Top Things to do in Hualien
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What to do and see in Hualien, Hualien: The Best Things to do for Honeymoon
Most people come to Hualien to visit the Taroko Gorge. And with good reason—it's simply beautiful. With rope bridges over rivers, hiking trails with astounding views, and temples cut into the mountainsides, it's an unforgettable place. Feel the full power of the ocean at Shihtiping, a two-hour drive from Hualien, where the waves crash into the rocky shore.
Restaurants in Hualien
1. Meet My Guide Outdoor Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 354 reviews
MeetMyGuide is a boutique outdoor tour/experience provider based in Taiwan since 2013. Our business started in Hualien, and mainly focused on activities in Taroko National Park. We want to promote the beauty of east part of Taiwan (Taipei, Yilan, Hualien and Taitung) to all foreign travellers by outdoor activities.
2. Island Life Taiwan Adventures & Experiences
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 334 reviews
More Amazing Places, Less Crowds. That's the Island Life Way! Island Life Taiwan is an English Language Tour Operator, specializing in amazing places to go and wonderful things to do in Hualien City, Taroko National Park, and all along Taiwan's Majestic East Coast.
3. Taiwan Vista Day Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 353 reviews
Before Taiwan Vista Tour started off, we were simply Hualien locals that love the outdoors and enjoy keeping an active lifestyle. However, when exploring the adventures the beautiful county has to offer, we realized that while many tour options were offered for the most popular destinations, travelers could not fully enjoy the iconic sights of Hualien because the groups were either too large to allow flexibility, or there was a lack of an English guided tour. And so, with our knowledge, experiences and familiarity with Hualien and the breathtaking views it has to offer, we got ourselves certified as professional tour guides. Taiwan Vista Tour then started in 2014 with the goal of providing quality tour guide services for travelers to Taiwan. Since then, thousands of travelers have trusted us to show them the beauty Hualien has to offer. Planning a escapade to Hualien? Let us know what excites your soul, and leave the planning to us! Your adventure awaits, Taiwan Vista Team
4. Taroko National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,385 reviews
Reviewed By gcincinnati - Tokyo, Japan
Definitely go. 100%. This park was the highlight of our 5-day trip and we are so glad we made the decision to spend 2 nights in nearby Xinchang in order to do it right. There are a few local buses that you can buy passes for to easily get around the park, with information desks or signs clearly explaining each place. It’s well managed and planned. Definitely go to Swallow Grotto before 9am if you can and walk the Baiyang trail to the spectacular falls. We’ll be back, absolutely!
5. Yanzihkou Trail (Swallow Grotto)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 210 reviews
Reviewed By PaulSiow - Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
This trail is included in most tour itineraries for Taroko Gorge. It is easy to walk along the road and you need to wear a helmet. You can see the caves in the cliffs where the swallows nest. Didn't see any swallow though. Very beautiful scenery with the river below, steep cliffs and caves.
6. Taroko Gorge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,630 reviews
Reviewed By Worldofg
Having a full day to kill due to a long connection in Taipei my wife and I decided to rush down to Taroko Gorge rather than staying in the city. What a great decision!! We caught train 202 from the main station at 6am, arriving at Hualien at 08:15 ($400 TWD return- $22 AUD). Based on other trip advisor posts we booked a taxi driver ( Jason Huang) for a day for a very reasonable $3500 for the car rather than per person (Taiwan; about $160.00 Australian). I hate being carted around on coaches and in large groups, you tend to see very little and it can be quite rushed, so a private hire was a perfect option considering tours were charging around $3500 pp. Our driver, Jason met us at the station as arranged, waving my name on his board, (note head towards West exit of the station and not the east). Jason is a happy chap with excellent English, as it turned out Jason was the perfect guide with very informative commentary on rock formation, the national park and wildlife so I started to feel quite smug about my choice. Our first stop was the Qingshui cliffs, absolutely beautiful known for its plunging cliffs and rugged seascapes, certainly a worthwhile stop. Look carefully in the trees on the walk up to the viewing platform and you will probably see the Formosan rock monkey, which are endemic to Taiwan. There were a number of them feeding in the trees, it was surprising that other visitors walked right passed without noticing them. Our day continued with drive up the mountain range with its spectacular marble walls arising from the Gorge’s base. Our tour stretched from the entrance Taroko National Park up to the incredible Baiyang waterfall trail, taking in the Changchun Shrine, Swallow Grotto, Shakadang Trail and Taroko Archway along the way . Jason was very good at hoping in front of the bus groups so we saw most of the main sites in peace and open to changing the itinerary to meet our requirements, rather than just following the tourist trail, as such we saw what we wanted to see and stayed at a particular spot for as long as we wished. The Shakadang Trail is a road one way shared with pedestrians and traffic but very well managed. The walk is around 2 km from one end to the other but is flat and easy with plenty of places to stop for a breather. Jason dropped us off at one end of the trail and met us at the opposite end. This is a must, there are so many impressive panoramas following the winding Gorge on foot that it’s impossible to stop taking photos- the marble cliff walls are a breathtaking sight and that’s an understatement. Probably second only the Grand Canyon, without question this was the highlight of our holiday. At the entrance to the trail stop and pick up a helmet, which are provided free by the Nation Park Authority, just in case of falling rocks or stones Our next stop was the Baiyang waterfall trail. The trial is a 4.2k round trip, and characterised by a number of tunnels, so take a small touch (Jason provided ours). The hike is very easy and for the mostly flat, the path is well maintained with informative signage on the way. The marble here has incredible the layers and patterns in the gorge walls, there is also large 5-10 metre wide marble boulders sitting in the blue river, sensational. There are great views of waterfalls, plunging cliff faces in the background, along with some colourful bird life, look out for a red tail wagtail, I’m not sure of its name but there we plenty of them and they are very pretty. At the end of the trail you can have an exceedingly cold shower if you wish to visit the Curtain Waterfall Cave (very refreshing I thought), I would highly recommend the cave, it can be a tight squeeze but worth it. My wife had a poncho and stayed dry as a bone. The walk back was as good taking in a different prospective of the scenery. The Taroko National Park is a wonder and should not be missed if you visit Taiwan. The scenery is unparalleled with captivating sights and relaxing sounds of the gorge. It is one trail that you must not missed when at the gorge . We had a fantastic day we were so happy we made the effort, Jason was brilliant and I would highly recommend him rather than a busy tour bus, which I may add looked crowded and very rushed. The ability to stop anywhere in your own time is certainly the way to go. Again, Jason was the perfect guide with very informative commentary on rock formation and wildlife. Jason's details are whatsapp 886963-800617 or [email protected]
7. Chishingtan Scenic Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,146 reviews
Reviewed By 481jin - San Francisco, United States
Whatever it’s rainy or sunny, this pebble beach always soothes your mind.Listen to the sound of waves is the way to stay with your inner peace.
8. Shakadang Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 328 reviews
Reviewed By HappyFamily0f3 - London, United Kingdom
It’s 4.1 km each way if you follow the full trail. The first section is definitely the busiest, as many turn back after reaching the couple of small snack stalls about halfway along the route. The path is easy and mostly flat, so suitable for all ages. It follows the beautiful river, which is a gorgeous blue. There are masses of birds, butterflies and the occasional monkey too. It can get steamy on the path and the vegetation is lush and thick. The marble cliffs have wonderful patterns and the size of the boulders on the river floor are impossible. A great choice for a couple of hours.
9. Qingshui Cliff
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 872 reviews
Reviewed By OrderintheHouse
My wife and I enjoyed a 6 night Wendy Wu private tour of Taiwan in January 2020 as part of an 18 day Asian trip to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Our tour took in Taipei, Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, Tainan and Kaohsiung. After an overnight in Taipei, we commenced day one of our tour travelling to the famed Taroko Gorge. We travelled via the world’s fifth longest highway tunnel (12.9km) and the Su-hua Highway, Taiwan’s breathtaking east coast cliff highway which stretches from Su'ao Township to Hualien City. Without a doubt the Su-hua Highway is one of the most scenic drives in Asia literally hugging the cliffs of Taiwan’s east coast. Extreme care needs to be taken when driving this highway. We were very grateful to our tour driver/guide who negotiated the road with great skill, care and patience. On the Su-hua Highway between Heren and Chongde we stopped at a parking area beside the Chongde Tunnel which led to an observation platform and here we were able to marvel at the absolute beauty of the Qingshui Cliff (aka Chinshui Cliff). A magnificent scene is created from this observation deck and a wonderful panorama can be enjoyed with the Cliff on our left and a 21 kilometre stretch of beach as our eyes move slowly to our right. The Cliff rises vertically from the Pacific Ocean, with an average height of over 800 metres with the tallest peak, Qingshui Mountain rising 2408 metres from the ocean floor. The observation deck to witness the Qingshui Cliff is a very worthwhile fifteen minute stop on the drive from Taipei to Taroko Gorge. Not only were we able to “stretch our legs”, we also had the opportunity to admire one of the truly great spectacular seascapes. We were able to appreciate first hand why the site of the Qingshui Cliff was designated in 1953 by the Taiwan government as one of the island's "Eight Wonders." .
10. Liyu Lake
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 431 reviews
Reviewed By Kiansoon - Singapore, Singapore
This place is a surprise to me. When I got off the train station in hualien, I was approached by a taxi driver who was willing to take me and my family to sightseeing for 3000NTD. He looked really honest and I agreed, since I didn't have anything in mind. He took me to Liyu lake and it is a really beautiful lake. I did some lake paddling there and had lunch at the restaurant right across the boat hiring berth. Everyone over there is so friendly and the scenary is so pretty. Awesome place that I will reccomend to anyone visiting hualien. Unfortunately, because I took a cab there, I do not know if any buses goes there. Hope another reviewer can fill in this part.
