New Taipei travel guide
Lantern valleys, gold-town lanes and the Tamsui river mouth
New Taipei is the municipality surrounding Taipei, holding Tamsui, Jiufen, Pingxi, Yingge and Wulai. October to December is the most comfortable time; allow three or four days of trips, ideally staying in Taipei or Banqiao. Many nationalities get up to 90 days in Taiwan visa-free after filing the online arrival card.
New Taipei wraps right around Taipei like a horseshoe, so most of what visitors call day trips from the capital actually happen here: the riverside sunsets of Tamsui, the gold-rush lanes of Jiufen, the kilns of Yingge and the sky lanterns rising over Shifen in the Pingxi valley. It is Taiwan's most populous city, about four million people, yet much of its area is steep, wet, forested hill country.
Treat it as a set of separate places rather than one city. Banqiao is the municipal seat: a working hub of malls and offices built around the big Banqiao station, where high-speed trains, ordinary trains and the MRT meet. Half an hour away by rail you can be walking past shuttered coal-mine buildings in Jingtong.
History sits close to the surface. Spanish and Dutch traders built outposts at Tamsui in the 1620s, and the red-brick Fort Santo Domingo still stands above the river mouth. After 1858 Tamsui became a treaty port and, by the 1890s, handled most of Taiwan's trade. Jiufen and Jinguashi boomed on gold in the hills to the east while Pingxi dug coal, building a little railway in 1921 to haul it out.
That railway now carries visitors. The single-track Pingxi Line climbs 12.9 km up the Keelung River valley through Shifen and Pingxi to Jingtong, and at Shifen trains pass within a metre of the shopfronts where people paint wishes on paper lanterns.
Most visitors base themselves in Taipei and come out by MRT or train, which works well for Tamsui, Yingge and Sanxia. For the Pingxi valley and Jiufen an early start makes a large difference: by mid-morning at weekends the lanes in Jiufen are shoulder to shoulder.
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Old ports, mining villages, ceramic workshops and hot springs, each in its own district.
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Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs drop from 27C in October to 21C in December and November has one of the driest records of the year at Tamsui, around 104 mm.
Cool (about 19C highs) and often drizzly, but this is when the Lantern Festival fills Pingxi and Shifen with people.
Highs of 29-33C with heavy rain; September averages about 290 mm and typhoons can stop trains and close mountain roads.
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival falls around the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first lunar month (February or early March); trains up the Pingxi Line are packed, so go on a weekday before it if you mainly want to release a lantern.
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Getting there
Taoyuan airport, Banqiao station and the MRT
Almost everyone flies into Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which lies in Taoyuan just south-west of New Taipei. The airport MRT runs to Taipei Main Station, and from there the Taipei Metro reaches Tamsui, Banqiao and Xindian. If you are staying in Banqiao or Tucheng, the CitiAir Express bus 1962 runs directly from the airport roughly every 30 minutes during the day. Banqiao station is the one big rail interchange inside New Taipei: Taiwan High Speed Rail, the ordinary Taiwan Railway network and the MRT Bannan Line all stop there, along with intercity buses. For Jiufen and Pingxi, the gateway is Ruifang station on the Taiwan Railway line towards Yilan.
- Bus 1962
- Taoyuan Airport to Tucheng and Banqiao, about every 30 minutes by day
- Banqiao station
- High-speed rail, Taiwan Railway, MRT Bannan Line and buses
- Ruifang station
- Railway gateway for Jiufen, Houtong and the Pingxi Line
- Tamsui Line
- Red MRT line, about 40 minutes from Taipei Main Station
- An EasyCard works on the MRT, city buses and Taiwan Railway local trains, so buy one at the airport.
- The Pingxi Line branches off at Sandiaoling; many through trains start at Ruifang or Badu, so check which train continues up the valley.
Staying safe
Typhoons, landslides and crowded lanes
Crime is low in New Taipei, and weather is the main risk. From summer into early autumn, typhoon warnings can suspend the Pingxi Line, close Wulai's mountain road and cancel ferries, and heavy rain brings landslide warnings in the hill districts. The UK government's Taiwan travel advice (checked October 2026) does not single out any area of New Taipei, but read it before you travel and keep your insurance in step with it.
- Typhoon season
- Roughly July to September, with the heaviest rain in September
- Sky lanterns
- Only release them at the designated spots in Shifen and Pingxi
- Hike the ridges above Jiufen and Pingxi only in settled weather, and carry water: the climbs are short but steep and slippery.
Where to stay
Banqiao, Tamsui or Taipei itself
New Taipei has fewer visitor hotels than Taipei, and many people simply stay in the capital. Inside the municipality, three bases make sense, depending on what you plan to see.
- Banqiao
- Best transport of all, with high-speed rail and MRT; modern and practical
- Tamsui
- Riverside sunsets and an evening crowd on Old Street; the far end of the red line, so slower for eastern trips
- Jiufen
- Teahouse guesthouses on the hillside; lanes empty out after the day-trippers leave, but access is by steep road only
- Wulai
- Hot-spring hotels by the Nanshi River; quiet and green, a bus ride from Xindian
- For Pingxi and Jiufen in one trip, a night in Jiufen lets you see the lanes early and late without the tour groups.
Getting around
MRT lines, the Pingxi Line and local buses
The Taipei Metro reaches deep into New Taipei. The red Tamsui-Xinyi Line runs to Tamsui, the blue Bannan Line through Banqiao and Tucheng, the orange Zhonghe-Xinlu Line out to Xinzhuang and Luzhou, and the green line to Xindian; the Circular Line links Zhonghe, Banqiao and Xinzhuang without going through Taipei. The hill areas need trains and buses. The Pingxi Line has seven stations from Sandiaoling to Jingtong, and services are about hourly, so plan your stops. Jiufen has no station: buses climb up from Ruifang station in about 15 minutes on a narrow, winding road. At Tamsui, ferries cross the river to Bali and run up to Fisherman's Wharf, and bikes can be hired near the station for the riverside paths.
- MRT
- Red, blue, orange, green and Circular lines, paid by EasyCard
- Pingxi Line
- Single track, Sandiaoling to Jingtong via Shifen and Pingxi
- Ruifang to Jiufen
- Local bus, about 15 minutes
- Tamsui ferry
- Across to Bali and up to Fisherman's Wharf
- Pingxi trains run roughly hourly, so note the return time before you wander off at Shifen.
Know before you go
What makes New Taipei worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Sunset from Fisherman's Wharf in Tamsui, when the lights come on along Lover's Bridge.
- A lantern lifting off the tracks at Shifen, minutes before the next train squeezes through.
- Jiufen's teahouse terraces looking down the slope to the sea on a clear evening.
- Yingge's pottery street, with workshops where you can throw your own bowl.
- Lin Family Mansion and Garden in Banqiao, a Qing-era estate with free entry.
Good to know
- Jiufen at weekends is jammed from late morning; arrive early or stay overnight.
- Pingxi trains are infrequent, roughly one an hour, and fill up on festival days.
- Sky lanterns are restricted to set areas in Shifen and Pingxi.
- Rain gear is not optional: even November averages over 100 mm at Tamsui.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in New Taipei, month by month
New Taipei peaks at 33°C in July, and January holds 19°C days and 13°C nights. September is wettest, at about 290 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Tamsui District, New Taipei City (Central Weather Bureau, via Wikipedia).
Shifen lanterns, Jiufen lanes and a Tamsui sunset in three days
Three day trips cover New Taipei's highlights: the Pingxi valley for Shifen's lanterns and waterfall, Jiufen and the Gold Museum at Jinguashi, and a west-side loop through Yingge and Sanxia that ends at sunset in Tamsui. Most visitors sleep in Taipei or Banqiao and return each night.
Day one, the Pingxi valley. Take an early train to Ruifang and change for the Pingxi Line. Get off at Shifen, walk the track-side Shifen Old Street and release a lantern before the crowds build, then follow the path to Shifen Waterfall. Continue by train to Pingxi and Jingtong, where the old coal-mining buildings and Jingtong Old Street are quieter. The Lantern Festival crowds have their own page: Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival.
Day two, the gold hills. Bus from Ruifang up to Jiufen in the morning, walk the stepped lanes, then go on to Jinguashi and its Gold Museum. Stay for dusk, when the teahouse lanterns come on, or sleep in Jiufen.
Day three, west side. Morning in Yingge for ceramics and the pottery street, then the short hop to Sanxia for Zushi Temple and its arcaded old street. Finish on the red MRT line to Tamsui: Fort Santo Domingo, Old Street, and the ferry to Fisherman's Wharf for sunset. Base yourself in Taipei or Banqiao for easy returns.
A-gei, iron eggs and Jiufen Taro balls
Snacks here are tied to particular towns, so eat as you travel. In Tamsui, the dish to try is a-gei, a fried tofu pouch packed with glass noodles and sealed with fish paste, served in sauce. Old Street also sells iron eggs, braised and dried until black and chewy, and fish ball soup.
Up in Jiufen, the classic is taro balls, chewy dumplings of taro and sweet potato served in syrup, hot or over ice; the teahouses on the slope are where to sit with oolong and a view. Pinglin, in the tea hills south-east of Taipei, grows baozhong, a lightly oxidised tea worth buying direct.
Back in the city, Yonghe gives its name to the soy-milk breakfast eaten across Taiwan: sweet or salty soy milk with a fried dough stick and a sesame flatbread. In Banqiao and the other dense districts, night markets and street stalls do the work restaurants do elsewhere. On the north coast, Jinshan is the place for seafood, and at Fulong the railway-station lunch boxes are a local habit.
Lantern night, typhoon months and the Fulong Rock weekend
October to December is the best time to come, with highs easing from 27C to 21C and clear light for the hill walks above Jiufen and Pingxi. March and April are a good second choice. September is the wettest month, at about 290 mm, and typhoons can cancel trains then.
The year turns on rain. Tamsui records over 100 mm in every month; January sees highs near 19C and lows of 13C, while July and August reach 33C. September is the wettest month at about 290 mm, the tail of the typhoon season, and the time most likely to cancel a Pingxi train or a Wulai bus.
The plum rains of May and June bring around 240 to 257 mm a month.
Two events are worth planning around. The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival fills Shifen and Pingxi around the Lantern Festival in February or early March. On the coast at Fulong, the Ho-hai-yan Rock Festival takes over the beach for three days in July. Cherry blossom also brings crowds to Wuji Tianyuan Temple above Tamsui in early spring.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting New Taipei.
Getting there
Take a Taiwan Railway train to Ruifang, then change to the Pingxi Line, which runs from Sandiaoling up to Jingtong. Shifen is the third station on the branch, and trains run roughly hourly.
They can. From July to September typhoon warnings may suspend trains and mountain buses, and September is the wettest month at about 290 mm at Tamsui.
General
It is held around the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first lunar month, which falls in February or early March. Lanterns can be released at Shifen and Pingxi on other days too.
New Taipei is a separate special municipality that completely surrounds Taipei, and Banqiao District is its seat and biggest commercial area. In practice the MRT runs straight across the boundary and one EasyCard covers both.
Take the train to Ruifang station and then a local bus up the hill, about 15 minutes on a steep, winding road. Buses also run from Taipei, but they get crowded at weekends.
A Tamsui speciality: fried tofu stuffed with glass noodles, sealed with fish paste and served in a savoury sauce. Look for it on and around Old Street.
Yes, both start from Ruifang, so many visitors do Pingxi in the morning and Jiufen in the late afternoon. It is a long day; staying overnight in Jiufen makes it easier.
Yingge is New Taipei's ceramics district, with a ceramics museum, a pottery street of shops and workshops where you can make your own piece. Sanxia's Zushi Temple is close by.
When checked in October 2026, the UK's Taiwan advice did not single out New Taipei or any of its districts. Read it before travelling, as it can affect your travel insurance.
The Taipei Metro reaches deep into New Taipei. The red Tamsui-Xinyi Line runs to Tamsui, the blue Bannan Line through Banqiao and Tucheng, the orange Zhonghe-Xinlu Line out to Xinzhuang and Luzhou, and the green line to Xindian; the Circular Line links Zhonghe, Banqiao and Xinzhuang without going through Taipei. The hill areas need trains and buses.
Timing & weather
About 40 minutes on the red Tamsui-Xinyi Line, which ends at Tamsui station. Old Street and the ferry pier are a short walk away.
The best time to visit New Taipei is Oct to Dec, Mar to Apr. Highs of 21-27C in autumn and lower rainfall than the typhoon months.
- Autumn: October - December (Highs drop from 27C in October to 21C in December and November has one of the driest records of the year at Tamsui, around 104 mm)
- Lantern season: February - March (Cool (about 19C highs) and often drizzly, but this is when the Lantern Festival fills Pingxi and Shifen with people)
- Wet summer: May - September (Highs of 29-33C with heavy rain; September averages about 290 mm and typhoons can stop trains and close mountain roads)
July is the warmest month in New Taipei, with average highs of 33°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 13°C. September is the wettest month, at about 290 mm of rain; November is the driest. New Taipei peaks at 33°C in July, and January holds 19°C days and 13°C nights.
Visa & documents
Taiwan admits UK, EU, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, among many others, visa-free for up to 90 days. All visitors must submit the online Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) within three days before arrival.
Health & safety
Crime is low in New Taipei, and weather is the main risk. From summer into early autumn, typhoon warnings can suspend the Pingxi Line, close Wulai's mountain road and cancel ferries, and heavy rain brings landslide warnings in the hill districts. The UK government's Taiwan travel advice (checked October 2026) does not single out any area of New Taipei, but read it before you travel and keep your insurance in step with it.
