At 7:58 AM on April 3, 2024, a massive earthquake struck Hualien county in Taiwan. Taroko Gorge suffered immense destruction, with many bridges, roads, and attractions damaged or covered in landslides. There were at least 18 casualties.
Ever since then, travelers have been wondering whether it’s still possible to visit Taroko Gorge, and if not, how long it will take for it to reopen. It is one of the most common questions posed in my Taiwan Travel Planning group.
The answers to these questions are complicated, which is why I’ve prepared a whole article to answer them.
I’ll give you the short answer first, then go into all the details below it, including how to drive Highway 8 through the gorge and Highway 9 up the coast, which attractions might reopen when, and several alternative routes with similar scenery to Taroko Gorge.
You can also see my more general guide to visiting Taroko Gorge here.
The Quick Answer
The highway through Taroko Gorge is currently open to vehicles, but only at certain times every day (click here and check Highway 8 – note that the info is updated about once per month). There are no buses.
However, many (but not all!) of the trails and scenic spots in the gorge remain closed. IslandLife Taiwan is now running the only Taroko Gorge Reopening Tour, which will visit all stops currently allowed to visit.
As of early 2025, a few spots in the gorge have reopened, and a few more are expected to reopen in the coming months. However, some of them will take several years to reopen.
Taroko Gorge Before the Earthquake
Taroko Gorge is roughly the first 19 kilometers of Highway 8 (the “Central Cross Island Highway”) in eastern Taiwan. This entire highway is extremely prone to landslides, so parts of it have been closed or under major repairs for many years.
Even before the big earthquake, Highway 8 had several road repair spots before it connects to Highway 14甲, for reaching popular attractions like Hehuanshan, Cingjing Farm, Sun Moon Lake, and/or Taichung. (Note the western portion of the Central Cross Island Highway has been closed for many years).
For example, on October 1, 2023, I made this post in my Facebook group introducing the locations of the road repair spots and their daily opening times.
When the big earthquake hit in 2024, those road repairs were still ongoing and were already disrupting visits to the gorge. Buses from Hualien city to Taroko gorge were on a reduced schedule, and tours/private cars had to plan around the road opening times.
Is It Possible to Visit Taroko Gorge Now?
Yes, you can visit Taroko Gorge on your own by car, scooter, or even bicycle (the road would be very bumpy and uneven though), but only at the times listed here for Highway 8.
You can also visit on IslandLife’s Taroko Reopening Tour, which just started running at the beginning of 2025 and is the only one I know of so far.
However, if you do visit, you must be aware that the gorge will look very different than before the earthquake (but still very beautiful!) And many of the famous places in the gorge are still closed, so you will mostly be watching the scenery from the vehicle.
None of the buses from Hualien city or Xincheng to Taroko Gorge are running yet.
Which Attractions in Taroko Gorge are Currently Open/Closed?
After hearing for a long time that some attractions in Taroko Gorge might reopen by late 2024, very few had by the end of the year. 2025 is looking more hopeful for reopenings.
This is because 2024 was an awful year for natural disasters in Taiwan. After the earthquake, Typhoon Gaemi caused further damage in July.
Then, the unusually late-season Typhoon Kong-Rey caused even more damage at the end of October and start of November.
The below table lists all the main attractions in Taroko Gorge are which ones are currently open.
| Attraction | Status | Notes |
| Taroko Gorge Entrance Arch | Open | You drive through it when entering the gorge. |
| Taroko National Park Visitor’s Center | Open | Just before the entrance arch, you drive across a bridge to the other side of the river to it. Not much to see there, though. |
| Shakadang Trail | Closed | Will need many years to recover. |
| Eternal Spring Shrine | Closed but may be able to see from highway. | Possible reopening in mid-2025. |
| Buluowan Terrace and Taroko Village Hotel | Closed | Possible reopening in mid-2025. |
| Yanzikou (Swallow’s Grotto) | Closed | Will need many years to recover. |
| Zhuilu Old Road (trail) | Closed | Will need many years to recover (possibly never) |
| Tunnel of Nine Turns | Closed | Possible reopening in mid-2025. |
| Tianxiang Recreation Area | Open | Parts of Tianxiang are now open. |
| Silks Place Hotel (Booking / Agoda) | Open | The hotel is taking bookings in 2025. |
| Baiyang Trail and Water Curtain Cave | Closed | Current status is uncertain. |
Why Did I Hear that Some Hikes in Taroko Are Open?
Not long after the Hualien earthquake, some hikes in Taroko National Park reopened. But these hikes are all in Hehuanshan area of the national park, NOT in Taroko Gorge. The national park is quite large, and Taroko Gorge is only one small part of it.
In other words, Hehuanshan is technically in Taroko National Park, but it is a long way from Taroko Gorge. Most people reach Hehuanshan from Taichung or Cingjing Farm, NOT from Hualien.
Taroko National Park has made some more recent news posts like this one about more trails opening in the national park. This has led some people to believe that some hikes in Taroko Gorge are reopening or that the gorge is starting to reopen for tourists.
But sorry, nope. If you search any of those hike names on GoogleMaps, you will see that they are nowhere near Taroko Gorge.
What about Qixingtan, Highway 9, and the Qingshui Cliffs?
Before the earthquake, most tours to Taroko Gorge also included stops at Qixingtan (a stunning pebble beach between Hualien city and Taroko Gorge) and the Qingshui Cliffs (a series of dramatic coastal bluffs along Highway 9 north of Taroko Gorge.
Qixingtan was unaffected by the earthquake and is open. You can ride a bike from Hualien City to it and back, or take a bus or taxi to it and rent a bike at the beach for a shorter ride. it is also included on Island Life’s Taroko Reopening Tour.
The Qingshui Cliffs are right next to a section of Highway 9 which was also damaged by landslides in the earthquake.
After a period of time with only three openings to traffic per day, Highway 9 is now totally open. This is subject to change at any time – check the monthly updates here (click Highway 9).
As for the Qingshui Cliffs, the two rest stops (here and here) where you could normally stop and see them remain closed due to damage.
If you want to see the cliffs, you can do so from Chongde Beach (around here) or by trying this paddle boarding activity instead.
The coast also looks beautiful when viewed from Qixingtan Beach just north of Hualien city, but that’s quite a ways from the cliffs.
How to Drive through Taroko Gorge and Highway 8?
If you want to drive to Taroko Gorge just to “check it out”, there is nothing stopping you from doing this.
If you click this link from my Facebook group (you’ll need to join first) and see the comments, some members shared photos and videos driving through the gorge in late 2024.
Repairs are ongoing, so the situation will get better over time, but it will take many years to look like it did before the earthquake.
Some travelers want to drive through Taroko Gorge and Highway 8 for the purpose of connecting to/from destinations like Hehuanshan, Cingjing Farm, Sun Moon Lake, and Taichung, rather than driving all the way back to Taipei then down the other coast.
This is fine to do, but you just need to be very careful for all of Highway 8, as there are several spots (both inside Taroko Gorge but also past it) which are still very fragile or under ongoing repairs. I also would not recommend doing the drive during or after heavy rain, as there is ongoing risk of further landslides.
Expect some possible delays or waiting at construction spots, and expect the drive to take a few hours longer than GoogleMaps says it will take. The official opening/closing times of different repair spots are listed here, but there could be more that are are not listed.
In the end, it will probably take you a full day to drive from Hualien to Cingjing Farm or Sun Moon Lake (as reported by recent travelers).
It would actually be faster to drive via Taipei (and less risky!), even though that seems like much further on the map. So only do this drive if you like a challenge and if you want to see the scenery or certain spots along the way.
If you just want to do a scenic drive across the Central Mountain Range, then I’ll recommend some alternative routes which are easier to drive below.
Read more about renting a car and driving in Taiwan here.
Is Hualien Still Worth Visiting?
For months after the earthquake, most tourists changed their plans and stopped visiting Hualien.
Indeed, many of travelers were skipping the east coast of Taiwan altogether, instead focusing on the cities and attractions which are accessed via the west of coast (such as Sun Moon Lake and Alishan). Those two places have become even more crowded than usual as a result.
The tourist and service industry in Hualien has suffered tremendously. The government even offered cash incentives to visit Hualien in 2024, but stopped them in 2025.
It isn’t surprising, since Taroko Gorge is the area’s top attraction and was mostly closed. However, I did visit Hualien less than two months after the earthquake and found there were many reasons to still visit Hualien.
However, now that the Taroko National Park is allowing tours to start up again (like this one), this is a sign that they consider it safe enough and are ready to start receiving tourists again.
In my opinion, visitors should never have stopped visiting Hualien. But now, they should especially consider adding it back to their itineraries again.
So What Can I Still Do in Hualien?
I visited Hualien post-earthquake to write this article introducing the many things to do in Hualien besides Taroko Gorge.
Attractions are rather limited in Hualien city center, but there are still some, including the chance to try aboriginal foods at Dongdamenn Night Market and renting a bike to cycle to Qixingtan Beach and back.
Not far from the city, there are countless possible activities, including cycling or hiking around Liyu Lake, ATVing on the beach, paddle boarding below the Qingshui Cliffs, whale watching (best in late spring to summer), or river tracing in local streams.
There are also three of Taiwan’s coolest Starbucks in Hualien – an aboriginal themed one north of the city, a container ship one south of the city, and Starbucks Promiseland, also south of the city.
Further south in Hualien county, you can go white water rafting, hiking, and soak in hot springs around Ruisui or go hiking and cycling around Yuli. Walami Trail near Yuli has scenery similar to Taroko Gorge (see image below).
Doing a road trip (by rental car or organized tour) down the east coast is also popular – IslandLife Taiwan specializes at this region of Taiwan. See my Taiwan east coast road trip guide to plan your route.
Continue by car or train to Taitung, where you can go cycling at Chishang, visit tea farms around Luye (here’s a tour option), or base yourself in Taitung city to do day trips up the coast to Sanxiantai Dragon Arch Bridge.
What are Some Alternatives to Taroko Gorge with Similar Scenery?
I wrote the following back when it was not considered safe to drive in Taroko Gorge. However, I’ll keep it up in case anyone still wants these ideas.
Two-thirds of Taiwan is covered in high mountains, with many gorgeous, deep valleys not unlike Taroko Gorge.
Of course you aren’t going to find anywhere which has the same tourist infrastructure as Taroko Gorge did before the earthquake (like buses, tours, easy hikes, hotels, and so on), so you may need to rent a car to access them.
Here are some of my top recommendations:
Lisong Hot Spring and the Southern Cross Island Highway
Taiwan’s Southern Cross-Island Highway (Highway 20) offers some of the most similar scenery to Taroko Gorge that I’ve seen in Taiwan.
One great way to experience it is to rent a scooter in Chishang (IDP + A stamp will be needed) and spend a day driving to Lisong Hot Spring and back. Read all about it in my guide to Lisong Hot Spring.
When I did this drive, I saw some spots that looks almost exactly like Taroko Gorge scenery, but there are no tourist pavilions or anything – I just had to enjoy them from the side of the road.
Note that the hike to the hot springs is very difficult and can only be done in the dry season (November to April), otherwise it is underwater.
Also note that this drive also has some earthquake damage and sometimes rocks do fall on the road, so it also comes with some small risk. There are some repair spots where you may have to wait for a bit.
Another option would be to rent a car (in Hualien city or Taitung city) and drive Highway 20 from Chishang all the way across to Kaohsiung.
This would be a full day of driving (and really full if you want to squeeze in the hike to Lisong Hot Spring too). But it has epic scenery the whole way.
Note that the highway is only open 7 AM to 5 PM and one section is closed (after Lisong Hot Spring) on Tuesdays/Thursdays – so avoid those two days if driving all the way to Kaohsiung.
Yilan’s Highway 7甲 to Nantou/Taichung
This is a stunning drive which takes in some of Taiwan’s finest high mountain scenery. Two days is ideal, but you could do it in one (very long) day.
Rent a car in Yilan city or Luodong and drive up Highway 7 (which then becomes 7甲) to the Central Mountains. Make a detour to Water Geothermal Square or Jiuzhize Hot Springs (which is on the highway up to Taipingshan) to cook eggs or soak in the hot spring water.
You’ll connect to Highway 8 briefly (but no road repairs to be concerned about) then get on the 14甲.
Stop at Wuling Farm for flower viewing and Fushoushan for fruit picking. Spend the night around Lishan/Fushoushan or continue on to Songsyue Lodge in Hehuanshan area (if you can manage to get a booking there). I’ll introduce Hehuanshan more below.
Cross Wuling Pass (Taiwan’s highest), stop at these scenic spots, then descend the other side to Cingjing Farm, Sun Moon Lake, or Taichung.
The North Cross Island Highway
Taiwan’s North Cross-Island Highway goes from Daxi district of Taoyuan across the mountains to Yilan.
Just like the others above, it is a slow and very winding drive with stunning high mountain scenery.
Stops can include Daxi Old Street (for Hakka foods), Xiao Wulai Skywalk (a glass walkway over a large waterfall), detour to Lalashan (for cherry blossoms in February), and Mingchi National Forest Recreation Area (a beautiful forest pond).
Close to Yilan, you could also make a possible detour to Jiuzhize Hot Spring (for cooking eggs or soaking) or Water Geothermal Square (for cooking eggs only).
There are some wild hot springs along this drive too. Sileng Hot Spring requires a tough hike, while Peng Peng Hot Spring does not.
For all three of these drives, you could of course do it from the opposite direction that I describe, too.
Taichung to Hehuanshan and Back
Hehuanshan is one of the most easily accessible high mountain hiking areas of Taiwan.
Although it doesn’t have exactly the same kind of scenery as Taroko Gorge, it has epic scenery nonetheless – think high grassy peaks and incredible sunrises with seas of clouds, rather than deep marble valleys.
And the best part is that you can even visit Hehuanshan by bus (although a car or scooter will make it easier).
Even though it’s technically part of Taroko National Park and closer to the east coast than the west, it will be much easier for you to reach it from Taichung on the west coast.
Most visitors stay at one of the many guesthouses in Cingjing Farm then do a sunrise tour to Hehuanshan, but you can also bus or drive there for hiking then come back.
Alternatively, try to get a spot at Songsyue Lodge, which is right next to the famous sunrise viewing platform and is the only hotel at Hehuanshan.
Thanks for the comprehensive information – I’m heading to Taiwan in a few days and so its useful to have some ideas of east-coast activities that might not have been though of otherwise.
Thank you so much for posting this. I landed in Taiwan the 3rd with a VERY loose itinerary and I’m here until the 13th. I’ve started and will end in Taipei but the middle I’ve been struggling with where to go and what to do. The east vs west coast decision was challenging but after asking around, I met a woman from Jiaoxi who said I needed to go here. I’ve been in Jiaoxi For two nights and
Still had two nights with no idea. Thank goodness I have your stuff another search and will use this article to help me with the last bit of the trip. I believe I’m going to try to book one or two nights near Hehuanshan or Hualien and drive if it’s booked up! Thank you thank you thank you!
We are sad the gorge hiking trails are still closed. But we risked a ride through the gorge then turned around after a while because we really wanted to see this marble gorge masterpiece. We also wanted to visit the local area and pump some money into the local economy. You’re right about Liyu Lake – close and easy to walk around with pretty sights.
Great post! If I had found it sooner I might’ve done some of your other suggestions but we won’t have time this trip.
Best regards!
Hope you had a great trip!