The easiest way to get to Jiufen from Taipei by yourself

Taipei to Jiufen bus Sarah Latham Copyright

In Taipei and looking to visit the famous Jiufen village? Jiufen (also spelled Jioufen or Chiufen) is found in northern Taiwan and very close to Taipei. There are a number of ways to get to Jiufen from Taipei, and I found when I was researching how to do it, it was quite overwhelming. Do I take the train and bus? How do I time it? Would it be easier to go on a day tour? Do I just take the bus? How do I pay for it? I had a number of questions and didn’t know the best way forward. However, when it came to actually visiting Jiufen from Taipei, I found a very easy and simple way to get to do. Read on to find out more.

How to get to Jiufen from Taipei

So, when researching online I saw a lot of blogs saying that the best way to get to Jiufen from Taipei is to take the train to Ruifang and then transfer from train to bus to Jiufen. That seemed simple enough, but I don’t know why that is the most heavily promoted option. The easiest way to get from Taipei to Jiufen is to catch the direct bus that leaves from Taipei and drops you straight at Jiufen – super simple.

How to get the Taipei to Jiufen 1062 bus

To get from Taipei to Jiufen you’ll want to catch the 1062 bus. I was staying in the popular Songshan District when I visited Jiufen from Taipei and therefore my instructions are from this Songshan onwards. Songshan has a major metro and train station so if you are staying in another area of Taipei and the 1062 bus does not otherwise come near you, jump on the metro to Songshan before meeting the bus to take you to Jiufen (Suggested read: Cash or Easy Card? How to use the Taipei metro for short visits).

Once you’ve arrived at Songshan, head towards the Songshan Bus Station, found just across the road outside the Songshan Train Station. You can find its exact location on Google Maps here.

Find the bus stop that says 1062. It will also conveniently tell you how long until the bus is expected. When I visited in December on a weekday, the buses were coming every 10-20 minutes but I am not sure if that changes in summer or on weekends.

The number 1062 will show at the front of the bus so you don’t need to worry about making sure you get the right bus. Pay the driver (more on this below) and take your seat. Again, I visited in winter on a weekday so the bus was empty and, although it filled up along the journey, it was never busy. I have heard this changes on a weekend though.

The bus journey from Taipei to Jiufen took approximately 55 minutes, but this can be longer. My return journey Jiufen to Taipei was about 10 minutes late and then got in to Taipei at about 20 minutes behind schedule, but I believe this was due to the congestion on the roads as we left Jiufen.

The journey from Taipei to Jiufen is uneventful as you travel on highways and roads before reaching the winding hills as you approach Jiufen. When you get closer to Jiufen, ding the bell to get off. You should find it on the side of the bus near the windows but otherwise just get up and tell the driver.

The return journey: Jiufen to Taipei

Returning to Taipei from Jiufen is just as simple and easy as it is on the initial journey from Taipei to Jiufen. Head to the Jiufen bus stop (Google Maps location here).

There are a number of buses departing from Jiufen here, and like in Taipei you’ll see a sign advertising when the next 1062 bus is expected as well. You’ll also see a dedicated 1062 bus line to wait in.

How to pay for the Taipei to Jiufen bus

You have two options for paying for the Taipei to Jiufen bus. One is by Easy Card, which is the preloaded metro card (suggested read: Cash or Easy Card? How to use the Taipei metro for short visits) or by cash. I paid by cash and in December 2023, a one-way journey was 85NTD, which is £2.15/$4.30AUD. You have to have the exact amount in change (or accept you’re not getting change back) as you deposit the coins into a box by the driver rather than it being a transaction with change. You can only pay for a one-way journey at a time (rather than a return journey) so keep it in mind that you will need two lots of 85NTD, rather than one lot of 170NTD (so make sure you have 2 x 5 NTD, not 1 x 10 NTD otherwise you may be short for your return journey!).

Should I just take a group tour from Taipei to Jiufen?

The answer to this question really depends on your travel style and time you have in Taipei. Group tours will take you to more places in the region, including Shifen Village and waterfall and other natural landscapes, so can be a great way to see a lot in the area in a short time. If you’re like me and only wanted in the end to see Jiufen (and wanted to escape the crowds), travelling independently from Taipei to Jiufen is a great way to avoid the crowds, have control over your own schedule and is a cheaper alternative.

Things to keep in mind before visiting Jiufen from Taipei

The earlier the better if you want to avoid crowds. When I visited I arrived at about 930am and the streets were very quiet. By 1030am the tour groups seem to start arriving and I’ve read online that the afternoon and evening is very busy. I’ve also read and had a Taiwan local tell me that it is best to visit Jiufen on a weekday rather than a weekend as the weekends are tremendously busy.

From my experience, I would also urge you to check the weather. While it was grey in Taipei, it wasn’t raining and still very easy to explore outdoors. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in Jiufen. Situated on the mountainside, Jiufen was shrouded in cloud and rain making it a quite cold and wet place to visit, with sadly no views. While it was still a beautiful place and many of the markets and food stalls are undercover outdoors, it did really dampen (literally and figuratively) the experience. I hadn’t thought further than ‘well if it’s not raining there, it’ll be fine there’ which I did regret and lead to me leaving earlier than I would have otherwise.

Bring your camera – there is no doubt that Jiufen is a beautiful village and you’re going to want to take a lot of photos while you’re there!