Shifen Waterfall: Visit Taiwan’s “Niagara Falls” and Sky Lantern Launches Just an Hour from Keelung

Shifen Waterfall Park (十分瀑布): Taiwan’s Most Visited Waterfall

Opening hours: 
09:00 - 17:00, Final Entry 16:30 (October-May)
09:00 - 18:00, Final Entry 17:30 (June-September)

Ticket prices: Free

New Taipei City’s Shifen Waterfalls are like something out of a paradise, or perhaps an Avatar movie. This breathtaking natural scenery makes for an unforgettable day trip from nearby Keelung, and is also Taiwan’s most beloved and visited waterfall site! 

These breathtaking waterfalls are part of the wider Shifen Waterfall Park, located in the Pingxi District on the main stream of the Keelung River. Located in the heart of the mountains, a drive or train trip through rising rainforest will bring you to this stunning park, where you can enjoy walking along impressive suspension bridges with a reward of this iconic symbol of Taiwan at the end.

The park is well set up for visitors: the entrance is only a 10-minute walk from Shifen Train Station (十分站), and the final showstopping waterfalls are a 15-minute walk further into the park. Since the New Taipei City government took control of the land from private owners, entrance to the park was made free, so you have a little extra to spend on a nice souvenir! The government also developed viewing platforms for waterfall observation, which are accessible via staircase, or in some cases, via wheelchair accessible slopes (more on this below). We highly recommend going down the ‘Waterfall Observation Trail’, which is a steep but very short walk. Here, you can enjoy the best views of the waterfall, with much smaller crowds.

Sky Lantern Launches at Shifen Old Street

As the evening darkens, you can also head to nearby Shifen Old Street (十分老街) to witness the beautiful sky lantern launches, and find food and souvenirs. 

What to Expect and How Much It Costs

Thousands of visitors travel to Shifen Old Street every year to launch these huge sky lanterns into the mountains, painting them with well-wishes for themselves or loved ones. Many more also flock for Pingxi’s annual Sky Lantern Festival, which normally takes place at the end of February, and sees hundreds of lanterns lighting up the sky. 

While we found the sky lanterns stunning to watch, and very reasonably priced (around 200–400 NT), visitors should be mindful of the environmental aspects of these lantern launches. Most of the lanterns end up washed up in the river, or stuck in the leaf canopy of the rainforest, while only some are retrieved by volunteer clean-up organisations (read more on this here). Some shops do advertise that their lanterns are eco-friendly as they are biodegradable: unfortunately, launching a biodegradable lantern still contributes to pollution, as it takes a long time to degrade. In fact, 10 cities and counties in Taiwan have actually banned lantern launches completely, while other counties still restrict launches in specific areas or require permission from relevant authorities. Beyond environmental concerns, flight safety and public safety are also some of the reasons behind these rules.

This remains a beautiful tradition with ancient roots, and while we enjoyed watching the lanterns launch into the sky, especially as the sun set, we decided not to participate due to the environmental impact. 

If you want a taste of the lantern traditions in Shifen without the pollution aspect, mini souvenir lanterns and nightlights are also available from many of the souvenir shops along Shifen Old Street.

*Note: while lantern shops in Shifen often encourage visitors to release lanterns from the railroad tracks (and in our experience people were walking on the tracks pretty casually), keep in mind that the tracks remain technically off-limits, and some visitors have received fines for breaching this.

How to Get from Keelung to Shifen

Option 1: Bus 788 and Train via Ruifang

A popular route to take is the 788 bus from Keelung city centre, down to Ruifang Train Station (瑞芳火車站). This takes about 25-30 minutes depending on traffic. You can then take a beautiful scenic train route to Shifen (30 minutes), which passes through some of the park, and is a sightseeing attraction in itself! The train drops you off right on Shifen Old Street, and you can walk to the waterfall park in only 10 minutes from here.

The only hindrance with this journey is that the trains going from Ruifang to Shifen only leave every hour, which left us with some time to kill in Ruifang. Luckily you can pass the time by exploring Ruifang’s old town and shopping opportunities, or stocking up on FamilyMart snacks (like us!)

Option 2: The Free F825 Commuter Bus (Weekdays Only)

If you’re in a rush, there is also the F825 commuter bus, which leaves from near Keelung Bus Station. This bus is fantastic—very speedy and free of charge, with a picturesque drive through the mountains, and takes you straight to Shifen Old Street in only 30 minutes. However, this bus leaves very infrequently, and only runs on weekdays! 

Here is the schedule:

Keelung → Shifen
9:14
11:34
14:44
17:14
Shifen → Keelung
10:42
13:47
16:17

If the bus works out for the time and day you want to visit, fantastic! 

The bus leaves from Keelung: Bridge No. 31 (No.31 Bridge) and will take you to Shifen: Shifenliao Bridge (Shifenliao Bridge).

Directions for how to find the F825 bus stop in Keelung: 

From the bus station, cross the road and walk straight down along the green pedestrian path (pictured below). It’s about a 5 minute walk from the bus station down to the bus stop, which is located right outside this restaurant (pictured below), and a small paint shop on the right hand side.

You’ll notice from the picture below that the bus stop doesn’t list the F825 bus—don’t panic! The bus will arrive, but make sure to flag it down with a hand so the driver knows you want to get on. In our experience it arrived extremely promptly.

Option 3: Taxi from Keelung

However, it’s pretty likely that these once-in-a-blue-moon buses don’t align with when you plan to visit Shifen - not to worry! The F825 is the quickest route, but the train is a stunning and unique way to visit this beautiful scenery. Alternatively, a taxi from the centre of Keelung should only set you back around 500 NTD - well worth it if you’re travelling in a group of 3-4! 

Travel Tips for Visiting Shifen:

What to Wear and Bring

• Dress with an extra layer:

  Shifen is high up in the mountains, and we found ourselves chilly for perhaps the first time since our arrival in Taiwan! The aircon on the Ruifang-Shifen train is also strong, so a light extra layer can keep you comfortable here.

• Bring comfortable shoes and a bottle of water

  The waterfall park is not too large, and you can walk to the far end from the entrance in about 20 or so minutes. However, many of the best views are a steep staircase (or two) away, so be prepared to climb!

• Bring mosquito spray

  As you walk through the dense rainforest landscape, there are lots of critters around! Mosquito repellent will prevent bites and make sure they don't impact your enjoyment of the park.

Best Time to Visit: Golden Hour at the Waterfall

• Go later:
  

  We arrived to the waterfall park around 3pm, and stayed until closing time, which in the winter season is at 4.30pm. Experiencing the waterfall during golden hour was a mesmerising experience which we highly recommend. As we arrived, all of the big tour coaches were also leaving, meaning the park was a little quieter and less crowded. 

Food and Shopping Near the Falls

• Shopping

  There are a selection of souvenir, snack and drink stalls close to the main Shifen waterfall. However, these close down around 4pm, so make sure to visit beforehand if you’re hungry! Alternatively, food stalls on Shifen Old Street stay open until late.

Is Shifen Waterfall Wheelchair Accessible?

• Accessibility

  There are wheelchair-accessible routes around the main observation platforms for the waterfall. However, if you enter the park through the main entrance, near Parking Lot No. 3 , it takes you on a route via the suspension bridges which, while stunning, are definitely not wheelchair accessible. Access via the Jheng Da Parking Lot, which is on the other side of the park, is reported to be wheelchair accessible; however all of the exits we tried included at least a short staircase. If you or your companion have reduced mobility but could manage 1 staircase, this trip is suitable - otherwise, we would say it’s not entirely wheelchair-friendly! 

We hope this encourages you to visit Shifen and enjoy its beautiful scenery!