Taroko Gorge is still one of the places travelers ask us about most when planning a Taiwan trip. The answer in 2026 is a little complicated: yes, you can visit parts of Taroko National Park, but no, Taroko Gorge has not returned to the experience travelers may remember from before the April 3, 2024 Hualien earthquake.
These Taroko Gorge travel tips are written for travelers visiting now. Instead of showing you an old pre-earthquake itinerary filled with attractions you may not be able to enter, we’ll explain what is actually open, what remains closed, how the Highway 8 traffic controls work, and how we would realistically plan a Hualien trip today.
Last updated: September 1, 2026
For the most recent government announcements before your trip, always check the Taroko National Park Latest News and current Highway Bureau road information.
Table of Contents
Taroko Gorge Open Status: September 2026
The most important thing to understand is that Taroko Gorge is partially accessible, not fully reopened.
You may have seen a Taroko National Park announcement saying that trails within the Ecological Protection Area reopened on August 29, 2026 following Typhoon Saudel.
That sounds like major reopening news, but it needs some explanation.
The announcement mainly concerns high-mountain routes in Taroko National Park’s Ecological Protection Area that had been temporarily closed because of the typhoon. It does not mean that the famous sightseeing trails inside Taroko Gorge have all reopened.
Taroko National Park specifically states that Mt. Qingshui and Zhuilu Old Road remain closed, with future reopening dates to be announced separately.
Most of the classic gorge attractions damaged after the 2024 earthquake also remain closed.
Taroko Gorge Open Status at a Glance
| Attraction / Area | September 2026 Status |
|---|---|
| Taroko National Park Visitor Center | ✅ Open |
| Dekalun Trail | ✅ Open |
| Dali–Datong area | ✅ Accessible |
| Tianxiang Visitor Center | ✅ Open |
| Tianxiang Path | ✅ Open |
| Tabiduo Trail | ✅ Open |
| Xiangde Temple area | ✅ Open |
| Lushui Trail | 🟡 Partially open |
| Lushui–Wenshan Trail | 🟡 Partially open |
| Chongde / Qingshui Cliffs viewpoint area | ✅ Accessible |
| Shakadang Trail | ❌ Closed |
| Swallow Grotto Trail | ❌ Closed |
| Tunnel of Nine Turns | ❌ Closed |
| Baiyang Trail | ❌ Closed |
| Eternal Spring Shrine Trail | ❌ Closed |
| Zhuilu Old Road | ❌ Closed |
| Mt. Qingshui Trail | ❌ Closed |
| Buluowan Scenic Trails | ❌ Closed |
| Public bus from Taroko Visitor Center to Tianxiang | ❌ Suspended |
This table is a snapshot, not a guarantee for any particular travel date. Weather, earthquakes, rockfall or construction can change access quickly.
What Happened to Taroko Gorge?
The April 3, 2024 earthquake caused extensive damage throughout Hualien and Taroko Gorge.
The gorge was particularly vulnerable because Provincial Highway 8 and many of Taroko’s trails run directly beneath steep mountain slopes. Damage included landslides, rockfall, unstable slopes, damaged trails, bridges and road infrastructure.
Typhoons and heavy rain after the earthquake created additional damage and slowed reconstruction.
This is why Taroko Gorge travel tips written before 2024 can now be very misleading.
A classic old itinerary might tell you to visit:
Shakadang Trail → Eternal Spring Shrine → Swallow Grotto → Buluowan → Tunnel of Nine Turns → Tianxiang → Baiyang Trail.
That was once a very normal Taroko day.
It is not a realistic Taroko itinerary in September 2026.
If you’d like to understand the gorge itself—its geology, history and major attractions—our separate Taroko Gorge destination guide gives a broader introduction.
What Is Open in Taroko Gorge in 2026?
There is still enough open to understand what makes Taroko special, but the experience is very different from the old full-day hiking route.
Taroko National Park Visitor Center
For first-time visitors, the Taroko Visitor Center is a useful place to begin.
It gives you some context before entering the gorge: how Taroko’s marble landscape formed, the natural environment of the Liwu River valley and the history and culture of the Truku people.
More importantly in 2026, it is a practical place to confirm local conditions before traveling farther into the park.
Dekalun Trail and Dali–Datong Area
The eastern entrance area provides some of the park’s currently accessible walking options.
Dekalun is much steeper than many travelers expect, so don’t automatically treat it as an easy replacement for Shakadang.
The Dali–Datong route is a more serious hiking option and requires considerably more time and preparation. If your goal is simply sightseeing during a Hualien holiday, you don’t need to force a long hike into the day.
Tianxiang
Tianxiang remains one of the main accessible areas farther inside the park when Highway 8 conditions allow.
Current open areas include the Tianxiang Visitor Center, Tianxiang Path, Tabiduo Trail and Xiangde Temple area.
Xiangde Temple is particularly worthwhile if you want a little walking combined with mountain scenery.
However, getting to Tianxiang now requires much more careful timing than before the earthquake because the road between Taroko and Tianxiang operates under traffic-control periods.
Lushui Recreation Area
Lushui is one of the more useful changes for travelers in 2026.
The area is partially open, rather than fully reopened.
The first approximately 250 meters of Lushui Trail is open as far as the small suspension bridge, after which visitors return the same way.
The first approximately 450 meters of Lushui–Wenshan Trail is also open before visitors must turn around.
The National Park describes these as limited daytime openings rather than full trail reopenings.
That distinction matters. Don’t arrive expecting the old complete Lushui hiking experience.
Qingshui Cliffs and Chongde
Qingshui Cliffs have become even more important in a Hualien itinerary since access inside Taroko Gorge became limited.
Here, the Central Mountains rise almost directly from the Pacific Ocean, creating one of Taiwan’s most recognizable east-coast landscapes.
The National Park currently recommends the Chongde Recreation Area near the north entrance of Chongde Tunnel for Qingshui Cliff views.
Be careful with terminology here:
Qingshui Cliffs viewpoint area and Mt. Qingshui Trail are not the same attraction.
You can visit the coastal Qingshui Cliffs viewpoint area, while Mt. Qingshui Trail remains closed.
Which Famous Taroko Gorge Trails Are Still Closed?
This is where many outdated travel guides cause confusion.
According to Taroko National Park’s current information, the following major attractions remain closed:
- Shakadang Trail
- Swallow Grotto Trail
- Tunnel of Nine Turns
- Baiyang Trail
- Changchun / Eternal Spring Shrine Trail
- Zhuilu Old Road
- Mt. Qingshui Trail
- Buluowan Scenic Trails and recreation area
If you see these places in an older YouTube video, travel article or Google itinerary, do not assume they are accessible.
This is one of the most important Taroko Gorge travel tips for 2026: always plan from current government information first and use older content only for inspiration.
Highway 8 Traffic Controls in September 2026
This is probably the most important practical section of this guide.
The road is open, but you cannot treat the Taroko Entrance–Tianxiang section of Provincial Highway 8 like an ordinary scenic road.
For September 2026, the official Highway Bureau schedule for the Tianxiang–Taroko entrance section provides five daily traffic-release periods:
| Time | Highway 8 Access |
|---|---|
| 06:30–08:00 | Traffic release |
| 10:00–10:05 | Traffic release |
| 12:00–13:00 | Traffic release |
| 15:00–15:05 | Traffic release |
| 17:00–18:00 | Traffic release |
| 18:00–18:30 | Exit only — no entry |
| 18:30–06:30 | Nighttime road closure |
The main control points for this section are around the Shakadang Tunnel entrance on the eastern side and the Lushui area on the western side.
After entering the controlled gorge section, drivers may be required to travel with the released traffic flow rather than stopping wherever they want.
That is why planning a Taroko visit around “nine attractions in eight hours” no longer makes sense.
Special September 25–28, 2026 Holiday Arrangement
There is one temporary exception this month.
For the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday period from September 25 to September 28, 2026, the Highway Bureau plans to allow two-way daytime traffic between Tianxiang and Taroko from 06:30 to 18:00, followed by the 18:00–18:30 clearing period and nighttime closure.
The normal five daily release periods are scheduled to resume from September 29.
Even during these published opening periods, traffic can still be delayed or cancelled because of rain, rockfall, typhoons or unexpected construction conditions.
So don’t build your trip around the assumption that a published opening time guarantees access that day.
Taroko Gorge Travel Tips: What We Would Do Differently in 2026
We plan Hualien itineraries regularly, and the biggest difference now is that the road schedule comes before the sightseeing list.
Before the earthquake, we could start with a list of attractions and arrange the route around them.
Now we do the opposite.
1. Plan Around the Road Release Times
Start by deciding which Highway 8 traffic window makes sense. Then build the accessible stops around it.
Missing a short release such as 10:00–10:05 or 15:00–15:05 can completely change the day.
2. Check Conditions Again on the Morning of Your Visit
A blog can tell you the current rules.
It cannot tell you whether a rockfall happened at 6 a.m. on the morning of your tour.
The official Highway Bureau specifically warns that roads in the earthquake-affected mountain area remain vulnerable after heavy rainfall, typhoons and earthquakes.
Check again before departure, even if you checked the previous night.
3. Don’t Build Your Trip Around Closed Trails
We still see travelers arrive with screenshots of old itineraries featuring Swallow Grotto, Shakadang and Tunnel of Nine Turns.
Those places are part of what made Taroko famous, so it is understandable.
But in 2026, a successful Taroko trip depends on accepting that you are visiting Taroko as it exists now, rather than trying to recreate the pre-earthquake itinerary.
4. Don’t Assume “Partially Open” Means a Full Hike
Lushui is a good example.
It is worth visiting, but only a limited section is open.
If your dream trip is a full day of long canyon hikes, Taroko may currently disappoint you.
If you are happy with mountain scenery, short walks, visitor-center interpretation, Tianxiang and a beautiful Hualien coast drive, it can still be worthwhile.
5. Keep the Hualien Coast in Your Plan
This is perhaps our biggest practical recommendation.
Don’t make your entire day depend on how far you can enter Taroko.
Combine it with places such as:
- Qingshui Cliffs
- Qixingtan Beach
- Hualien City
- Liyu Lake
- Dongdamen Night Market
Then if mountain conditions change, you still have a good day rather than a cancelled day.
Can You Visit Taroko Gorge by Bus in 2026?
Yes and no.
You can currently use public transportation to reach the Taroko Visitor Center area, but bus service through the gorge to Tianxiang remains suspended.
Current services include:
Bus 310: Hualien → Qixingtan → Xincheng Railway Station → Chongde → Taroko Visitor Center
Bus 302: Xincheng Railway Station → Taroko Visitor Center
But there is currently no normal public bus service between Taroko Visitor Center and Tianxiang.
Taroko National Park therefore advises travelers who want to reach Tianxiang to arrange their own transportation, such as a car, taxi or charter vehicle.
For independent travelers who don’t want to enter the controlled gorge section, a half-day using public transportation for Qixingtan, Xincheng and the Taroko Visitor Center can still work.
Can You Visit Taroko Gorge from Taipei in One Day?
Technically, yes.
Would we recommend it in 2026?
Usually, no.
Before the earthquake, a Taipei–Hualien–Taroko day trip was already long. Now you also have to consider construction, traffic-control windows and the possibility that access changes on the day.
If you’re coming all the way from Taipei, staying one night in Hualien gives you much more flexibility.
A two-day trip also lets you combine Taroko with Qingshui Cliffs, Qixingtan and another east-coast or cultural experience without spending most of the day watching the clock.
If you prefer to have the hotel, transportation and driver-guide arranged together, you can also see our Private 2-Day Hualien Tour from Taipei.
A Realistic Taroko and Hualien Day in 2026
There is no single itinerary that works every day because the order should depend on Highway 8 conditions.
But a realistic Hualien day might look like this:
Morning: Qingshui Cliffs
Start with the Pacific coastline and Qingshui Cliffs.
This gives you a major scenic highlight before your day becomes dependent on Highway 8 controls.
Late Morning: Taroko Visitor Center
Stop at the Visitor Center to understand the landscape and confirm current local access.
Midday: Accessible Taroko Area
Depending on the day’s road conditions and release periods, continue toward Lushui or Tianxiang.
This portion needs to remain flexible.
If road conditions deteriorate, do not try to force the original plan.
Afternoon: Qixingtan Beach
Return toward Hualien and stop at Qixingtan for an easy coastal walk.
The broad pebble beach, Pacific Ocean and mountains make a strong contrast with the narrow gorge scenery earlier in the day.
Evening: Hualien City
Finish around Hualien and, if you still have energy, visit Dongdamen Night Market for dinner.
The exact order can be reversed or adjusted depending on the day’s traffic releases.
Is Taroko Gorge Still Worth Visiting in 2026?
This depends on what you expect.
If Taroko has always been on your Taiwan bucket list because you want to hike Shakadang, walk through Swallow Grotto and explore Tunnel of Nine Turns, this is not yet that experience.
Those attractions remain closed.
But if you are already traveling to Hualien and want to see Taroko’s marble mountains, learn about the gorge, visit accessible areas and combine them with Taiwan’s spectacular east coast, we would still include it.
That is also how we now explain Taroko to our guests.
We don’t promise them the old Taroko.
We tell them what can realistically be seen on their travel date and keep the route flexible.
That usually leads to a much better trip than arriving with a checklist copied from a five-year-old blog.
Is Taroko Gorge Safe to Visit?
There isn’t a useful yes-or-no answer to this question.
Taroko is an active mountain environment, and the earthquake-damaged highway continues to face rockfall and landslide risk.
Heavy rain, typhoons and earthquakes can change conditions quickly. Taroko National Park and the Highway Bureau may restrict or close access when necessary.
Travelers should:
- Follow all trail and road closures.
- Never enter a closed attraction because an old map says it is there.
- Check weather and Highway 8 conditions before entering.
- Reconsider mountain travel after severe rainfall or typhoons.
- Follow instructions from National Park and Highway Bureau staff.
- Have an alternative Hualien itinerary ready.
A driver or guide familiar with current Hualien conditions can make the logistics easier, but no driver, guide or travel company can eliminate the natural risks of a mountain gorge.
What If Taroko Gorge Is Closed on the Day of My Trip?
This is exactly why we recommend thinking of Taroko as part of a Hualien trip, rather than making Taroko the only reason for traveling east.
If access is restricted, you can shift more time toward:
Qingshui Cliffs
One of Taiwan’s most dramatic meetings of mountain and ocean.
Qixingtan Beach
A broad pebble shoreline just outside Hualien with beautiful views toward the mountains.
Liyu Lake
A quieter inland landscape that works particularly well for families or travelers who prefer gentle outdoor activities.
Hualien City
Spend more time exploring local food, markets and Hualien’s slower east-coast atmosphere.
The point isn’t to find a “replacement Taroko.”
There really isn’t one.
The goal is to build a Hualien itinerary that remains enjoyable even when the mountains change your plans.
Travelers who want Hualien within a broader Taiwan route can also look at our East Coast Taiwan 4 Day Itinerary, which combines Taipei, Jiufen, Hualien, Taroko-area scenery and Yilan.
Why We No Longer Recommend Predicting Reopening Dates
You may see articles online predicting when Swallow Grotto, Zhuilu, Shakadang or other Taroko attractions will reopen.
We deliberately don’t do that here.
Reopening depends on reconstruction, slope stabilization, weather damage and government safety assessments.
Even the latest August 29 announcement states that reopening dates for Mt. Qingshui and Zhuilu Old Road will be announced later.
Until Taroko National Park publishes an official reopening announcement, treat a closed trail as closed.
This article will be updated when there is a meaningful official change.
Taroko Gorge Travel Tips FAQ
Is Taroko Gorge open in September 2026?
Taroko Gorge is partially accessible. Provincial Highway 8 is operating under traffic controls and several areas including Taroko Visitor Center, Tianxiang and parts of Lushui are accessible. However, many of the classic gorge trails remain closed.
Did Taroko Gorge reopen on August 29, 2026?
Not completely. Taroko National Park reopened routes within its Ecological Protection Area after a temporary typhoon closure. That announcement should not be interpreted as a reopening of all the famous sightseeing trails in Taroko Gorge. Zhuilu Old Road and Mt. Qingshui remain closed.
Is Shakadang Trail open?
No. Shakadang Trail remains closed because of damage following the April 2024 earthquake.
Is Swallow Grotto open?
No. Swallow Grotto Trail remains closed.
Is Tunnel of Nine Turns open?
No. Tunnel of Nine Turns remains listed among the closed gorge trails.
Is Zhuilu Old Road open in 2026?
No. Taroko National Park’s August 29 announcement states that its reopening date will be announced later.
Can I take a bus from Taroko Visitor Center to Tianxiang?
No. Bus service through the gorge between Taroko Visitor Center and Tianxiang remains suspended.
Can I see Qingshui Cliffs?
Yes. The Qingshui Cliffs coastal area can still be included in a Hualien itinerary. Taroko National Park recommends the Chongde area for viewing the cliffs. Do not confuse the Qingshui Cliffs viewpoint with Mt. Qingshui Trail, which remains closed.
Should I visit Taroko from Taipei as a day trip?
It is possible, but in 2026 we generally prefer a two-day Hualien itinerary. An overnight stay gives you more flexibility if Highway 8 traffic controls or weather change your schedule.
✨ Final Taroko Gorge Travel Tips
Taroko hasn’t disappeared.
The marble canyon, mountains and Liwu River are still there. What has changed is how travelers can experience them.
Our most important Taroko Gorge travel tips are simple: don’t plan from an old itinerary, check official conditions on the day you travel, respect every closure, and leave room for the mountains to change your schedule.
For most first-time international travelers in 2026, we would combine the accessible parts of Taroko with Qingshui Cliffs, Qixingtan and Hualien, rather than making the entire trip depend on attractions that remain closed.
If you’re coming from Taipei, our Private 2-Day Hualien Tour from Taipei is designed around this more flexible style of travel.
And before you leave for Taroko, always make one final check of the official Taroko National Park news page and current Highway Bureau road information.