Although Taiwan is a small country, it has a lot to offer. I recently spent about a week there and absolutely loved it! We had one day in Taipei before traveling to Sun Moon Lake and decided to go explore the northern part of the country. There are many day trips that are easy to do from Taipei. We went to Shifen Old Street, Jiufen Old Street, and to the famous Elephant Trunk Rock. These Old Streets were the perfect place to experience the true culture of Taiwan.
Elephant Trunk Rock
We started our day by visiting the famous Elephant Trunk Rock (named after the fact that the rock is shaped like an elephant head). From Taipei, we took the train to a little city called Ruifang. Once in Riufang, we took the bus to the Elephant Trunk Rock (about 10 minutes away). We had never heard of that place before, but it was worth the detour! The nature is breathtaking and unlike anything I had ever seen before. To see the trunk of the elephant, you need to go on the water (rent a kayak for example) but we decided to hike all the way to the top of the rock instead and the view was amazing. I highly recommend visiting this magical place if you are ever in the Taipei area.
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- The view from the top of the rock
Shifen Old Street
Shifen Old Street is very popular amongst tourists and locals. From Ruifang, you can get to Shifen by train. The old part of Shifen surrounds a railroad and is filled with restaurants, street food, and little souvenir shops. People visit Old Shifen mostly for the lanterns. They were once used as a signaling system for people working in the railroad industry. Today, visitors can paint their wishes on big lanterns and release them into the sky. My friend and I decided not to release a lantern because it is a crazy source of pollution (it is cool to see the lanterns in the sky, but unfortunately you also see them in the jungle and the rivers for miles around…)! It was a cool experience nonetheless and an amazing spot for photography!
Shifen Waterfalls
If you are in the Shifen area, visiting the waterfalls is a must! From the Old Street, most people take a taxi (but you can easily walk there)! We arrived at the waterfalls at 4:31 pm… and were told that the entrance closed at 4:30 (oops). We were pretty disappointed that we did not get to see them. If you plan to visit the waterfalls, arrive before 4:30!
Jiufen Old Street
The last stop of our day trip was Jiufen Old Street. From Shifen, we shared a taxi with 2 other travelers (but you can also go back to Ruifang and then take a bus to Jiufen). We got to Jiufen right on time for the sunset and it was absolutely gorgeous! The Old Street in Jiufen is much bigger than the one in Shifen so it was the perfect place to end our day. If you are planning to visit Jiufen Old Street, be ready to walk a lot (the city is built on a hill so there are lots of stairs).
We watched the sun go down, ate some delicious street food, and did some shopping. It is important to know that all the stores and restaurants close around 7:00 pm so be sure to allow yourself enough time.. To go back to Taipei, we shared a taxi with the same travelers we met on our way to Jiufen. You can also take the bus back to Ruifang and then take a train to go back to Taipei. Jiufen Old Street at night is definitely a place unlike any other.
This day trip from Taipei was so much fun. It gave us a chance to get away from the big city and discover the Taiwanese culture. Busy days are the best way to explore new countries and learn about new cultures. I highly recommend leaving Taipei early in the morning to have as much time as possible. In my opinion, keeping Jiufen Old Street for last is the best idea (so you can experience it after the sunset). There are a few other Old Streets in the area but Jiufen and Shifen are among the most popular. Whether you are a tourist or a local, I hope this inspires you to take a similar day trip from Taipei.
Taiwan, Asia, taipei, shifen, jiufen
This day trip from Taipei looks like such a blast! also that first pic with your hair, the bandana, and view is my fav! so lovely 🙂 xoxo
Author
Hey Kathleen. Thank you so much, I’m pretty proud of that picture! ?
Wow what a beautiful adventure! That hike sounds incredible. I’d also like to note that it’s suoer cool you didn’t release a lantern… pollution sucks. I appreciate you sister!
Author
Hello Sarah! As beautiful as Shifen was with all the lanterns, the surrounding areas were full of pollution and it broke my heart! Sometimes traveling is about making decisions that come from the heart (even if everyone else is doing the opposite thing). I’m happy that little detail caught your attention! Thank you for your comment ?
Oh wow this looks like so much fun. Wish I could take a break from life to travel a bit more!
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Hey Mikel. Yes sometimes a break from life can be nice (and a good opportunity to see the world). I hope this happens for you very soon ?
Sounds like a great trip! I love hiking in different places and this one sounds super cool!
Author
Hello Katie. If you love hiking be sure to add Taiwan to your bucket list ?
Mmm shrimp balls!! I wish I could eat that right about now. Lovely photos. Looks like such a great time! x
Author
Hey Stacy. I had such a great time in Taiwan! Thank you for the love and support ?
The photos look incredible. The shrimp ball looks so yumm!
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Hi Sayanti! The shrimp balls were amazing! Thank you for such a nice comment ?
Sounds like a fun trip to an exotic place.
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Hi Michelle! Yes it was a fun trip to an exotic place indeed. Thank you for reading ?
What a beautiful trip! I loved your photos and it sounds like you have a pretty magical experience. I will have to put Taipei on my bucket list!
Author
Hey Danielle. Thank you for the nice words about my pictures! I am happy you are adding Taipei to your bucket list… it is 200% worth visiting! ?
I’ve been to Taipei and it is absolutely breathtaking! Love your take on it!
Author
Hi Shoma! I’m glad you like my take on Taipei! Hopefully your experience was as good as mine ?
Such gorgeous picture from the elephant trunk rock! I am sure the waterfalls must have been amazing! Would love to visit there!
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Hey Anjali. Yes, the view was amazing. We were a little disappointed to miss the waterfalls by only one minute but everything happens for a reason: we got to Jiufen earlier than planned and had more time to enjoy the Old Street! I hope you get to visit someday ?
Thank you for sharing with us your experience in Taipei. The view from the top of the Elephant Trunk Rock was so beautiful and my favorite!
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Hi! Thank you for taking the time to read about my experience in Taiwan. The view from the Elephant Trunk Rock was one of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen in my life. What a beautiful country ?
I love your photos. The shrimps ball makes me feel hungry now. I’d better go to kitchen, find something to eat and imagine I were in Teipei
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Hi Trang Trang. We were a little bit skeptical about the shrimp balls at first but they were absolutely delicious! Thank you for your comment ?
It’s great to know the local culture while traveling. Good to know all about Shifen and Jiufen where possible to enjoy a real fun day trip. Cool photos!
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Hey Nafisa. Yes I agree, learning about local culture while traveling is very important. Taipei is a great city to visit as there are many possible day trips from there. ?
I wish I could make it to Taiwan. It is so far, and I never had time or good company to go there. Now you want me to go there even more. Jiufen is a lovely, authentic place.
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Hey Alexander! I know.. Taiwan is quite far! To be honest with you we only had one week and we were very happy to go all the way to Taiwan. Sometimes the destination is worth it even in a short period of time. I hope you make it there someday ?
I loved the oval lamps that are decorated everywhere in Taiwan. Lanterns seem to mean a lot in Taiwanese culture. Old Shifen streets are lovely and would be making a great shopping destination. You have got some lovely pictures of both the streets.
Author
Hello! You are right, the oval lanterns are so beautiful and very representative of Taiwanese culture. The Old Streets of Jiufen and Shifen were extremely impressive and totally worth the detour. Thank you for your comment ?