Keelung Travel Guide – Best Places to See in the Harbor City 基隆旅遊指南

Brief Historical Background of Keelung:

Keelung formed as sediment under the ocean millions of years ago and was then uplifted thanks to the collision of the Eurasian and Philippine plates. The rocks have then been slowly eroded away by wind and water, creating odd shapes that you see today. You can see similar formations at Yehliu Geopark. 
What is now Keelung was once part of Basay aborigine lands. 
Keelung was first settled by the Spanish in 1626 because of the deep-watered Keelung Harbor. Their first settlement in what became their rule of northern Taiwan until they were defeated by the Dutch and left Taiwan in 1642 was on Heping Island. They built Fort San Salvador (聖薩爾瓦多城), which was destroyed and abandoned by the Dutch in 1668. The ruins of the fort were not confirmed to be found on the island until excavations in 2019.
In 1891, the first train connecting Keelung and Taipei was completed. During this time, the Qing Dynasty built many forts near Keelung in response to the Opium Wars and the Sino-French War. 
During the Japanese Era, the capital of Taiwan was moved to Taipei and a round-island railway was completed.
After WWII, as part of the White Terror Movement, on March 8th, 1947 KMT soldiers kidnapped and shot some of about 30 civilians on Sheliao island who were suspected enemy conspirators, known as the Sheliao Incident “社寮事件.” After this, the people on the island decided to change the island’s name to “Peace Island” or Heping Island in Chinese.
Keelung is now a popular daytime and weekend destination for many Taiwanese.

Basic Keelung Travel Tips:

There is no need to tip in Taiwan. It is not part of the culture here.
Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar, and many transactions such as for street food still require cash. For more information, check out our guide to the New Taiwan Dollar here. 
Get yourself a SIM card or portable WiFi such as from Gigago hereso you can stay connected and don’t get lost in the city.
If you are from a country that does not have a 90-day visa-free program with Taiwan, consider getting your visa sorted with Ivisa.com. You can also check out our immigration FAQ here. 
Get travel insurance in case of unforeseen events. You can compare prices on Insubuy here. 
The electrical voltage is 110V.
Get yourself an Easy Card, so you can travel easily on the MRT, Train, HSR, Youbike, and even shop at convenience stores. You can also book a Taiwan travel pass on Klook here. 
For more travel tips, check out our foreigner survival guide here. 

When should you go to Keelung?

In my opinion, the best weather in Keelung 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 Keelung. You will have a great time here at any time of year. 

Where to Stay in Keelung:

We recommend Just Live Inn-Keelung and Yung Feng Hotel, which are two great quality hotels for a reasonable price in Keelung’s City Center.
You can book Just Live Inn-Keelung on Booking.com here, Agoda here, Klook here, Hotels.com here, Trip.com here, or Kayak here. 
You can book Yung Feng Hotel on Booking.com here, Agoda here, Hotels.com here, Trip.com here, Klook here, or Kayak 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.

Tours Around Keelung:

There are many tour itineraries that you can enjoy in Keelung that will take you to multiple destinations and arrange transportation. For more information, you can check out Tripadvisor here, KKday here or Klook here, which are both great tour websites that can connect you with the right tour and tour guide for you. 
Here are some of the most popular tours of Taipei on Tripadvisor:

1. Private Keelung Island and Heping Island Park Day Tour from Taipei
2. 1Full-Day Private Custom Keelung Shore Excursions
3. Keelung Shore Excursion, Jiufen and Shifen
4. Keelung Shore Excursion Private Custom Taipei 8-Hour Tour English-Speaking Guide
5. Keelung Port Shore Private Customized Tour

Attractions Around Keelung:

There are many attractions that you can enjoy in Keelung such as Heping Island Park, Miaokou Night Market, Chaojing Smart Aquarium, Kanziding Fish Market, National Museum of Marine Science and Biology,  Yehliu Ocean World, Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Elephant Trunk Rock, Ju Ming Museum, New Taipei Gold Museum, Bat Cave, Candlestick Islet,  and many more attractions on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

Activities in Keelung:

Don’t forget that there are many activities available in Keelung such as Yachting, Fishing, Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking,  River Tracing / Canyoneering, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Shen’ao Rail Bike, Night Fishing, Instagram Tour, Metaverse VR experience, Seaside Picnic, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

How to Get Around in Keelung:

How to get around in Keelung:
Keelung’s transportation system is convenient and safe. There are many options you can consider to get around in Keelung below:
By Train: Gets you to the city center of all major cities in Taiwan. It is about 800NT to get from Taipei to Kaohsiung. Roughly half the price of the HSR. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
By Bus: Long-range buses such as Ubus and King Bus are easier to understand and cheaper than the local train. You can book tickets to travel to Keelung via inter-city bus on Klook 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 search for private chartered cars on KKDay here. 
By Car: If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
By Scooter: Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? Search KKday here 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 bike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. ​
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 

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Lovers Lake is a small lake a recreation area in Anle District of Keelung City. It has some easy trails, bridges, and a tower that looks over the area. The lake trails also connect to Dawulun Fort. Overall it is a nice scenic spot for a day trip in Northern Taiwan…(read more).

You can book a hiking tour of Lover’s Lake on KKday here.

​Check out our full blog on Lover’s Lake here. ​

Lover’s Tower 情人塔

 

 

Shen’ao Railbike 深奧鐵道自行車

Shen Ao Railbike is a short bicycle ride on an old Railway line on the coast of Ruifang, New Taipei. Visitors are seated two people per bicycle car, which has a roof and great views of the ocean scenery nearby. Overall it is a fun adventure for the whole family…(read more)
You can book tickets to Shen Ao Railbike for a discount on KKday here.

Bat Cave (Ruifang)

Bat Cave (Bianfudong) is a small cave along the northern coast in Ruifang District of New Taipei. We did not see bats or the Batmann while here, but it was still fun to visit. The coastline here is also popular for snorkeling.

Waimushan Natural Swimming Pool

The ocean water swimming pool at Waimushan in Keelung, a local’s secret paradise. Here you can swim in a man-made ocean water pool, or swim and snorkel in the open ocean. There are also showers here.

Wudu Railway Tunnel 堵鐵路隧道

Wudu Railway Tunnel in Keelung was constructed by the Japanese in 1899 and has now been converted into a cycling tunnel. I happened to come across two Japanese cyclists while I was there.

Buddha Hand Cave (Foshoudong)

View from Buddha Hand Cave (Foshoudong) in Keelung. This cave has been turned into a Buddhist temple with statues and carvings throughout the cave.

Junde Suspension Bridge 俊德吊橋

Junde Suspension Bridge in Qidu District of Keelung spans the Keelung River, which dates back to 1931. Now the area is a popular cycling and jogging spot.

Shigongtan 石公潭

Shigongtan (literally stone Grandpa Lake) 石公潭 in Qidu District of Keelung City is a secret swimming hole where swimming is officially banned but the rule was obviously meant to be broken. It’s a great place to escape the summer’s scorching heat.

Some places we missed:​

• Kanziding Fish Market 崁仔頂漁市
• Sino-French War Memorial Park 清法戰爭紀念園區
• Keelung Fort Commander’s Official Residence 要塞司令官邸
• Keelung Zhengbin old Fishermen’s Association Building 基隆正濱舊漁會大樓
• Keelung Fort Commander’s Official Residence 要塞司令官邸
•  Qiuzishan Lighthouse 球子山燈塔
•  Huzishan Keelung Landmark 虎仔山基隆地標
• Longmu well 和平島龍目井
•  i OCEAN 潮境智能海洋館
•  Hongdan Shan 紅淡山
•  Sijiaoting Fort 四腳亭砲台
•  Niuchouling Battery Relics 牛稠嶺砲臺遺跡
•  Gangziliao Fort 槓子寮砲臺
• Shiqiuling Fort 獅球嶺砲臺
• Sheliao East Fort 社寮東砲台
•  Todos Los Santos church foundations 西班牙諸聖教堂考古遺址
• …and many many more places for you to discover!

This guide is still a work in progress. For more blogs on Keelung, check out our category tab here. 
Don’t forget that there are many activities available in Keelung such as Yachting, Fishing, Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking,  River Tracing / Canyoneering, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Shen’ao Rail Bike, Night Fishing, Instagram Tour, Metaverse VR experience, Seaside Picnic, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 
Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here.
Also, be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.