By rail
Hualien station, ~2–2.5 h from Taipei
East Asia · Taiwan
Taroko Gorge, Taiwan
Marble cliffs and turquoise rivers
Getting there
By air
Hualien (HUN), ~20 km
Best time to visit
October to April — dry and mild
Don't miss
The Swallow Grotto
The Eternal Spring Shrine
The Tunnel of Nine Turns
The Qingshui Cliff
Things to do
Hiking the gorge trails that are open (some closed after the 2024 earthquake)
The Qingshui Cliffs from the coast road
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Tommy.In · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Hiking shoes, rain gear
A quieter corner
The Shakadang Trail beside a clear stream
Questions travellers ask
Are Taroko Gorge's trails open after the earthquake?
Some trails were shut after the 2024 earthquake, so stick to the gorge trails that are open.
How do I get to Taroko Gorge from Taipei?
Take the train to Hualien station, about 2 to 2.5 hours from Taipei. If you'd rather fly, Hualien (HUN) is roughly 20 km away.
When is the best weather for Taroko?
October to April, when it's dry and mild. Bring hiking shoes and rain gear anyway.
What else is there to see around Taroko?
The Qingshui Cliffs from the coast road, and the Shakadang Trail beside a clear stream. Try aboriginal bamboo-tube rice while you're there.
About Taroko Gorge
- Mountains
- Riverside
Where it is
Taroko Gorge is a marble canyon cut by the Liwu River in Taroko National Park, in Hualien County on the east coast of Taiwan, where the Central Mountain Range drops steeply to the Pacific Ocean.
History
The gorge and its mountains are the homeland of the Truku people, whose name the park bears. The Central Cross-Island Highway was carved through the gorge between 1956 and 1960 at the cost of more than two hundred workers' lives, remembered at the Eternal Spring Shrine, and Taroko was re-established as a national park in 1986. A strong earthquake in April 2024 caused rockfalls that shut parts of the gorge for a long time.
People
The Truku, one of Taiwan's recognised indigenous peoples, live in villages around the gorge and keep traditions of weaving, hunting and song. Mandarin is widely spoken, and the markets of Hualien sell millet wine and the city's famous mochi.
Known for
- Marble cliffs above the Liwu River
- The Swallow Grotto
- The Eternal Spring Shrine
- The Shakadang Trail
- The Qingshui Cliffs above the Pacific
Did you know?
Taroko's cliffs are made of marble, and Hualien, the county around the gorge, is known for its marble.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.