New Taipei City is the most populous municipality in Taiwan, surrounding Taipei on three sides with a spectacular geography of coastal cliffs, mountain trails, river valleys and hot spring villages that makes it simultaneously a hiking destination, a food city and a gateway to the dramatic northeast coast of the island. Unlike Taipei's urban density, New Taipei encompasses the fishing village of Jiufen (whose rainy lantern-lit tea houses inspired Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away), the dramatic coastal rock formations of Yehliu Geopark (where the Queen's Head mushroom rock is one of the most photographed natural formations in Asia), the hot spring resort of Beitou (technically within Taipei but accessed via New Taipei), and the historic Tamsui Old Street where Dutch and Spanish colonial forts and Japanese-era administrative buildings form a compact heritage district at the Danshui River mouth. The city's food scene is anchored by the Shilin Night Market (technically in Taipei but historically part of the New Taipei axis) and the Tamsui ferry crossing, which connects the old town to Bali's Shihsanhang Archaeological Museum. New Taipei also contains the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, where thousands of paper lanterns float skyward above railway villages in the mountain valleys each Lunar New Year.
The steep lane village of former gold miners has tea houses, peanut ice cream rolls and red lanterns that inspired the visual design of Spirited Away (disputed by Miyazaki but widely believed) — arrive early morning before the tour groups.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe iconic tea house with the red lanterns that appears in every Jiufen photo — tea and Taiwanese snacks (pork glutinous rice balls, taro balls) with a view over the Northeast Coastal National Scenic Area.
The former Crown Prince Chalet and the 13-level inclined shaft of Taiwan's gold mining era (now a museum) are 2 km from Jiufen — the mine tunnel tour and the panoramic view of the Pacific coast from the ruins make this essential.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Danshui River mouth at Tamsui is New Taipei's most beloved sunset spot — the former Dutch Fort Sant Domingo (1629), the Oxford College colonial building and the ferry crossing all frame a perfect Taiwan evening.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideTamsui's night market specialises in agei (fried tofu stuffed with glass noodles in a fish paste sauce) and iron eggs (braised eggs in soy sauce, chewy and sweet) — the two snacks unique to Tamsui.
The Cape Yehliu peninsula has 180 sea-eroded mushroom rocks — the Queen's Head (a 15 m balanced rock whose neck grows slimmer each year) is the most photographed natural rock in Asia; arrive before 9am to avoid queues.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe widest waterfall in Taiwan (40 m) drops in a horseshoe shape and rainbow-fog that has earned it the nickname "Little Niagara" — the Pingxi rail line from Ruifang to Shifen passes through the dramatic coal-mining valley.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuidePingxi is the village where the Taiwanese sky lantern tradition originated — tourists can release paper lanterns year-round (at the town railway level crossing) with wishes written inside; the Lantern Festival in February releases thousands simultaneously.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Beitou thermal valley has hot spring water ranging from 40–100°C — public hot spring pools, the Green Sulfur Spring (unique blue-green water) and the Beitou Hot Spring Museum in a Japanese-colonial bathhouse date from the Japanese era.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Dutch built this fort in 1629, the Spanish rebuilt it in 1638, and the British used it as a consulate 1867–1972 — the building complex (now a museum) and its hilltop position above the river mouth make it the most evocative colonial site in northern Taiwan.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe 5-minute ferry crossing the Danshui River mouth to Bali is one of Taiwan's most pleasant water crossings — the Bali riverside has seafood restaurants and the approach to the Shihsanhang Museum.
The award-winning museum built into a recovered archaeological dig site documents the prehistoric Shihsanhang culture (1,800–800 BCE) — the only culture in Taiwan known to have used iron; the building design (a tilted concrete slab above the dig) has won international architecture prizes.
The riverside Guandu Temple (1661) is one of the most important Mazu sea goddess temples in Taiwan — the back passage through the rock face to cave shrines is memorable; the Guandu Nature Park mangroves behind have egrets and migratory birds.
New Taipei's cycling infrastructure along the Danshui River is excellent — rent a bike near Tamsui Station and cycle the riverside path with the mountains behind and the river in front; the Taiwan sunset over the Pacific-facing river mouth.