Taipei and the North · New Taipei City

Yehliu guide: rock formations, Guihou seafood and Jinshan

Yehliu is a headland worth looking at slowly. The Queen’s Head draws the cameras, but the honeycomb surfaces, low rock pools and changing shoreline explain why this cape matters. Build the day around the geopark and a proper meal, with Jinshan as an optional continuation rather than a race along the entire north coast.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 8 October 20265 min read

Queen’s Head formation among Yehliu’s coastal rocks — The Queen’s Head in Yehliu Geopark.

Suggested time: One full day from Taipei, or 2 days with 1 night in Jinshan
Where to stay: Taipei for a day trip; central Jinshan or a confirmed Jinshan–Wanli hotel for an overnight
Season and timing: Choose a calm forecast for the exposed cape. Autumn suits a crab-focused visit to Guihou; confirm the current catch and any festival programme rather than assuming an annual event is running.

The short answer

Give Yehliu a full day from Taipei, or stay one night in Jinshan to pair its rock formations with Guihou seafood and an unhurried north-coast afternoon. Begin with the geopark, then choose the harbour for lunch or Jinshan’s old street for duck and sweet potatoes. Taipei is the simpler base for a single excursion; a Jinshan room earns its place if you want a second coastal morning or a booked hot-spring stay.

Choose a day trip or a north-coast overnight

A Taipei hotel lets you leave your luggage behind and return to the city for dinner. Around Taipei Main Station, compare the actual bus departure point with your hotel address before booking. Yehliu is a road excursion, so a room beside an urban rail station helps with the city portion of the trip rather than delivering you straight to the rocks.

For two days, Jinshan’s old-street area puts a second meal and a town walk into the evening. A hotel farther out in Wanli may suit a bath or a sea view, but arrange the final transfer and dinner first. A coastal address alone does not tell you whether you can comfortably reach the harbour, the old street and your room without another vehicle.

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Choose a stay that fits this visit

For an early start in Taipei Main Station area / Central Jinshan / Wanli coastal hotels, a well-placed overnight stay matters. Check access to the actual trail, pier or meeting point and seasonal transport before booking.

Taipei Main Station area — City base for a day trip; check the bus boarding point rather than assuming it is at the hotel.
Central Jinshan — Old-street meals and a town evening on a one-night coastal stay.
Wanli coastal hotels — For a confirmed sea-view or bath-focused stay; arrange the hotel approach and meals separately.

These are example bases: choose the area that fits your own route before searching.

Compare stays: Taipei Main Station area ↗Compare stays: Central Jinshan ↗Compare stays: Wanli coastal hotels ↗

Enter your dates and compare the map, total price, cancellation terms and room details. Search results are not verified hotel recommendations.

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Look beyond the Queen’s Head

The Tourism Administration describes a narrow cape extending about 1.7 kilometres into the sea. Erosion and weathering have produced the Queen’s Head, Fairy’s Shoe, candle-shaped rocks and other formations; the North Coast authority also identifies honeycomb and tofu rocks. The pleasure is in comparing their textures and shapes, rather than collecting a photograph of every named stone.

Start with the area that matters most to you, then follow the marked visitor paths instead of treating the rock surfaces as shortcuts. Give people room at the Queen’s Head photo point and leave the formations untouched. A windy or wet morning is a reason to shorten the exposed part of the visit, not to climb beyond a barrier for a clearer view.

Eroded sandstone and rock pools along Yehliu’s shore — The cape rewards a closer look beyond its best-known formation.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

Wanli crab

Sea-caught crab is the signature meal at Guihou. The city government identifies flower, three-spotted and stone crab among the local catch.

Where to look: Restaurants at Guihou Fishery Port in Wanli.
Fit it into your day: Make this your main lunch after Yehliu, leaving time to eat rather than ordering between transfers.

Contains shellfish; confirm the size, preparation and charging basis before ordering.

Jinshan duck

Duck is one of Jinbaoli Old Street’s established specialties, a good reason to make the town your meal stop.

Where to look: Duck-serving restaurants around Jinshan Old Street.
Fit it into your day: Choose it for lunch or dinner if your route continues to Jinshan.

Contains poultry; ask about sauces and shared portions rather than assuming a vegetarian alternative.

Jinshan red sweet potato

The city government highlights red sweet potatoes prepared steamed, roasted, fried or in sweets.

Where to look: Snack stalls and food shops around Jinshan Old Street.
Fit it into your day: Save a small snack for the old-street walk after your main meal.

Check the preparation: a sweet-potato snack can include other ingredients or be fried.

Let Guihou or Jinshan decide lunch

Guihou Fishery Port makes the seafood version of the day. The North Coast authority describes fresh sea-caught Wanli crabs cooked by portside restaurants; the city government names flower, three-spotted and stone crabs among the local varieties. Choose what is actually available and agree the portion and charging basis before a crab is prepared. No price or guaranteed daily catch is assumed here.

Jinbaoli Old Street, usually called Jinshan Old Street, offers a different afternoon: traditional commercial buildings, duck and sweet-potato snacks. Have a sit-down meal and leave space to browse. Guihou and Jinshan are separate stops, so choose one substantial lunch rather than scheduling two full meals and an uninterrupted geopark visit.

Honeycomb weathering in Yehliu’s sandstone formations — Weathered rock textures in Yehliu Geopark.

A day that leaves room for the coast

For a day trip, travel from Taipei in the morning, make Yehliu the main visit and break for lunch at Guihou if seafood is the priority. Continue to Jinshan only when your return transport and appetite allow it. Otherwise, an unhurried park visit and a harbour meal already give the day a clear shape.

With one Jinshan night, move your bag to the hotel after the geopark, spend the evening around the old street and keep the following morning for a coastal stop or your booked bath. The nearby Zhongjiao Bay coastline can provide a different view of the region, but sea conditions and any activity provider’s instructions should determine what you do there.

Sand and sea at Zhongjiao Bay in Jinshan — Zhongjiao Bay is a separate north-coast stop in Jinshan.

Road connections and the return journey

When checked on 2026-10-08, the Tourism Administration’s Yehliu page listed bus 1815 from Taipei and the Crown Northern Coast shuttle 716 via Tamsui, as well as connections from Keelung. These are route references, not a checked timetable. Confirm the current boarding stop, direction, last return and walk from the stop before leaving your hotel.

A driver or an organised excursion is useful when your plan combines the geopark, a harbour lunch and Jinshan. A regional tour that also visits Jiufen and Shifen gives Yehliu only part of the day; compare the actual park time with an independent visit. Keep the airport journey separate rather than attaching a long coastal outing to an imminent flight.

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Plan your arrival before booking

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is the usual arrival airport for this trip. Compare the whole journey, including connections and the onward transfer; this does not imply a direct flight from your home airport.

Arrive through Taoyuan, then continue to your Taipei hotel or a prearranged north-coast transfer. Yehliu has no rail station or airport; allow a separate road stage and confirm its return arrangement before combining it with a flight.

Compare flights: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) ↗

Choose your own departure airport and dates on the booking site. Check baggage, arrival time and the final transfer before paying.

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Practical questions

How much time does Yehliu need?

Use a full day from Taipei for the geopark and one substantial meal stop. Two days with one Jinshan night allow the old street and another coastal morning without repeatedly returning to the city.

Should I stay in Yehliu or Taipei?

Taipei is the straightforward base for one excursion. Choose central Jinshan or a confirmed Jinshan–Wanli hotel if you want an overnight, and check the final transfer, dinner and any bath booking before paying for the room.

Can I combine Yehliu, Jiufen and Shifen?

Yes, regional day tours offer that combination, but they divide the day between several places. Check how long the tour actually allows in Yehliu and choose it for the transport convenience rather than expecting an extended geology visit.

Where should I eat near Yehliu?

Guihou is the seafood and crab stop; Jinshan Old Street is the duck and sweet-potato alternative. They are separate places, so choose the one that fits your route and arrange the connecting transport.

Sources and checks before you travel

Reference sources for the version dated 8 October 2026. Confirm opening times, access, transport and conditions for your travel dates.

Taiwan Tourism Administration: Yehliu Geopark ↗ — opens in a new tabUsed for: Cape setting, rock formations, coordinates and published regional bus connections; body read and saved. · checked 8 October 2026
North Coast and Guanyinshan authority: Yehliu ↗ — opens in a new tabUsed for: Cape dimensions, honeycomb and tofu rocks, Queen’s Head and other geological features; body read. · checked 8 October 2026
North Coast and Guanyinshan authority: Guihou Fishery Port ↗ — opens in a new tabUsed for: Portside restaurants cooking sea-caught Wanli crab and the harbour’s coastal setting; body read. · checked 8 October 2026
North Coast and Guanyinshan authority: Jinbaoli Old Street ↗ — opens in a new tabUsed for: Jinshan old-street setting, historic commercial buildings, duck and sweet-potato specialties; body read. · checked 8 October 2026
New Taipei City Travel: Jinshan and Wanli ↗ — opens in a new tabUsed for: Local crab varieties, autumn crab visits, duck, red sweet-potato preparations and Zhongjiao Bay; body read. · checked 8 October 2026

Editorial policy →

Does this experience fit your route?

Compare the time in Yehliu, the meeting point and park-ticket inclusions before choosing a regional tour. An independent geopark day leaves more room for Guihou or Jinshan.

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