Geopark
Our first stop was the incredible Yehliu Geopark,
renowned for its extraordinary rock formations shaped by nature over centuries.
As you can see from the map in the photo, it's divided into three zones: 1, 2, and 3.
Most of the iconic rocks are concentrated in Zones 1 and 2,
so you'll want to focus your time there. Zone 3 is a bit further out and typically hard to fit in with a standard tour schedule.
The day I visited, it was quite rainy, but honestly,
that turned out to be a blessing in disguise – it meant fewer crowds!
The wind and rain also stirred up some incredibly powerful waves,
which, believe it or not, made the ocean views even more dramatic and stunning than they normally are.
The surfaces of the rocks were fascinatingly porous, riddled with tiny holes,
and their lower sections had a distinct earthy hue, making them truly unique.
Beyond the famous rocks known for their particular shapes,
I was amazed to discover that every single formation here possessed its own one-of-a-kind appearance.
If there's one rock you absolutely cannot miss when visiting Yehliu,
it's the iconic Queen's Head Rock, clearly visible in the photo.
As the quintessential symbol of Yehliu, it's incredibly popular,
and you'll find a crowd of people eagerly waiting to snap their photos with it.
But here's a little insider tip: if you capture the shot from behind,
just like we did, you can get a fantastic similar photo without any of the wait!
If you observe closely, you'll notice the Queen's neck is incredibly slender,
Sadly, it's said to be eroding and getting slightly thinner with each passing day.
(In fact, I've seen it year after year, and it truly does seem to be thinning gradually.)
They say it only has a few years left before its neck completely erodes,
so I wholeheartedly recommend capturing a commemorative photo while you still can!
Beyond the Queen, you'll also find a treasure trove of other adorable rocks, like the Princess Rock or Heart Rock,
perfect for snapping countless commemorative photos!
Jinguashi
Our next stop was Jinguashi,
a fascinating town once renowned for its gold mining.
Interestingly, much like Korea, Taiwan also experienced a period of Japanese colonial rule,
and because of this, you can still distinctly feel a charming Japanese aesthetic beautifully preserved throughout the area.
The top two activities here are exploring the Gold Museum and trying the famous Miner's Bento Box.
I decided to skip the museum on this trip,
but I definitely made sure to try the delicious Miner's Bento Box!
Instead, I took a moment to touch the massive piece of gold displayed right in front of the restaurant,
and of course, I made a wish to strike it rich!
For my Miner's Bento Box, I opted for the succulent pork ribs
and wow, was it a treat!
The flavor was incredibly similar to Korean galbi (short ribs), and it even came with kimchi,
making it feel almost exactly like enjoying a hearty Korean meal.
My only slight disappointment was that, despite its charming 'Miner's Bento Box' name,
it was served in a simple paper bowl. A more traditional, reusable container would have really completed the experience!
After our meal, we slowly strolled through JinGuaShi,
exploring the charming village.
We spotted so many adorable cats along the way!
With its blend of Japanese vibes and those cute felines, JinGuaShi truly felt like a quiet yet wonderfully atmospheric spot.
Shifen
Our third destination was Shifen,
and you absolutely must experience releasing a sky lantern here!
Along Shifen's railway tracks, countless people were already
releasing their sky lanterns.
It was truly fascinating to see tourists from all over the world gather here
to make their wishes.
Each tour company has a partnered sky lantern vendor,
but since we were using a FunPass,
we went to a separate vendor for our sky lantern experience.
Our guide was so kind to direct us to the vendor that accepted the FunPass,
making our experience completely seamless.
I actually visited Shifen two years in a row,
and both times I wrote down and sent off the same wish.
Since I'm gradually getting closer to my dream,
I think I released it with a really earnest heart.
Shifen also boasts plenty of delicious street food around every corner!
The most famous treats are chicken wing fried rice
and peanut ice cream — two must-try delights.
Just a quick tip: while the peanut ice cream likely doesn't vary much from shop to shop,
the chicken wing fried rice actually does have quite a bit of variation.
I highly recommend ordering one first to taste it,
and if you love it, then order more!
Jiufen
Our final destination on the tour was Jiufen,
which is truly the highlight of the Yehliu-Shifen-Jiufen (YESJ) tour!
While its food and shopping are famous,
Jiufen is truly renowned for its breathtaking night view.
The night scenery, with A-Mei Tea House in the background as seen in the photo,
evokes images from Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away',
making it an incredibly popular spot.
In reality, the mysterious night view created by the lanterns is
indeed beautiful and enchanting,
but be warned—it attracts a huge crowd!
Jiufen is also famous for its incredible food.
Among them, the shrimp wontons right at the entrance are large and delicious, so they're definitely worth a try.
The cheese milk sticks are also universally loved and tasty,
so I highly recommend trying one of each!
As you head further inside and climb up,
you'll find a shop called Grandma's Taro Balls.
The refreshing taro ball bingsu is also quite delicious,
so if you're feeling hot, it's worth trying one.
Just a heads-up, you can use the FunPass at this restaurant!
As Jiufen is the final stop on the tour,
it's also a great place for some last-minute shopping.
With nougat crackers, mango jelly, pineapple cakes (fenglisu), tea, souvenirs, and more,
there are so many shops that browsing alone is a joy.
Having visited Taipei for the past two years,
I've done the Yehliu-Shifen-Jiufen (Yeshiji) tour every single year.
Honestly, a tour put together with such a great itinerary at this price point
is something I don't think you'd find anywhere else in the world.
Therefore, if you're visiting Taipei for the first time,
I absolutely recommend taking this tour.
If, you're traveling as adults and want to save money,
👉🏻 a straightforward bus tour is also a good option.
On the other hand, if you're traveling with young children or your parents,
or if you dislike tours with strict time constraints,
👉🏻 even if it's a bit more expensive, you might want to consider a taxi tour.
So, I hope you'll take today's review and tour recommendations into account
and have an incredibly fulfilling Yeshiji tour!
The Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen (Yess-Jiufen) taxi tour typically costs around ~$25 to ~$35 per person, depending on the number of participants. The minimum cost for the entire tour, based on the Yess-Jiufen route, is approximately ~$138. This tour is especially recommended for families who prioritize convenience over cost.
The Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen (Yess-Jiufen) bus tour is affordable, costing around ~$7 per person. Therefore, it is more suitable for groups of 2-3 adults traveling together who are looking for a budget-friendly option.
The Fun Pass includes admission to Yehliu Geopark, Shifen Sky Lantern experience, Jiufen Grandma Lai's Taro Balls, and Jinguashi Gold Museum, making it a great complement to a Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen (Yess-Jiufen) tour. However, only the 3-day pass offers good value for money, so we recommend it to those traveling for 4 days or more.
The neck of the Queen's Head rock at Yehliu Geopark is currently becoming very thin and is said to be thinning a little more each day. It is said that there are only a few years left, so it's highly recommended to take a commemorative photo.
The Miner's Lunchbox at Jinguashi offers a choice of pork ribs, which taste very similar to Korean galbi, and even comes with kimchi, giving you the feeling of eating a Korean meal. However, some reviews express disappointment that, despite its name, it is served in a paper bowl rather than a traditional metal lunchbox.
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