Taroko Gorge National Park is one of the huge and wonderful parks in Taiwan. The park is located in the eastern coast of Taiwan which is close to Hualien. The Gorge draws a lot of visitors every day and one of the must-see destinations here in Taiwan. The park offers its visitors a variety of sites from temples, mountains, rivers, caves, and more.
Going to Hualien from Taipei is just easy though it’s a long travel, everything will be worth it once you’re already there. Since we always make sure that our trip is always on our budget, we took the cheapest route we know to save money.
Taipei Station to Luodong Station (BUS):
Taking a bus is one of the cheapest way in going to Luodong as you can spend around 135NTD only for a 60-70 minute bus ride.The morning schedule of Kamalan bus going to Luodong is as follows:
Luodong Station to Xincheng Station (TRA):
The TRA Station in Luodong is a 3-5minute walk from the Luodong Bus Station. A trip from Luodong to Xincheng takes around 1.5 hours costing around 107NTD. Make sure that you can estimate your time well as there are just few trains departing from Luodong to Xinsheng.
TRA schedule from Luodong is as follows:
- Train No. 4144 departs at 6:56 am
- Train No. 4124 departs at 7:49 am
- Train No. 4628 departs at 9:46 am
For a Day Trip in Taroko, we would highly recommend the following options:
- Take the 5:55AM Bus to catch the Train 4144 and arrived at 8:06AM in Xincheng.
- Take the 6:15AM Bus to catch the Train 4124 and arrived at 8:59AM in Xincheng.
In our case, we rented a car service for a Day Trip in the Taroko Gorge from 9:00AM to 6:00PM. We had Mr. Zeng who is such a very accommodating driver/tour guide and he can speak English as well. He is also very knowledgeable about the trails and spots in the park, including the schedules of the trains/buses in going to and from Hualien. Mr. Zeng’s car has a Wi-Fi access which you can use to upload pictures in real-time. We really encourage to avail of a car service in going around the Taroko Gorge so as to make the most out of your trip. Below is Mr. Zeng’s Day Trip itinerary:
Here are some additional photos we had from the trip:
We also used the same route going back to Taipei. We boarded on Train No 4227 from Xinsheng at exactly 6:00 and we arrived at Luodong at 7:20PM. Afterwards, we took a bus going to Taipei. The buses to Taipei comes every after 10-15 minutes.
Overall, our Taroko Gorge adventure was spectacular and availing of a car service really helps a lot in getting around the area and you get to explore and know more about the history of the place as well.
One more thing, BE SURE TO WEAR YOUR COMFORTABLE SHOES as it takes a lot of HIKING in most of the destinations since some places restrict cars and other vehicles.
Thanks! this is very helpful!
Hi, I would like to ask where can we rent a service car like Mr. Zeng? Thank you!
Hi, how much is your private car rental and how many pax can fit it in? 🙂
Hi Jecca! You can check the rates here: https://www.yamventures.com/taroko-gorge-day-tour/
TY 🙂 From Xincheng station, do you know where we can buy the 1 day bus pass costing NT$250 for unlimited rides up to Taroko Gorge?
Thanks for sharing this. I really get to read posts about Taiwan. So, it was really nice to read something new and this Gorge is just gorgeous. Would love to be there sometime
Actually, the Gorge is already a popular destination in Taiwan and this place never fails to give its tourists a wonderful view!
I’ve never heard about this place before reading your informative post. Love hearing about new places like this. Taroko Gorge seems to be an awesome sight ! Kilometers of steep mountainous slopes dropping off into deep, crystal-clear ravines, it truly is a site to behold. Thank you for sharing.
Yes, Ludik! The trails are very challenging yet at the end of the trip, all your hardwork will be worth it. 🙂
Hello! Loved reading about this beautiful part of the world. I’ve yet to travel that far east (I live in South Africa) but I would love to!
Hi Kathryn! I hope you could have the chance to travel to this beautiful country 🙂
What a lovely place. I Loved all your awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing
It’s always our pleasure, Oumarou! 🙂
Thank you so much for this thorough guide. I am working now on an itinerary to Taiwan and this is really helpful.
Goodluck on your future trip in Taiwan. 🙂
OMG! Taiwan is so much beautiful than I’d have ever imagined. When I get a chance to visit I’ll also visit this Taroko Gorge National park
Yes! You should definitely include Taroko Gorge if you visit Taiwan 🙂
Wow, looks amazing.
Thank you Gavin! 🙂
The view is quite spectacular. The pictures show how much fun you had there with your family. ☺
Hi Akyn! All parts of the Taroko Gorge are all spectacular and worth a visit!