Fort Santo Domingo, Hobe Fort and Tamsui Church: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from Fort Santo Domingo to Tamsui Church in Tamsui: 3 stops, about 3.1 km, about 40 minutes of walking plus about 18 minutes of listening. Start at Fort Santo Domingo, the Red-Haired Fort above the mouth of the Tamsui River: a Spanish fort of 1628, then a Dutch one, and later the red-brick British consulate. Walk on to Hobe Fort, built in 1886 under Liu Mingchuan to the design of a German engineer, a fort that never saw battle. Then head back toward the old town to Tamsui Church, the red-brick Gothic Revival church of 1933 on Mackay Street.
- Stops:
- 3
- Distance:
- about 3.1 km
- Walking:
- about 40 min
- Listening:
- about 18 min
Two ways to do this walk
Tamsui with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsFort Santo Domingo, Hobe Fort and Tamsui Church: how long does the walk take?
About 58 minutes in all: about 40 minutes on foot over about 3.1 km, plus about 18 minutes of audio at the 3 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Fort Santo Domingo, Hobe Fort and Tamsui Church: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Fort Santo Domingo, Hobe Fort, and Tamsui Church. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.8 km, about 24 min on foot.
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
To get to the first stop, or if you’re far from the route, Google Maps has walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
A hilltop above the river mouth where Spain built a wooden fort in 1628, the Dutch followed and Britain later set its red-brick consulate, under four centuries of flags.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Hobe Fort · about 1.3 km, about 18 min on foot
Stop 2
The largest and best preserved of the Tamsui forts, built in 1886 after the Sino-French War to Max Hecht’s design, with Liu Mingchuan’s inscription over the gate.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Tamsui Church · about 1.8 km, about 24 min on foot
Stop 3
The Presbyterian congregation George Leslie Mackay began in 1872, in its third church: red-brick Gothic Revival, designed by his son and finished in 1933.
about 6 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Planning a trip to Tamsui?
Get your plan
Mappu sketches your days free in the chat, no account needed. Then take the full plan with you:
- Weekend trip, €9.99: Your day-by-day plan plus 2 live walks
- Save your trip’s free guides on your phone in the Mappu app: they play with no signal
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Route checked by Mappu on October 31, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.