Yehliu Geopark is situated on the outskirts of Taipei, around an hour’s drive from the city. You can book the Yehliu, Shifen and Jiufen tour which includes transportation and entrance tickets for an easier trip.

Yehliu is a huge Geopark which has geological rock formations and fossils which were formed hundreds of years ago.

The formations are the result of sea erosion on softer rock layers, which results in a very spectacular view.

If you booked one of the tours, you will be asked to wait in front of the Ximen MRT station where you will see crowds of people waiting there since there are a few different tours on any given day.

Use your waiting time productively to plan what to do when you return later in the evening.

The journey 

Your bus will arrive with a guide who will explain the history of Yehliu Geopark and what to expect there. Listening to the stories will definitely have you excited to experience it as soon as possible.

The journey to Yehliu is a very nice drive. From Taipei, you will enter New Taipei City before navigating the hilly areas of the city.

The view along the bus route is very beautiful. Taiwan is indeed blessed to have such nice scenery and natural beauty.

Within the hour, you will arrive at the Geopark area, which is situated on the seaside. You will be prompted to get off the bus and walk to the entrance of Yehliu Geopark.

What visitors can expect 

Firstly, expect a very nice view of rock formations from the many viewing platforms at Yehliu.

Take note that 11.00 am and thereabouts are the peak hours to visit so do make allowance for the crowd. When you arrive, the place will normally be swarming with people and it will be scorching hot. It will be wise to pack an umbrella to shield you from the sun.

Nevertheless, the place is indeed very beautiful with spectacular views that compensate for the heat and crowd.

The star attraction is the Queen’s head. The guide will inform you that every year, the neck becomes thinner due to erosion and that one day, the head might actually fall off.

Apart from the famous Queen’s head, there are other formations which are just as magnificent, so do take your time to walk around and immerse yourself in the unique offerings here.

You are advised to walk from one formation to another and just enjoy the Mars-like view. Malaysia has no such natural formations so this amazing display will simply astonish you.

Tips for visiting Yehliu Geopark

• Go early. The earlier the better to avoid the peak hour crowds.
• Pack an umbrella. If you are visiting during the afternoon, the heat can be unforgiving.
• If the queue to the Queen’s head is long, simply walk on over to the other formations. They are all unique.
• If you arrive early, go straight ahead to the rock formation area. Climb on the platform to get a fantastic overview of the place.

Khai and wife Amira are Malaysian travel bloggers who blog at Kaki Jalans. Their travels have taken them to almost all the countries in Asean and five countries in Europe. They are still actively travelling and adding to this list.