Taiwan Yehliu Shifen Jiufen Tour Review 2026: Booking & Tips
Discover the best way to experience Taiwan's Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen! I share my detailed bus tour review, booking tips, and how to choose your ideal itinerary.
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Discover the best way to experience Taiwan's Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen! I share my detailed bus tour review, booking tips, and how to choose your ideal itinerary.

Hey there, Global Explorers! Ongsang here, ready to share some travel tales.
While preparing for my Taiwan trip,
the itinerary I was most looking forward to
was definitely the Yeh-Shifen-Jiufen (Yeshifoji) tour.
I really wanted to visit Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen,
but traveling to each by public transport
seemed like it would take a lot of time and be quite complicated.
So, I looked into bus tours,
and I booked mine through MyRealTrip.
When I booked, the tour price was
just ~$7 as part of a special promotion.
However, the admission ticket for Yehliu Geopark
was an optional extra, not included,
so for two people, I paid an additional ~$7.
While booking, I compared several websites,
and at the time,
MyRealTrip offered the best deal.
Understanding the Yeh-Shifen-Jiufen Tours: Yeshifoji, Yeshifenji, Yeshouzhenji & More!
Before booking, even I
found the similar names a bit confusing!
Here’s a quick breakdown to help you navigate them:
Tour Name | Visited Spots | Recommended For |
Yeshifoji | Yehliu → Shifen Waterfall → Shifen → Jiufen | First-timers, those who want to see the key highlights |
Yeshifenji | Yehliu → Jinguashi → Jiufen | Those who prefer a more relaxed pace |
Yeshifozhenji | Yehliu → Shifen Waterfall → Shifen → Jinguashi → Jiufen | Most popular route, those who want to see it all in one day |
Yeshouzhenji | Yehliu → Shifen Waterfall → Shifen → Houtong (Cat Village) → Jinguashi → Jiufen | Cat lovers, or those who don't mind a longer itinerary |
※ Please note that the order of stops or included itineraries
may vary slightly between tour operators,
so always check the detailed itinerary before booking!
I had originally booked the 12 PM departure for the
Yeshifoji tour,
but a few days before the departure,
I received a message offering a free upgrade!
It said I could switch to the Yeshifozhenji itinerary at no extra cost,
so I immediately opted in.

However, there was an unexpected twist...
My flight was delayed,
and I didn't arrive at my accommodation until 5 AM!
So, I barely slept,
and starting the 10 AM tour,
I honestly felt so sleepy at first.
I even regretted the upgrade at that moment! 😩
Comparing Booking Prices
While MyRealTrip was the cheapest when I booked,
travel tour prices often change based on promotions and coupon availability.
Before you book, I highly recommend checking and comparing prices on these sites:
Booking Site | Tour Price | Notes |
~$7 | Best Price Guarantee (2x difference compensated) | |
~$6~ | Currently the lowest price | |
~$19 | Promotions change frequently | |
~$8 | Admission included, Waterfall excluded |
※ Always double-check what's NOT included!
Our first stop was...
Yehliu Geopark!


It was incredible to see the
Queen's Head rock formation
in person, after only seeing it in pictures.
It was incredibly crowded,
but the ocean views were stunning,
and it was a lovely place to stroll around and explore.
I had purchased the Yehliu admission ticket as an option when booking through MyRealTrip,
so I didn't need to buy a separate ticket at the site.
For your reference, on-site admission for adults is
120 TWD.
Next up was Shifen Waterfall!

It was larger than I expected, and even though it was incredibly hot,
the closer we got,
the cooler the sound of the water felt, and the scenery was just beautiful.
The walking distance wasn't too long either,
making it a pleasant and easy visit!
And then, it was time for Shifen!
When you think of Taiwan,
sky lanterns are probably one of the first things that come to mind, right?

My friend and I wrote down our wishes together
and released a sky lantern. It was definitely one of the most memorable moments of the trip!
One of the most memorable moments
I've ever had, haha!
(I wish I were rich...)
The sky lantern prices were:
Monochrome: ~$6,
Four-color: ~$8,
Eight-color: ~$11.
I opted for the monochrome one.


After launching our sky lantern,
we also grabbed some snacks.
I heard the dinosaur milk tea was famous,
so I tried a cup – the design was adorable,
and it was perfectly refreshing.
Our next stop was Jinguashi.
Thanks to the free upgrade, we got to explore a place I'd never been before.
Perhaps because it's an old mining town, the atmosphere here felt a bit different
from other tourist spots.

Here, we tried the Miner's Bento.
It cost ~$6,
and it was definitely worth trying once
to get a taste of the Taiwanese travel experience.
Though for me, it was a bit... salty, haha!
And finally, our last stop: Jiufen!
Honestly, this was the place
I was most excited about on this tour.
It's the real-life inspiration for
Spirited Away, you know?! ㅠㅠ

But wow, there were so many people.
Exploring the winding alleys was fun, but....
if you wanted to take a picture, you practically had to wait
for a moment when no one was around.

On top of that, my flight was delayed,
so I arrived in Taiwan at 5 AM
and basically started the tour on no sleep, you know?
From Yehliu to Shifen Waterfall, Shifen, and Jinguashi,
we kept moving, and by the time we reached Jiufen,
my energy levels were practically at rock bottom....
I had originally wanted to stroll leisurely through the alleys
and take in the night view for a long time,
but I ended up sitting and resting more often.
Even so, the unique ambiance of Jiufen
was truly wonderful!

There was even a place where we could sample tea,
so we took a short break, and I absolutely loved the aroma.
In the end, I bought some Dongfang Meiren tea.
It makes for a great gift,
and drinking it back home
brings back memories of the trip, so I'm really happy with it, hehe.
Yehliu-Shifen Waterfall-Shifen-Jinguashi-Jiufen Tour Review
What I loved most about this tour
was not having to worry about transportation.
Trying to visit Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen by public transport
in a single day would take a lot of time,
and the connections can be quite complicated.
Since we traveled by bus,
we could comfortably relax on our way to the next destination,
and with the driver handling all the transfers,
it was fantastic to just focus on sightseeing.
However, if you're arriving on a red-eye flight like I did,
an morning departure tour might be a bit challenging.
ㅠㅠ
I started the day with almost no sleep,
so by the time we reached Jiufen at the end,
my energy had really plummeted. ㅠㅠ Such a shame...
Still, for my first trip to Taiwan,
being able to see Yehliu, Shifen Waterfall, Shifen, Jinguashi, and Jiufen
all in one day was incredibly satisfying!
I recommend this tour for:
✔ Those planning their first trip to Taiwan ✔ Anyone wanting to explore all the major attractions in one day ✔ Travelers who find public transportation daunting ✔ Those looking for a comfortable trip with parents or friends |
Final Thoughts from Ongsang
At the time, MyRealTrip was the cheapest,
so I booked through them.
They also offered a lowest price guarantee,
which gave me extra peace of mind when booking.
Before booking, I recommend comparing prices on MyRealTrip, Klook,
Naver Travel, and Hana Tour
and booking with whichever offers the best deal!
Also, make sure to check if the Yehliu Geopark entrance fee is included,
if it's an optional add-on,
and absolutely double-check any exclusions!
If you're looking to comfortably explore Taiwan's major attractions in one day, just like I did,
then this tour will likely be very satisfying!
Booking Site | Tour Price | Notes |
~$7 | Best Price Guarantee (2x difference compensation) | |
~$6~ | Currently the lowest price available! | |
~$19 | Promotions change frequently, so keep an eye out! | |
~$8 | Includes park admission, but note: waterfall access is separate. |
The author booked the tour on MyRealTrip for ~$7. An additional ~$7 was paid for optional Yehliu Geopark admission for two people, making the total cost ~$14.
According to the article, the Yeshifukujinji tour visits Yehliu, Shifen Waterfall, Shifen, Jinguashi, and Jiufen. This course is introduced as the most popular for those who want to see all the key locations in one day.
The price of a single-color sky lantern in Shifen was 200 TWD. The author chose this single-color lantern, wrote wishes on it, and released it.
The author arrived at their accommodation at 5 AM and started the tour with almost no sleep. As a result, they felt sleepy during the early part of the tour and ran out of energy by the time they reached Jiufen, regretting not being able to enjoy the night view for longer.

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