An easy day trip from Taipei, one of Beitou’s ‘hottest’ spots to visit is Sulfur Valley Geothermal Recreation Area (also known as Liuhuanngu).
A short bus ride from Xinbeitou Station and located in the foothills of Yangmingshan National Park, Sulfur Valley is an active geothermal recreational area easily accessible by boardwalks plus several natural foot soak springs (which is very popular with the locals).
From the history to the Beitou public buses to get there, here is our guide to Sulfur Valley Recreational Area (Liuhuanngu) in Beitou, Taipei.
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You might like – Our things to do in Beitou guide >
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Sulfur Valley Beitou admission costs
Amazingly, it is free to visit Sulfur Valley in Beitou – there is no admission ticket required plus the sulfur springs foot hot springs are free to use too.
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Opening times
Sulfur Valley is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – however, the carpark and foot hot springs are generally open from 8am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays).
There is a small car park onsite plus toilets, foot hot springs and changing facilities.
Try this – top Taipei tours with Klook, Viator and Get Your Guide
Sulfur Valley vs Beitou Thermal Valley
There are two main geothermal areas in Beitou – this Sulfur Valley which is a little way out from downtown plus the more famous Thermal Valley.
The difference between the two sites is that given its downtown location near Beitou Park, Thermal Valley is a lot more popular and visited by thousands of people every day.
Sulfur Valley is much larger, has much more thermal activity and is a more rugged landscape – it isn’t as visually ‘pretty’ as Thermal Valley but it is a more interesting experience and the short bus ride or 30 to 40 minute walk is definitely worth it.
You might like – Our guide to Wulai, an easy day trip from Taipei full of natural hot springs and spas >
How to get to Sulfur Valley from Taipei / Beitou
Sulfur Valley is a short bus ride from Xinbeitou station or a 25 minute walk (mainly uphill) from the station – given the lack of sidewalks / pavements in certain sections and the busy road, we would strongly recommend getting the public bus.
To get to Sulfur Valley from Xinbeitou, take the S7, S26 or the S9 Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Beitou Zhuzi Lake bus to the Sulfur Valley / Mituo Temple stop which is located at the end of the Tatun Volcano area in Yangmingshan National Park – the journey only takes a few minutes.
The bus costs NT$15 one way (remember to use an EasyCard). You can either get off at the Mituou Temple stop but we’d recommend getting off at the next stop (Datong Home) so you can walk down the road first towards Sulfur Valley and get some good viewpoints from the higher location walking down the road towards the main entrance.
Also remember to hit the buzzer on the bus otherwise the bus driver might not stop – this is in fact how we discovered the amazing views walking back from the next stop!
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How to get to Beitou Sulfur Valley
To get to Beitou from Taipei, take the Taipei Metro (MRT) to Beitou MRT Station on the red Tamsui-Xinyi Line.
Once at Beitou Station, change platforms and jump on the Xinbeitou Line one stop to Xinbeitou MRT Station. The entire journey lasts less than 20 minutes so it is a very easy trip from Taipei.
The shuttle MRT train between Beitou and Xinbeitou is pretty unique – it has themed carriages with installations relating to Taiwan and Beitou, including a cute Bravo the Bear model that people love to pose with, plus a hot spring style carriage and an art gallery carriage.
Alternatively, if you’d rather do a tour to Beitou and Yangmingshan National Park, try these:
Beitou & Geothermal Valley, Yangmingshan & Yehliu one-day tour >
Beitou and Yangmingshan day tour from Taipei >
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Recommended Beitou Taipei accommodation and hotels
Budget ($)
On My Way – Taipei Hostel
Popular hostel located a few minutes walk to the Beitou hot spring area with a spacious common lounge area. Check rates and availability on booking.com, expedia.com, agoda.com or hotels.com
Luxury ($$$)
Hotel Double One
Elegant hotel with suites that include a balcony with hot spring bathtub. The hotel also provides a free shuttle bus to the MRT station. Check rates and availability on booking.com, expedia.com, agoda.com or hotels.com
Luxury ($$$)
The Gaia Hotel – Taipei
Elegant hotel with outdoor pool, hot spring, spa, 3 restaurants and free shuttle bus to the MRT station. Check rates and availability on booking.com, expedia.com, agoda.com or hotels.com
Arriving at Sulfur Valley
Literally the first thing that hits you as you arrive is the smell – strong sulfur smells (a bit like hot egg) wafts through the valley and it hits your nostrils with a punch. You soon get used to it – it reminds us of all the New Zealand geothermal attractions and towns like Rotorua and Hells Gate.
Depending on whether you get off at the Sulfur Springs / Mituo Temple bus stop or the higher Datong Home stop, there are several entrance points to the geothermal park – any is fine and just follow your nose (literally the sulfur smell lingers).
There is a boardwalk that follows the perimeter of the main geothermal lake area plus various viewing spots, benches and look-outs along the way. The main sulfur / geothermal areas are still very active and fenced off for good reason.
You might like – Our guide to Heping Island GeoPark in Keelung plus other things to do in Keelung
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History of Sulphur Valley
A very desolate and almost out of world experience, it kinda feels like walking around a barren planet when exploring Sulfur Valley (definitely a very different and more ‘natural’ experience than you’ll find at Beitou’s Thermal Valley).
This rocky landscape was created as a result of mining and geothermal activity – the production of sulfur in Taiwan is recorded as far back as the 1340s, when the Dutch occupied Taiwan and traded it with Chinese merchants; the Yangmingshan area was at the forefront of sulfur mining in the early days.
Historically, workers would boil oil into large pots and put in huge chunks of dry sulfur ore -they would then stir it with bamboo poles to separate the sulfur from the soil.
The separated sulfur was then packed into containers to solidify, producing sulfur blocks – these were traded and shopped around the world.
In recent years, the sulfur mines here have been removed due to the impact on the environment, high extraction costs and large amount of labor required to remove them.
The area is still alive with geothermal activity today and you’ll see continuous streams of steam or bubbling water – these are some hot springs you definitely don’t want to soak in!
Try this – Beitou & Geothermal Valley, Yangmingshan and Yehliu one-day tour >
Sulfur Valley foot hot springs
After you’ve explored Sulfur Valley or have arrived here after a long day of Yangmingshan National Park hikes, take off your boots and dip your toes in the Sulfur Valley hot springs.
They are free to use with several different pools available. We found them very busy when we visited on a weekday morning so expect huge crowds at the weekends.
The three best known Beitou foot hot springs are Fuxing Park and Quanyuan Park (both have clear blue sulfur springs) and this one in ‘Sulfur Valley’, famous for its more milky waters (classed as ‘white sulfur’ springs).
In Beitou, all certified hot springs fall into three categories – blue, white and iron sulfur springs – be sure to check for the red ‘Hot Spring Mark’ to ensure the spa you visit has been assessed for quality and hygiene.
The food hot spring rules are
- Please wash your feet before putting them in the foot hot springs
- No pets are allowed in the springs
- No eating or drinking in the hot springs
Check out these Taipei Hot springs and spa packages with Klook >
Sulfur Valley address
Quanyuan Road, Beitou District, Taipei City, 112.
Try this – Tamsui historic site & Beitou hot spring day tour from Taipei >
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