Considering Keelung as a day trip outside Taipei was not on my bingo card this year, but life is unpredictable like that. It’s been more than a decade since I’ve been to Keelung. After that visit, Keelung left me with the impression that it was just a harbor city outside Taipei, up north, where you could see a replica of the Eiffel Tower from the port while enjoying some discounted shopping at Hang Ten or Giordano.
None of those were present when I came back this year with my mom. In fact, I was genuinely surprised. It felt like I was sleeping under a rock all these years, specifically sleeping on the amazing spots I could’ve seen in Keelung. The city has been transformed and modernized. I guess they finally decided to capitalize on docking cruise ships and made it a worthwhile day trip stop.
We initially came to Keelung to see the Keelung Tower, which I randomly saw on my Facebook feed from a travel group I follow. I got curious and thought that it would be a perfect companion to finally seeing the Miaokou night market, which was the only reason why I initially wanted to go back to Keelung.
While searching for additional places to visit, I also came across the Heping Island Geopark and the Zhengbin fishing port, which both looked like really worthwhile places to see (and they are!). That made me realize that we must come back, so we did and got more than I expected.
Getting There: From Taipei to Keelung
For me, the best option would be taking the local train. It’s very convenient because you simply board the Keelung train and get off at the final station without worrying about missing your stop or riding the wrong one.
From Taipei
Total travel time by either train or bus from Taipei is around 1 hour.
By Train
Ride the local train at the Taipei Main Station, or any local train station. You can simply search on Google Maps for when the next train to Keelung arrives.
By Bus
Take the Kuo-Kuang bus 1813 or 1813D from the Taipei Bus Station. This bus stop is near the Taipei Main TRA East 3 Exit.
Day Trip Itinerary Sample
If you have one full day for travel and you want to tour Keelung, here’s the sequence in which I’d suggest you tour the following spots I’ll mention here:
- Keelung Harbor (morning views)
- Heping Island Geopark
- Zhengbin Fishing Port
- Keelung Tower
- Miaokou Night Market
- Keelung Harbor (night views)
I’ll show you why this sequence makes sense when touring, although you can change it up if you want to.
Keelung Harbor’s Maritime Plaza
As you get off the Keelung TRA station, you’re automatically thrust right at the harbor city’s port area. There is so much to see around this area, both in daytime and nighttime. Keelung’s Maritime Plaza is truly one of the city’s iconic landmarks that sets the tone for what you’d likely expect in your day trip–laid-back, relaxed, and chill.
The areas near Keelung Harbor have a small city vibe, and there’s a mall nearby where you can dine before exploring the city further.
Heping Island Geopark
From the Keelung harbor, you can go to Heping Island Geopark by taking bus 101. You can also take bus 791 fom the Keelung bus station.
Travel time is just around 10 to 15 minutes.
For our travel, we took an Uber to Heping Island Geopark. I chose this because the bus drops you off further away from the Heping Island Geopark entrance, so you need to walk around a kilometer towards it. Since I’m with my mom and the weather’s too humid, taking an Uber was better since it would drop us off right at the park’s entrance. Besides, it only cost me around 100+ NTD.
Entrance Fees
For the latest fees, check out their website: https://www.hpigeopark.org/en/hours-admission
General admission for non-locals is 120 NTD per person.
On a clear sunny day, you’ll surely be treated to stunning panoramas and amazing coastal views while exploring this park. Here are some more photos I took, including a nonchalantly chill Taiwanese doggie:
The geopark is very reminiscent of Yehliu, and I actually liked this one better because it’s much easier to reach. Aside from that, I loved the concept of having natural saltwater pools where families can swim. There are kiddie saltwater pools too and all of these pools connect straight to the Pacific Ocean and are non-chlorinated. It’s pretty amazing how they were able to conceptualize something like this as a more interactive way that tourists can experience the park.
If you’re interested in swimming here, check out the park’s rules on their website.
It took us about 2 hours to complete the trail, take photos, and also explore the pool areas. Depending on whether you decide to swim or not, I think 2-3 hours should be enough to spend here, and because of that, your next destination could be…
Zhengbin Fishing Port
This quaint small port is located just a few minutes from Heping Island Geopark. If you’re coming from the Heping Island Geopark, you can take a taxi or Uber going to Zhengbin Fishing port and it will cost you just under 100 NTD one-way. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can also take a 20-minute walk from the park to here.
You would know that you finally reached the Zhengbin fishing port once you see these very visible Instagrammable hotspots:
On a sunny day, the fishing port really has this laid-back calm about it. For some reason, it reminded me of a K-Drama–Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.
We decided to try a cafe across from these colorful houses and were pleasantly surprised with the experience. Shéme Space has a very extensive menu that offers snacks, light and full meals, and a variety of drinks to choose from.
However, they only accept cash, and perhaps the other cafes too, so it’s good to keep that in mind when visiting here.
Keelung Tower
It could be tempting to spend the entire afternoon at the Zhengbin fishing port, and you can do that too. But your trip can go a little extra if you also decide to see the iconic Keelung Tower.
You can take bus 101 from the T-Ham bus stop and get off at Xinwu Rd. Intersection to walk towards the Keelung Tower. You can also check out Google maps if there are other available buses that would pass by the T-Ham bus stop going there.
Keelung Tower is free of charge, and it’s one of the best spots to catch the city’s golden afternoon sunset. However, according to a recent notice, some parts of the Keelung Tower have been closed for maintenance. But do not let this stop you from visiting, because you can still marvel at its architecture, and you can still access its 4th-floor cafe, which we unfortunately forgot to see because we stayed too long at the observation deck during our trip there.
By the way, we visited this on a separate and earlier trip last January. Back then, there were no maintenance works being done yet, so we were able to explore the observation deck.
Check out further announcements from the Keelung website for updates on the tower’s full reopening, expected in Q4 2026.
Miaokou Night Market
And of course, the main reason why I wanted to come back to Keelung in the first place–the Miaokou Night Market. It can get crowded, and you would also need to queue up most of the time, so I recommend checking it out on a weekday night.
From Keelung Tower, you can simply walk towards the night market. You can also book an Uber for the short trip if you don’t fancy an 11-minute walk (or so Google Maps says).
Like most of Taiwan’s night markets, Miaokou’s scene starts at around 6 PM.
I think it’s worth going to Miaokou even if you have already been to several other night markets in Taiwan, or specifically in Taipei. They offer food options that I haven’t seen in Taipei. I also noticed that there are a lot more affordable seafood options here.
A Worthwhile Trip, 100% Guaranteed
Just talking about all these makes me remember how fulfilling our Keelung trip turned out to be. Actually, we took these trips separately. We visited Keelung Tower and Miaokou Night Market back in January of this year, then returned for Heping Geopark and Zhengbin Fishing Port this May because we absolutely must!
You can do the same or perhaps spend one night in Keelung instead of going back to Taipei on the same day. The choice is yours. Either way, Keelung is just an hour away from Taipei and can be conveniently reached whether you’re doing solo, with a group, or even with your entire family–elderly folks included.
If you want another view of Taiwan that’s less modern, slower-paced, and stunningly coastal but still very travel-friendly, then Keelung is one of the best choices you have.
Another great thing about Keelung? It’s popular enough now to attract both locals and tourists, but still under the radar enough to remain enjoyable even on weekends.