Pingxi district is one of our favorite places in Taiwan. It has plenty of wonderful waterfalls you can swim in (or jump into) and it’s super easy to get there!
HOW TO GET IN THE PINGXI DISTRICT?
From Taipei, take the MRT to Muzha MRT Station (brown line) and then the bus 795 towards Shifen.
You can also take the train to get there but we feel the bus is way easier to stop at all the waterfalls.
ITINERARY OF THE DAY
Lingjiao Waterfall -> Wanggu Waterfall-> Shifen Falls
TAIPEI – LINGJIAO WATERFALL
For a one day trip from Taipei, we suggest you leave early to get the most out of the day! Don’t forget to pack some snacks, lunch and water, for the day. Also take your swimming suit, towel, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent.
We suggest you leave Muzha around 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Take the bus 795 towards Shifen and stop at Tianzi (Lingjiao Station) bus stop to get to the Lingjiao Waterfall. It is a 10 to 15 minutes walk from the bus stop. Read this article about Lingjiao Waterfall to learn how to get to the waterfall.
If you need to pass by a 7-11 to get some snacks or drinks, get out of the bus at the previous stop (Pingxi Station) and then walk the way to the waterfall, it’s about 15 to 20 minutes from there. Note that the 7-11 at Pingxi is the last convenience store on the road.
Lingjiao is an awesome waterfall. It is big (+10 meters high). There are signs warning you against swimming in the water, but many people still swim and jump into the water. Please exercise extreme caution if you choose to swim. Don’t forget to first get into the water and check that nothing has fallen at the bottom of the waterfall! This is a cool and sunny spot where you can hang out and have lunch.
We suggest leaving the waterfall at about 2 p.m. to be able to finish the day’s itinerary.
LINGJIAO WATERFALL – WANGGU WATERFALL
To get from Lingjiao Waterfall to Wanggu Waterfall you don’t have to take the bus again, there is actually a trail, the Lingjiaoliao Trail. The trail takes about 30 min from one waterfall to the other.
The trailhead is at: 嶺腳寮登山步道 , 號, No. 27台車道 Pingxi District, New Taipei City, 226
To get to the trail head:
- Go back to the train station right after the bridge when you took right to reach Lingjiao, now go left
- Pass the railways then take the first small street to the right.
- Pass two small streets on your right
- After the second small street, pass 2 houses and the trailhead will be between the second and the third house. You will feel like you are entering the garden of the third house and the trail is not really well indicated but just keep going.
If you want to take the bus, you can read this article about the Wanggu Waterfall to know exactly how to get to the waterfall from the bus station.
At Wanggu you can enjoy the waterfall and swim as well. On the trail, there are actually several other waterfalls, you can go see and possibly swim in as well.
We suggest you leave Wanggu at 4:30 pm at the latest to have time to reach Shifen before the park closes.
WANGGU WATERFALL – SHIFEN WATERFALL
Take the 795 bus to Shifen to see this big waterfall! You can read this article to know how to get to the falls.
You cannot swim there but the waterfall is impressive and if you are in the neighborhood we think it is a nice spot to see.
The park closes at 6 p.m. and the latest park entry time is at 5:30 p.m. I recommend leaving Wanggu at 4:30 p.m. at the latest. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Shifen from the Qinahan bus stop, the bus stop closest to Wanggu. However, depending on the traffic, the time to Shifen can be longer.
PINGXI OLD STREET
After you leave Shifen, you can take the 795 back towards Taipei. To finish the day perfectly, we suggest you make a last stop at Pingxi. Walk into the Pingxi Old Street, have something to eat, and release a sky lantern.
Let us know how your day went 🙂 Or if you found some other waterfalls in the area:)