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The impressive Taroko Gorge National Park in Hualien resembles Taiwan’s own interpretation of the Grand Canyon.
A massive marble gorge carved by the Lewu River, featuring steep rock walls, ancient Chinese shrines and temples, and 27 peaks towering over 3,000 meters.
Don’t miss out on the incredible scenery of Taroko Gorge in Taiwan, which is among the most accessible and stunning on the entire island.
This travel guide will explain how to get there, and everything you need to know before you go!
2) Transportation Tips for Getting There
3) Top Activities to Enjoy in Taroko Gorge
4) Ideal Times to Plan Your Visit
5) Our Accommodation Experience in the Area
What to anticipate when visiting Taroko Gorge in Taiwan
Experience the beauty of Taroko Gorge Taiwan on a bus tour from Hualien or Taipei to fully appreciate the stunning canyon views without the stress of driving.
Consider staying in Hualien for at least 2 days to fully experience Taroko, rather than visiting as a day trip from Taipei. Hualien offers affordable accommodations and dining options.
Explore the many sights of Taroko, including the incredible day hikes such as Zhuilu Old Trail that require extra time to fully experience.
Our first day was spent hiking the amazing Zhuilu trail, and on our second day, we took a prearranged Klook tour to visit some of the popular tourist sites.
Navigating to Your Destination
The Taroko Gorge National Park can be found in Hualien county, which is situated in the eastern part of Taiwan.
The initial stage involves reaching Hualien, which can be easily done through various affordable flight and train options from Taipei. A flight takes around 1 hour and costs approximately $1,200 NTD ($40 USD), while a train journey lasts 2 hours and costs less than half the price at $450 NTD. In our case, we opted for the train.
The park is just a one-hour drive from Hualien city, and there are daily bus and tour options.
Top Taroko Gorge Tour Packages
Klook offers a convenient Taroko Gorge tour package from Hualien for only $18 USD per person, so you can avoid the inconvenience of planning and navigating bus schedules.
Explore Taroko National Park and its Surrounding Scenic Spots on This Tour!
We have booked numerous day tours and activities around the world through Klook, and our experiences have been fantastic. We highly recommend them!
Bus from Hualien City to Taroko Gorge in Taiwan
You have the option to plan your own itinerary by taking the 1133A bus from Hualien Station to Taroko Gorge. Look for the bright orange bus station next to the entrance for Hualien Train Station.
Below are the departure times for the Hualien bus station, as the complete timetables can be found in Chinese.
- Schedule for the day: [7:00 AM 8:30 AM 9:10 AM 10:00 AM 11:10 AM 12:00 PM 1:20 PM 2:10 PM 3:10 PM]
Upon boarding the bus or visiting the bus station, you will receive a Taroko Gorge pamphlet containing the complete 1133A timetable in English. Surprisingly, this information is not available online in English, only in Chinese. However, having the pamphlet will help everything become clearer.
You can purchase a day pass for the bus at the bus station or at any 7-11 or FamilyMart in Taiwan for $250 NTD ($8 USD). We got ours at 7-11 the day before we hiked Zhuilu, and it included all our bus expenses for the day. Alternatively, you can pay with EasyCard or cash on the bus.
Top Activities to Experience in Taroko Gorge
Eternal Spring Shrine
Shrine Built in Memory of Veterans Who Constructed Taiwan’s Central Cross Island Highway
The Shakadang Trail
This trail is also referred to as the ‘Mysterious Valley Trail’ and features stunning bright blue turquoise pools along the way. The entire trail takes 2 hours roundtrip, but it is level and easy to navigate.
Swallows Cave
This section of the gorge is one of the narrowest, with rock walls that come very close together at the top. It’s a great short trail to pair with the Zhuilu Old Trail, as they both begin at the same trailhead. Unfortunately, the trail was closed when we were there. It only takes 15-30 minutes roundtrip.
Nine Turns Tunnel
Explore a 700-meter-long tunnel in a narrow part of the gorge, where you can experience the marble rock walls and the river up close as they wind through the ravine. Discover a couple of waterfalls along the way. The roundtrip trail takes about 30 minutes.
Exploring the Historic Zhuilu Old Trail
Experience the Ultimate Hiking Adventure in Taroko Gorge with Zhuilu Trail
Explore the Zhuilu Old Trail
When is the ideal time to go?
The ideal time to travel to Hualien and Taroko Gorge, Taiwan is during the winter season, from November to April, as there is less rainfall and the daytime temperatures are a pleasant 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 C).
Summer months are also suitable, but expect higher temperatures and more humidity, as they will be above 80 F (27 C).
Wishing you safe and enjoyable travels!
Our Accommodation Location
We enjoyed our stay at Xiong Zhi Mi B&B in Hualien city for $900 NTD ($30 USD) per night.
We booked a clean double room with a private bathroom and cold A/C at this price. The package also came with complimentary breakfast and friendly staff even offered us free cookies. Additionally, there are plenty of excellent restaurants in the vicinity.
Convenient Transportation Options and Flexible Room Pricing at the Hotel