Taiwan Bus Tour YESFOJI Review 2026: An Affordable Day Trip
Dreaming of exploring beyond Taipei? Our honest review of the YESFOJI bus tour shows how you can see Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen in one easy, budget-friendly day!
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Dreaming of exploring beyond Taipei? Our honest review of the YESFOJI bus tour shows how you can see Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen in one easy, budget-friendly day!
While preparing for my last trip to Taipei, Taiwan,
I agonized quite a bit over whether or not to do a day trip to the outskirts.
Even just exploring Taipei city itself offers plenty to see,
but I also really wanted to visit nearby places like Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen, and other scenic spots in the area.
However, these places aren't clustered together,
and if you rely on public transport for each one,
you could easily spend an entire day just commuting, or
end up feeling incredibly tired.
So, while I was researching Taiwan bus tours,
I discovered the Ye-S-P-Ji Tour and decided to sign up for it.
Just a fun fact: my boyfriend, who has been traveling the globe extensively for over a decade,
had never once taken a guided tour before.
But after going on the Taiwan Ye-S-P-Ji Bus Tour,
he actually said that tours aren't so bad after all, and he might even consider taking them sometimes! :)
(He's usually all about independent, local-focused travel!)
1. What is the Ye-S-P-Ji Tour?
When you first hear the name 'Ye-S-P-Ji',
you might be a little confused about what it means.
It's simply an easy way to experience popular attractions near Taipei
by grouping them into one convenient tour :)
The itinerary I followed included
Ye-S-P-Ji, which stands for
Yehliu, Shifen, Shifen Waterfall, and Jiufen.
Depending on the specific tour, the order of Shifen and Shifen Waterfall
might vary.
Instead of trying to visit each place individually,
opting for a bus tour to combine them into one day
definitely saved time and was super convenient! :)
2. Ye-S-P-Ji Tour Price
Following the schedule of my pre-booked tour bus,
I headed to the meeting point near Ximending!
They have meeting points at both Ximending and Taipei Main Station, so I went to Ximending Station
and found the travel agency I booked with.
What surprised me most when choosing this bus tour
was the incredibly affordable price!
When I booked it, the Ye-S-P-Ji Tour was available for just a little over ~$7, but checking now,
Prices can vary depending on when you book,
but it's actually even cheaper now, which is a total steal...?!❤️
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
A super budget-friendly bus tour for just ~$7 (under ~$7)!
A super budget-friendly bus tour !!
3. First Stop: Yehliu Geopark
Our first destination was Yehliu.
Seeing the unique rock formations I'd only seen in pictures
in person was much more fascinating and enjoyable than I expected.
We could even spot fossils beneath our feet, and it felt like being on another planet by the sea!
And was that famous rock formation called the Queen's Head...?
Anyway, to take a photo in front of that particular rock, you had to wait in a super long queue.
But waiting in such a long line for a photo isn't really our style,
so we opted to enjoy the tranquility in a quieter spot nearby instead.
The landscape, with the sea stretching out alongside the rock formations,
was truly magnificent!
It's a unique natural landscape that you can only see in Taiwan,
so I thought it was definitely worth a visit.
But... perhaps because it's by the sea,
it gets super windy... haha.
If you want to take pretty pictures in Yehliu,
I highly recommend going with a wind-resistant hairstyle...!!
4. Second Stop: Shifen Waterfall
Our next destination was Shifen Waterfall!
Originally, Shifen was next, but depending on the day's schedule,
the order of Shifen and Shifen Waterfall can change.
Our guide adjusts the itinerary to ensure we can explore at our own pace,
so it's good to keep that in mind :)
Before arriving at Shifen Waterfall,
I was really excited, wondering if it would be a huge waterfall.
But when I actually saw it,
it wasn't as overwhelmingly grand
as I had imagined.
However, I loved the relaxed feeling of strolling along the path
leading to the waterfall~
It felt less like a major tourist attraction and more like
a peaceful break in nature.
We crossed a suspension bridge,
and walking amidst the lush green scenery,
I really enjoyed the natural vibe, haha.
And actually, what we remember most from here was
the sausage and beer!!
While everyone else went to see the waterfall,
we indulged in some sausage and beer~
Our guide recommended eating raw garlic with the sausage,
saying it was delicious. At first, I thought,
'Raw garlic with sausage...?'
But after trying it together,
it was surprisingly a perfect combination...!!
Even though there wasn't much to see in terms of grand sights, being able to experience
these small culinary delights made our time at Shifen Waterfall
surprisingly enjoyable.
5. Third Stop: Shifen
Shifen is famous for the sky lantern release that everyone knows about!
Many tourists were already
writing their wishes on sky lanterns and releasing them~
It looked quite chaotic with so many people, but our guide said that if you could see the ground like today,
it actually meant there weren't many people... haha.
I'd only ever seen it in pictures and
always wanted to try it myself,
and finally, I got to do it!!
I even wrote down my silly wishes, haha.
And when you release the sky lanterns, the staff here
take absolutely incredible photos for you!!
Though the staff might seem a bit robotic and soulless, I was
still satisfied with the photo results!
Plus, thanks to our guide, we could grab snacks without waiting in line,
which was a huge bonus!!
Shifen can be a bit hectic if you're expecting a relaxed trip,
due to the large number of tourists, but I think it's
definitely a worthwhile experience to have at least once
during your Taiwan travels :)
6. Fourth Stop: Jiufen
Our final stop was, at last, Jiufen!
Personally, out of all four places,
this one left the strongest impression on me.
Jiufen is a place that's popular not just for bus tours
but also for individual visitors, so there were even more people than in Shifen!!
On this day, once again, our guide
They say if you can see the ground, there aren't many people... haha
And they guided us to a secret alley
where it was a little less crowded,
so we could enjoy Jiufen more comfortably.
As the sun slowly set and the red lanterns lit up,
the atmosphere completely transformed!
While the entrance and middle sections of Jiufen were bustling
and chaotic with too many tourists,
the inner parts of Jiufen allowed us to leisurely admire the scenery
and were perfect for taking photos too.
We bought an ocarina souvenir here,
and also some Alishan Oolong tea :)
There were so many souvenirs to buy and I really wanted to explore more,
but since it was a group tour,
we had to stick to the schedule, which was a little disappointing.
So, if I go to Taiwan again,
I definitely want to visit Jiufen again, independently :)
7. Wrapping Up
The biggest advantage of the Taiwan bus tour to Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen, and Jinguashi (Yeshifookji)
that I personally took is the convenience of visiting multiple places
comfortably.
For those like us with a short travel itinerary
who want to explore several spots near Taipei,
I think this tour is a great choice,
available at an affordable price of approximately ~$7!
I'll put the link to the tour I took below :)
The guide was also very kind,
and the price was affordable – I was super satisfied❤️
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
[Learn more about the Taiwan Bus Tour to Yehliu, Shifen, Jiufen, Jinguashi]
As of the time of writing, the Taiwan Bus Tour for Yehliu, Shifen, Shifen Waterfall, and Jiufen can be booked for ~$7. Prices may vary depending on when you make your reservation.
The Yehliu, Shifen, Shifen Waterfall, Jiufen Bus Tour can be boarded at two locations: Ximending and Taipei Main Station. The author of this article boarded at Ximending Station.
At Shifen Waterfall, we enjoyed sausages and beer. According to the guide's recommendation, eating the sausage with raw garlic was a fantastic combination.
At Jiufen, ocarina souvenirs and Alishan Oolong tea were purchased. Due to the nature of a group tour, there wasn't enough time, which was a bit disappointing.
The Yehliu, Shifen, Shifen Waterfall, Jiufen Bus Tour is a course that combines Yehliu, Shifen, Shifen Waterfall, and Jiufen into one trip. The order of Shifen and Shifen Waterfall may vary depending on the day's schedule.
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