Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8.45am-4.45pm, closed 2nd Monday of each month)
has useful information on the status of
trails and road conditions, and free maps and brochures of hiking trails. There's also a
pleasant cafe and bookstore. This is the only visitor information centre in the park where
you might find someone who can speak English.
There are no ATMs that take international cards in the park.
Getting There & Away
BUS
around the park. Buses run every hour or two from Hualien to Tienhsiang and stop at all
major sights and trailheads, as well as the visitor information centre. You can pay for
single portions or a day pass (NT$250). The first bus leaves Hualien train station at
7.50am and the last bus returns from Tienhsiang at 5pm. The schedule is written on every
bus stop.
The Hualien Bus Company (
Click here
)
also has four buses a day (NT$172) from the
train station to Tienhsiang. The earliest leaves at 6.30am and the last bus from Ti-
enhsiang departs at 6.30pm.
TAXI
A day trip from Hualien to Taroko Gorge costs up to NT$3000, and a one-way trip from
Hualien to Tienhsiang costs NT$1500.
TRAIN
Hsincheng Station
(Xincheng), also known as Taroko Station, lies closest to the park
entrance (about 5km away). It's used by travellers staying in Taroko Village or the gorge.
All buses to Taroko Gorge stop here. A fast/slow train from Taipei to Hsincheng costs
NT$403/311 and takes 2½/3½ hours.
HIGHWAY 11
Two main routes run north-south along the east coast - whichever road you choose to
travel will make all the difference to your journey. Highway 9 cuts through the verdant
East Rift Valley (Huādōng Zòng Gǔ), while Highway 11 winds down the narrow strip
between the sea and the Coastal Mountains, a series of steep volcanic arcs. There are few
large settlements but plenty of small aboriginal villages, fishing harbours, beaches and
