Taipei sits on volcanic ground, and hot springs come up all around it. The short answer: for a soak by MRT, go to Beitou. For a soak with a river gorge and Atayal culture, go to Wulai. For free foot baths and a night away, go to Jiaoxi in Yilan. Jinshan and Wanli add the sea and a free public bathhouse, and Yangmingshan puts a hot spring stop on a mountain day. Here is how they compare.
- Closest Beitou, on the MRT Red Line branch to Xinbeitou (R22A)
- Free foot baths Jiaoxi (three in town) and Jinshan (Huanggang)
- Private rooms Beitou, Wulai and Jiaoxi hotels and bathhouses, many without an overnight stay
- Nude public baths separate men's and women's baths in Jiaoxi and Jinshan
Beitou: hot springs on the MRT
Beitou (北投) is in Beitou District, in the far north of Taipei City, at the foot of Yangmingshan. Taiwan's Tourism Administration lists three kinds of water here: green sulfur, white sulfur and iron. The sights line Beitou Park (北投公園) next to the station: the Hot Spring Museum in the 1913 bathhouse, and Thermal Valley, a steaming pool you look at from behind the railings but never touch.
- Getting there: MRT Red Line to Beitou (R22), then the branch line one stop to Xinbeitou (R22A).
- To soak: book a public bath or a private hot spring room at one of the hotels on the hillside above the park. Some offer soaks without an overnight stay. Prices and rules vary by hotel.
- The park's open-air public bath: the city's Beitou Park open-air hot spring bath (北投公園露天溫泉浴池) closed on 24 January 2025 to be rebuilt, with the work due to finish at the end of July 2026. At the end of October 2026, Taipei Travel still listed it as temporarily closed, so check before you plan around it.
- Time: half a day.
- Good for: a first soak, a short visit, an evening after a day in the city. → Beitou hot springs
Wulai: a hot spring river in the mountains
Wulai (烏來) is an Atayal village in Wulai District, New Taipei City, in a green gorge where two rivers meet. Its water is a clear, odorless sodium bicarbonate spring, long called a "beauty bath" in Taiwan. The town has spa hotels and bathhouses along the river.
- Getting there: MRT Green Line to Xindian (G01), 21 minutes and NT$30 from Taipei Main Station, then Xindian Bus 849 to Wulai, about every 10 to 15 minutes.
- To soak: day use at a hotel or bathhouse, where many rent private bath rooms (湯屋) for a set time, such as 60 or 90 minutes for two. Or stay the night at a hot spring hotel or B&B: book one registered with the tourism authorities.
- Not any more: the free open-air pools on the riverbank were demolished in May 2017. Don't plan on a free soak in the river.
- Time: half a day, or a full day with a long soak.
- Good for: a soak with a walk, the trolley, the waterfall and the Atayal Museum. → Wulai day trip
Jinshan and Wanli: hot springs by the sea
Jinshan (金山) and Wanli (萬里) are coastal districts of New Taipei City, on the Datun volcanic belt. New Taipei City lists four kinds of spring water here: sea-sand springs, sulfur springs, carbonated springs and iron springs. The best-known free soak is the Huanggang public bathhouse (磺港溫泉公共浴室) beside Huanggang Bridge in Jinshan, where the iron-rich water turns golden brown in the air.
- Getting there: MRT Red Line to Tamsui (R28), then the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 716 along the coast, with stops at Jinshan Old Street and the Jiatou hot spring area. From November to April the 716 runs only at weekends and on national holidays. Kuo-Kuang Bus 1815 also runs from Taipei to Jinshan along the freeway.
- To soak: Huanggang is free, with separate nude baths for men and women and an outdoor foot bath for everyone. We could not find its opening times on an official page, so check locally. The district office advises keeping soaks under 15 minutes.
- Gone for now: the old Jiatou public bath in Wanli was taken down at the end of 2025 after signs of ground subsidence, and the site is being replanned.
- Time: a full day with the coast; more if you stay over in Jinshan.
- Good for: a coast day with a soak at the end, and cold, windy winter days. → The north coast: Jinshan and Wanli
Jiaoxi: free foot baths in Yilan
Jiaoxi (礁溪) is a hot spring town in Yilan County, over the mountains east of Taipei. Its water is weakly alkaline sodium bicarbonate, about 50°C, clear and odorless, known as "beauty water" (美人湯). It has the most free soaking of any area on this page.
- Getting there: Kamalan Bus 1915 from Taipei Bus Station (NT$115) or Capital Bus 1572 from Taipei City Hall Bus Station (NT$103), through the Hsuehshan Tunnel. Or the train from Taipei Main Station to Jiaoxi Station, NT$181 on a local train or NT$281 on an express.
- Free: foot pools at Tangweigou Hot Spring Park (湯圍溝溫泉公園) and Jiaoxi Hot Spring Park (礁溪溫泉公園), and the Jiaoxi Hot Spring Landscape Plaza (礁溪溫泉地景廣場), open all day.
- Public baths: Tangwei Bath (湯圍風呂) in Tangweigou costs NT$80. The Forest Bath (森林風呂) in Jiaoxi Hot Spring Park is a Japanese-style public bath with separate nude baths for men and women, open 08:00 to 24:00.
- Overnight: plenty of hot spring hotels, if you want to soak twice without watching the clock.
- Time: a long day, or one night. Buses back to Taipei run until about 22:00 to 22:50.
- Good for: free foot baths, a slow day or a night away. → Jiaoxi day trip
Yangmingshan: a soak on a mountain day
Yangmingshan National Park spreads across Beitou and Shilin districts, on Taipei's northern edge, and shares Beitou's volcanic heat. The Tourism Administration lists white sulfur as its main spring water and green sulfur as the second. At Lengshuikeng (冷水坑), the water is about 40°C, cool by Yangmingshan standards, and milky white.
- Getting there: MRT Red Line to Jiantan (R15), bus Red 5 to the Yangmingshan bus terminal, then the 108 park loop to Lengshuikeng. The 108's last run is at 17:30.
- To soak: Lengshuikeng has public hot spring facilities in the park; check the park's website for the bath hours. The men's and women's public baths at Qianshan Park (前山公園) reopened in April 2025 after renovation. Taipei's Parks Office closes them on Monday afternoons for cleaning, on national holidays and on typhoon days. They have also closed when dry weather left the spring short of water, as in October 2023.
- Time: part of a day on the mountain.
- Good for: hikers who want a soak after the trail. For hotels and a longer soak, Beitou is at the foot of the mountain, and bus S9 links Zhuzihu with Beitou Station. → Yangmingshan
The five areas side by side
| Area | Where | Water | Without a car | Free soaking | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beitou | Beitou District, Taipei City | Green sulfur, white sulfur, iron | MRT to Xinbeitou (R22A) | None confirmed | Half a day |
| Wulai | Wulai District, New Taipei City | Sodium bicarbonate | MRT to Xindian (G01), bus 849 | None since 2017 | Half to a full day |
| Jinshan and Wanli | Jinshan and Wanli districts, New Taipei City | Sea-sand, sulfur, carbonated, iron | MRT to Tamsui (R28), bus 716; or bus 1815 | Huanggang bathhouse and foot bath | A full day |
| Jiaoxi | Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County | Weakly alkaline sodium bicarbonate | Bus 1915 or 1572, or the train | Three foot baths | A long day or one night |
| Yangmingshan | Beitou and Shilin districts, Taipei City | White sulfur, green sulfur | MRT to Jiantan (R15), bus Red 5 and 108 | Not confirmed | Part of a mountain day |
Public bath or private room?
- Public baths are the cheapest way to soak, and some are free. They come in two kinds: separate men's and women's baths, where everyone bathes nude, and mixed open-air pools, where you wear a swimsuit.
- Private bath rooms (湯屋) give you your own tub for a set time, such as 60 or 90 minutes for two in Wulai. They suit couples and families, and anyone who would rather not bathe in front of strangers. Hotels in Beitou, Wulai and Jiaoxi rent them, often without an overnight stay.
- Foot baths need no changing at all: roll up your trousers and bring a small towel.
Good to know: rules on swimwear differ from bath to bath. Nude means nude in a separate men's and women's bath; in a mixed or open-air pool, wear a swimsuit. If you are not sure, ask at the counter before you change.
Bathing etiquette
Taiwan's Tourism Administration sets out the basics:
- Shower first, in the changing room, before you get in. Remove makeup.
- Keep towels out of the water. Fold a small one on your head if you need it.
- Get in quietly. No splashing, no swimming, and don't stare at other bathers.
- Don't wash in the pool. No scrubbing, no washing your face or hair, and don't put your head under.
- Rinse between pools if you try more than one spring.
- No food and no pets in the bathing area, and take your rubbish with you.
- At foot baths, rinse your feet first, and keep feet with open cuts out of shared pools, as Jiaoxi Township asks.
Health and safety
- Keep soaks short. The Tourism Administration advises no more than 15 minutes at a time, and Jinshan's district office and Jiaoxi Township give the same advice.
- Not after drinking, on an empty stomach or straight after a big meal.
- Drink water before and after, and keep the water below heart level.
- Rest first after a long hike or hard exercise, and don't soak when you are short of sleep or worn out.
- Check with a doctor first if you have heart disease, lung disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or another circulation problem.
- Stay out with an infectious illness or during a period. Soaking is not advised for pregnant women, older people with mobility difficulties or children under three.
- Get out and tell the staff if you feel unwell.
- Watch the source water. Thermal Valley in Beitou and the steam vents on Yangmingshan are far too hot to touch, and Jiaoxi's foot pools refill with water at about 50°C: stay out while they fill.
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Sources: Water types, the Yangmingshan and Lengshuikeng water, and the etiquette and health advice from Taiwan's Tourism Administration hot spring site: New Beitou, Yangmingshan, Wulai, Jinshan-Wanli and Prepare. The Beitou Park bath rebuild from the Liberty Times (October 2025). The Jiatou public bath from Commercial Times (January 2026). The Qianshan Park baths from CNA (April 2025) and PTS (October 2023). Everything else from our pages on Beitou, Wulai, the north coast, Jiaoxi and Yangmingshan, where each fact is sourced. Checked October 2026.