Beitou Hot Springs Guide: Everything You Need to Know (From My Visit) | Taiwan

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If you’re planning a trip to Beitou, visiting the hot springs is probably at the top of your list, but figuring out where to start isn’t always straightforward. From free public foot baths to private in-room tubs, the options can feel overwhelming. On my visit, I tried a mix of different hot springs! In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what each experience is like, what’s worth your time (and money), and everything you need to know before you go. I loved Beitou, so it’s definitely worth checking out!

Types of Hot Springs in Beitou

Free Public Hot Springs

There are a couple of free public hot springs dotted around Beitou.

Some benefits of going to these are:

• 💰The cost…FREE! Great if you are travelling on a budget.
• ⏱️They are quicker than the full hot spring experiences.

Xinbeitou Hot Spring Hand Soaking Pool

If you are arriving by MRT into Xinbeitou, the closest free hot spring is located next to the Xinbeitou Historic Museum building. It’s under a wooden structure and is similar to a shallow table. Most people were putting their forearms up to their elbow, flat on the bottom. Wearing a t-shirt would be fine.

Fuxing Hot Foot Spa

The Fuxing Hot Foot Spa is located in Fuxing Park, a short walk from the Xinbeitou MRT station. I visited on an afternoon and it was PACKED shoulder to shoulder, mostly with older locals.

I did feel a little bit out of place. I think mostly because everyone seemed to know each other and it was more of a social gathering. While in Taiwan I did injure my knee by doing one too many of the awesome hikes in the area. The foot spring was very soothing and much needed.

The pool is quite deep. You can either sit on the edge with your legs in the water, or some people were standing. I’m 5″4 and the water came almost to the top of my legs. It’s best to either wear swimming bottoms or shorts that you can roll up as high as possible.

You could tell who had been at the hot spring, because most people had bright pink legs that looked a bit like sunburn!

There are storage shelves for belongings are free public toilets right next door.

Thermal Valley Hand Hot Spring

There’s another hand hot spring next to the entrance to the Thermal Valley (more about this below!). This one is in the shape of the island of Taiwan and is a little different from the Xinbeitou hand hot spring, as it’s deeper and textured with mountain ranges.

Public Bathhouses

• 💰Slightly more budget friendly compared to the private hot springs
• 📋They have the strictest etiquette

As a British person, we can be a bit more modest when it comes to nudity in public.

Beitou Public Hot Spring

• 🩱✅Swimwear required

Originally I was planning on visiting the Beitou Public Hot Spring. This one is a mixed bathhouse so swimwear is required. Ironically on the other end of the modesty scale and bikinis are not allowed for women, only one piece costumes. You also have to cover your hair with a swim cap.

However during my visit in November 2025 it was shut for renovation, and as of writing this in May 2026, it hasn’t reopened yet.

Long Nice Hot Spring

• 🩱❌No swimwear/clothing allowed

For a traditional onsen, check out Long Nice Hot Spring. It’s the oldest hot spring in Beitou, dating back in some capacity to 1907! The main hot springs are divided into gender separated male and female pools. Because of this, they are fully nude.

Entry is 150NTD and there’s not a time limit at such but it is divided into sessions. It is also capacity based. So once it’s full, it operates on a one out, one in basis. The male pool has a higher capacity than the female bathhouse.

They do also have a couple of more private options that are available for 60 minute sessions. A 2 person bath for 400NTD and a family bath starting at 600NTD for 2 people and an additional fee for up to 5.

Unfortunately as a solo traveller, I would have been unable to use the private room as you have to have a minimum of 2 people, and I personally didn’t really feel comfortable being completely naked in front of strangers!

If you wanted something a little more peaceful compared to the free public foot spring, they also have a garden foot spring for 100NTD for 40 minutes and includes a free cup of tea. (Clothes are allowed for this one!). This only operates in the afternoon from Thursday to Sunday.

*Note* Long Nice Hot Spring does close between June and September for the summer season.

Alternatively some hotels offer day passes to their communal hot springs (as well as private options too). Several are mixed gendered, so these would require swimwear. Others maybe be more traditional, so you may need to deep dive. You can find lots of options here on Klook*.

Private Hot Springs

Hot Spring Hotels

If you really wanted to enjoy the hot springs on your ‘own terms’. I highly recommend booking a hot spring hotel! I’m not going to lie, accommodation in Beitou is pretty expensive compared to other parts of Taiwan (and even Taipei!). But you are essentially paying a premium for the hot springs.

Spa Spring Resort

I stayed at the Spa Spring Resort*, which I found to be one of the ‘cheaper’ hot spring hotels in Beitou and was located right next to the Thermal Valley.

My room didn’t have a window (you have to pay more for rooms with a window), BUT I had my own private hot spring bath in my room (plus a regular shower) and breakfast was included within the room rate.

Hot Spring Bath in Room

The bath was MASSIVE and to my surprise it even had jets like a spa. I do recommend being careful though as the water is PH1-2 which is considered acidic. The jets do make it splash up a little bit and you don’t want it going into your eyes, but the water also has to be deep enough to submerse the jets.

There was also a ledge around the whole tub, so if you didn’t want to sit fully in the water, you could sit on the edge with just your legs in.

I would also recommend taking the reviews with a pinch of salt. When I was researching for my trip, I found many reviews that were complaining about the water colour. Clearly they don’t understand nature hot springs.

The spring water in Beitou is a greenish, murky colour, but this is due to the sulphur which is believed to have health benefits, the whole point as to why many people soak in hot springs! It does also smell too.

(The Beitou Hot Spring Museum is a great place to learn more about the hot springs. More information below).

Rooftop Hot Spring

They also have a couple of public hot springs on the roof. These are mix gender and swimwear is required. However it is a little bit more relaxed than the Public Hot Spring, bikinis are allowed. At check in they show you a sheet with the etiquette requirements and ‘rules’.

It did say swim caps were required, but another woman got in after me, without a swim cap, and none of the staff said anything. It seems that as long as your hair is tied up, and for the most part, out of the water, you will be ok.

During my visit I was a little bit disappointed with the rooftop pools. I don’t know if it was because they had been closed for a couple of days because of a typhoon that passed by, but the hot springs weren’t actually…hot. The surface of the water felt warm, but the main body of the pool was kind of cold! I tried all the pools and they all felt similar!

Is It Worth Paying for Private Hot Springs?

Free Hand & Foot Springs	Public Bathhouses/Springs	Private Hot Spring Hotels
*Good for travelling on a budget as they are free! *Good if you are pushed for time and just wanted a quick experience.	*Make sure to check etiquette rules, some require being nude, others require modest swimwear. *Proper traditional experience.	*Most expensive option, but good if you just want the benefits of the spring water, without too many restrictions, requirements or public nudity!

For me, yes, paying for the private hot spring hotel was worth it! I stayed for 2 nights and I used my in room hot spring bath on all 3 days. I liked being able to get in and out of it whenever I wanted and I didn’t have to worry about being naked in public. My hotel didn’t have the hot spring atmosphere as such, but I wasn’t particularly bothered about this.

I also had the convenience of everything I needed being in my room. I had my own kettle for drinks and I could read my Kindle etc. Plus, I had full control over the spa jets and a clean shower right next to it with all my own toiletries (as well as the complementary ones provided by the hotel).

I do still recommend at least checking out the free hand and foot springs around Beitou too though! If the Beitou Public Hot Spring was open, I probably would have done that too (even with staying at the hotel), just for the experience.

Hot Spring Etiquette

So depending on the type of hot spring you visit, there is level of ‘hot spring etiquette’ that you will need to follow while visiting.

Two of the main ones are:

• Wash/shower BEFORE entering. Plus it’s recommended to shower after too, to minimise skin irritation.
• Be quiet and respectful.

For what to wear:

• Some traditional hot springs do not allow clothing. Take a towel to cover while walking around and leave it on the side while in the spring.
• Some public ones may require more modest swimwear, such as a one piece rather than a bikini for women.
• Some recommend wearing a swimming cap to cover hair.

Other rules for safety often include:

• not entering when under the influence of alcohol
• not having any open wounds
• not recommended for those who are pregnant
• limit time to prevent overheating or dehydration (they can affect blood pressure too). It’s similar to a sauna where you should do several short soaks, followed by a break.

What to Bring

Make sure to take:

• a towel
• water
• the correct swimwear

Some hot springs will have items for sale, but it’s recommended to take your own if you have them.

Thermal Valley

• 💰FREE
• 📅Closed on Mondays
• 🕙9am – 5pm

For another hot spring experience, although admittedly one you can’t exactly touch. I highly, HIGHLY recommend checking out the free Thermal Valley (closed on Mondays). It was one of highlights in Beitou and it’s also free!

It’s a nice trail around a large natural hot spring that’s bright blue/green in colour, but of course, does have a sulphur smell!

You can’t go in it due to the extreme temperature, but it was quite hypnotic watching the steam come off the water! As mentioned above, they do have a hand hot spring next to the entrance though.

I spent quite a lot of time there throughout my stay. On a warm, sunny day, there was only a little bit of steam, but on a rainy day it almost disappears completely in a cloud!

There are interpretation boards written in Chinese and English, as well as benches dotted along the trail. My personal favourite area, which adds to the hot spring ‘wellbeing’ vibe (known in Japanese as ‘Ganbanyoku’), were the hot stone benches next to a trickling stream. The spring water runs under the benches and heats the stone. It was a nice calming place to sit and relax.

They have public toilets and a small gift shop with a coffee machine.

Hot Spring Eggs Experience

People used to boil eggs in the hot springs, but this was discouraged after tourists would get injured from the water temperature. However, a short walk from the entrance of the Thermal Valley is the Tea Colors Cafe. They serve their own version of hot spring eggs!

• 1 x orignal unpeeled – 20NTD
• 1 x tea unpeeled – 20NTD (only on weekends)
• 1 x original peeled – 25NTD
• 1 x spicy peeled – 25NTD

I asked for an original peeled egg but the person serving them recommended the spicy hot spring eggs! These have a homemade mild garlic chilli sauce on them and they are so good! I bought one, enjoyed it so much, I then went back for a second!

Spa Spring Resort has a DIY version too that guests can pay extra to do (2x eggs for 50NTD). But during my visit they said it is only available on the weekends and I was staying midweek.

Beitou Hot Spring Museum

• 💰FREE
• 📅Closed on Mondays
• 🕙10am – 6pm

If you want to find out more about the history of Beitou and the hot springs, make sure to visit the Beitou Hot Spring Museum. The museum is closed on Mondays, but it is free to visit and is a perfect rainy day activity! It is located in Beitou Park, which is a nice place to wander through too. You are required to exchange your shoes for slippers at the entrance.

The bulk of the displays are written in Chinese, but there’s plenty of information available that is translated into English. It’s interesting to learn not only about how the spa experience came to Taiwan, but it also shows about the geology of the hot springs and how the Beitou hot springs are similar or different from others around the world.

Inside the museum you can also see one of the old public baths, although you can’t go in it!

Suggested Beitou Hot Springs Itinerary

Based on my own experience, here’s an itinerary that would help you get the most out of a visit to Beitou!

• Arrive into Xinbeitou MRT station
• Visit the free Xinbeitou Historic Station & hand hot spring
• Go to Fuxing park for the free foot hot spring
• On the way back past the station, stop at 北投炸蛋蔥油餅 (next to McDonald’s) for deep fried scallion pancakes!
• Walk through Beitou Park, see Beitou Public Library and visit Beitou Hot Spring Museum
• Follow the river up to the Thermal Valley (don’t forget to stop at Tea Colors Cafe for a Hot Spring Egg!)
• Go to a hot spring in the afternoon/evening, whether it’s one of the public bathhouses, a private one, or a day pass/stay at one of the hot spring hotels*! I personally liked using my private hot spring bath in the evening as a way to relax before going to bed!