Jiufen Taiwan: Spirited Away From Taipei To Shifen Old Street

by David & Intan

Jiufen Taiwan is one of the most popular day trips from Taipei city. This town is a perfect blend of history, nostalgia, shopping, and sightseeing, and it’s super easy to reach from Taipei.

Famous for its similarity to the village from the movie Spirited Away, this mountain town in Taiwan also draws crowds of tourists wanting to see Jiufen Old Street, which has loads of souvenir shops, tea houses, and good restaurants to try.

This travel guide will explain how to get to Jiufen town, which day tour packages to use, what to see and do in the town, and everything else you need to know before you go!

What Is Jiufen Taiwan?

Jiufen Taiwan is an old seaside gold mining town (turned ghost town) that became popular for its connection to the Japanese animated movies City of Sadness and Spirited Away.

The town of Jiufen (also spelled Jioufen or Chiufen) was revived by tourism in the 1990s, and now lots of people come here for the street markets, good food, tea, and neat photo ops.

Most people visit Jiufen on a day trip from Taipei, but if you want to stay longer there are plenty of guesthouses!
 
Jiufen Taiwan Spirited Away Old Street Taipei Day Tour

Squid Food Market For Sale
 
 

Things To Do In Jiufen Taiwan

  • Jiufen Old Street: The street markets are packed with cafes, souvenirs, and of course lots of great street food. Some top foods to try are the braised pork rice, squid kabobs, mango ice cream, taro balls, Japanese mochi, and Taiwanese bubble tea.
  • A-Mei Teahouse: This traditional teahouse with its rows of windows and paper lanterns is the most famous view in Jiufen. If you plan to have tea there, you’ll want to book ahead online.
  • Qipao Rental: For the ladies, Jiufen is a great place to wear the traditional Chinese dress. My wife decided to do hers in Taipei city instead, but Jiufen would have been a good spot too.
  • Golden Waterfall: This is a unique looking waterfall on orange rocks just 10 minutes from Juifang. Most Jiufen tour packages include this in the itinerary, or you can take a quick taxi from Jiufen.
  • Teapot Mountain Hike: If you have more time, knock out this hike on the coast with stunning mountain views. It starts from the nearby Jinguashi Gold Ecological Museum and takes about 4 hours total.

Jiufen Taiwan Spirited Away Old Street Taipei Day Tour       Jiufen Taiwan Spirited Away Old Street Taipei Day Tour

Mochi Candy Snacks

Souvenirs Fridge Magnets
 
 

How To Get To Jiufen Taiwan

Jiufen is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Taipei city, in Taiwan.

You can get there by taxi, private car charter, public transport, or day tour package.
 

• By Taxi

A one way ride to Jiufen will cost at least 1,200-1,400 TWD ($40-50 USD) and takes about 45 minutes from Taipei.
 

• By Private Car Charter

Klook has a Taipei private car charter for 3,100 TWD ($105 USD) as of this posting.

This is the most convenient and cost effective option if you’re traveling in a group, because you can split the costs and your driver will wait for you all day while you’re sightseeing. The round trip price is not much higher than a taxi.
 

• By Train & Bus

You can take the train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station (by TRA train), and then the bus from Ruifang Station to Jiufen.

The whole journey will take about 1 hour (40 minutes on the train and 20 minutes on the bus) and cost 65 TWD (50 TWD for the train and 15 TWD for the bus).
 

• Best Jiufen Tour From Taipei

Klook has a Jiufen day tour by bus from Taipei starting at 450 TWD ($15 USD) per person as of this posting. That’s for a 9 hour full day tour.

This is the same tour we used for visiting Jiufen from Taipei, and the great thing is that it also includes Yehliu Geopark, Shifen Waterfall, and the Houtong Cat Village near Juifang. There was plenty of time at each of the sights.

We’ve used Klook for lots of tours and activities around the world, and they’re great. Highly recommended!

Book Now: Jiufen Tour + Yehliu + Shifen
 

Where To Stay In Jiufen

 

More Taiwan Travel Tips

Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed these travel tips for visiting the ‘spirited away’ village and Jiufen Old Street in Taiwan.

Don’t forget to check out my Taiwan Travel Guide for more tips, info, and photos!
 

More Taiwan Tours

You may also like

Leave a Comment