Home › Itineraries › Weekend
Weekend in Hualien

Weekend in Hualien

Trip Overview

This two-day Hualien route stitches together Taiwan's most dramatic gorge and its most easy-going coast. You'll greet dawn inside Taroko's echoing marble tunnels, linger over sesame-miso noodles on Zhongshan Road at midday, and watch fishermen torch squid boats against a black Pacific at dusk. The rhythm is active yet unhurried: one full park day, one lazy beach-town day, with nights anchored at Dongdamen Night Market's crackling grills. Expect salt on your skin, aboriginal flute drifting off Taroko's marble walls, and the sweet slap of brown-sugar boba tea on your tongue.

Pace
Active
Daily Budget
$90-120 per day
Best Seasons
March, May and October, November for dry trails and clear Pacific skies
Ideal For
First-time Taiwan visitors, Hiking couples, Photography buffs, Night-market snack hunters

Day-by-Day Itinerary

A complete plan for every day of your trip

1

Marble Echoes & Pacific Flame

Taroko National Park → Hualien City
Walk Shakadang's turquoise stream, tunnel through Swallow Grotto, then surrender to Dongdamen's seafood grills after dark.
Morning
Shakadang Trail & Eternal Spring Shrine
Catch the 07:00 park bus from Hualien Station. In 40 min you're at Shakadang Trailhead. Marble canyon walls glow sea-green while water skims polished stones. Hike 3 km in and back, butterflies brushing your shoulders, then climb stone steps to Eternal Spring Shrine, its waterfall mist cooling morning skin.
3 hours including transport $6 round-trip bus + $3 park entry
Bus tickets sold at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks the night before. First bus fills fast on weekends.
Lunch
Taroko Terrace café inside Silks Place Taroko
Indigenous set: wild boar sausage, millet rice, bird's-eye-chili dipping sauce
Afternoon
Swallow Grotto & Jiuqudong (Tunnel of Nine Turns)
Short taxi hop to Swallow Grotto. You'll squeeze between marble cliffs so tight sunlight stripes the path. Helmets echo with swallow chirps. The river roars far below. Push on into freshly reopened Jiuqudong where headlamps pick out crystalline folds. Wrap up by 16:00 to dodge the tour-bus increase.
2.5 hours $12 shared taxi
Taxi drivers wait at Buluowan stop. Agree on price before entering gorge.
Evening
Dongdamen Night Market squid auction & brown-sugar boba
Grab a plastic stool at 'Ah Hai' squid stall. Watch boats unload while tentacles sizzle over charcoal. Chase it with brown-sugar boba from the stall painted with flying fish.

Where to Stay Tonight

Hualien Station backpacker strip (Guo-Lian St) (Here & Now Hostel, rooftop terrace faces the coastal mountains)

Five-minute walk to both train and night market. Free bike for tomorrow's waterfront cruise.

See all Hualien accommodation options →
Pack a lightweight helmet: Taroko lends them. But sizes run small and sweaty.
Day 1 Budget: $95
2

Coastal Pedals & Brown-Sugar Waves

Qixingtan Beach → Pine Garden → Nanbin (South Hualien)
Sunrise pebbles at Qixingtan, retro cafés in Pine Garden, then sunset SUP over Pacific rollers.
Morning
Qixingtan Beach sunrise & breakfast food-truck crawl
Borrow hostel bike, coast 20 min on the ocean-side path. Black-pebble beach clacks under tires while fishing lamps bob offshore. Order charcoal-grilled flying-fish roe rice ball from the orange truck. Sip salty-cream Americano as the sun lifts behind coconut palms.
2 hours $4 breakfast
Lunch
Gongzheng Baochang on Zhongshan Road
Steamed pork buns stuffed with drunken tofu, cilantro and peanut powder
Afternoon
Pine Garden heritage café & Nanbin tidal art walk
Ride 10 min to Pine Garden, a 1940 Japanese naval command post turned camellia-shaded café. Inhale cedar beams while iced oolong sweats on the veranda above Hualien Port. Coast downhill to Nanbin tidal park: driftwood sculptures creak in salt wind, kids chase crabs between basalt rocks.
3 hours $5 garden entry + $3 coffee
Evening
Sunset SUP at Nanbin plus mackerel-night-market dinner
Join 17:30 paddleboard tour. Boards glow with waterproof LEDs, lighting your arms through clear Pacific water. End with grilled mackerel set at Zi-Qiang Night Market, lime juice squeezed tableside.

Where to Stay Tonight

Same hostel, leave packs, shower late checkout (Here & Now Hostel)

Lets you cycle back, rinse salt off, and still catch 20:30 train to Taipei.

See all Hualien accommodation options →
Bring phone waterproof pouch. Rental boards have dry boxes but seals age fast.
Day 2 Budget: $85

Practical Information

Everything you need to know before you go

Getting Around
Hualien Station is the hub. Day 1: Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 310 to Taroko. Day 2: free hostel bikes plus YouBike stands every 500 m along beach road. Taxis to/from gorge cost $12 split between four riders. Exact change only.
Book Ahead
Shuttle bus ticket from 7-Eleven ibon, hostel bed during weekends, SUP tour on Saturday nights.
Packing Essentials
Quick-dry towel, swimsuit, light helmet, portable phone charger, SPF 50 (Pacific glare is fierce even in winter).
Total Budget
$180-240 for two days excluding long-distance rail in/out.

Customize Your Trip

Adapt this itinerary to your travel style

Budget Version
Skip Silks Place café, pack supermarket onigiri for gorge lunch. Replace SUP with free sunset driftwood hunting at Nanbin. Sleep in eight-bed dorm; total drops to $60 per day.
Luxury Upgrade
Book Silks Place Taroko suite with marble-view balcony tub, private guide-driven Tesla for gorge, private sushi omakase at Liao Jia that night. Upgrade to sea-view room at Parkview Hotel for night two. Total around $280 per day.
Family-Friendly
Trade Shakadang for easier Baiyang Waterfall trail (flat, stroller-friendly). Swap bikes for taxi to Qixingtan, add sand-castle kit. Choose Dongdamen stalls selling corn-on-stick and sweet-potato balls, kids love the purple color.
Book Activities for Your Trip
Tours, tickets, and experiences in Hualien

Didn't see anything interesting yet?

Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Hualien.

See All Hualien Tours on Viator

Already found your activities?

Let us help you find the best accommodation in Hualien.

Accommodation Guide Search Hotels on Trip.com

Continue Planning Your Trip

Things to Do

Top attractions and activities for Hualien

Budget Guide

Trip costs and money tips for Hualien

Getting Around

Transport options and tips for Hualien

Where to Stay

Accommodation guide for Hualien