Our Guide to Taiwan's East Coast 台灣東海岸指南

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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.

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.
​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.

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. 

Accommodation:
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. 

Looking for scooter rental in Taiwan? Click here or here to search for options.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search here. 
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  
 
Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

Now we will get started with our list of places to visit. Please note this list is a work in progress. 

Yilan County 宜蘭縣

Yilan is a gem on Taiwan's northeast coast. It has rugged mountains, waterfalls, a flat coastal plain, a volcanic island, hot springs, and some of the best beaches in Taiwan. In addition you can find night markets, seafood markets, museums, and much more to explore here. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Taiwan. 
Check out our full guide to Yilan here.

Toucheng 頭城

Toucheng Township in Yilan is known for its amazing beaches, but there is much more to do here, such as visit Lanyang Museum, visit Turtle Island, enjoy seafood, traditional fishing harbors, recreational farms, hiking, cycling, surfing lessons, and much more. Here is a short guide to Toucheng, to let you know the variety of activities that you can enjoy here.
​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 toTaroko National Park here.

Taroko Gorge 太魯閣

If you only have a few days in Taiwan and you want to go somewhere outside of Taipei, you should definitely go to Taroko Gorge. On an island full of mountains, rain forests, beaches, and abounding natural beauty, Taroko Gorge might just take the top spot as the most beautiful scenic area in Taiwan...(read more)

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

Taitung has some of the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan, two amazing offshore islands, a striking coastline, deep mountains, and most of all it is bursting with unique aboriginal culture, with indigenous people making up over one-third of the population. It is an unmissable stop on your next trip to Taiwan. Here we have compiled our full guide to Taitung County. 
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.