One of the best things about living in Zhubei or Hsinchu City is how quickly you get out of it. From Jason's years in Zhubei, what we'd tell a friend moving here is to think in three rings: the city and the coast for weekday evenings, the low hills of Qionglin, Baoshan, Emei and Guanxi for a weekend morning, and the mountains for a full day or a weekend. Drive times here are our estimates from Zhubei HSR Station (高鐵新竹站) outside rush hour; weekday rush hour around the Science Park and Sunday afternoons on the mountain roads add a lot.
In the city and on the coast (20 minutes or so)
Shibajianshan (十八尖山) is Hsinchu City's everyday forest hill, about 1.7 km from Hsinchu TRA Station, and the Qingcaohu (青草湖) lake loop is flat enough for a pram. On the coast, the Seventeen Kilometer Coastline runs flat from Nanliao (南寮) to the Xiangshan Wetland (香山濕地) and beyond, with YouBike docks along it, and Zhubei has its own beach at Crescent Bay (新月沙灣) and the riverside paths of the Touqian River (頭前溪).
- Coast and bikesThe coast and cyclingThe 17 km coastline, Nanliao, the crab boardwalk, the Touqian River and Zhubei's beach.
- HikesHikes near Hsinchu and ZhubeiFrom Shibajianshan to Lion's Head Mountain, with lengths, trailheads and transport.
20 to 45 minutes out: the hill country
East and south of Zhubei, the Hakka townships have short, well-built trails: Feifengshan (飛鳳山) in Qionglin, about 20 minutes away; the Baoshan lake loop; the Emei Lake loop; and, a little farther, Lion's Head Mountain (獅頭山) on the Miaoli border, the best half-day hike near Hsinchu. This ring also has the registered campgrounds closest to Zhubei, in Xinfeng, Xinpu and Hengshan, and the old towns that make a day of it.
- CampingCamping in Hsinchu CountyHow it works, which campgrounds are on the legal register, booking and typhoons.
- Day tripNeiwan and the Neiwan LineThe old railway town at the foot of the mountains, by train or car.
- Day tripBeipu and EmeiBeipu Old Street, Emei Lake and Lion's Head Mountain.
- Day tripXinpu and GuanxiPersimmons, Hakka towns and the hills around them.
An hour or more: the high mountains
Jianshi (尖石) and Wufeng (五峰) are Hsinchu County's two mountain townships, home mainly to Atayal communities. Qingquan (清泉) in Wufeng, with Zhang Xueliang's former residence and the suspension bridges, is a full day trip at about 1 hour 15 minutes each way. Smangus (司馬庫斯) and its giant trees are 3 hours 30 minutes or more on narrow road and need a night. Roads here close after typhoons and landslides, so check before you go.
- MountainsJianshi and WufengSmangus, Yulao, Qingquan and Guanwu: realistic drive times, buses, road closures and visiting Atayal villages.
- Day tripsAll day tripsEverything within a day of Zhubei and Hsinchu City.
Good to know
- Almost everything outside the city is easiest by car or scooter. Where there's a bus, we say so on each page. → Buses, bikes and scooters
- October to April is the comfortable season. The northeast wind off the coast is strong in the dry months, and summer afternoons are hot and stormy. → Hsinchu's weather
- After a typhoon or heavy rain, give the mountain roads a day or two and check with the township office.
- Campgrounds are for families camping together. For organised holiday camps for children, see Hsinchu with kids.
→ Hikes · The coast · The mountains · Things to do in Hsinchu
Sources: the pages linked above, each with its own sources: Hsinchu City Government tourism (tourism.hccg.gov.tw), Hsinchu County tourism (travel.hsinchu.gov.tw), Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area (trimt-nsa.gov.tw), the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (recreation.forest.gov.tw), the Tourism Administration's national campground register (data.gov.tw) and Smangus (smangus.org). Drive times are our estimates. Checked November 2026.