Taroko Gorge Full-Day Tour from Taipei

Taipei, Taiwan

See one of the seven wonders of Asia, the Taroko Gorge. Take a short plane trip to Hualien from Taipei to see this great wonder, a must-do while in Taipei.

You'll be picked up from your Taipei city hotel at 6:00am to travel by plane to Hualien, a 25-minute flight. This full-day guided tour will take you to the Taroko Gorge. A 20-kilometer section of the highway that runs from Taroko to Tiansiang.

The stunning gorge is known for its sheer marble cliffs, deep, winding tunnels, and the Liwu River, which flows through its craggy landscape. Travel through Swallows Grotto, where the section of the highway runs through tunnels carved into the marble vertical sides of the gorge.

Travel through 38 tunnels including the Tunnel of Nine Turns, with it's endless series of turns, this is a stunning part of the gorge and where numerous hiking trails begin.

See the Eternal Spring Shrine, one of the most photographed scenes around the gorge. These little temples were built to memorise those that have lost their lives in the construction of the central cross-island highway.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Continue to the Chi Hsing Beach and Hualien Stone Sculptural Park and visit a marble factory before returning to Taipei by train.

Tour Highlights

• Hualien and Hualien Stone Sculptural Park
• Taroko Gorge Gateway
• Eternal Spring Shrine
• Swallow Caves
• Tunnel of Nine Turns
• Tienhsiang Lodge
• Marble Factory
• Chi Hsing Beach

USD $169.30

Review by: Gary C	April 2012
Great trip! Josephine was a great guide!

Review by: Gordon S	March 2012
Spectacular scenery, very knowledgeable guide (if a bit too chatty). Not just sitting on the bus but had several opportunities to get out and walk a bit. Lunch at Silks Place Taroko was very good. Tour was excellent until return to Hualien after lunch. $200 for aboriginal dance, followed by trip to Marble factory (actually a big salesroom) was a waste of time (although my wife liked it). My recommendation - after returning to Hualien either go to the beach for the afternoon if it's a nice day, or get on an earlier train back to Taipei. Still, don't miss seeing the gorge!

Review by: Jane R	February 2012
The Gorge is well worth the trip though areas are off limits due to safety. Our guide was friendly and the lunch fabulous - though a word of caution - beware of the marble tour ... you do not learn a lot about marble but a whole lot of selling of jade , star sapphires and other stones not mentioned in the brochure :( boo hoo

Review by: Chris H	February 2012
Hualien is an amazing city, which you will see lots of beautiful natrual scence. Our tour guide was very helpful and friendly. She gave us heaps of information on each place. This tour makes my business trip to TW much more enjoyable than before.

Review by: W.A.M V	January 2012
very good. expensive, but value for money. Good meal too!

Review by: Ratna G	January 2012
A wholesome and comprehensive tour. Even though it rained it didn't dampen our mood in the least. The guide was good n informative. One suggestion would be to make the lunch more personal and increase the quantity. When one goes on a 5 star tour one expects 5 star treatment. We were 11 people of different cultures n sensibilities seated together on one table n the food bundled on the table without any repeats. Some people were frozen enough not to be able to grab the food. That's not expected, n our guide at this point wasn't there to supervise the hotel whose staff conveniently doesn't understand even sign language when it suits them. Even in the morning we were picked up at 6 a, rush to the airport where there was no food stall, flight n then the tour. We requested the guide to stop for breakfast but she ignored us. So the food or rather the lack of it was the only drawback to an otherwise memorable n awesome day.

Review by: Julius H	January 2012
This is very recommended full day tour. In one fine day we can visit many beautiful spots in Taroko National Park. The tour guide (a lady) is also very professional and she knows how to run the tour efficiently and we can visit all the good spots on the way on schedule. We also enjoyed the delicous Chinese lunch in 5star hotel (Silks Place Hotel) during the tour which is included. However, the visit to marble factory was quite waisting our time since they aim the tour participants to buy the marble gift in their store instead of explaining and showing us the process to produce the marble. It is one hour which is a quite useless for us which can be optimize to enjoy Taroko National Park a little bit longer. The way back to Taipei by train also took 3 hours which is quite long time since we could not see anything from the train window after sunset around 5 p.m. in winter time.

Review by: Janice B	January 2012
Excellent trip although a very long day - could cut out the cake shop and the "beach" as this does not really align with the "Gorge" theme. We could have caught the train at the Taroko station, rather than having to travel back to Hualien. Otherwise very well organised and well worth the trip (including the lunch!!!) _br/_ The half hour stop at the recreational area before lunch was really not necessary and instead I would have appreciated more time to explore the places we visited - we had to rush there and back most of the time.

Review by: Catherine N	January 2012
great tour, thanks!

Review by: Wansls	December 2011
Taroko Gorge was lovely and the guide was fabulous. This was definitely worth a visit. The hotel pickup was at the crack of dawn - 6am and we got to the airport in time for a short flight to Hualien. The walk and tour around Taroko Gorge was much improved by the great commentary by our guide and she took us around to some less populated areas. She is also flexible and adjusted the tour well around what the three of us wanted or needed. Highly recommended!

Review by: Daniel G	December 2011
Apart from the weather (raining) everything was perfect, the transfer from hotel to airport (exactly on time), the flight, the tour, the guide (very competent and knowledgeable), the lunch (in a 5 star hotel) with 7 differents plates, the return in train and the transfer back to the hotel (the driver was waiting for us right at the door of the wagon and we were in the van 4 minutes after train arrival. In Taroko we have been able to see everything even the walking part closed for risk of landslides (we have gone though a service tunnel to a part without risks). I will have preferred sunshine but the low clouds surrounding the mountains make for some nice photographs

Review by: Lionel C	November 2011
The logistics of a one-day tour from Taipei worked okay: fly from in-town Songshan airport to Hualin airport (approx. 30 mins), and return by local train (approx. 3 hrs). The gorge was impressive, but the guide did not provide any geological explanation about its natural history, or any in-depth explanation of the sights and local aboriginal culture. It was a bus tour where sights were pointed out to us, and we were told "use your imagination!" Lunch was good.

Review by: Lay Eng N	November 2011
The trip was scenic as expected cos the weather was perfect. But it was made memorable due to the effervescent presence of our guide, Josephine Lin. She went the extra mile and there was never a dull moment on the trip. Good job!

Review by: Danny L	November 2011
Fantasic tour, well worth the price. I'd definitely recommend this day trip to anyone touring Taipei. The tour is run by a local agency, Edison. They pick you up at your designated hotel at 6am, they take care of your flight there, lunch (which was quite good), scenic train ride back, and drop you off back at the hotel 7:30pm. Our tour guide Josephine was alot of fun, mixing humor with info. I love her "rule breaking" attitude. The only minor complaint I have is that the tour felt a little rushed; wish we could spend another 30 mins at the gorge and 30 mins less at the marble factory. Ending the tour at the beach was quite nice as well. I went in mid Nov, and even though it rained for a part of the day, the scenery was absolutely breath-taking regardless.

Review by: Damian L	November 2011
Extremely satisfying day. Great value, beautiful Taroka and good service from all of the staff. Well worth the time and money.

Review by: Andrew Y	November 2011
The trip was great! All representatives spoke many languages which helped and also the pace of the day was just right. It was relaxing but yet we were able to see alot of things. Josephine was hilarious and kept us entertained and well informed for the entire day. Thanks for setting this tour up! We really enjoyed it!

Review by: Jennifer R	October 2011
Had a great trip to Taroko Gorge. The scenery was amazing and the guide was very good. I would have preferred to fly back to Taipei, the train journey was too long.

Review by: Van Ba L	October 2011
good fun, nice tour guide

Review by: Frederick E S	October 2011
We had a great tour guide (Josephine). The day before our tour a rock slide blocked the upper part of the tour route. She took us to some othe locations in the park that we wanted to see and didn't know for sure how we were going to do it. This was my second trip to the park and I would recommend it to anyone.

Review by: Jeff S	September 2011
Excellent tour.

Review by: Monica M	September 2011
A great tour overall, but felt rushed most of the time. Not enough time at each spot to do the walks. Two stops seemed unnecessary at all - the time would have been better used at lunch and at another spot at the Gorge. Tour guide was friendly and informative; lunch was traditional Aboriginal food which was a good experience. (Though 1 hr was not enough time.) At the end of the day we were dropped off at the train 45 mins earlier - a waste of time! Again, this time could have been used at lunch or elsewhere when we were rushed from place to place. If you have limited time or no means of transport, this is probably the easiest way to see Taroko. (Taroko itself is breathtaking.)

Review by: Deni M	August 2011
this place were amazing, tunnel of nine turns is closed for now, but others still open and it's beautiful. Tours do tried some up sell, but wasn't that much, understandable, wish they communicate better. "Want to see aborigin dancing and marble factory?" of course everyone wants. Later on tour guide collected additional fees for that show and visit, I bet everyone thinking it was included in the package.

Review by: tengri	August 2011
This tour is good for people who like to collect pictures of nice places with themselves in the front row without too much effort. But if you want to enjoy the spectacular beauty of Taroko, you better book something else.

Review by: Adam G	August 2011
The transfer to the airport was slick and convenient, and the tour guide and bus driver were really lovely._br/_ Taroko Gorge is beautiful and well worth the visit. Every corner brings a new astounding view._br/_ However, the timing was unbalanced - several times we felt rushed at the beauty spots in the gorge, but then at the end of the tour we were left for ages a a Jade workshop. _br/_ The 'aboriginal dance' felt very tacky - on review we wouldn't have spent the 200NT each to see it._br/_ The Jade Workshop seemed a cheap shot to get money from us - especially as many of the products are cheaper in Taipei's night markets.

Review by: Kathrin F	August 2011
My colleague and I have booked the trip to see some of Hualiens`s beautiful nature and locations during a short day trip.

Review by: Joey	July 2011
The tour was jam packed with a lot of stops with splendid views. Be prepared to do some trekking though. The guide was nice and had a good sense of humor. The lunch was interestingly aboriginal -- I wish they had more of the fish! The stops at the marble/stone factory and mochi shop were obvious tourist traps, but we were not required to stay there long. I even got to taste all of the mochi samples! The only downer to my day were the simultaneous/alternating crying babies during my 2 1/2 hour train ride back, but that was definitely not the tour company's fault. It gave a good professional service which I would recommend.

Review by: Marco P	July 2011
Naturally beautiful and panoramic.

Review by: ecuadorashley	July 2011
Taroko Gorge is an amazing place to see and what you get to do and see in this trip is amazing. Highly recommend Taroko Gorge to anyone.

Review by: Darren S	June 2011
Really good tour. The Leader Village visitor center in Toroko is a great stop-off and place for lunch. The last 2 or 3 hours drag on though, I'm sure they could find better places to visit than the out of town rock 'showroom' and overpriced cake shop.

Review by: Dennis D	May 2011
This was a great excursion. Not only is the gorge beautiful, but the trip was very well organized, the transportation was top-notch, and the staff very knowledgeable about what they were speaking. I highly recommend this tour.

Review by: Katherine L	May 2011
The Taroko Gorge is absolutely stunning and beautiful. It is unfortunate that during this tour, you only get to spend half of the day there. I wish we had more time to spend in the gorge. Lunch was delicious, and I even thought the mochi factory was interesting. The marble factory and the trip to the beach were not worth the time in my opinion. The end of the trip dragged and then there was a long train ride as well. Josephine was a great tour guide and shared a lot of great information about the gorge and all of the areas we visited.

Review by: Tom K	May 2011
The trip is good and well organized. Though what is completely unacceptable is that they make you rush through the Taroko gorge to put you then in all kind of shopping factories : Marbel, Jade, Sticky rice. I suggest if the company or guide wants to ear more money, they do it through harder working instead of through commission fees of these shops. One trick : agree with some of the co-travellers not to respect the departure time at the last stop of the Taroko gorge. It is a wonderful spot and you all want to spend a lot more time there. Just stay away 1 hour longer. Then they have to wait and have no time anymore to push you into these ugly shops.

Review by: William J B	May 2011
The trip was worth every penny. Our guide was_br/_ delightful and full of helpful information. The trip back to Taipei by train was a lot of fun. Taroko Gorge is beautiful and a must see for anyone_br/_ coming to Taiwan and Viator is the only way_br/_ to do it right.

Review by: Manuel R	May 2011
Was a wonderful trip and a very good service

Review by: Steven T	April 2011
Excellent tour - perfectly organised, great guides, a good variety of things to see and do, a beautiful part of Taiwan and definitely a must see.

Review by: Katheryn S	March 2011
BEST tour I have had in a LONG time. Highlight of my 4 week trip. Everything was perfect!!!!

Review by: Craig W	March 2011
it was great very organised and fun. Our guide in Taroko gorge was great fun and great English speaker._br/_ thanks for a fun trip

Review by: Deborah H	January 2011
This tour is a must see in Taiwan. Our guide was terrific, funny and helpful.

Review by: Roslyn H	January 2011
The trip was amazing. The scenery was just beautiful. You could miss the Marble factory tour as the only thing they want you to see is the showroom to buy, buy, buy BUT the prices are over the top. You can buy the same thing in town at a much, much less price!!! so ask your tour guide to make some time to go to the shops in the afternoon just before you catch the train back to Taipei. Jacqueline the tour guide is wonderful and really knows the area, as this is her home. She really makes the tour.

Review by: Patricia A, Australia	July 2010
This tour is to be highly recommended to all travellers to your country. It certainly was a real full day and covered a lot of areas in Taiwan. The flight was good - so was the rail trip back - lunch a fantastic spot and good food- good tour guide in Hualien City who showed us all the highlights of the Tarako Gorge and surrounding areas. A REAL MUST SEE WONDER.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	June 2010
The scenery is breath taking.. wish we can fly back to Taipei instead of the long train ride that's my only complaint. I dont think the paying tourist will mind to be alittle extra to fly back to Taipei.

Review by: Anonymous, Switzerland	April 2010
Nice views!

Review by: Robert G, United States of America	April 2010
This is possibly the best organized tour on the planet! Edison Travel Services picked me up at my hotel exactly on time at 610AM for the short ride to nearby Songshan Airport Taipei City Airport. Rather than take the tour guests all over town, Edison uses two vans for the hotel pick-ups. The TransAsia Airways flight to Hualien via turboprop was just 30 minutes and most pleasant. Newspapers and starfruit juice were provided. In Hualien our mini-bus was waiting and we began the tour. Josephine was born and raised in Hualien we passed her house enroute to Taroko Gorge and she's absolutely the best. She is fluent in English and Japanese and she really knows the area. Her energy, enthusiasm and great sense of humor made the tour even more memorable. Although not exactly new, the bus was very comfortable. Lunch was served at an first rate aborigine restaurant atop the mountain at Buluowan. A wonderful meal consisting of salad, breaded fish and various other local delicacies in a beautiful setting. The restaurant is part of a log cabin lodge and was a pleasant surprise. As others have said, the stop at the marble factory and rice cake shop could have been omitted but I understand the tour operator gets a little commission from sales and that's factored into the tour price. After the tour, we were taken to the Hualien train station where we had assigned seats on the express train 2 hours 35 minutes back to Taipei. Knowing where we were sitting, Edison travel had three gentlemen waiting for us on the platform and we were whisked away to the underground parking garage at Taipei Main Station where two vans were parked. Got to my hotel in less than 25 minutes from the time the train arrived.

Review by: Robert F, United States of America	March 2010
Taroko Gorge is beautiful. Well worth the trip. Lunch was good too.

Review by: John B, United Kingdom	February 2010
The arrangements worked "as advertised" - a well organised tour. Taroko Gorge is well worth the money and the time, and we were lucky enough to have perfect weather. I would have liked more time in the Gorge, and forget the extra cost Aborigine show and the "rip-off" marble factory tour on the way back to the station. On the approach to land, there looked to be a much nicer beach park and temple just to the south of the airfield that would be a much better beach visit than the one we made. Overall though the beauty of the Gorge more than balanced these criticisms.

Review by: Anonymous, Singapore	February 2010
Very professionally arranged, I felt comfortable and safe to join the tour and enjoyed it very much!

Review by: Anonymous, France	January 2010
The tour was very well organized! Our guide was a lady who grew up in the area, she was extremely knowledgeable and fun. Although the full day tour and the train back to Taipei were pretty long, the experience was fabulous because the scenery of the Taroko Gorge was just breathtaking!

Review by: Walter C, United States of America	December 2009
I liked the small group! The guides spoke in Japanese, Mandarin and English. They were very knowledgeable. Because this was a small group the tour driver made many accommodations for us especially to take pictures! The train ride back to Taipei was very comfortable. The guides must have forgotten to tell us to purchase snacks for the two and half hour ride back to Taipei. This was a memorable day. Well worth the price!

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	November 2009
The trip is spectacular. The scenery is wonderful. The tour company is excellent and very well organized and specializes in small groups - a definite plus. The guide was very informative. There were opportunities to have short hikes in the gorge. It is well-worth getting up early to go on this trip.

Review by: Robert W, Canada	October 2009
If you only have 1 day to spare, this is a great trip to see some of the countryside and how the non city people live. You fly there from Taipei and return by train unfortunately most of the train ride was after dark and the scenery was probably spectacular. The gorge is beautiful but all the trails off the main road were closed to walkers because of rain for a few days. I understand they had a small landslide recently that injured a tourist. The tour ended at a marble factory with a huge retail store of jade and marble jewelry and sculptures. It is the largest selection I saw in Taiwan and prices are negotiable. Hard to say though if the final price is cheaper here that what you would get in Taipei.