Taroko Gorge Tour

The Tour

After picking up from your hotel at 6:00AM, you will be transfered to Taipei Domestic Airport, enplane for the 25 minutes flight to Hualien.

Taroko Gorge is the most visited place after Taipei in Taiwan."Taroko" means "Beautiful" in the lingo of the East Coast Amis natives, and this is exactly what you will say about the gorge when you arrives here. Firstly, you will be guided along a 20km long stretch of highway built into  awesome marble cliffs high above the rushing river. Your route will take you through 38 tunnels including the Swallows Caves, the Tunnel of Nine Turns and the Marble Bridge of Motherly Devotion. See the Eternal Spring Shrine, one of the most photographed scenes around the gorge. These little temples were built to memorize those that have lost their lives in the construction of the central cross-island highway. Enjoy lunch at a local Taiwanese style restaurant. Continue to the Chi Hsing Beach and Hualien Stone Sculptural Park. The tour concludes with a visit to a Marble Factory. This tour's many attraction spots will leave you an unforgettable impression of the nature of Taiwan. You will be entrained for Taipei around 5PM. After arriving in Taipei Station, you will be transferred to your hotel in downtown Taipei City.

Followings are some of this tour's many attraction spots which will leave you an unforgettable impression of the nature of Taiwan.

Taroko became a national park in 1986, including Hualien County, Nantou County and Taichung County. It is the second largest national park in Taiwan. Taroko is famous for its spectacular mountains and marble canyons. Cliffs and canyons stretch along Li Wu River. Four million years ago, the island of Taiwan was formed by the collision of plates. After millions of years of wind erosion, the marble rocks were exposed and cut by Li Wu River, creating impressive grand canyons. From Tsing Shui to Nan Hu Peak, the drop height is 3,742 meters. Such special geography has also bred special flora and fauna in this area. The waterfalls characterized Taroko National Park and the most famous ones are Pai Yang Waterfall, Yin Tai Waterfall, Chang Chun Waterfall, and Lu Shui Waterfall. Yen Tze Kou and Chiu Chu Tung are the most impressive natural scenes in Taroko and the canyons here are the narrowest. Tourists can appreciate the natural beauty along the tour track. Swallows nest on the cliff, chirping and flying back forth. The Taroko monumental is designed in Chinese style and Chang Chun Temple is to remember those who sacrificed their lives for building the central highway.

Eternal Spring Shrine: is one of the most photographed sights in Taroko Gorge. What most people don't know is that it hides one of the most pleasant short trails (1.5 km/50 minutes) in the park. Crossing the Changchun Bridge, one soon reaches the shrine and escapes the mobs of camera wielding tourists. If not unnerved by the spiritual world this is a wonderful place to compose a poem or contemplate life. The gurgling sound of water rushing over the cliff edge matched with the cool shade offered by the shrine has a most relaxing effect.

Swallow Cave (Grotto): This part of Taroko Gorge is composed of marble cliff faces covered with small holes, the result of long-term erosion by river and ground water. House swifts and Pacific swallows often forage and nest here, giving the place its name.

Tunnel of Nine Turns: The tortuous course cut by the river has produced a gorge of many curves, and the path of the highway that has been carved out of the cliff face here seems to be an endless aerie of turns. Hence the name. The gorge is so narrow that only a very narrow width is open to the heavens, in what the Chinese call "a thread of sky." The marble cliff face opposite the highway varies in color from deep gray to pure white in a multitude of changing designs. A walk through the Tunnel of Nine Turns takes about 30 minutes and gives access to enchanting scenes of the gorge, the river, stone strata, the tunnel itself, and the surrounding vegetation. This is one of the most scenic parts of the gorge, and the best place to observe the gorge's ecology.

Tiansiang Lodge: This is the site of an old Atayal village at the confluence of the Liwu and Dasha rivers. Its name commemorates Wen Tian-siang, who lived in the 13th century and was the last prime minister of the Song Dynasty. Scenic spots at Tiansiang include Siangde Temple, Tianfong Pagoda, a suspension bridge, the Wen Tian-siang Memorial Garden, the Plum Garden, and Tiangsiang Church. In winter each year the Plum Garden blooms forth, forming a sea of white blossoms stretching from the highway to Siangde Temple. Shanyue Village at Bulowan, another old tribal settlement in the gorge, offers a new and unique type of accommodation for the area.

Chi Hsing Beach: Just north of Hualien (and directly east of the airport) is the obscure coastal village of Chi Hsing Bay. The beach here is still largely undeveloped and boasts a spectacular backdrop of mountains. It would be a great place to relax were it not for one drawback: the sand has high gravel content, making it uncomfortable to sit on. On the south side of the village is a large teahouse that overlooks the sea.

Tour Highlight:

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

Inclusions:

• All Tours start in Taipei and finish in Taipei
• Air Ticket from Taipei to Hualien
• All road transport by modern air-conditioned vehicles
• Local English speaking tour guides in each tour
• Train Ticket from Hualien to Taipei
• Lunch is included
• Entrance tickets & Local Travel Insurance are included

Exclusions:

• Gratuities (optional)
• Personal expenditure such as drinks, food and souvenirs

To Book or Enquire

Please call us now on +612 9267 1308.
Toll Free: 1300 TAIPEI (1300 824 734)

Alternatively, you can enquire with us by clicking the button below.