Taipei Hot Spring Festival: More Than Just Soaking — Don’t Miss These 7 Must-Visit Spots in Beitou

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

This year marks the 16th edition of the Taipei Hot Spring Festival, which will be held from October 19 to 23 on Qixing Street next to Xinbeitou MRT Station. This year’s event features a special parent-child hot spring splashing area, a wish plaque zone, and a food snack zone. The festival also specially created a blessing hot spring palanquin parade that combines child-sized shrine floats and international mascots for a lively street procession. There will also be a nostalgic Nangka music battle and a yukata design competition that evoke memories of Beitou’s cultural heritage. But beyond just soaking in the springs, why not explore other spots around Beitou? Here are seven recommended attractions where visitors can experience the charm of Taiwan’s No. 1 hot spring destination.

1. Open-Air Hot Springs at Qingshui Park
The open-air hot spring bathing area by the Beitou Creek has six hot spring pools where visitors can soak in the steaming thermal waters. Additionally, foot soaking areas have been set up in the stream near the big banyan tree area downstream of Yinxing Bridge, allowing you to immerse your body in the hot spring while feeling a gentle breeze on your face, listening to the sounds of wind, rustling leaves, flowing water, birdsong, and insect chirps—quietly enjoying nature’s symphony and the gifts of the earth.

Address: No. 6, Zhongshan Road, Beitou District
Opening Hours:
05:30–07:30 (First Session)
08:00–10:00 (Second Session)
10:30–13:00 (Third Session)
13:30–16:00 (Fourth Session)
16:30–19:00 (Fifth Session)
19:30–22:00 (Sixth Session)

2. Hot Spring Museum
The Beitou Hot Spring Bathhouse was built in 1913 by the Taipei Prefecture, modeled after the Izu-Yugashima Hot Springs in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was a renowned public bathhouse during the Japanese colonial period. The first floor houses large and small baths with blue sulfur springs, and the second floor features...  
Address: No. 2, Zhongshan Road, Beitou District, Taipei City

3. Taipei Public Library – Beitou Branch
Aside from being a famous hot spring destination, Beitou is also home to Taiwan’s first green building library. This unique library is located within the lush and ecologically rich Beitou Park, right next to the Hot Spring Museum. The library has been awarded a candidate certificate for nine major green building indicators. The entire building features large floor-to-ceiling windows that make ample use of natural light and skillfully incorporate views of nature.
 
Address: No. 251, Guangming Road, Beitou District, Taipei City

4. Beitou Hot Springs Valley (Geothermal Valley)
Beitou Hot Springs Valley is located in a valley basin at the left end of Zhongshan Road near Xinbeitou Park. Once known as the “Jade Mist of Sulfur Springs,” it earned the eerie nickname Zigokutani (meaning “Valley Resembling Hell”) in Japanese due to the year-round sulfur vapor that conjured images of a terrifying underworld. Locals refer to it as “Sulfur Water Head,” but because people occasionally slipped on the soft, marshy ground at the bottom and suffered burns or worse, it is more commonly called “Hell Valley.”
 
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 – 17:00