Itinerary
08:20–08:50 Depart from Hualien City →
09:30–09:50 Taroko Visitor Center →
10:00 Pass traffic control / Drive through Taroko Gorge →
10:30–12:00 Tianxiang & Xiangde Temple →
12:00 Pass traffic control / Drive through Taroko Gorge → Exit Taroko →
12:50–13:50 Xincheng Old Street (lunch on your own) →
13:50–14:10 Xincheng Catholic Church + Etude Bookstore →
14:30–15:00 Qingshui Cliffs →
15:30–16:40 Chihsingtan Katsuo Museum + Qixingtan Beach (the bus will park by the museum, allowing guests to visit both the museum and the beach) →
17:00–17:30 Return to Hualien City accom. / Hualien Train Station / Dongdamen Night Market).
▲ Qingshui Cliffs
Located between Heping and Chongde, the Qingshui Cliffs are one of Taiwan’s top eight scenic wonders and a breathtaking natural landmark along the island’s east coast. Rising over 1,000 meters high and plunging almost vertically into the Pacific Ocean, the cliffs stretch for more than 20 kilometers. The winding coastal highway offers a dramatic view—on one side sheer cliffs, on the other the vast ocean—creating a magnificent, awe-inspiring landscape.
(If the Chongde Scenic Platform is closed, the tour will instead stop at Chongde Station and the hidden “Banxia Beach,” where visitors can enjoy a distant view of the cliffs.)
▲ Xincheng Old Street
On Xincheng Old Street, you’ll find the 60-year-old Jiaxing Ice Shop, famous for its must-try lemon juice; the Etude Bookstore, a bookstore without books; the Xincheng Catholic Church, known as a “Green Noah’s Ark” with its Japanese-style design; and the Xincheng Photo Studio, a century-old house and filming location for the movie Eternal Summer. Though short, this street is filled with food, attractions, history, and surprises waiting to be discovered—an authentic place with little commercial touch.
Shanhai Department Store – A lifestyle space for “sharing and nurturing the stories of the mountains and sea.” Located between Taroko and the Pacific, the old Taipower office on Xincheng Old Street has been transformed into a hub of dining, curated goods, and music. With a spirit of co-creation, it brings new commercial vitality, a vision of local prosperity, and allows the beauty of mountain-and-sea life to be seen and passed on.
▲ Taroko National Park
Famous for its magnificent marble gorge landscape, it is one of Taiwan’s most iconic natural landmarks. The Liwu River slices through the Central Mountain Range, forming a majestic canyon that highlights distinctive geological and hydrological features. The park is also the traditional homeland of the Truku people, rich in Indigenous culture and historical significance—an important treasure combining both nature and humanity.
※ Stops may be adjusted depending on the opening status of trails and attractions within Taroko National Park.
▲ Qixingtan Scenic Area
Qixingtan carries a poetic name. It is said that in the area around what is now the Hualien Teachers College and Hualien Airport, there were once scattered lakes, later filled in for construction needs. Today, the name generally refers to the area north of the Meilun Industrial Park and Hualien Airport, featuring a fault-formed strait and a graceful crescent-shaped bay, rich in both natural and cultural landscapes. From Qixingtan, one can gaze at the majestic Qingshui Cliffs in the distance, and at night enjoy the lights of Xincheng and Chongde. Within the area are also many attractions offering both relaxation and cultural discovery.
▲ Chihsingtan Katsuo Museum
Bonito has long been one of Hualien’s major fishery products. As recorded in the Hualien document “In early summer, when the fish grow large, a single haul can bring in more than 20,000 catties.” Such was the fishing prosperity after the restoration of Taiwan.
More than twenty years ago, Yu Zong-Bo and his friends came from Sanzhan to Qixingtan, a place then rich in fisheries, bringing with them their skills in fish processing. With their expertise in making katsuo (dried bonito), they began their work and livelihood here.
The Chihsingtan Katsuo Museum integrates local marine ecology education, the “black gold” industry culture, five-sense exploration experiences, and the promotion of fish-eating education. It is the only marine story hall in Taiwan that inherits Japanese fish-processing techniques while taking root and developing locally. The museum provides visitors with an in-depth local experience, enjoying the slow travel, slow food, and slow living of Qixingtan’s unique town-and-sea lifestyle.
早餐: x
午餐: 新城老街自理 或 加購午餐($350/人) On your own at Xincheng Old Street or add lunch purchase ($350/person)
1. This is a shared-ride tour. Pickup starts at 08:30 from Hualien City hotels/B&Bs along the route, or meet at Hualien Train Station East Exit (Hello Motor).
Hualien Train Station East Exit – Hello Motor: About 180 meters from the east exit. Facing the station, walk left for approximately 2 minutes (When exiting the station, turn right).
The exact pick-up time will be confirmed by customer service before 17:00 on the day prior to departure, via the contact information you provide. Please be ready and on time at the designated location.
2. A minimum of 4 participants is required for the tour to operate (excluding infants).
3. The tour is expected to finish around 17:20. We recommend booking trains departing after 17:50. During holidays, it is best to book trains departing after 18:20.
4. Inclusions
• Transportation: One-day shuttle service (shared ride)
• Others: Driver-guide service
• Insurance: NT$2.5 million travel liability insurance + NT$200,000 medical coverage
In support of sustainability and environmental protection, travelers are encouraged to bring their own reusable cups to refill drinking water on the bus or at each attraction. Bottled water will not be provided unless necessary.
5. The order of attractions may be adjusted according to the conditions of the day. Thank you for your understanding.
rovided by the driver-guide.
*Guaranteed no shopping stops throughout the trip.
• ☑ Registration Deadline: Two days before departure, by 17:00
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