The Best of Taroko National Park

Taroko National Park near Hualien is Taiwan’s number one tourist attraction—and for good reason. With it’s striking marble canyons, bright-blue water, and lush greenery, the park is a veritable paradise for nature lovers. Located only a few short hours away from Taipei, Taroko National Park deserves to be on everyone’s Taiwan list. Entrance to the park is free.

What to do

Swallow Tail Grotto & the Tunnel of Nine Turns

Swallow Tail Grotto (燕子口步道) and the Tunnel of Nine Turns (九曲洞步道) are along the same stretch of road and are arguably the most iconic sights of Taroko National Park. If you only have time for one thing, it should be this! Here you can walk along the edge of the road and gaze at the twisting, turning river beneath and check out some incredible rock formations. The trail is actually on the road, making it one of the easiest walks. Don’t forget to keep to the side, as there are lots of vehicles passing through. Also, there are often falling rocks in this part, so it is highly recommended that you wear a hard hat. You can borrow these for free at the park.

Qingshui Cliffs

The Qingshui Cliffs (清水斷崖) are so breathtakingly beautiful that in 2012, they were printed onto the People’s Republic of China’s passports. As you can imagine, this didn’t go down very well in Taiwan. Out of every single incredible sight in this country, these cliffs remain our favourite, and are stunning at all times of the years—although the blue colours of the Pacific Ocean are much more vivid on clear days. You can hike down to the beach (called Chongde Beach) on the Chongde trail that starts at the viewing platform, but the views are just as stunning from the road that curves around for miles. This road can be pretty dangerous, as many cars and trucks drive like they don’t care if they’re about to plunge off a vertical cliff, but they are worth travelling for their picturesque beauty.

TIP: you absolutely cannot swim here, as it is incredibly dangerous due to strong waves and an undercurrent. It is, however, possible to do ocean kayaking here through a tour group.

Wenshan Hotsprings

Wenshan hot springs are naturally occurring hot springs that feed into a river. It used to be a public outdoor hot spring and a major Taroko attraction, but a rockslide and series of typhoon destroyed it. If you’re curious to see what it used to look like, check out this Taiwanese blog. The entrance to the path is at the beginning of the Wenshan Tunnel (see below), on the right-hand side. From here, take the stairs and follow the trail down. You will go down many stairs, pass through a tunnel, cross a suspension bridge, and go down some more stone stairs (slippery at times) before finally reaching the river. If you jump down (hold onto the old guard rails for support) to the river bank, you can walk along the left-hand side of the river until you find the hot springs. They aren’t marked, but should be pretty obvious—there will be a few natural pools of varied temperatures. There is also a little cave hot spring that is HOT, which you can access if you immediately turn left at the stairs and continue along the path. At the time of our most recent visit (April 2018) the hot springs were closed, and if you are caught by park officials you could be fined between NT$1,500 – 3000. That being said, there is only one gate on the way down, and since it is easy to cross, many still make the trek down.

Shakadang Trail

Shakadang trail (砂卡噹) is one of our go-tos at Taroko for two reasons: 1) it’s easy (don’t judge), and (2) if you like crystal-clear blue water, this is the place to be. The trail is easy to find, and relatively flat for most of the hike. The cool thing about Shakadang is that it can be as short or as long as you like since you will ultimately end up coming back the same way you came, and you can turn back at any point. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get down to the river, and you are strongly discouraged from doing so even if you could. That being said, there are still plenty of photogenic spots where you can get a few snaps of the water. Shakadang is not on the same road as the others, so it’s best if it’s the first or last stop on your Taroko trip.

TIP: If it has been raining and you plan on climbing up rocks to take photos, make sure your shoes have grip. We speak from experience. Those rocks are slippery.

Baiyang Trail

The Baiyang trail (白楊步道) is famous for having a bunch of tunnels (7 in total), the most impressive of which is called the “water curtain cave,” complete with its own mini-waterfall. Unfortunately, we have never managed to see this part for ourselves, as each time we’ve visited the park this cave has been closed off to the public for safety reasons. Unlike Wenshan Hot springs, the gate is securely locked, and there is no way in.  That being said, the trail itself is easy and fun, with great views of the river valley and waterfall at the end. The tunnels can feel spooky and exciting (especially the first one, which is a whopping 380m of darkness), and it’s the view of the blue water at the end is totally worth it. There are handy markers telling you how far you’ve come, but you will need to go back the way you’ve come at the end. It can be a little tricky to find the beginning of the trail, but follow the pin on Google maps until you see the creepy looking entrance (see below) and then go a little further on to park your bikes/cars. The trail is 2km long and is estimated to take an hour and a half.

There are alternate entrances to the trail, which you can read about here.

TIP: Unless you like being firmly acquainted with the ground, make sure you have enough battery on your phone to use the flashlight. You’ll only need it in a few places, but it sure does come in handy!

Eternal Spring Shrine

The Eternal Spring Shrine (長春祠) is most people’s first stop due to its closeness to the Taroko’s east entrance. If you’re driving, take a left turn when the road splits in two and park next to the service stop. The shrine was built to honour the workers who built the Cross-Island highway that goes through Taroko, which took over 3 years and 200 deaths to complete. There is always a stream of water running underneath the shrine, which is why it’s called the Eternal Spring. The walk from the carpark to the shrine is very easy, only taking about 15 minutes round trip, but there is a much longer trail that starts from the Shrine that leads to Guanyin Cave, Taroko Tower, and the Bell Tower. The trail was closed when we visited, but the entrance is easy to find.

Lushui Trail

The Lushui trail (綠水步道) was originally built by the Japanese during the occupation. It is a beautiful, gentle hike through the forest, and is particularly good for anyone interested in bird watching or trees; there are many different varieties of each, and lots of signs telling you more about them. Keep an eye out for the small river on the left-hand side that you can climb down to (sometimes the water is brown, but at other times it’s a beautiful bright blue), that is gentle enough for you to dip your feet in. Once you’re back on the path, and after passing through an unlit tunnel, you will end up walking along the edge of the cliff with great views of the road and river valley down below. In total, the trail takes around an hour to walk, but we usually turn back after checking out the view, which is a little less than halfway.

TIP: The 30M unlit tunnel is very dark, so you might want to use a flashlight so you can see.

Zhuilu Old Trail

The Zhuilu Old Trail (錐麓古道) is a 10km long hike that offers stunning birds-eye views of the gorge and an exhilarating cliff-side trek. The hike was originally built as a hunting path by the local aboriginals, and it was later expanded by the Japanese army in an effort to subdue the native tribes. Unlike the other trails on the list, you can’t just show up to see it—you must get two types of permits in advance, and your paperwork and ID will be checked before you can enter. (Read more here about applying for a permit.) In an effort to protect the environment, only 96 (on weekdays) or 126 (on weekends) visitors are allowed on any given day, and for safety reasons, all hikers must start the trail between 7-11AM. Large sections of the trail may also be closed off, depending on weather and trail conditions. Despite the multiple hoops needed to jump through, Zhuilu Old Trail offers some of the best views of the park and an absolutely unforgettable experience.

TIP: If you are scared of heights, or physically unfit, you should probably choose a different trail. This one is no joke!

Buluowan

There’s not a whole lot to see at Buluowan (布洛灣) other than a small circular walkway leading to a viewing platform (it’s described as a “trail,” but don’t be fooled), a gift shop, and some exhibitions about aboriginal culture. On the upper level is a hotel that serves aboriginal-inspired food. It is one of the few hotels in the park. There are also a few trails that start from here, but we didn’t have time to check them out.

Taroko East Gate

If you’re coming from Hualien or Xincheng to Taroko, chances are you’ll pass the Taroko East Gate (東西橫貫公路牌坊). It may not look like much at first, but it marks the beginning of what is sure to be an epic trip. Just be careful not to stand in the middle of the road, because cars drive fast around here!

Zhongbu Cross-Island Highway

If you continue up from the road from Tianxiang, past the Baiyang Trail, you will eventually come across some beautiful scenery. While there are no attractions up here, on a nice day this drive can be very rewarding and photogenic. Just be careful not to drive up too far (past the farm) because you will end up on the path to a town, instead of toward anything scenic!

Where to stay

The three best options when booking your accommodation are: staying inside the park itself, staying in Hualien city, or staying in the neighbouring village of Xincheng.

Staying in the park can be a wonderful experience, as you are surrounded by nature all night and have little to no travel time in the morning. However, the roads inside the park are almost completely dark, so driving after nightfall is highly discouraged. This means that if you choose to stay at a hotel in the park, you better be sure you don’t want to go anywhere else when evening comes! You may be stuck or have a long distance to travel if it rains too hard to go hiking.

Staying in Hualien is another great option—since Hualien is a pretty big city, there are plenty of amazing food options and alternative things to do when it is raining. At night, you can check out the aboriginal food street at Dongdamen Night Market that can be a great way to explore the local aboriginal cuisine. Hualien has some amazing hotels and hostels at a good price point and also has places to go drinking at night. We loved this modern, clean hostel that we stayed at. It is also the most convenient to get to from other cities such as Taipei. The one downside to staying in Hualien is that you will have a long drive in the morning, so you will need to get up a little earlier if you want to have the same amount of time at the park.

Staying in Xincheng can be a great compromise—it’s almost at the mouth of the park, so you won’t have to travel too far in the mornings, and it’s about an hour’s straight drive to Hualien on a highway. You can also travel to Hualien by train. This means that you’re close enough not to waste time in the mornings, but also able to travel to Hualien for dinner (should you choose to). We had some delicious home-made lemon juice in Xincheng, here. There are other restaurants nearby as well.

Where to eat

There is but a single 7-11 at Tianxiang service station and it often runs out of good food, so we highly recommend stocking up on snacks and drinks before you reach the park — especially if you’re planning on hiking! The best place to do this is at the many convenience stores in Hualien, Xincheng, or on the road between the two. Other than that, you will also find a few restaurants in the park, dotted around at Tianxiang, Eternal Spring Shrine, Buluowan and Swallow Tail Grotto. Other than the restaurant at the Taroko Village Hotel at Buluowan, the quality is nothing to write home about, and you should expect to pay more than you would outside the park.

Getting in and around

The most direct way to get to Taroko National Park is by taking the train to Hualien. Trains run regularly from Taipei and take around 2-3 hours. From there, you can take a bus, coach, or rent a car or scooter. You can also take a taxi, but booking it for an entire day can cost you upwards of $3000. There are plenty of tours advertised outside Hualien Station.

Bus: The public buses leave outside Hualien Station on the right-hand after the exit and are fairly easy to spot, as they are bright orange. The drivers do not speak English, and you may not get change, so be sure to bring coins. You should also have a vague idea of which stops to get off at before you take the bus. The bus takes around an hour to get to the park headquarters, and an hour and a half to get to Tianxiang if there are no delays. Check out the timetable here.

Coach: There are a number of private tours that will take you around the sights in Taroko. They aren’t particularly expensive, but most do not offer an English language version. If you don’t want the hassle of taking the bus or renting your own transport, and also don’t want to shell out for a taxi, this can be a great option. The only downside is that you have to stick to their schedule, but you will probably have more than enough time. Check out this one here.

Car:  We have never rented a car, but we know lots of people who have. Driving yourself can be pretty scary unless you’re a very confident driver, and parking spaces can fill up rather quickly. We personally recommend doing a scooter rather than a car, but at least you have a roof over your heads in a car in case it rains! There are plenty of places to rent a car near Hualien Station.

Scooter: This is our favourite way to travel in and around the park! You can stop wherever you like and have amazing views all the time. The only downside is that if it rains (which it might), you’re going to have much less fun. The twisty roads can also be very dangerous, so take care and drive slowly. There are also lots of places to rent a scooter near Hualien Station, but we always go here. The owner speaks some English and is a total sweetheart — we’ve never been charged for returning our scooter a little late!