Taroko Gorge travel blog — How to visit & what to do in Taroko Gorge?

Taiwanese are extremely proud of their country: people, cuisine and top of all: their wonderful nature. If you have ever come here, you will see from the MRT map to the tourist map a lot of “scenery” for visitors to explore, and get back to nature. Today, we introducing one of the most beautiful national parks in Taiwan, this is Taroko Gorge National Park.

So, is Taroko Gorge worth visiting, how to visit Taroko Gorge, what to do in Taroko Gorge and how to plan a budget trip to Taroko Gorge for the first-time perfectly? Let’s check out our Taroko Gorge travel blog (Taroko Gorge blog) with the fullest Taroko Gorge travel guide (Taroko Gorge guide) from how to get to Taroko Gorge, best places to visit as well as top things to do in Taroko Gorge to help you maximize your trip as follows!

Taroko Gorge National Park (Taroko Gorge Taiwan, Taroko National Park Taiwan, Taiwan Gorge Taroko National Park) is the “pride” of Taiwanese. Not only local people, many visitors who have come here claimed that “if you have not come to Taroko Gorge National Park, you have not felt the soul of the natural beauty of Taiwan”.

A few points about Taroko Gorge National Park

Taiwan has a total of seven national parks and Taroko Gorge is the most beautiful and famous park, its highlight is the natural landscape which is beautiful and romantic as the “fairy tale”.

Even the name Taroko itself means “magnificent and beautiful”. Taroko is a splendid place with marble cliffs mottled with green vegetation, azure streams and pagodas surrounded by forests.

Tarako Gorge is located in Eastern Taiwan, Hualien County, not far from the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the most spectacular canyons in the world, 20 kilometers of vertical cliffs, over 1000 meters high in some parts.

Taroko Gorge opened to the public first in 1937, then for some reason, it had been shut down for almost 14 years and reopened in 1951. The majestic marble mountain, magnificent waterfalls, pristine rainforests, the fabulous Liwu River and many unique landscapes such as: vaulted 9 rounds, Cave Swallow, Valley Liwu …

Taroko Gorge blog: Best places to see and top things to do in Taroko Gorge National Park

Paiyang Fall and Tsingshui Cliff

The best timing to see Paiyang waterfall is in the early morning or at dusk.

These are two of the most famous wonders in Taroko Gorge. According to some travel bloggers, the best time to visit these places is the sunrise or sunset, because this is a moment for you to first see the “realms” when the scenery of rivers become fanciful in the lane.

The Eternal Spring Temple (Changchun Temple)

This is a place to commemorate the 212 workers who died while building the road through Taroko. It will not be one of the famous scenic landmarks if it is not located in such a prime location.

In front of the temple is a small waterfall originating from streams leading to the Monastery and Quan Guan Yin, giving the Changchun Temple a surreal look (the natural spring water is pouring from the heavens above). Make sure you bring the camera with you as the Eternal Spring Waterfall is an Instagram-worthy spot.

It takes 20 minutes to walk through mountain tunnels to reach the shrine.

Opening hours: 00:00 – 23:59
Price: TWD
Telephone: +886-3-8621100
Address: Sioulin Township, Hualien County, 972

Swallow Grotto

The sky is like a thread when you stand at Swallow Grotto looking up

Getting to Taroko Gorge without visiting Swallow Grotto is an irresistible regret. This is a natural cave created from a cascade pouring down the marble valleys.

Standing at Swallow Grotto, you will see the gorgeous blue sky when looking up. Not only that, if you lucky enough to see the swallow’s nest if you were here in spring.

Tunnel of Nine Turns

Tunnel of Nine Turns is the most magnificent trekking route in Taroko National Park, only about 2km long, but possesses beautiful natural scenery to breathe with rocky cliffs, streams and rich flora and fauna.

It is called the Tunnel of Nine Turns because it crooked through the cliffs and created nine magnificent natural caves.

It was constructed in 1996, the visitors can see the rock folds, faults of the marble cliffs. The two cliffs are close to each other, and we might see them as one from a distance. The section is well-known as “Nine Turns of the Coiled Dragon”.

As the distance between the cliffs is mere 10-meters wide, a Kelan River pass by, forming a “Fish leaping across the dragon gate” scene!. The trail is a can’t missed spot, you should stop by here to behold the spectacular natural wonder formed by river erosion since tens of thousands of years ago.

The number nine indicates “many” in Chinese and are used widely in Chinese expression.

The natural beauty and abundance of the flora and fauna of Taroko Gorge National Park is a gift that Mother Nature gives to not only Taiwan but the whole of humanity. What is more interesting than visiting the park by trekking through the trails or sitting on small rafts to immerse yourself in the majestic scenery of the Liwu River?.

Every part of Taroko Gorge is absolutely magnificent. A true beautiful display of the power of nature. Make sure you have a lot of time to go through and complete the Swallow Grotto.

Taroko Gorge blog: How to get to Taroko Gorge National Park

To go from Taipei to Hualien, go to Taroko Gorge National Park, you can buy a ticket train with a travel time of 2h30 minutes. You need to book a ticket (around 440NTD / ticket / way) in advance on the website of the Railway Taiwan about one week because the tickets will sell very fast, especially on holidays or weekends. You can choose a train run along mountain or along the sea as you like.

In case of non-bookable train tickets, please select combo between buses and trains (traveling time is 4-5h). Accordingly, from Taipei – Luodong take the bus in conjunction with Luodong – Hualien by train.

Another way is to rent a motorbike to go, but most rental places accept only Taiwanese or international driver’s license. For rent, you should go to Hualien Station, this is where there are relatively many shops accepting car rental with a good price of 700-1000NT per day. If you do not have an international license, you can rent an electric car (under 50cc) at a cheaper price.

The most suitable and most convenient way is to book from a day trip tour Klook, a shuttle service to pick up and drop off. Link book tour: Taroko Gorge Day Trips.

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Are you finding more top things to do in Taipei: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Taipei travel blog — The fullest Taipei city guide for a wonderful trip to Taipei for the first-timers.