Taiwan’s East Coast has the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan. From the deepest marble gorge in the world to outer islands, mountains, rivers, and huge sea cliffs, there are unmissable natural wonders for you to explore. In addition, there are endless outdoor activities and water sports that you can take part in here.
⛰️ Planning your trip to Taiwan’s East Coast? 🌊
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: Around May when it is not too hot and there are no northeasterly winds or typhoons
- How to get there: Taiwan Railway (TRA/TRB) and Inter-City Bus
- Best places to stay: Papago International Resort or Mountain and Ocean B&B
- Book tours and activities on Taiwan’s East Coast on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
When to go:
The best time to go they say is around May when it is not too hot and there are no northeasterly winds or typhoons which can cancel your transportation to the island.
The typhoon season lasts from around June to October. The busy season is during summer break from June to August, during which time it can be hard to book a hostel or airplane ticket. Winter is the less crowded season, but the water will be colder, there will be constant wind (which could cancel transportation), and it will rain more often.
How to get there:
By Plane:
Traveling to Taitung or Hualien by plane is the fastest way to get there. The trip only takes one hour from Taipei, and there are planes that leave daily through Mandarin Airlines and Uni Air. From Taitung, where you can switch to Saily Air which will take you the rest of the way to Green Island or Orchid Island. A plane ticket to Taitung takes about one hour and costs about 5000 NT per round trip. You can book discount tickets to Taitung on KKday here.
By Train:
The train ride from Taipei to Taitung takes 3-4 hours and costs about 800 NT one way. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
By Bus: Busses leave hourly from Taipei to the East Coast. A bus from Taipei to Hualien now only takes about 2.5 hours. You can book tickets to travel to Taiwan’s East Coast via inter-city bus on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.
By Car/Scooter:
From Taipei, a car ride to Taitung takes about six hours, and a scooter ride takes about eight hours.
You can rent a scooter on Klook or KKday. Scooter rental is about 300 NT per day. You can check out our scooter rental guide here.
You can also rent a car for about 1500 NT per day. You can rent a car on Qeeq here or Klook here. You can hire a driver or taxi, and you can charter a car here.
You can check out our car rental guide here.
How to get around Taitung:
Rent a scooter! Unless you are travelling with small children or elderly people you should not need to rent a car. You can rent bicycles but you will not be able to travel as fast. You can also hire a driver to take you on tours.
By scooter: You can rent a scooter from Taitung Station on Klook or KKday. Scooter rental is about 300 NT per day. You can check out our scooter rental guide here.
By car/taxi: You can also rent a car for about 1500 NT per day. You can rent a car on Qeeq here or Klook here.
You can hire a driver or tax; you can charter a car here.
You can check out our car rental guide here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.
Where to Stay:
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.
Yilan:
We have stayed at and recommend Ying Shih Guest House, a resort in Datong Township near Taipingshan and Fan Fan Hot Spring, and Jiaosi Hotspring Hotel, a hotel with hot springs in each room. We have also stayed at Toucheng Leisure Farm, a recreational farm and experience center in Toucheng (you can book on Agoda here).
Hualien:
We also have stayed at and recommend Dream Taiwan Homestay (Agoda / Booking.com), a high-quality hostel for the money in downtown Hualien, Farglory Hotel (Agoda / Booking.com), right next to Farglory Ocean Park with amazing views of Hualien, and Goldenflower B&B (Agoda / Booking.com) in Yuli right next to Sixty Stone Mountain.
You can find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
Taitung:
We have stayed at and recommend the Papago International Resort in Chishang, which is a five-star hotel with private villas with pools for each room, and Mountain and Ocean B & B in Taimali, which is a quiet and affordable B&B right next to the beach.
Tours:
There are many tours and activities available on Taiwan’s East Coast such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, Surfing, Speed Boating, Glamping, River tracing, Paragliding, Kayaking, Canoeing, River Tracing, River Rafting, River Tubing, Pack Rafting, Whale Watching, ATV / 4-wheeling, Paintballing, Water Biking, Glamping, Cycling, Ziplining, Horse Riding, and many others, which you canbook through Klook here or KKday here.
Yilan County 宜蘭縣
Check out our full guide to Yilan here.
Toucheng 頭城
You can check out our full guide to Toucheng here.
Taroko National Park 太魯閣國家公園
If you only have a few days in Taiwan and you want to go somewhere outside of Taipei, you should definitely go to Taroko National Park. On an island full of mountains, rain forests, beaches, and abounding natural beauty, Taroko might just take the top spot as the most beautiful scenic area in Taiwan.
You can check out our full guide to Taroko National Park here.
Taroko Gorge 太魯閣
Hualien 花蓮
Hualien is the largest county in Taiwan and is considered by many to be the most beautiful. It includes a breathtaking coastline along the Pacific Ocean, including cliffs thousands of meters high, marble gorges, fertile valleys, and a large section of Taiwan’s central mountain range. Hualien is simply a must-stop location on your trip to Taiwan.
Check out our full guide to Hualien here.
Taitung 台東
Check out our full guide to Taitung here.
You can find more tours of Taiwan’s East Coast on Klook here or KKday here.
Please note that this blog is still a work in progress and more locations will be added soon.
For the most recent blogs, check out our tab for Eastern Taiwan 東部 here.
You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.