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Voykit pocket guide · Taiwan
Keelung
基隆
Go as a Taipei day trip or one night, not a base: 35–45 min by train, eat at Miaokou night market, walk the harbour, leave before the last train.
Keelung is Taiwan's northern port city, 25 km from Taipei, and it works best as a food-and-harbour stop rather than a multi-day destination. The downtown is small enough to walk, the night market is the main draw, and the forts, Heping Island and the marine museum fill a second day if you sleep over. Most travellers come from Taipei and return the same evening.
- Country
- Taiwan
- Local name
- 基隆
- Best months
- Oct–Dec, Mar–Apr
- Avoid
- Jul–Sep (typhoon season, heavy rain), Lunar New Year
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TWD
- Money
- Night markets, breakfast shops and many small restaurants take cash only; carry NT$1,000–2,000 in small notes.
- Daily spend
- Budget NT$900–1,500 excl. bed · Mid NT$1,500–2,800 excl. bed · High NT$2,800+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at TPE and KHH arrivals; a passport plus a second photo ID is required (check).
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 110 V · 60 Hz · US and Japanese plugs fit; European, UK and Australian plugs need an adapter, and 220 V-only appliances need a converter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; a 10% service charge appears in many sit-down places and hotels.; Taxis: No tip; round up if you like.; Hotel porter: Not expected; NT$100 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not required; NT$200–500 a day or a meal is a thank-you.
- Water
- Treated at source, but locals boil or filter it. Filtered hot-and-cold dispensers are in stations, hotels and many public buildings; bottles cost NT$20–30.
- Toilets
- Free, clean toilets in every MRT station, convenience stores and department stores; paper goes in the toilet in most new buildings — follow the sign.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Night-market snack (oyster omelet, fish-ball soup) | NT$60–120 |
| Seafood meal at Heping Island | NT$400–900 per person |
| Coffee or bubble tea | NT$50–120 |
| City bus ride | NT$15–30 |
| Taxi across downtown | NT$150–250 |
| Marine museum main exhibition, adult | NT$200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TPE · Taiwan Taoyuan International
- No direct rail link to Keelung; bus or MRT to Taipei, then TRA train to Keelung, about 1 h 30 min door to door
- TSA · Taipei Songshan
- Closer to Taipei Main Station; train to Keelung from there, about 45 min plus transfer
Typical fares
- TRA Taipei → Keelung
- about NT$50, 35–45 min
- Bus 103 Keelung station → Haikeguan
- about NT$30, 40 min
- Taxi Keelung station → Miaokou
- NT$150–200
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The downtown is walkable: Keelung station to Miaokou night market is about 10–15 min on foot. City buses (101, 103) run from the station to Heping Island, Ershawan Fort and the marine museum; use an EasyCard. Taxis are cheap for short hops. Trains along the coast reach Ruifang and the Shen'ao line for the museum.
See and do
Known for
- Miaokou Night Market
- Keelung Harbour
- Heping Island geopark coast
- Qing-era harbour forts
- Zhengbin Fishing Port
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Taipei | TRA commuter train from Keelung station, every 15–20 min | About 45–55 min |
| Jiufen and the northeast coast | Train to Ruifang, then bus 788 or a taxi up the hill | About 1 h 15 min |
| National Museum of Marine Science and Technology | Bus 103 from Keelung station to Haikeguan, or the Shen'ao line from Ruifang | About 40–50 min |
| Yehliu Geopark | Bus from Keelung station along the north coast | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Downtown / Miaokou area (Ren-ai District)
- Walk to the night market, harbour and Keelung station; the practical choice for one night.
- Keelung Station area
- Train and bus access; 10–15 min walk to the night market.
- Heping Island / Zhengbin
- Coastal side, quieter, needs a bus or taxi to the centre; good if you want the sea and seafood.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 不好意思bu hao yi si |
| Thank you | 謝謝xie xie |
| This one, please | 這個，謝謝zhe ge, xie xie |
| How much is it? | 多少錢？duo shao qian |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡嗎？ke yi shua ka ma |
| Where is the toilet? | 廁所在哪裡？ce suo zai na li |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A nod or light handshake; 'nǐ hǎo'; avoid: Hugs with new acquaintances
- Handing things: Two hands for cards, gifts and money; avoid: Tossing money on the counter
- Gifts: Fruit or a boxed sweet for hosts; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, pears and anything in fours — they sound like death or parting
- MRT: Queue at the markings, give up priority seats; avoid: Eating, drinking or chewing gum past the gates
- Temples: Enter right, exit left; one or three sticks of incense; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; pointing at deities
- Home visit: Shoes off; slippers provided; avoid: Writing names in red ink
- Sensitive topics: Follow your host's lead; many people hold a range of views on identity and cross-strait ties; avoid: Assuming everyone thinks the same about China or the ROC's status
Scams and watch-outs
- Not every northbound train stops at Keelung: many branch at Badu for the east coast. Board only trains showing Keelung as the terminus.
- Keelung is one of the wettest cities in Taiwan; carry a rain shell year-round.
- Typhoon season runs roughly Jul–Sep; check warnings before coastal walks.
- The Xiamen and Yuhuan ferry has been suspended indefinitely; do not plan around it.
- Miaokou is busiest after 18:00; some stalls close on Mondays.
Keelung is a safe city by day and night; the real risks are wet, slippery harbour and fort paths, scooters on crossings, and typhoon weather in late summer. Watch your bag in the night-market crush.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Keelung yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Miaokou Night Market
- Keelung Harbour
- Heping Island geopark coast
- Qing-era harbour forts
- Zhengbin Fishing Port
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Keelung City Government: www.klcg.gov.tw/en/Default/Index
- Taiwan Railways Administration: www.railway.gov.tw/tra-tip-web/tip
- National Museum of Marine Science and Technology: www.nmmst.gov.tw/enhtml/index.aspx
- Yaima Line (Keelung–Ishigaki ferry): yaimaline.com/en/
- Wikivoyage: Keelung, revision 5319876 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5319876
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Keelung基隆
請到這個地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Keelung; most are in Taipei. The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) is in Taipei (check the address).
Keelung is wet and hilly; pack a rain shell and shoes with grip.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/keelung). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.