Tamsui, Taiwan Travel Guide: Day Trip you Should Consider when You Visit Taiwan
If you have limited time in Taiwan, the are a lot of day trips you can do outside of Taipei.
One of these places is Tamsui.
There are tons of things to do in Tamsui and this simple guide may give you a glimpse on what to expect and what to do in this part of Taiwan.
For our third day, I wanted to visit the most famous destinations in the Northern part of Taiwan like Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen and Shifen. But we only had limited time, so we only visited Yehliu. (P.S. if you want to visit the three in one day you can get this tour from Klook in this link.)
YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ: Taiwan Travel Guide: The Best Taiwan Tours that Are Worth Your Money and Time
Then we decided to go to Tamsui. The place was a bit far from Yehliu, so we took an Uber ride going there. I was surprised because our Uber car was a Mercedes Benz! This small-town girl was so giddy riding the car, and as always, I was sightseeing for a while, then went to sleep during the rest of the ride. Haha.
To be honest, I didn’t know anything about Tamsui at that time and I was pretty happy that we went there anyway.
Check this simple guide if you’re planning to visit Tamsui.
How to get to Tamsui?
- Take the MRT. Tamsui is the last stop in the red line. More or less 50 minutes travel time.
- You can go there via single journey tickets or rechargeable IC cards like this Easy Cards. You can also get a Taipei Pass that gives unlimited rides on the MRT and on public buses.
Things to do in Tamsui
NOTE: A lot of the museums, even some art galleries are closed on the first Monday of every month. A friend of mine learned this the hard way.
Walk and Stroll around Tamsui Streets
Aside from the famous Tamsui Old Street, there are a lot of things happening in the narrow streets of Tamsui. Tons of stores selling different stuff like handicrafts, toys, clothes, and souvenirs that most foreigners would buy.
And I’m one of the victims.
Can you guess what was the first thing I did the moment I arrived in Tamsui?
I shopped.
While they went to buy milk tea, I headed to a store and saw some clothes. I only bought one top (sad fact) and it took me a lot of time to choose one piece of clothing. HAHA. Classic me! I wanted to buy more, but I didn’t want to waste my companion’s time.
Enjoy the Food and Games near the Riverside
I love Taiwanese food! I loved it so much that I really enjoyed walking along the riverside of Tamsui I was trying different street foods they were offering. Free tastes are the best., I’m not paying anything and my tummy is really happy!
They usually have seafood and I tried a lot of it. I was almost full before we went for our late lunch.
There are also a lot of fun games by the riverside and you can see that children are so fond of enjoying this side of Tamsui.
I already played some games when we visited Shilin Night Market so I didn’t try playing in Tamsui.
Visit Tamsui Presbyterian Church
It was a very hot day and we visited Tamsui Presbyterian Church. It was a small but lovely church. We wanted to stay for a while and check the inside of the church, but some people were inside, practicing their songs. We were not allowed to go in so we continued our walk. Again on a very sunny day.
Learn a bit of history in Fort San Domingo
Inside Fort San Domingo, they played a brief history of the place and also the history of Tamsui. According to Wikipedia: Fort San Domingo was originally a wooden fort built in 1628 by the Spanish Empire.
You can also check Hobe Fort, another historical fort located near Fort Santo Domingo.
Entrance Fee: NTD 80
Operating Hours: 9:30 AM-5:00 PM on weekdays, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM on weekends, (Closed on the first Monday of the month)
Visit the Former British Consulate Residence
Just beside Fort San Domingo is the British Consulate Residence. You can’t tour the inside of the building but they have one room that explains a bit of history about the place.
Go to Aletheia University and Oxford College
Just around the corner. You can check Aletheia University.
We were walking the whole afternoon and we needed a break. We sit near the pond facing Oxford University. While sitting, it was nice seeing turtles in the pond.
Do not forget to try Turkish Ice Cream
Before going back to Taipei, we stopped by the Turkish Ice Cream store.
What do they do? They usually make you wait and trick you into having your ice cream.
It was really entertaining. I felt like I was a kid again. HAHA. You can check the video below how it went.
What else? Since we started in the afternoon, we weren’t able to explore some of Tamsui’s tourist spots. Here are some of the places you can visit.
Walk along Tamshui Fisherman’s Wharf
Tamshui Fisherman’s Wharf is a great spot to watch the sunset.
You can walk along the waterfront promenade, and enjoy the Tamsui River view of colorful boats in the harbor.
Cross the Lover’s Bridge
To cross the bridge you need to have a lover.
KIDDING!! Of course, you can go there with or without a lover.
Lover’s Bridge beautifully lights up during the night. You can enjoy the beautiful night scenery of Tamsui here.
Visit Yinshan Temple
Yinshan Temple is a bit far from all the locations mentioned above, but if you like temples, you can also visit this one.
Yinshan Temple, also known as Fuyou Temple, is a significant religious site. It’s one of the oldest temples in Tamsui, going back to the time when the Qing Dynasty started. It was originally built to honor Mazu, the Chinese goddess of the sea, and has since been expanded and renovated multiple times over the centuries.
Operating Hours: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM on weekdays, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM on weekends, (Closed on the first Monday of the month)
Go to Bali with Tamsui Ferry
You can take a ferry going to Bali, located on the other side of the river. From Tamsui, you can explore the other side.
Cost: Tamsui – Bali
Sailing time: 7~10 mins
Operating Hours: 07:00~20:00 on weekdays, 07:00~21:00 on weekends
Fare:
- One way:
- Adult NTD 23
- Child NTD 12
- Round trip:
- Adult NTD 45
- Child NTD 24
We had a short time but it was worthwhile. I hope you can check this side of Taiwan and enjoy Tamsui’s historical sights.
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Have you been to Tamsui? Share your experience with me and comment below.
