If you only do one, make it Neiwan by train: it's the one day trip that works as well without a car as with one. Beipu is the better choice for history and lei cha, and Xinpu in persimmon season (autumn into winter) is the one to plan the calendar around. All three are Hakka towns in the foothills southeast of Zhubei, and from Jason's years in Zhubei we'd say the same thing to anyone: go on a Saturday morning, early, and be heading home before the mid-afternoon traffic.
- Starting points Times below start from HSR Hsinchu Station in Zhubei (高鐵新竹站) or TRA Hsinchu Station in the city centre (新竹火車站).
- Drive times Our estimates, outside rush hour. Weekend traffic into Neiwan and out of the hills on Sunday afternoon can add a lot.
- Train and bus times From the Taiwan Railway and Taiwan Tourist Shuttle timetables for November 2026. They change: check before you go.
| Trip | By car from Zhubei HSR | Without a car | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neiwan | About 20 km, 30 to 40 minutes | TRA Neiwan Line from Zhuzhong, 42 minutes | Train ride, old street, Hakka snacks |
| Beipu and Emei | About 18 km to Beipu, 30 minutes | 5700 Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, about 40 minutes | Historic buildings, lei cha, an easy lake walk |
| Xinpu and Guanxi | About 8 km to Xinpu, 15 to 20 minutes | Hard without a car, except Leofoo on weekends | Persimmons (autumn), Yimin Temple, Leofoo Village |
| The mountains | Two hours and more, mountain roads | Not practical | Jianshi and Wufeng, an overnight |
Neiwan and the Neiwan Line
A little branch line runs from Zhuzhong up the valley to Neiwan (內灣), a former logging and mining village with an old street of snack shops. The train is the point: about every hour on a Saturday, 42 minutes from Zhuzhong, NT$43 one way in the November 2026 timetable. Change at Zhuzhong from the Liujia Line, which stops next to the HSR station. → Neiwan by train
Beipu, Emei and Lion's Head Mountain
Beipu (北埔) is one of the best-kept Hakka old towns in the county, built around a temple and the Jinguang Fu (金廣福) house, a national monument. Emei Lake is next door, and Lion's Head Mountain, with its temples on the hillside, is at the end of the same road. The Lion's Head Mountain line of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle runs there from Zhubei and the HSR station. → Beipu, Emei and Lion's Head Mountain
Xinpu and Guanxi
North and east of Zhubei, Xinpu (新埔) is persimmon country: from about September to January, the farms dry trays of orange fruit in the wind. It's also home to the Yimin Temple, the centre of the county's biggest festival. Guanxi (關西), further east, has a red-brick old street, Taiwan's largest grass jelly (仙草) fields and Leofoo Village Theme Park. → Xinpu and Guanxi
The mountains: Jianshi and Wufeng
Beyond Neiwan, the roads climb into the Atayal and Saisiyat mountain townships of Jianshi (尖石) and Wufeng (五峰). These are long drives on narrow mountain roads, better as an overnight than a day trip. → The mountains
A bit further: Nanzhuang, Sanyi and Daxi
Three places just over the county line, each an easy day by public transport. We don't cover them in depth, so here are the verified basics.
- Nanzhuang (南庄), Miaoli. A Hakka and Saisiyat mountain town with an old street. The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Nanzhuang line runs from the east exit of TRA Zhunan Station (竹南) to the Nanzhuang Visitor Center, about 45 minutes, with a NT$150 day pass; it also stops at the Miaoli side of Lion's Head Mountain. Zhunan is 19 minutes south of Hsinchu Station by TRA local train.
- Sanyi (三義), Miaoli. The woodcarving town on the old mountain line. TRA local trains from Hsinchu Station take 52 to 59 minutes and cost NT$113 one way (November 2026).
- Daxi (大溪), Taoyuan. An old river-port town known for its dried tofu (豆干) and its old street. The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 501 Daxi Express runs daily from HSR Taoyuan Station (platform 9) to Daxi Old Street, about 40 minutes, and on to Cihu; the day pass is NT$130. Hsinchu HSR to Taoyuan HSR is one stop.
Good to know: the three Taiwan Tourist Shuttle lines on this page take EasyCard and iPASS, and each sells a day pass for unlimited rides on the line. Timetables are on taiwantrip.com.tw.
→ A weekend in Hsinchu · Short hikes near the city · Trains around Hsinchu · Things to do in the city
Sources: Taiwan Railway timetable and fares (Saturday 7 November 2026 queries); Taiwan Tourist Shuttle: Lion's Head Mountain line 5700, Nanzhuang line and Daxi Express, routes, fares and timetables; Hsinchu County tourism site; THSR, Hsinchu Station transfers. Drive distances and times are our estimates from a routing service, without traffic. Checked November 2026.