Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceNorth Coast, Yehliu & Jiufen
Circle from Yangmingshan to Yehliu, Heping Island, Jiufen and Shifen over a measured three days.
- Allow
- 3 days
- Route
- 134 km
- Drive time
- 2 hr 31 min
- Stops
- 6
The northern edge of Taiwan compresses extraordinary landscapes into a short circuit. Yangmingshan rises through volcanic terrain above Taipei, Yehliu’s cape exposes wind- and sea-shaped rock, and Heping Island looks out from Keelung’s rugged coast before the road turns toward Jiufen’s steep mining-town lanes.
Short distance does not mean quick driving. Weekend queues, fog, heavy rain and tight village access can dominate the day. Park outside Jiufen and Shifen, use buses where local controls require them and never stop on an exposed coastal shoulder for a photograph.
The road, in one glance
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Drawing the route…
The route earns
its distance
Each pin is selected as a place to do something—not merely proof that you passed through.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceTaipei
Collect the car only after the city stay; central Taipei is an MRT journey, not a driving challenge.
Taipei, officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of Taiwan. Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of the northern port city of Keelung. Most of the city rests on the Taipei Basin, an ancient lakebed.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceYangmingshan
Fumaroles, grasslands and forested volcanic slopes rise directly above the capital.
Yangmingshan National Park, located in both Taipei and New Taipei City, is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan. The districts that are partially in the park include Taipei's Beitou and Shilin Districts; and New Taipei's Wanli, Jinshan, Sanzhi and Tamsui Districts. The national park is known for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, sulfur deposits, fumaroles, venomous snakes, and hiking trails, including Taiwan's tallest dormant volcano, Qixing (Seven Star) Mountain rising to 1,120 m (3,675 ft).
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceYehliu Geopark
A narrow cape displays fantastically eroded rock against the open sea.
Yehliu (Chinese: 野柳; pinyin: Yěliǔ) is a cape in Wanli District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The cape, known by geologists as the Yehliu Promontory, forms part of the Daliao Miocene Formation. It stretches approximately 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) into the ocean and was formed as geological forces pushed the Datun Mountains out of the sea.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor · See sourceHeping Island
Sea cliffs and weathered shore platforms frame Keelung’s maritime edge.
Heping Island is a coastal park in Keelung shaped by wave-cut sandstone, sea caves and unusual erosion forms. A bridge now connects the former island to the city, while protected swimming areas and walking paths make the geology accessible without scrambling on fragile rock.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor · See sourceJiufen
Tea houses and steep lanes occupy a former mining town high above the Pacific.
Jiufen, also spelled Jioufen or Chiufen (Chinese: 九份), is a historic former gold mining town in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is notable for Jiufen Old Street, a narrow, winding alleyway with shops, teahouses, and restaurants that offers tourists a view of traditional Taiwanese life. It has a population of approximately 1,600 residents.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor · See sourceShifen
A railway settlement and broad waterfall turn the return into a full final day.
Shifen is a former coal-railway settlement in New Taipei's Pingxi District, where the old street runs directly beside the operating rail line. The nearby Shifen Waterfall spreads across a faulted reach of the Keelung River, adding a substantial landscape walk beyond the town's lantern stalls.
Drive the conditions,
not the itinerary.
Leave before weekend crowds, check park and coastal weather, use only signed parking and never enter closed mountain roads. Expect buses and scooters on narrow approaches.
Checked against
the people who run it
Distances and driving times are planning estimates. Conditions, closures, ferries, permits and park rules can change, so check the linked official guidance before setting out.