Hualien Travel Guide 花蓮懶人包 – The Most Beautiful Part of Taiwan

Historical Background

Hualien was first inhabited by Sakiraya aborigines and was known as Kilai. Later the Spanish came here to pan for gold for a brief period. Afterward, the first Han Chinese settlers came to the area in 1851 and named the place Hualien after the swirling delta of the Liwu River. During the Japanese era, many Japanese people were relocated here to develop agriculture. 
Now Hualien is the key population center on Taiwan’s East Coast. 

When to visit?

Hualien is great year-round, but it can get a little hot in the summer, and the Typhoon season and heavy rain season last from about May to October. If you are afraid of the heat and rain then you can visit during winter when the temperatures are mild and the climate is usually dryer. 

Where to stay?

The best hostel I’ve ever stayed at is “When Happiness Knock Your Door” “幸福來敲門” in Hualien. The hostess will go out of her way to make you comfortable and her rooms are kept extremely nice. Also, it was one of the few hostels I’ve ever been to that had an elevator. Her price is well below the quality you will enjoy. She has almost a perfect rating on Booking.com and Agoda.
You can book When Happiness Knock Your Door on Agoda here or Booking.com here.
We have also 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.

How to get to Hualien?

You can book tickets to travel to Hualien via inter-city bus on Klook here.  
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.

How to get around in Hualien:

As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. However, you can also a great deal of Tainan by taking the train, inter-city bus, local bus, biking, or just walking. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county. 
Scooter Rental: Looking for a scooter rental in Hualien? You can search KKday here or Klook here to look for options.
You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
Car Rental: If you are looking for car rentals in Hualien, you can also search Klook here or KKDay here. 
You can also 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. ​

Tours: 

You can find more tours and activities in Hualien such as Surfing, Paragliding, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, Canoeing, River Tracing, River Rafting, Whale Watching, Snorkeling, Diving, ATV / 4-wheeling, Paintballing, Farm Dream Estates Zoo, Water Biking, Oyster Harvesting, Shrimp Harvesting, Indigenous Experience, Glamping, Cycling, Ziplining and much more on Klook here or KKday here. 

Map:

Please see the map below for the areas we will cover in the blog.

Drone Video

360 Pano

For a 360-degree view above Hualien City, please see below or via this link.

That concludes an overview of Hualien. Now I will introduce a list of places and things you should see and do in Hualien.

Let’s get this list started!

Sixty Stone Mountain 六十石山

Sixty Stone Mountain (aka Liushidan Mountain) is a beautiful flower and mountain landscape on the eastern flank of the eastern rift valley in Hualien County. The annual Daylily flower blooms and amazing views of the Eastern Rift Valley attract thousands of tourists each summer. Some of the most picturesque and beautiful views anywhere in Taiwan can be seen from this mountain…(read more)

Ruisui Farm 瑞穗農場

The dairy cows at Ruisui Farm in Hualien, where much of Taiwan’s homegrown milk comes from. You can get close and feed the cows if you dare. There is also a novelty shop here for tourists.

Nanan Falls 南安瀑布

Nanan Falls near the Batongguan Trailhead in Hualien. Even though swimming is forbidden here, you cannot stop the locals from cooling down here on a hot summer day.

Hualien Sugar Factory 蓮糖廠

Hualien Sugar Factory is a fun tourist historical attraction with the most flavors of ice cream of any Taisugar store I have seen, and also the most restored Japanese-era wooden buildings I have ever seen.

Farglory Ocean Park 遠雄海洋公園

Farglory Ocean Park is the theme park with the best view in Taiwan, and the largest and best theme park and aquarium in Eastern Taiwan. It includes live dolphin, seal, and mermaid shows, and also includes a gondola and theme park. There is so much to do here it will take you more than a day to enjoy it all.
You can buy tickets to the park for a discount on Klook here or KKday here.

We recommend Farglory Hotel, right next to Farglory Ocean Park with amazing views of Hualien

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hake Art Village 吉安好客藝術村

 

Meilunshan 美崙山

 

 

 

Sadly, due to a recent earthquake, much of Taroko Gorge, Hualien’s most famous landmark, is no longer accessible to the public. However, the visitor’s center is still open, and the road through Taroko is still open three times a day if you have your own vehicle. In this blog, we will take you on a virtual tour of Taroko Gorge after the earthquake, from a recent trip where we risked rockfalls and poor road conditions.

​Swallow Grotto 燕子口