Taroko Gorge Day Tour from Taipei by Train: Shakadang Trail, Swallow Grotto Trail, Tunnel of Nine Turns, Marble Factory and Qixingtan Beach

06:10 Meet Edison Tour’s representative at the Exit East 2 of Taipei Main Station (near the train locomotive installation)
Meet the representative in the early morning, and then take an express train bound for Hualien on your own. Don’t worry! Just sit back and enjoy this 3-hour journey.

6:25 Entrain for Hualien (#204, ETD 06:25, ETA 09:30)

09:40 Enbus for the Archway of Taroko Gorge
Upon your arrival in Hualien, your tour guide will greet you at the train station. Your one-day tour to Taroko Gorge National Park will start from the Archway of Taroko Gorge, which is not only a gateway to Taroko Gorge, but also a landmark symbolizing the predecessors’ dedication to the Central Cross-Island Highway.
From the entry to Tianxiang, this 20km section of Central Cross-Island Highway winding through the steep marble cliffs and tunnels of the gorge will blow you away.

10:10-11:00 Shakadang Trail
Your first stop is Shakadang Trail, one of the most popular hiking trails in Taroko National Park, also known as “Mysterious Valley Trail”.
The river gently flowing through the marble boulders as you meanders along the trail in parallel. The turquoise blue water of the river is crystal clear that you can see the riverbed from above. 

11:20-11:50 Swallow Grotto Trail
The next stop of your Taroko Gorge tour is Swallow Grotto Trail. The potholes on the cliff surface were created by the ground water and the rapid stream of the river. In the past, they were the natural nesting location of swallows, hence the name.
Walking through the tunnels, you will be amazed by the stunning views of the marble cliffs reaching up to the sky.  

12:20-13:20 Lunch
Your lunch will be served in a restaurant in Taroko National Park.

13:25 Cimu Bridge (pass by)
After lunch, you will pass by Cimu Bridge (literally motherly devotion bridge), an H-shape hanging bridge built of marble and named by the late president Chiang Jing-guo, for a heart-touching story about a loving mother.

13:30-14:10 Tunnel of Nine Turns
Your tour continues with a visit to Tunnel of Nine Turns. Hold your breath, because this natural masterpiece will take your breath away!
Tunnel of Nine Turns is considered the most scenic section of Taroko Gorge, which reopened to public in 2019 after years of repair works. As you walk along the trail, you can see the meandering river running through the deep and spectacular canyon from above, and you can also have a closer look at the faults and folds of the sheer marble cliffs, as well as the vegetation on the walls.

14:30 Eternal Spring Shrine (pass by)
After that, you will pass by Eternal Spring Shrine, a memorial shrine established in 1958, to commemorate the 225 personnel (military veterans) who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway.
From afar, you can see the waterfall cascading over the sheer cliff below the shrine, creating a picturesque view.

14:50-15:20 Marble Factory
On the way back to the train station, your will visit a local marble factory, where you can get some handcrafts made of marble or souvenirs featuring the local characters, to enrich your travel collection.

15:25-15:40 Qixingtan Beach
Before you return to the train station for your train back to Taipei, you will visit the most romantic beach in Taiwan. Qixingtan Beach, a crescent-shaped beach covered with sprawling pebbles.
Here you can take a walk, chill yourself and enjoy the sea breeze along the beach, or challenge yourself to stack a stone tower with the pebbles.

16:05 Arrival at Hualien Train Station

16:30 Entrain for Taipei (#181, ETD 16:40, ETA 19 :16) (#229, ETD 16 :30, ETA 18 :56)

19:30 Return to the Taipei Main Station Your 14-hour adventure ends with drop-off at Taipei Main Station.