Keelung Travel Guide 2026: 7 Must-See Spots, 3 Self-Drive Day Routes & Parking Tips

📋 What's in this guide

• 🚗 Why driving is the best way to see Keelung
• 📍 Getting to Keelung and where to pick up a car (cruise port, train, Taipei)
• 💰 What it costs and which car to choose
• 🏞️ 7 must-see spots — food, family and photo stops
• 🗺️ 3 one-day routes (classic / family / food and cafés) plus a cruise port-day plan
• 🅿️ Driving tips, parking and weather
• ❓ FAQ — 8 quick answers

✅ Driving vs public transport

• ⏰ Your own schedule — Keelung's sights are spread out and some bus routes run infrequently; with a car you set the pace
• 🌊 The coast road — the Waimushan seaside road and the Badouzi coast are best enjoyed when you can pull over at any lookout
• ☔ Rain-proof plans — Keelung is one of Taiwan's rainiest cities; with a car you can switch to indoor stops instead of waiting for a bus in the rain
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Easier with kids or grandparents — no carrying bags onto crowded buses
• 🧭 Simple navigation — Google Maps on your phone takes you straight to each car park; download an offline map of Keelung before you set off in case the signal drops along the coast

🧳 How travellers usually arrive

• 🚢 By cruise ship — ships berth at Keelung Port in the city centre, close to Keelung Railway Station. Check which terminal your ship uses and allow time to walk to the pickup car park
• 🚆 By train from Taipei — Taiwan Railway (TRA) trains run from Taipei Main Station to Keelung Station throughout the day, usually in under an hour
• 🚗 Driving from Taipei — 45 minutes to an hour on National Freeway No. 1 or No. 3, longer at weekends and in rush hour

🔑 Pickup options for a Keelung trip

• Keelung Railway Station (基隆車站) — self-service pickup and return in a car park at the station, bookable online 00:00–23:55. Address: No. 5, Gangxi St, Ren'ai District, Keelung City. Phone: +886 2-2995-7700. Trucks are not available here
• Taipei Main Station store (台北車站店) — staffed store open 09:00–21:00, good if you'd like someone to walk you through the car first; to pick up or return outside those hours, call the store first and they will arrange it. No. 19, Lane 26, Sec. 1, Chongqing N. Rd, Datong District, Taipei. Phone: +886 2-2550-2200. See our Taipei Main Station pickup guide
• Nangang Station (南港車站) — self-service car-park pickup on the east side of Taipei, bookable 00:00–23:55; handy if you're staying in eastern Taipei. Phone: +886 2-2749-1155

🧾 Before you go: booking and documents

• 📝 Book ahead: online bookings must be made 12–24 hours before pickup, depending on the location (the booking page shows the cut-off). For a last-minute rental, call the branch or message it on WhatsApp
• 🪪 Documents: foreign visitors need a passport, a home-country driving licence and an International Driving Permit — check which countries need an IDP and how to get one. Japanese licence holders bring their licence plus an official Chinese translation instead. You'll also need a credit card in your name
• 📤 Online first: upload your documents and complete payment and the e-contract online before pickup; your order notice tells you exactly where the car is parked
• 🔑 At a self-service station: the key is waiting in the car (the passenger-side glovebox in our self-service process) — photograph the car all round before you drive off. Step-by-step: self-service pickup and return guide

🚗 Starting at the harbour?

Book a car at Keelung Railway Station — choose your dates and see the live price for each car type.

Book a Keelung Station pickup

🚘 Car types and daily rates

• 🔹 Economy (New Vios, New Yaris or similar): from NT$1,199 a day on weekdays and NT$1,399 on weekends and holidays (actual prices vary by pickup location and date — check the live quote on our website) → ideal for one or two people, and small enough to park easily
• 🔹 SUV (Yaris Cross): see the live quote on our website → higher seating and a better view on Keelung's hilly roads
• 🔹 7–9 seaters (Toyota Wish, Luxgen M7, Hyundai Staria, Hyundai Starex): see the live quote on our website → room for families and small groups

The models you can book at Keelung Station on your dates are shown on the booking page.

🧮 What else you pay

• ⛽ Fuel charge (fuel included): charged per kilometre driven. Every car comes with a dedicated GoodCars fuel card — pay at the pump with the card, so you never pay for fuel yourself and don't need to refill before returning. See how the fuel charge and fuel card work
• 🛣️ Freeway tolls (ETC): every car has an eTag; tolls for rental cars are charged at a single rate of NT$1.2 per km and settled when you return the car. More in our Taiwan ETC toll guide
• 🅿️ Parking: most Keelung sights have paid car parks — see the list further down and our guide to parking in Taiwan
• 👶 Add-ons: child car seats and an additional driver can be added; fees are shown on the booking page or available from the branch

💡 Money-saving tips

• Weekends and long holidays book up fast — book early online for the best choice of cars
• Prices vary by date, car type and pickup point — check the live quote, and try a few dates if your plans are flexible
• The longer you rent, the lower the average daily rate, and long-term and monthly rentals have special plans — ask the branch

🏆 Top 5 things to eat

• Dingbiancuo (鼎邊銼) — chewy rice-batter noodles cooked on the side of the wok, served in a flavourful broth; Miaokou's signature dish
• Keelung tempura (天婦羅) — golden fried fish cake, crisp outside and soft inside, a Japanese-influenced local favourite
• Butter crab (奶油螃蟹) — fresh crab in a rich butter sauce; worth the queue
• Paopao ice (泡泡冰) — old-school whipped shaved ice in many flavours
• Pork knuckle + four-herb soup (豬腳＋四神湯) — a classic Taiwanese comfort combination

📌 Best time: after 4 pm, when all the stalls are open and busiest
🅿️ Parking: car parks around Xin 2nd Rd (信二路) and Ai 3rd Rd (愛三路), about 3 minutes' walk from the market

⭐ Highlights

• Alabao Bay (阿拉寶灣) — a clear cove on the island; it's a controlled area that the regular park ticket doesn't cover, so check the park's official website for access
• Seawater pools — open in summer and a favourite with kids
• Geology trail — barrier-free sections suitable for strollers and wheelchairs
• Lookout platforms — views over the harbour entrance and the north coast

🕐 Hours: 08:00–19:00 (May–October), 08:00–18:00 (November–April)
🎫 Tickets: NT$120 for adults, NT$60 concessions, free for children under 6 (park's official website, September 2026)
🅿️ Parking: large on-site car park with 500+ spaces, about NT$50

📸 What to do

• Photograph the painted houses across the water (the morning light is best)
• Walk to the nearby Agenna Shipyard ruins (阿根納造船廠遺構), an atmospheric relic of the port's industrial past
• Coffee and a light meal at a café with harbour views
• Buy fresh sea urchin and prawns at the fishing port

🅿️ Parking: about NT$30–50 around the port; spaces fill up at weekends, so arrive early

🧭 Trail info

• 📏 Length: about 2 km (1.5 hours round trip)
• 👟 Difficulty: easy to moderate; trainers recommended
• 📷 Best time: sunrise or sunset, when the light is at its best
• 🅿️ Parking: free at the Badouzi car park, but spaces are limited — try to arrive before 8 am

💕 How to enjoy it

• 🚗 Drive slowly — every bend has a view
• 🍽️ Eat at one of the seaside restaurants along the road
• 🚶 Walk around Lover's Lake Park and enjoy the calm lake views
• 🚲 Rent a bike and ride the seaside road for a closer look at the coast

🅿️ Parking: car parks at the lookouts, about NT$50–100

🍽️ The “cook-for-you” experience

Choose sea urchin, prawns, lobster or abalone at the fish market → take it to one of the restaurants → the kitchen cooks it for a small preparation fee. You pick the ingredients and how you'd like them cooked, so it's as fresh as it gets.

🕐 Restaurant hours: typically 10:00–15:00 and 17:00–22:00 (avoid the mid-afternoon gap)
🅿️ Parking: harbour car park, about NT$50

🏛️ Museum highlights

• 🐠 Interactive galleries about ocean life and ocean science
• 🚢 A children's gallery and a navigation hall about ships and the sea
• 🎬 Big-screen ocean films at the Ocean Theater (ticketed separately)

🎫 Tickets: paid entry to the main exhibition hall, with the Ocean Theater priced separately and free entry for children under 6 — check current prices on the museum's official website
🅿️ Parking: paid car parks at the museum and Chaojing Park; rates are listed on the museum's website

🗓️ Found your favourite spots? Now pick your dates

Choose your pickup time at Keelung Railway Station and compare the live prices for each car type.

Check cars at Keelung Station

📅 Timetable

• 08:00 — 🚗 Pick up your GoodCars car at Keelung Station and set up Google Maps on your phone
• 08:30 — 🌊 Heping Island Park (1.5 hr) → rock formations and sea views
• 10:15 — 🎨 Zhengbin Fishing Port colorful houses (1 hr) → photos + coffee
• 11:30 — 🍽️ Lunch at a restaurant near the colorful houses
• 13:00 — 🥾 Badouzi Wangyou Valley hike (1.5 hr)
• 14:45 — 🌅 Drive the Waimushan seaside road + lookout photos
• 16:30 — 💕 Stroll around Lover's Lake Park (30 min)
• 17:30 — 🍜 Dinner at Miaokou Night Market
• 19:30 — 🏁 Return the car and end the day

📏 About 80 km in total ｜ ⏱️ About 11 hours ｜ 🚘 Suggested car: New Vios / New Yaris

📅 Timetable

• 09:00 — 🚗 Pick up a 7–9 seater; travelling with young children, add a child car seat when you book (fee shown on the booking page or available from the branch)
• 09:30 — 🌊 Heping Island Park (2 hr) → seawater pools + beach play in summer
• 11:45 — 🎨 Photos at the Zhengbin colorful houses (45 min)
• 12:45 — 🍽️ Lunch at a café by the colorful houses
• 14:00 — 🏛️ National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (1.5 hr) → galleries + Ocean Theater
• 15:45 — 🦞 Bisha Fishing Port → afternoon snacks + seafood souvenirs
• 18:00 — 🍜 Kid-friendly dinner at Miaokou Night Market (dingbiancuo, paopao ice)
• 19:30 — 🏁 Return the car

📏 About 60 km in total ｜ ⏱️ About 10.5 hours ｜ 🚘 Suggested car: Hyundai Staria / Starex (9 seats)

📅 Timetable

• 08:30 — 🚗 Pick up a New Yaris or Yaris Cross and head for Zhengbin Fishing Port
• 09:00 — 🎨 Colorful houses + breakfast at a café
• 10:30 — 🏚️ Walk around the Agenna Shipyard ruins and soak up the history
• 11:30 — 🦞 Bisha Fishing Port: choose your seafood + cook-for-you lunch
• 13:30 — 🌅 Slow drive along the Waimushan seaside road (30 min)
• 14:15 — 📷 Stop at a lookout for photos
• 15:30 — 💕 Walk around Lover's Lake Park (1 hr)
• 17:00 — 🍜 Evening food crawl at Miaokou Night Market
• 19:00 — 🏁 Return the car

📏 About 70 km in total ｜ ⏱️ About 10.5 hours ｜ 🚘 Suggested car: New Yaris / Yaris Cross

🚢 On a cruise port day?

If your ship is in Keelung for the day, keep the loop short and close to the port: Heping Island → Zhengbin Fishing Port → Badouzi Wangyou Valley, with lunch at Bisha Fishing Port. Book at Keelung Station in advance (online bookings close 12–24 hours before pickup, depending on the location), and return the car with plenty of time before all-aboard — traffic around the port can be slow, especially at weekends. Want to add a mountain village? Jiufen and Jinguashi are covered in our Jiufen and Jinguashi self-drive guide.

🚨 Hill-road driving tips

• ⚠️ Tight, steep bends — hill roads have many sharp curves; slow down, especially in rain or at night
• ⚠️ Narrow roads — many sections have just one lane each way; take extra care when passing larger vehicles
• ⚠️ Wet and slippery — Keelung gets a lot of rain; take a look at the tyres and wipers when you pick up the car, and leave extra distance
• ⚠️ Fog — the coastal hills fog up easily in the early morning and evening; switch on dipped headlights and slow down
• ✅ Phone navigation — enter each destination in Google Maps before setting off, and download an offline map so you don't get lost if the signal drops

🅿️ Parking at a glance

• 🍜 Miaokou Night Market — about NT$30–50 (car parks around Xin 2nd Rd / Ai 3rd Rd)
• 🌊 Heping Island Park — about NT$50 (500+ spaces on site)
• 🎨 Zhengbin colorful houses — about NT$30–50 (fills up at weekends)
• 🥾 Badouzi Wangyou Valley — free (limited spaces; the earlier the better)
• 🌅 Waimushan seaside road — about NT$50–100
• 🦞 Bisha Fishing Port — about NT$50
• ☔ Chaojing Park / NMMST — paid car parks; see the museum's website for rates

Parking fees are approximate and change often — follow the signs on site.

🌧️ Weather checklist

• ☂️ A compact umbrella or light rain jacket — rain can arrive at any time in Keelung
• 🧴 Sunscreen and lip balm — strong UV and dry sea breezes on the coast
• 🧥 A light jacket — it's windy by the sea and feels noticeably cooler than in town
• 👟 Trainers — essential for the coastal trails

• 📍 Pick up by the harbour or in Taipei — self-service pickup at Keelung Railway Station (bookable 00:00–23:55), or a staffed store at Taipei Main Station
• 💻 Online booking with a live quote — the price for your dates, car type and pickup point is shown before you book
• ⛽ Fuel card in every car — fuel is covered by the fuel charge, so there are no fuel bills and no refilling before you return
• 🔁 One-way rentals — return in another city; the fee depends on the pickup and return locations and appears in the live quote
• 💬 Help when you need it — call the branch or message it on WhatsApp; branch staff use translation apps to help you, and some branches have English-speaking staff. If the car breaks down or you have an accident, contact your pickup branch first (the number is in your booking confirmation) and follow their instructions

Economy cars (New Vios, New Yaris or similar) start from NT$1,199 a day on weekdays and NT$1,399 on weekends and holidays; actual prices vary by pickup location and date, so check the live quote on our website. SUVs (Yaris Cross) and 7–9 seaters (Wish, Luxgen M7, Staria, Starex) are priced in the live quote as well. On top of the rental you pay a per-km fuel charge (fuel included, with a dedicated fuel card), freeway tolls at NT$1.2 per km if you use the freeway (settled when you return the car), and parking.

Your passport, your home-country driving licence and an International Driving Permit (IDP). Japanese licence holders bring their Japanese licence plus an official Chinese translation instead. You'll also need a credit card in your name. You upload the documents online after booking. Which countries need an IDP and how to get one: International Driving Permit for Taiwan.

Yes. Keelung Railway Station is a self-service pickup point in the city centre near the port, bookable 00:00–23:55. Book online 12–24 hours before pickup, depending on the location (the booking page shows the cut-off), upload your documents in advance, and return the car with a comfortable margin before your ship's all-aboard time. For last-minute changes, call +886 2-2995-7700 or message the branch on WhatsApp.

Good wet-weather picks: 🏛️ the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (indoor galleries and the Ocean Theater), ☕ a café at the Zhengbin colorful houses (harbour views over coffee), 🍜 Miaokou Night Market (many stalls are under cover and stay open in the rain) and 🐟 the indoor seafood restaurants at Bisha Fishing Port. With a car, you can switch plans the moment the rain starts.

Central Taipei to Keelung is about 35–50 km, or 45 minutes to an hour by car. At weekends and in rush hour it can take up to 1.5 hours, so avoid peak times or leave early. Google Maps on your phone shows live traffic and your estimated arrival time. Alternatively, take the train to Keelung and pick up your car at Keelung Station.

Very. Heping Island has seawater pools and a beach area, the marine science museum has hands-on galleries, and Miaokou Night Market has kid-friendly treats like dingbiancuo and paopao ice. A 7–9 seater (such as the Toyota Wish or Hyundai Staria) gives everyone plenty of room. Child car seats can be added — fees are shown on the booking page or available from the branch — and letting the branch know you're travelling with children helps make sure the seat is ready. For the rules, see Taiwan's child car seat regulations.

Yes. One-way rentals are available, and the fee depends on the pickup and return locations — choose “Drop car off at different location” on the booking page to see it in the live quote.

No. Fuel is included in the fuel charge and every car has a dedicated fuel card, so there's no need to top up before you return. If you forget the card and pay at the pump yourself, keep the receipt — it can be credited against the fuel charge.

🚗 Ready to go?

Book your Keelung road trip at goodcars.tw — pick up at Keelung Railway Station and start exploring the harbour city.

Book your car at Keelung Station

📸 About the photos and prices

The cover photo shows Zhengbin Fishing Port in Keelung. The other two photos are illustrative stock images from Unsplash and were not taken in Keelung. Opening hours, tickets, parking fees and restaurant prices at the attractions are set by third parties and change often — check official sources before you go.