Jiufen, Shifen and Yehliu in one day: the public-transport route from Taipei

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The wind-carved rocks of Yehliu (野柳), the sky lanterns of Shifen (十分) and the lantern-lit teahouses of Jiufen (九份) are the three places almost every first-time visitor to Taipei wants to see, and almost every tour operator sells them as one long day. You do not need the tour. All three sit on the north-east coast within reach of the city, and each is served by a numbered public bus or a Taiwan Railways train that you can ride with cash or an EasyCard (悠遊卡).

This guide gives you the order that works (Yehliu first, Jiufen last), the exact bus numbers and boarding points, the adult fares we checked on the operators' own sites in September 2026, and an honest answer to when a paid day tour actually saves you money or time.

Where the three places are and how they connect

Think of it as two directions out of Taipei. Yehliu is on the north coast, reached by a coastal highway bus. Jiufen and Shifen are inland to the east, and both hang off Ruifang (瑞芳), a Taiwan Railways (台鐵) station on the main line from Taipei Main Station (台北車站): the Pingxi branch line (平溪線) to Shifen starts there, and the buses up to Jiufen stop outside it. Linking Yehliu with the Ruifang side is the only awkward leg of the day, and it is the reason the tours exist.

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示意路線圖：台北車站東三門搭國光客運 1815 到野柳（NT$99，門票 NT$120，08:00–17:00、夏季至 18:00）；野柳搭基隆客運 790 或 862 到基隆，再搭台鐵到瑞芳；台北到瑞芳搭台鐵區間車約 NT$73；瑞芳搭平溪線到十分、平溪、菁桐，一日券 NT$80；瑞芳搭台灣好行 856 到九份老街每段 NT$15；九份搭基隆客運 1062 回捷運忠孝復興站 NT$94；淡水搭台灣好行 716 到野柳每段 NT$15，11 到 4 月只開假日。實線是鐵路，虛線是巴士。Schematic map: bus 1815 from Taipei Main Station East Gate 3 to Yehliu NT$99, entry NT$120; buses 790/862 Yehliu to Keelung then TRA to Ruifang; TRA local train Taipei to Ruifang about NT$73; Pingxi line Ruifang to Shifen, Pingxi and Jingtong with the NT$80 one-day pass; shuttle 856 Ruifang to Jiufen NT$15 per segment; bus 1062 Jiufen to MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing NT$94; shuttle 716 Tamsui to Yehliu NT$15 per segment, weekends only November to April. Solid lines are rail, dashed lines are buses.

The order that works: Yehliu in the morning, Jiufen at dusk

Yehliu Geopark opens at 08:00 and is at its best before the coach groups arrive mid-morning. Jiufen is at its best when the red lanterns come on at dusk and the day-trippers are leaving. Shifen sits between the two, both on the map and in the schedule. So leave Taipei early for Yehliu, cross to the Ruifang side for lunch and a lantern in Shifen, and finish with the evening in Jiufen. Doing it in reverse means the hottest part of the day on bare rock and a long bus ride home from Yehliu in the dark.

Morning: bus 1815 to Yehliu

Kuo-Kuang Bus route 1815 leaves from the East Gate 3 side of Taipei Main Station (台北車站東三門) and runs up the coast to Jinshan (金山). Get off at the Yehliu (野柳) stop and walk down through the fishing village to the park gate; follow the signs for the geopark, not for the ocean world next door. The full fare is NT$99: tap an EasyCard when you board and again when you get off, or pay the driver in cash. Admission is NT$120 for adults. The NT$60 concession applies to students with a student ID showing formal enrollment in Taiwan or an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), children aged 6 to 11, and visitors aged 65 or older of any nationality; children under 6 are free. The park opens 08:00 to 17:00, extended to 18:00 in summer, and the last ticket is sold at closing time. Give it 90 minutes to two hours: the Queen's Head (女王頭) has a photo queue on weekends, and the boardwalk out towards the end of the cape is where the crowds thin out.

Midday: Yehliu to Ruifang and the Pingxi line

This is the leg with no direct bus. From the Yehliu stop take Keelung Bus 790 or the 862 towards Keelung (基隆), then a Taiwan Railways train from Keelung to Ruifang (瑞芳); it is a short main-line hop, so a local train and an EasyCard are all you need. At Ruifang change to the Pingxi line (平溪線). If you bought the Pingxi/Shen'ao one-day pass (平溪深澳雙支線一日週遊券) in Taipei that morning, it covers every branch-line stop from Ruifang to Jingtong (菁桐), Shifen included. Branch-line trains are not frequent, so note the next departure before you leave the platform at Shifen.

Shifen (十分) is the stop where the old street is the track: shops on both sides, sky lanterns being painted in the middle, and everyone stepping back when the bell rings. Write your wishes on the four sides, launch the lantern with the shopkeeper, then walk to Shifen Waterfall Park (十分瀑布公園), which is free. For 2026, the park is open 09:00 to 18:00 from May 1 through September 30, with last entry at 17:30; outside that period it is open 09:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30.

Afternoon and evening: Shifen to Jiufen

Ride the Pingxi line back to Ruifang and walk out of the station to the bus stops. Taiwan Tourist Shuttle route 856 (台灣好行黃金福隆線) runs from Ruifang Station (瑞芳火車站) to Jiufen Police Station (九份派出所) and Jiufen Old Street (九份老街) for a flat NT$15 per segment, and the 788, 965 and 1062 cover the same stretch, so take whichever comes first. Get off at Jiufen Old Street for the main entrance, or at Jiufen Police Station for the top of the stairs. New Taipei lists the old street's shop hours as 08:00 to 19:00 Monday to Thursday and 08:00 to 22:00 Friday to Sunday, but the lanterns are lit from dusk, and the stepped Shuqi Road (豎崎路) with its teahouses is the view you came for.

Getting back to Taipei

Keelung Bus 1062 goes straight from Jiufen Old Street to MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing (捷運忠孝復興站) in Taipei for NT$94; the stop is on the main road below the old street, and on weekend evenings the queue can take more than one bus to clear. The alternative is any bus down to Ruifang and a Taiwan Railways train to Taipei: a local train costs about NT$73 at the rate TRA has applied since its 2025 fare change, and trains run later than the buses. If you are three or four people, a taxi from Jiufen down to Ruifang station splits cheaply and skips the queue.

Tickets: what to buy and where

One EasyCard covers everything here except the geopark gate and the one-day pass: all four bus routes, the TRA main line and the Pingxi line accept it and charge the distance fare automatically. Buy the one-day pass if you plan to hop off more than once, at Houtong (猴硐) cat village or Pingxi (平溪) as well as Shifen; for a single return to Shifen, just tap the card and let the gate work out the fare. The pass is sold at the counter, not the machines, so allow a few minutes at Taipei Main Station before your train.

Tour or do it yourself?

Doing it yourself costs about NT$300 in the fares above plus the two short Yehliu to Ruifang legs and the geopark ticket, and you set the pace. A tour makes sense in three cases. First, you have one day and want all three places without the Yehliu to Keelung to Ruifang shuffle, which is the part that eats time. Second, you are travelling between November and April, when the Crown Northern Coast shuttle 716 (台灣好行皇冠北海岸線) only runs on weekends and the north-east coast rain makes waiting at bus stops miserable. Third, you are three or four people: a private driver for the day then costs little more per person than a coach seat and lets you add the Gold Museum (黃金博物館) at Jinguashi or the Golden Waterfall (黃金瀑布).

Check three things before you book any tour: whether Jiufen comes last, so you see the lanterns lit rather than a daytime stairwell; how long you get at each stop, because 45 minutes at Yehliu is not enough; and whether the sky lantern in Shifen is included or an extra charge on the day.

Practical notes

• Weather: the north-east coast is the wettest corner of Taiwan from November to March. Bring a rain jacket rather than an umbrella; Jiufen's stairs are narrow and the wind on the Yehliu cape turns umbrellas inside out.
• Cash: sky lanterns, taro-ball desserts and most old-street snacks are cash only. Bring small notes; there are ATMs in the convenience stores in Ruifang and Jiufen.
• Yehliu safety: stay behind the red line painted on the rock. The Queen's Head is roped off because its neck is thinning, and the guards blow a whistle at anyone who steps over.
• Shifen trains: the line through the old street is live. Step off the track when the bell rings and wait for the shopkeepers to wave you back.
• Toilets: at the Yehliu visitor centre, Ruifang and Shifen stations, and the entrance to Jiufen Old Street. None on the buses.
• Evening buses: the 1062's departure times are posted at the stop and on the Keelung Bus site. If you stay late in Jiufen, go down to Ruifang and take the train.

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