Yehliu is a cape of wind-carved rock an hour from Taipei: mushroom stones, honeycomb shelves, and the Queen’s Head, whose famously thinning neck makes every visit possibly among its last. Entry is NT$120, hours 08:00-17:00, and the direct route is bus 1815 from Taipei City Hall (about NT$96, every 15-20 minutes). Go early or late to dodge the tour-bus block, bring sun cover because the cape has none, and pair it with Keelung’s night market for the full day.
Yehliu Geopark protects a limestone cape that the sea and wind have carved into a sculpture garden: hundreds of “mushroom rocks” on eroded stems, candle-shaped cones, and shelves patterned like honeycomb. It’s the best pure geology within reach of Taipei, and its fame rests on one formation with a profile like Nefertiti.
Tickets, hours, access
Entry is NT$120 (half for children), hours 08:00-17:00 with occasional summer extensions. The direct bus is Kuo-Kuang 1815 from Taipei City Hall Bus Station (it also boards at Zhongxiao Dunhua): about NT$96 and 60-90 minutes depending on traffic, running every 15-20 minutes. From Keelung, local buses cover the 25-30 minutes to the park, which is what makes the Miaokou night market pairing natural.
Crowd math: tour groups stack up mid-morning through mid-afternoon. Arriving at opening, or after 15:00, halves the density around the famous rocks and turns the boardwalk from queue to walk.
The Queen’s Head, on deadline
The park’s icon is eroding at the neck, visibly thinner than in old photos, and geologists have said for years that a strong typhoon or earthquake could take it. It’s roped off (touching any formation is banned and enforced), the park promotes understudies like the “Princess” rock, and a replica stands for the queue-averse. None of this is a reason to skip Yehliu; it’s a reason not to postpone it. The photo line at the Queen’s Head runs long at peak; the rest of the cape, including the wave-cut platforms out toward the lighthouse, is often nearly empty.
Visit shape and warnings
Ninety minutes to two hours covers the three zones without rushing: mushroom rocks up front, the Queen’s Head cluster mid-park, and the longer headland walk beyond for the coastline itself. The cape is treeless and shadeless, brutal in summer sun and dramatic in wind; red-line markings along the seaward edge are the do-not-cross boundary, and rogue waves here have killed people who ignored them. In typhoon or big-swell conditions the park closes sections or entirely, and you should want it to.
The neighboring fishing harbor does seafood lunches if you’re making a day of the coast; otherwise the move is onward to Keelung for the temple-mouth eating, or looping Yehliu into a north-coast day as our day-trips comparison maps out (the Jiufen-Shifen-Yehliu triple is doable but bus-heavy; Yehliu deserves better than a 40-minute checkbox stop).
FAQ
How much is Yehliu Geopark and when is it open?
NT$120 for adults, open 08:00-17:00 daily, with summer-evening extensions some years. Budget 90 minutes to two hours inside.
How do I get to Yehliu from Taipei?
Bus 1815 from Taipei City Hall Bus Station, about NT$96 and 60-90 minutes, every 15-20 minutes. From Keelung it’s a 25-30 minute local bus.
Is the Queen’s Head still standing?
Yes as of this check, with a neck that thins measurably each decade. It’s roped off, a replica exists for photos, and the honest advice is to see it sooner rather than later.
Can I combine Yehliu with Jiufen or Keelung in one day?
Keelung is the natural pair (30 minutes apart, night market finish). Adding Jiufen too makes the classic but bus-heavy triple; it works with an early start and firm timings, as our day-trips guide details.
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Prices, schedules and closures change. If you spot something stale, email us and we’ll check it.