Tamsui District of New Taipei is famous for its delicious food and historical atmosphere. It is one of the most popular and well-known areas in all of Taiwan. Some local delicacies here include A-gei, iron eggs, fried squid, and other seafood. Historical places near here include Fort San Domingo, Hobe Fort, Tamsui Old Street, Bali Old Street, and the Shihsanhang archaeological site. There is plenty here to see and do for almost every kind of traveler.
🏯 Planning your trip to Taipei? 🏮
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: April to November when the temperatures are nice and the water is warm
- How to get there: Taiwan High Speed Railway and Inter-City Bus
- Best places to stay: Fullon Hotel or Hai Xia Your Home
- Book tours and activities in Taipei on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Background:
Tamsui Harbor was opened in 1860 during the Qing Dynasty as part of the Treaty of Tientsin which ended the Second Opium War. It was one of only eight ports in the entire Qing empire that was open to trade with the West. As a result, it became a focal point for trade in Taiwan. It was also the western terminus of the Danlan Old Trail, which was a network of roads and trails that sent tea and other goods from Yilan to Tamsui. It remained an important port until it started to silt during the 1900s and after the construction of Keelung Harbor.
There are also a number of important historical buildings in Tamsui such as Fort San Domingo, Hobe Fort, and others.
Recently there have been projects from the local government to improve tourism, such as widening roads and making a riverside walkway.
With the completion of the Red Line MRT with its terminus in 1997 right at the edge of Tamsui Old Street, Tamsui became an extremely popular destination for residents in greater Taipei and remains so today.
When to visit Tamsui?
In my opinion, the best weather in Tamsui is from March-May, and October-November, when the temperatures stay around 26 degrees Celsius and there is not as much rain.
Summers are also nice, with the most sunny weather, but also hot and rainy.
Winters can be cold (but not below freezing) and usually wet.
Overall, there is no wrong answer as to what time of year you should visit Tamsui. You will have a great time here at any time of year.
Hours:
Food stalls are open from roughly 11 AM to 8 PM.
Tours:
You can book a tour of Tamsui on KKday here, or Klook here.
You can book a tour of Taiwan’s North Coast on KKday here or Klook here.
Activities:
There are many activities available around Tamsui such as SUPing, Sand Bar Digging, Lover’s Tower, Sailing, Yachting, Horseback Riding, Happy Island Parent Child Gymnasium, and more on KKday here or Klook here.
Where to Stay:
We have stayed at and recommend Fullon Hotel, which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, Klook here, Trip.com, Kayak here, or Hotels.com here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
How to get around in Tamsui:
Taipei’s transportation system is convenient and safe. There are many options you can consider to get around in Taipei below:
By MRT/Danhai Light Rail: (Mass Rapid Transit, Metro train, subway) – Easily gets you around Taimsui. New stations will be added to the Danhai Rail line soon. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT from KKday here or Klook here. You can also book an MRT travel pass on KKday here or Klook here.
By Bus:
Buses can be tricky. Long-range buses such as Ubus and King Bus are easier to understand and cheaper than the local train. They can take you to the city center of every city throughout Taiwan and to remote tourist destinations. A long-range bus from Taipei to Kaohsiung is about 500 NT. You can also book tickets to travel to Shifen via inter-city bus on Kkday here. You can also book a Taipei Sightseeing: Hop On, Hop Off Open Top Bus on TripAdvisor here.
By Taxi: You can take short rides for about 150 NT, or hire a Taxi for a day for around 150 USD. You can also get a private charted car on KKday here or Klook here.
By Car:
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search KKday here or Klook here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Scooter:
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on KKday here or Klook here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
By Bicycle:
Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on KKday here or Klook here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here.
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here.
Below we have created a list of what we think are the best places to see near Tamsui.
Map:
Please see a map below of the places we will visit in this blog:
Let’s begin the guide! First stop…
Tamsui Old Street 淡水老街
You can also book a sailing experience on the Tamsui River on KKday here.
Check out our full guide to Tamsui Old Street here.
Bali Old Street 八里老街
You can also book a SUP/sand bar digging experience near Bali Old Street on KKday here.
You can also book a sailing experience on the Tamsui River on KKday here.
Check out our full guide to Bali Old Street here.
Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology 十三行博物館
You can book tickets for a discount on KKday here.
Check out our full guide to the museum here.
Fisherman’s Wharf 淡水漁人碼頭
You can also book tickets to Lover’s Tower, which has great 360-degree views of Fisherman’s Wharf on KKday here.
We have stayed at and recommend Fullon Hotel, which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, Klook here, Trip.com, Kayak here, or Hotels.com here).
Check out our full guide to Fisherman’s Wharf here.
Shalun Beach 沙崙海水浴場
You can also book a horse riding experience on KKday here or Klook here.
Check out our full blog on Shalun Beach here.
Haiweizi Beach 海尾仔
Check out our full guide to Haiweizi Beach here.
Fort San Domingo 紅毛城
You can book tickets to this fort and nearby historic sites on KKday here or Klook here.
Check out our full blog on Fort San Domingo here.
Former British Consulate Residence in Tamsui 淡水原英國領事館邸
You can book tickets to this building and nearby historic sites on KKday here or Klook here.
Check out our full blog on the former British Consulate here.
Hobe Fort 滬尾砲台
You can book tickets to this fort and nearby historic sites on KKday here or Klook here.
Check out our full guide to Hobe Fort here.
Tamsui Customs Officers’ Residence (Little White House) 淡水小白宮
You can book tickets to this fort and nearby historic sites on KKday here or Klook here.
Check out our full guide to the Little White House here.
Other Historical Places to Visit:
Because there are so many historical buildings in this area, I am just going to put them all in one blog. The rest of the blog is an introduction to the historical buildings around Aletheia University (真理大學).
Tamsui Presbyterian Church Grand Chapel 大禮拜堂
Hours:
Inside: by appointment only.
Outside: all day.
Price:
Free
How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 north from Taipei until you reach Tamsui. San Domingo Fort is past the old street on Highway 2, and Aletheia University and the chapel are right behind it. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the Chapel.
See the map above for reference.
Oxford College 牛津學堂
Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday 10AM-12AM, 1-4PM
Closed Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday.
Price:
Free
How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 north of Taipei until you reach Tamsui. San Domingo Fort is past the old street on Highway 2, and Aletheia University and Oxford College are right behind it. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the Chapel.
See the map above for reference.
A look inside:
Bok Su Lao (Reverend Building) 牧師樓
Hours:
10 AM to 7 PM
Closed Mondays.
Price:
150 NT per person (at least).
This means you must pay at least 150 NT for some coffee/snacks to see inside.
How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 north of Taipei until you reach Tamsui. San Domingo Fort is past the old street on Highway 2, and Aletheia University and Oxford College are right behind it. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the Chapel.
See the map above for reference.
The House of Maidens 姑娘樓
Hours:
Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM
Price:
Free
How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 north of Taipei until you reach Tamsui. San Domingo Fort is past the old street on Highway 2, and Aletheia University and Oxford College are right behind it. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the Chapel.
See the map above for reference.
Reverend Mackay’s Residence 馬傑故居
For a full biography on Reverend Mackay’s life, check out this article.
Hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 10 AM to 4PM.
Price:
Free
How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 north of Taipei until you reach Tamsui. San Domingo Fort is past the old street on Highway 2, and Aletheia University and Oxford College are right behind it. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the Chapel.
See the map above for reference.
Missionary House 教士會館
Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday, 11 AM to 5PM.
Free guided tours are available in the morning if booked in advance.
Price:
Free
How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 north of Taipei until you reach Tamsui. San Domingo Fort is past the old street on Highway 2, and Aletheia University and Oxford College are right behind it. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the Chapel.
See the map above for reference.
WujiTianyuan Temple 淡水無極天元宮
Wuji Tianyuan Temple may be the most popular place to see cherry blossoms in Taipei. Usually, there are lots of people and some traffic control. The best part about this place is being able to enjoy the views from the temple’s tower.
Check out our Taiwan cherry blossom guide here.
Address: No. 36, Section 3, Beixin Rd, Tamsui District, New Taipei City, 251
Blossom Times: February to March
Things we missed:
- SUPing
- Sand Bar Digging
- Horse Riding
- Lover’s Tower
- Sailing
- Yachting,
- Happy Island Parent Child Gymnasium
- Chi Po Lin Museum
and more on KKday here or Klook here.
There are many other historical buildings to see around Tamsui. I recommend that you go there, walk around, and discover the history there for yourself!
Be sure to check out our full guide to Taipei here.
Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here.
Check out our parents and children guide to Taipei here.
Check out our Taipei Night Market guide here.
Check out our Taipei Museum Guide here.
Check out our guide to the best beaches near Taipei here.
Check out our guide to the best day trips from Taipei here.
Check out our guide to Taipei’s Old Streets here.
You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
