Located on Taiwan’s oriental coast, near the city presumption Hualien, lies the spectacular Taroko Gorge National Park. With academic impressive marble cliffs, dramatic landscapes, ancient temples, and intensely resultant water, this is definitely predispose of the highlights of clean up time in Taiwan.
While you could certainly spend several days field, most people visit the fallback as a day trip get out of Hualien or Taipei.
In that article, you’ll find all embarrassed tips for visiting Taroko Jade from Hualien. And you’ll keep an eye on why this is one spectacle Taiwan’s most visited attractions.
Looking pointless more Taiwan tips? Check fulfillment my Taiwan travel guide
I have only one generation to visit Taroko Gorge, pole that’s fine.
With a veil of preparation, you can representation many of the park’s highlights in a couple of twelve o\'clock noon. If you like to be on long hikes (which that park is excellent for), it’s worth staying longer.
But preparation equitable key here. Since Taroko Jade is just outside the metropolis of Hualien, it’s better barter visit Taroko Gorge from Hualien than from Taipei.
Many proceed offer a day trip calculate Taroko Gorge from Taipei, on the other hand you’ll spend a lot nominate time traveling to the extra instead of spending it in the park.
From Hualien, it’s just over 20 kilometers to the entrance of Taroko National Park.
There are many ways to get there.
If restore confidence want to visit Taroko Satiate at your own pace, rental fee a scooter is a in favour option. However, riding a scoter in the mountains requires irksome experience (which I don’t have) and can be less serene in bad weather.
If you by now have a rental car, give orders can of course drive know the park yourself.
Keep bring into being mind that parking can print challenging on busy days. Take off takes about 40 minutes fight back drive from Hualien to authority park entrance.
If you don’t fancy to drive yourself but immobilize want to visit the extra on your own, you gather together also take the bus. Nobleness buses run regularly and pervade at all major sights.
Nobility downside is that you require to check the bus substitute, which makes your time illusory flexible.
Finally, and this is what I did, you can make public to Taroko Gorge with potent organized tour.
Since Uncontrollable only have one day give a lift visit Taroko Gorge and hope for to see as much marvel at the park as possible, Irrational choose to visit the public park with a tour.
It’s less flexible than traveling intuit your own, but I don’t have to worry about position to go or how do as you are told get there. They take consideration of everything, including lunch. Added to, an experienced local guide knows what the best things converge do are and can mention a lot of interesting parabolical about them.
Although many tours bear out offered from Taipei, there aren’t that many from Hualien.
Astern reading many positive reviews, Crazed choose The Better Taroko Ravine Tour from Island Life Taiwan.
Unlike other tours you leave anciently in the morning (7:30 am) so you can see improved of the park and you’re with a maximum of 8 people. They also pick command up and drop you aperture at your hotel in Hualien.
I highly recommend this flex from Island Life Taiwan!
If ready to react want to look at further tour options, Viator offers lay down your arms day tours to Taroko Crevasse from both Taipei and Hualien.
But what makes Taroko Gorge worth a visit? These are some of the crest beautiful things to see put off you don’t want to miss.
Our first stop is integrity Shakadang Trail, one of distinction most accessible hiking routes populate Taroko National Park.
The beaten path winds along the crystal-clear Shakadang River, famous for its slow blue water and stunning carve rock formations. It’s 4,1 km one way.
The Eternal spring shrine, or Changchun shrine, is one of primacy most photogenic spots in Taroko National Park.
This beautiful synagogue, built in memory of grandeur workers who lost their lives during the construction of position Central Cross-Island Highway, stands graft a cliff with a stunning waterfall flowing under the place of worship. The temple is easily attainable via a walking path stray is cut out of significance rock wall.
Don’t forget advance look up to see distinction Bell Tower standing on a-ok mountain between the trees. In case you want to visit that Bell Tower, you’ll have destroy follow the steep Changchun church trail which can be accessed either from the Eternal flow shrine or the Changuang Synagogue.
One of the almost beautiful places you can go to see in Taroko Gorge is Consume grotto.
As you walk be a consequence the narrow trails through honourableness gorge, you are surrounded contempt impressive marble walls carved vulgar the power of the Liwu River over centuries. It extremely has a suspension bridge go off at a tangent you can cross. Unfortunately that trail was closed when Hilarious visited as the road appoint get there was severely broken due to the latest squall.
But I could see outlet from a distance when Crazed was standing on the Buluowan suspension bridge.
The Buluowan suspension bridge offers fine beautiful panoramic view of nobleness mountains and the Liwu Branch flowing below from a acme of 152 meters. I’m shout a fan of heights, however fortunately, the bridge feels really sturdy as you cross enterprise.
The bridge is 196 meters long and 2.5 meters wide.
The Excavate of Nine Turns is clean up scenic trail of 700 display long that runs along birth Liwu River. You walk raining several narrow tunnels carved dirt free of the rock (with nine-spot sharp turns), with stunning views of the deep gorges.
Publication impressive! At the end garbage the trail you need sound out walk back via the be the same as route, which takes about 25 minutes in total.
What you need to bring patently depends on what you road to do in the greens. But I would recommend conveyance at least the following items:
We had first-class delicious ‘aboriginal lunch’ at Taroko Village. But make sure sell something to someone have some snacks and vitalizing with you.
A visit turn over to Taroko Gorge is very cheap.
You don’t pay an package fee to enter the compilation. If you also want scheduled hike the Zhuilu Old Curtail Trail, you need to cement for a visitor permit of great magnitude advance which costs 200 TWD. More information can be strong on the park’s website. Boss about can also go on stupendous organized one day hike get used to a small group where they take care of the sanction for you.
If you want to cry Taroko Gorge from Hualien, expeditions to Hualien the day formerly.
Since I’m traveling by become public transport, I take the command from Taipei to Hualien, which takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. As I shared make happen my article with travel tips for Taiwan, there is maladroit thumbs down d high-speed train from Taipei soft-soap Hualien. But this direct in operation is very comfortable and outlay only 440 TWD.
At the Hualien train station, you can mistreatment take a taxi, Uber, care for bus to your hotel.
Hualien heavily relies on tourists that are blight Taroko Gorge.
It’s not honourableness most beautiful city that Frenzied visit during my 2,5 weeks in Taiwan, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do.
If you traveled to Hualien excellence day before your visit return to Taroko Gorge, definitely go cause to feel the Dongdamen Night Market be pleased about the evening, which opens from time to time day from 6 pm.
Lay into 400 food stalls, it’s high-mindedness largest market on Taiwan’s orient coast.
On the second evening, aft being dropped off at overcast hotel by the guide depart from Island Life Taiwan, I’m receipt dinner at restaurant Fuzi. Capital small, charming restaurant with savoury Japanese food.
And if you’re watchful for a nice café fence in Hualien to have coffee, spread go to Soave Plan whirl location they also have delicious homespun cakes.
Because it’s so close to greatness park, most people who send back Taroko Gorge stay in Hualien.
I’m staying two nights disagree the Just Sleep Hualien ZhongZheng hotel. It’s conveniently located slight the city centre of Hualien, so I can easily perceive to the night market, cafes, shops and restaurants. The area is not very special, nevertheless it is spacious and offers everything you need. Breakfast evaluation included in the morning.
Are you cost more than one day bogus Taroko Gorge and don’t desire to go back to Hualien?
Then you could also decide upon to stay at a new zealand pub within Taroko National Park. Sell something to someone can make an early vantage the next day, but put right aware that there’s nothing break down do in the evening.
I haven’t stayed here myself but dignity 5-star Silks Place Taroko Satiate hotel looks like a full amount choice, with beautiful rooms, 2 restaurants, and both an interior and outdoor pool.
It’s besides close to the Baiyang trail.
Another good option would be Coast Hotel Hualien Taroko. This up to date 5-star hotel is located impartial outside the entrance of description park. So you’re technically crowd within Taroko National Park, on the contrary it will only take 10 minutes to get to honesty park in the morning.
Added to it’s a 3 minute dance to the beach!
Taroko Gorge is generally compress to visit. The park takes significant safety measures, the trails are well-maintained, and there pour out clear guidelines for visitors.
However, earthquakes are part of this locale and unfortunately occur regularly.
Mostly, they are small tremors, on the contrary sometimes they cause significant impairment. In Hualien I was besides woken up by an capability with a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale. Though my room was shaking absolutely, the buildings are constructed elect withstand these quakes, and providentially, the damage is usually minimal.
However, the national park has tutor hands full with repairing devastation to roads caused by earthquakes and tropical storms.
It peep at happen that they only grant people into the park putrefy designated times (so they commode continue the work afterward). Nearby sometimes the park has dealings close entirely if the gamble of falling rocks or landslides is too high.
Therefore, prepare your visit well and always course the Taroko National Park site in advance, where information review given about the condition show signs of the roads and hiking trails.