How to Visit Taroko National Park from Taipei
Visiting Taroko National Park from Taipei
Taroko National Park was one of the most scenic places I visited in Taiwan, but it also required the most planning. Since I was staying in Taipei, I had to figure out how to get from Taipei to Taroko National Park, how to travel from Hualien Station to Taroko Gorge, and whether it was realistic to visit Taroko as a long day trip.
In this guide, I’ll explain how I visited Taroko National Park from Taipei, what the train ride was like, how I got around once I reached Hualien, what I saw inside the park, and what I would do differently if I were planning the trip today.
Important 2026 Update: Is Taroko National Park Open?
I visited Taroko National Park before the major April 2024 earthquake, so this article is based on my personal experience traveling from Taipei to Hualien and visiting Taroko Gorge as a day trip.
As of 2026, parts of Taroko National Park have reopened, but many of the famous gorge trails and viewpoints are still affected by earthquake damage, road work, and safety closures. Before planning your trip, I strongly recommend checking the official Taroko National Park website for the latest trail, road, and transportation updates.
This guide is still useful if you are trying to understand how I visited Taroko National Park from Taipei, what the train ride was like, how I got from Hualien Station to Taroko National Park, and whether a day trip is realistic. However, current visitors should expect a different experience than the one I had, especially if specific trails, roads, or shuttle routes are closed during their visit.
If I were visiting Taroko National Park today, I would strongly consider booking a guided tour or private driver instead of relying entirely on public transportation. That would make it easier to adjust if certain trails, roads, or viewpoints were closed.
How to Visit Taroko National Park from Taipei - Table of Contents
- Visiting Taroko National Park from Taipei
- Can You Visit Taroko National Park as a Day Trip from Taipei?
- Getting from Taipei to Hualien by Train
- Can You Take the Train from Taipei to Taroko Gorge National Park?
- My Train Ride from Taipei to Hualien City Station
- How Comfortable is the Train Ride from Taipei Main Station to Taroko National Park?
- Researching How to Get from Hualien City Station to Taroko Gorge
- Can You Fly from Taipei to Taroko Gorge National Park?
- How to Get to Taroko National Park from Hualien City Station
- What Should I See at Taroko National Park?
- Qixingtan Beach
- Taroko National Park – Should I Take a Tour?
- Flying Back to Taipei
- FAQ: Visiting Taroko National Park from Taipei
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Can You Visit Taroko National Park as a Day Trip from Taipei?
Yes, it is possible to visit Taroko National Park as a day trip from Taipei, but it makes for a very long day. My route involved taking the train from Taipei Main Station to Hualien, using local transportation to reach Taroko Gorge, visiting several of the park’s highlights, stopping at Qixingtan Beach, and then flying back to Taipei.
This was not the easiest day trip I took in Taiwan, but it was worth it for me because I wanted to see Taroko Gorge without changing hotels or spending the night in Hualien.
If you are trying to decide whether to visit independently or book a tour, the biggest things to consider are time, transportation, and current park access. When everything is operating normally, independent travel is possible. Under current conditions, a Taroko Gorge tour from Taipei or a Taroko National Park tour from Hualien may be the easier option.
Getting from Taipei to Hualien by Train
Can You Take the Train from Taipei to Taroko National Park?
You cannot take the train directly into Taroko National Park, but you can take the train from Taipei to Hualien. Hualien City serves as the main gateway to Taroko Gorge National Park.
That was the first question I researched after booking my trip to Taiwan. At first, it appeared that taking a day trip from Taipei to Taroko Gorge should be relatively easy. There were two main methods of transportation I found online to travel from Taipei to Taroko Gorge: bus and train. Both the bus and train traveled from Taipei to Hualien City.
It would take almost four hours to ride the bus from Taipei to Hualien City via the Central Cross-Island Highway, and that sounded miserable, so I booked a train ticket instead.
Unfortunately, the express trains were already booked, so I had to take a local train. It was a much longer trip because the local train made many more stops and turned what could have been closer to a two-hour journey into a three-and-a-half-hour journey. It would take closer to four hours before I arrived at Hualien City Station, the closest major station for visiting Taroko National Park.
Since Taiwan Railway schedules can change, I would check the official timetable before planning a Taipei to Hualien train connection.
My Train Ride from Taipei Main Station to Hualien City Station
I began my journey to Taroko Gorge National Park with a 4:30 am wake-up and was at Taipei Main Station by 5:30 am.
To save time, I retrieved my ticket the day before from a Chinese-language vending machine with some assistance from a nice lady. Accessing my ticket was difficult because I kept entering my ticket number when it wanted my passport number to verify my identity.
Thankfully, finding my train was very easy, and I learned I did not need to arrive at 5:30 am for a 6:25 am train. I believe arriving fifteen minutes before my train’s departure would have been plenty of time.
Boarding the train from Taipei to Hualien was easy because the seats were assigned. I was assigned car 8, seat 51. On the trains in Taiwan, odd numbers are aisle seats, and even numbers are window seats. The boarding locations were marked with both Mandarin and English words, and most passengers lined up to board before the train arrived.
Boarding took about 60 seconds, and the train was moving before I sat down in my seat.
The train ride from Taipei to Hualien was the easiest part of the trip logistically. The more complicated part was figuring out how to get from Hualien Station to Taroko National Park once I arrived.
How Comfortable Was the Train Ride from Taipei to Taroko National Park?
The search I should have typed in Google before purchasing a train ticket was, “How comfortable is the train ride from Taipei to Taroko National Park?”
Now, I am not afraid to admit that I am a spoiled traveler. I usually have extra legroom seats on planes and nice hotel rooms. Rarely do I take a train any type of distance. Within a few minutes of finding my seat, I realized I was already pretty miserable on the train. I felt sick due to the constant side-to-side movement and the temperature of the train was extremely hot with high humidity.
While there was enough legroom, I was nauseous for almost the entire journey from Taipei Main Station to Hualien City Station.
Researching How to Get from Hualien City Station to Taroko Gorge
During my ride, I spent most of my time researching how to get to Taroko National Park from Hualien City Station. During my visit, there were two main options: hiring a taxi driver as a local guide or taking the Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus.
At the time, the bus was much cheaper than hiring a taxi driver for the day, so I decided to save money and use public transportation. I chose the Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus. If I could survive the bumpy train ride, I could certainly survive a bus ride from the Hualien train station to Taroko National Park.
Under current conditions, I would check transportation updates before assuming the same bus route is available. If buses are not operating normally, a taxi, private driver, or guided tour may be the better option.
Can You Fly from Taipei to Taroko Gorge National Park?
As the train continued to sway from side to side, I decided to do a little more research on Taroko National Park. I typed into my phone, “Can you fly from Taipei to Taroko National Park?” I was surprised to see that Hualien had an airport with daily flights to Taipei.
In fact, there was a Uni Air flight available that evening, and the price was low enough that I booked it right away. I received an instant confirmation by email, and as my train journey toward Taroko Gorge continued, I was even able to check in for my flight using Uni Air’s mobile app.
I now had two ways home: a train ticket and a plane ticket. The biggest advantage of the plane was that I could spend extra time at Taroko National Park because the flight departed later than the scheduled departure time of the train.
How to Get to Taroko National Park from Hualien City Station
I arrived at Hualien City Train Station with my return plans finalized and set out to purchase the Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus Pass to Taroko Gorge National Park.
The bus terminal was a short walk from the train station and was easy to find. The bus agent spoke very little English, but I was able to communicate that I wanted a one-day pass. There was a QR code on the pass that allowed me to access an English version digitally.
I waited about 20 minutes for the bus to arrive and befriended a Taiwanese university student. He was in his third year at National Taiwan University, Taiwan’s top college, and spoke perfect English. My new friend was also visiting the park alone and would be meeting a friend later in the evening at the beach. We talked about Taiwan, education, work, and his favorite subject: the NBA.
During my visit, the bus stopped at the visitor center, and my new friend and I decided we would stick together.
What I Would Do Differently Now
If I were visiting Taroko National Park from Taipei today, I would compare three options before deciding.
First, I would check whether the train from Taipei to Hualien still fits the schedule I need. Second, I would check the official Taroko National Park website to see which roads, trails, and viewpoints are open. Third, I would compare guided tours or private drivers, especially if I only had one day.
I usually like traveling independently when possible, but Taroko Gorge is one place where a tour or private driver can make sense. The park is spread out, access can change, and some of the best stops depend on road and trail conditions.
What To See at Taroko Gorge National Park
After a quick stop at the Taroko National Park Visitor Center, my new friend and I set out to tour the park. Taroko National Park is huge, and it would be impossible to see everything in six hours. We decided to focus on three main areas of the park, which are featured below.
During my visit, the Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus allowed me to reach several stops inside Taroko National Park. That is no longer something I would assume today, because current bus service may not reach the same gorge stops.
Two companies served the park, and the tickets were not transferable between companies. The first bus that arrived was from the other company. Rather than wait for a bus from our company, we jumped on the other company’s bus and paid the additional fare.
The bus wound through Taroko National Park on a very narrow road, making various stops along the way. We chose the Swallow Grotto Trail as our first site to visit.
Because current access can change, use this section as my personal experience rather than a guarantee that every stop will be open during your visit.
The Swallow Grotto Trail at Taroko Gorge
The Swallow Grotto Trail took about 30 minutes in each direction and provided stunning views of Taroko Gorge. After departing the bus, we walked nearly half a mile up a winding path along the main road.
There were many spots to stop and take pictures, and even when we had to go through a tunnel, there were areas cut out of the rocks where we could look out and take photographs.
The trail passed a suspension bridge that was closed to tourists unless they applied for a special permit, as well as a terrifying zip line. Toward the end of the walking path were restrooms and a snack area. We took this opportunity to fill up on drinks because it was sweltering.
The air temperature was around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the heat index was easily 110. Lucky for us, the trail was in the shade, and it was very windy. The wind made the conditions still uncomfortably hot but bearable.
At the end of the trail, we noticed the one flaw in this beautiful park. Instead of having another bus stop nearby, we had to turn around and walk back to where the bus had dropped us off. It was at this point that we met another solo traveler, and our group of two became three. We made it back just in time to catch the bus and set off for our next stop.
Swallow Grotto was one of the highlights of my Taroko Gorge visit, but this is also one of the areas where current access should be checked before planning your trip.
Taiwanese Monkeys at Taroko Gorge National Park
The next part of our visit to Taroko National Park took us to the very end of the long, winding road. We had decided to view Baiyang Waterfall through the Baiyang Waterfall Trail.
Unfortunately, we were unable to do so due to road construction. Road crews had been working on the Taroko National Park main highway all summer, and due to the narrowness of the road, they had to continually close it down for an hour at a time to work.
After a 45-minute ride to the viewing point, we learned that we would have to wait one hour before we could pass to get down to the trail. We decided to skip the waterfall trail because we were already running short on time.
I was disappointed that I would now only see two of my three chosen sites, but then I saw something move in a nearby tree.
Right above us was an entire group of Formosan rock macaques, also known as Taiwanese monkeys. I was amazed to be able to be so close to them and quickly took out my zoom lens and began taking pictures. My two friends were not as impressed, as they said they see monkeys all the time.
I was disappointed to miss the waterfall, but I was super excited to see the monkeys chasing each other and jumping from tree to tree at such a close vantage point. Seeing Taiwanese monkeys at Taroko National Park was an unexpected part of the day and made the visit even more memorable.
Eternal Spring Shrine at Taroko Gorge National Park
After viewing the monkeys for some time, we decided to go back to the beginning of the park. The highlight of my visit to Taroko Gorge was Eternal Spring Shrine, which honors the workers who died while building the Central Cross-Island Highway through the gorge. The bus stopped a bit away from the shrine, allowing us to get a good view from a distance.
Also visible was the Old Changchun Bridge. After taking a few pictures from far away, we walked toward the bridge, where there was a path that led up to the shrine.
We took some more pictures at the base of Eternal Spring Shrine and then walked through a small tunnel to get to the top. Inside the shrine are the names of the workers who died constructing Taroko Gorge National Park’s main road.
The memorial is an active place of worship, so it was important to be respectful and not get in the way of any worshippers.
Eternal Spring Shrine, also known as Changchun Shrine, is one of the most recognizable sights in Taroko National Park. However, current visitors should check access before assuming it can be visited the same way.
Is There a Beach by Taroko Gorge National Park?
At this point, it was getting late, and if I were going to make my flight, it would be time to exit the park. I asked my friend if there was anything he recommended we see before I left to fly back to Taipei.
He had an idea that we should stop at Qixingtan Beach on the way back, where he was meeting his friend.
Qixingtan Beach was closer to the airport than the main bus station, and a taxi ride would only take a few minutes. Located on the Pacific Ocean, Qixingtan Beach seemed like a popular place for casual walking, beach activities, and working out.
Even a local basketball team was doing conditioning on the beach. The waves were at least 3–5 feet, so there were not many people swimming. The waves may have been high because there was a typhoon out in the open Pacific.
I walked around Qixingtan Beach for about an hour, said goodbye to my new friend, and took a taxi to Hualien City Airport.
After visiting Taroko Gorge, Qixingtan Beach gave the day a completely different feel. Instead of mountains, cliffs, and river scenery, I finished the day with ocean views along Taiwan’s east coast.
Taroko National Park: Should I Take a Tour?
There are numerous tour options for Taroko National Park. When I visited, I didn’t realize how massive the park was, and I may have been able to see more of it had I booked a tour.
That being said, a lot of the fun, in my opinion, was exploring the park without a guide. I enjoyed figuring out the train, bus, park stops, and flight back to Taipei on my own.
However, if I were visiting Taroko National Park from Taipei today, I would look much more seriously at booking a tour or private driver. Current road work, trail closures, and transportation changes can make independent travel more complicated than it was during my visit.
A tour may be a better option if you do not want to worry about transportation from Hualien, if you are short on time, or if you are visiting while some roads, trails, or bus routes are affected by closures.
If you are interested in a tour, I have linked a few options below. I am an affiliate partner of Viator. If you book a tour using one of the links below, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider booking using one of my links.
Flying Back to Taipei from Taroko Gorge National Park via Hualien City Airport
It was time to end my visit to Taroko National Park and the surrounding area and depart for the airport. I took a short taxi ride to Hualien Airport and arrived with plenty of time before my flight. Hualien Airport was small and had very limited flight service during my visit.
I checked in, walked around the very nice airport, and purchased ice cream and a drink. Our flight was slightly delayed due to a late-arriving aircraft.
About 30 minutes before boarding, the security checkpoint opened. I had not planned on flying, so I had to sacrifice my expensive sunscreen because the bottle was too big to carry on. I quickly made it through security and was told, “Thank you for your cooperation,” by a very friendly security agent.
Within a few minutes, our Uni Air ATR72 turboprop plane arrived. Boarding was quick, and soon we were in the air. The flight from Hualien to Taipei was short and much more comfortable for me than taking the train back.
The plane landed at Taipei City Airport, also known as Songshan Airport, and I hopped on the metro to return to my hotel. It was a much more pleasant journey than three hours on the bumpy train.
Many people are scared of propeller planes, but I find them to be a smooth ride, sometimes even smoother than a jet. I was thrilled that I had thought to check to see if there were flights from Hualien City to Taipei.
FAQ: Visiting Taroko National Park from Taipei
Can you visit Taroko National Park from Taipei in one day?
Yes, Taroko National Park can be visited from Taipei in one day, but it is a long day trip. I took the train from Taipei to Hualien, visited Taroko Gorge, stopped at Qixingtan Beach, and then flew back to Taipei. It worked for me, but I would only recommend it if you are comfortable with a full travel day.
What is the best way to get from Taipei to Taroko National Park?
The most common way to get from Taipei to Taroko National Park is to take the train from Taipei to Hualien and then continue from Hualien to Taroko Gorge by bus, taxi, private driver, or tour. The train portion is straightforward, but the Hualien-to-Taroko portion requires more planning.
Can you take the train directly from Taipei to Taroko National Park?
No, you cannot take a train directly from Taipei into Taroko National Park. The train takes you from Taipei to Hualien, which is the main gateway city for visiting Taroko Gorge. From Hualien, you still need transportation into the park.
Is Taroko National Park open after the 2024 earthquake?
Parts of Taroko National Park have reopened, but some trails, roads, and viewpoints continue to be affected by earthquake damage, closures, and repair work. Since conditions can change, always check the official Taroko National Park website before planning your visit.
Do you need a tour for Taroko National Park?
You do not always need a tour for Taroko National Park, but a tour can make the trip much easier. If you are visiting from Taipei or if current closures affect public transportation, a guided tour or private driver may be the better option.
Is Taroko National Park worth visiting from Taipei?
For me, Taroko National Park was worth visiting from Taipei. The gorge scenery, cliffs, shrine views, monkeys, and stop at Qixingtan Beach made the long day worthwhile. However, whether it is worth visiting right now depends on what is open during your trip.
Is Qixingtan Beach worth visiting with Taroko Gorge?
Yes, Qixingtan Beach is worth visiting if it fits into your Taroko National Park itinerary. It was a great final stop after Taroko Gorge and added ocean views to a day that was otherwise focused on mountains, cliffs, and river scenery.
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