Hualien: top things to do, hidden gems and key tips

Use Hualien as your base for Taroko Gorge and the east coast, and give it two or three days. Book the train from Taipei 28 days ahead: Puyuma and Taroko Express trains are reserved-seat only and sell out.

How long have you got?

• One day: Taroko Gorge, then Dongdamen Night Market.
• Two or three days: add the city’s Pine Garden and Qixingtan Beach, and a day down the coast road or the East Rift Valley. Hire a car or scooter for those: buses are infrequent.

When are you going?

• April to October: whale and dolphin watching, best from May to September. Boats leave Shiti Harbour for two to three hours, about NT$800 to NT$1,000.1Taipei Times (opens in a new tab)taipeitimes.comEast Coast NSA (opens in a new tab)eastcoast-nsa.gov.twTip Pick an operator with the Whale Watching Mark.2East Coast NSA (opens in a new tab)eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw
• July and August: the Amis harvest festivals, Ilisin, each village on its own date.3Focus Taiwan (opens in a new tab)focustaiwan.tw In 2026 the Pacific Austronesian Joint Harvest Festival ran in Hualien City from 16 to 19 July.4Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
• August and September: orange daylilies cover Liushidan Mountain in Fuli and Chike Mountain in Yuli.5East Rift Valley NSA (opens in a new tab)erv-nsa.gov.tw

Top things to do

• Taroko Gorge: see Taroko Gorge: what’s open and how to visit.
• Qixingtan Beach: a long pebble bay north of the city, on a 21 km cycle route from Nanbin Park.Tip Tourist Shuttle 310 stops about 120 m away.6Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
• Dongdamen Night Market: more than 400 stalls in four sections, including an Indigenous food street.7Hualien County (opens in a new tab)tour-hualien.hl.gov.tw
• Pine Garden: a Japanese-era command post among old pines, 09:00 to 18:00.Tip Closed on the second Tuesday of each month.8Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
• Hualien Cultural and Creative Industries Park: an old brewery turned into shops and studios, open all day, with markets on holidays.9Hualien County (opens in a new tab)tour-hualien.hl.gov.tw
• Liyu Lake: a mountain lake south of the city.Tip Tourist Shuttle 303 stops there; Hualien Bus 1139 is the alternative.10Hualien County (opens in a new tab)tour-hualien.hl.gov.tw
• Shitiping: rock terraces and tide pools at the 65 km mark of Highway 11, open all day.Tip Don’t climb the cuesta in bad weather.11East Coast NSA (opens in a new tab)eastcoast-nsa.gov.twEast Coast NSA tips (opens in a new tab)eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw

Hidden gems

• Changhong Bridge and the Tropic of Cancer marker: a red arch bridge at the 68 km mark of Highway 11, and the marker at 70.5 km.12East Coast NSA (opens in a new tab)eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw
• Ruisui Hot Springs: iron-rich springs, open since 1917, in the East Rift Valley.Tip Hours vary, so phone first on +886 3 887 2170.13Hualien County (opens in a new tab)tour-hualien.hl.gov.tw
• Xibulan Island: a protected island off the Xiuguluan river mouth. Look, but don’t land: it’s a conservation zone.14East Coast NSA (opens in a new tab)eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw

Getting there and around

• From Taipei: about two hours by train.15East Coast NSA (opens in a new tab)eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw Bookings open 28 days ahead.16Taiwan Railway (opens in a new tab)railway.gov.tw See Taiwan trains and transit cards.
• Down the coast to Taitung: Hualien Bus 1140 or 1145 to Jingpu, then a Shing Dong bus. Allow about 4 hours 15 minutes from Hualien to Taitung.17East Coast NSA (opens in a new tab)eastcoast-nsa.gov.twbus times (opens in a new tab)eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw
• Tourist shuttles: 310 to Taroko via Qixingtan, 303 to the East Rift Valley, and 304 down the coast.18Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (opens in a new tab)taiwantrip.com.tw

If it doesn’t go to plan

• Puyuma and Taroko Express sold out? Neither sells standing tickets.19Taiwan Railway (opens in a new tab)railway.gov.tw Take a slower train: an EasyCard works on Tze-Chiang and local trains, without a seat, but on a Puyuma or Taroko it counts as riding without a ticket, with a 50% surcharge.20Taiwan Railway (opens in a new tab)railway.gov.tw Or take a bus from Taipei’s Nangang station along the Suhua Highway, about 3.5 to 4 hours.21Taipei Times (opens in a new tab)taipeitimes.com
• A typhoon coming? Taroko closes its trails and east coast trains can stop. See Typhoons, weather and holidays in Taiwan.
• It’s the second Tuesday? Pine Garden is closed; go to the Cultural Park instead.