Day 7 - Taroko National Park
Taroko National Park 太魯閣
Qinbuzhizi Walk 親不知子海上古道
Shitiping Scenic Recreation 石梯坪遊憩風景區
Start your day early to beat the tour-bus crowds! This is one of the most popular destinations in Taiwan, a must-hit for all visitors, yet the road is narrow and parking spots are limited, and it’s usually swarming with tourists. Wake up early and get there before 8:30am to beat the tour bus crowd. It’s best to hire a local driver for the day so you don’t have to worry about parking, just get dropped off at each stop while the driver waits for you. If you have time, do one of the hikes there to get away from the crowds, there are plenty of hiking trails around there. The weather was pretty bad during our visit, so instead of doing the hikes, we left early to hit other spots on our way back to the hotel.
Taroko National Park 太魯閣
This is one of the most famous destinations in Taiwan, and for good reasons. The view does not disappoint, many views are just breathtaking. The downside is the crowd. If you can hire a driver for the day, do it, and save yourself the frustration of looking for parking or spending valuable time waiting for buses. If the weather permits, go for a hike. Stop by the tourist center first and get some suggestions on how to visit the park and which hikes to go on.
Road repairs are frequent here due to falling rocks, so some places require hard hats. They actually provide the hats for free, just make sure you return them when you’re done. Even park entrance is free! BEWARE — For extensive repairs, they shut down the road for 45min to an hour at a time. We didn’t realize this on the way in, and was stuck in a 45min wait coming back down due to scheduled road closures. Read the closure schedule carefully and try to avoid it!
Qinbuzhizi Walk 親不知子海上古道
This is a quick stop, worth it if you have half an hour to kill. Skip it if you’re tight on time. A nice cliffside walking path to get some gorgeous views, but the access is limited to the walking path. There are other spots with beautiful views, such as Shitiping, where you can actually walk to the ocean and jump on rocks. It might be better to skip this place and spend more time at Shitiping. There are also a few Instagram-worthy stops along the way, worthy of a 5-minute stop if time allows.
Shitiping Scenic Recreation 石梯坪遊憩風景區
This place is amazing! Beautiful rocky cliffs, amazing scenery, and the kids have fun just climbing and jumping on the rocks. This place is big! We got here too late as it was already getting dark, wish we got to spend a few more hours here. I could easily enjoy half a day here and still wouldn’t want to leave! Highly recommended!