The BETTER Taroko Gorge Tour

A great day. We had a great day with Allen exploring Taroko Gorge. He picked us up early so we avoided the big tour groups in every location and shared lots of historical knowledge with us. He accommodated the 2 year old child we had with us perfectly and we were able to explore the stunning scenery without worrying about anything. Allen also took some fantastic photos of our group, which he shared with us at the end of the day. I would highly recommend this tour!

Really really amazing. The tour was perfect
Our guide Santa spoke very good English and explained so much
We went on a 2 hour hike and then some shorter ones – what you see will take your breath away
I would highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants to see sth special away from the tourbus crowds

Excellent Tour With Allen. A fantastic small-group tour with Allen! Well worth the money. He picked us up promptly at our Hualien hotel so we would beat the crowds going to the Gorge. Besides our visit to the beautiful sites in the park, we learned about the local area, Taiwanese and park history, and plants & animals in the park. The Taroko indigenous lunch included in our tour was delicious. He takes great photos which he got to us by email afterwards. Our tour ended with a visit to the Pacific Ocean and we were dropped off at the train station for our return to Taipei. I highly recommend this tour.

Fantastic tour! I would absolute recommend this private tour! So nice with a guide who made extra stops according to what we were interested of. And so interesting to hear about the nature and life in Taiwan.

Great intro to Taroko! Such an easy way to see so many great places in Taroko! The guide, Alan, was really nice and knew a lot of interesting cultural and natural history of the area. We visited quite a few spots, including a climb up the stairs to the bell tower- the view was spectacular. At the end we even went to view the ocean since the weather was nice.

It was only a little crowded at the tunnel of 9 turns, but for the most part we were able to avoid the large tour buses.

A very fun day!

The best way to visit Taroko Park! My girlfriend and I were searching for options to visit the park, supposedly one of the best sightseeing places in Taiwan. A friend recommended us this agency and we are SO HAPPY we listened to him! Island Life Taiwan were very serious with all organizational matters, but at the same time fast replying and easygoing. Allen, our tour guide, was very nice, his English was excellent and he tried from the very beginning until the end to explain all possible details and background information so we could have the most out of our experience. He also cracked jokes often and let us learn at the same time. Due to challenging weather on the day he was often improvising and/or taking us to different places, which in the end were probably even better than the original itinerary. Also, the other people in the group (we were 8 visitors in total) were nice and we had a nice atmosphere. Overall we would give it a 10/10, we are really glad we chose them and will of course book an experience with Island Life Taiwan again if we return to the country!

Better Taroko Gorge Tour with Allen. We (my sister, her friend and I) had a wonderful time on the Better Taroko Gorge Tour with Allen. Allen was very knowledgeable, had a great sense of humour, and spoke English well. He brought us to some amazing sights which we would have not known/seen otherwise. We truly had a fun day, and would recommend taking this tour with Allen.

Group tour with Allen. Excellent tour, managed to fit so many sights in, left early to try to avoid the crowds (although later on the day the bus loads of tourists become inevitable), lots of information provided, Allen was very personable and attentive and spoke to everyone individually. Finished the day with an optional river swim and trip to the Pacific coast. Only 8 people in total on the tour. Hotel pick up and drop off provided. Good value.

Great tour with Alan. Really fun and informative tour. Well worth the money as Alan, our tour guide, told us lots of interesting things about the area and brought us to a lot of different sites, definitely would not have seen or learned so much doing this on our own. Alan also really went the extra mile, adding an hour extra to the tour to show us an extra site and treat us to his favorite lemonade. Also takes awesome photos! Would wholeheartedly recommend.

Great tour with Alan! 🙂 This is overdue, but we went on this tour with Alan October 11, 2019. Alan was an amazing guide– he picked us up on time, his English was great, and he had a great sense of humor haha! This tour is great because they really did limit the tour to 8 people, so it was easier and faster to get through things without a big crowd. Alan is a local and grew up there so he had great knowledge of the area and foods we wouldn’t have known if we had just tried to explore Taroko Gorge on our own. Also despite it being a holiday weekend (happy birthday Taiwan!), whenever we got to the specific spots during the tour, we never really hit crowds at all, so it was a great unhurried experience. We got to eat sausages and plant life up on the trail, and lunch was amazing and filling (I always worry about going hungry on a tour but not this one, the activities a moderately paced). I would recommend this tour to anyone trying to visit Taroko Gorge– it was a great price, with good food, unforgettable sights, and moderate hiking (except for the stairs to the Bell Tower at the end but the view after that climb is worth it). At the end of our trip, he brought us directly to the Station and we went back to Taipei the same night. 🙂

Highlight of my entire trip. My husband, myself and my three year old book a tour and our experience was amazing. Alan was an incredible tour guide. His English was great, he was loads of fun and very sweet and helpful with my son. This was my favorite Taiwan experience. I would highly recommend using this tour company. The day was packed full of adventure and memories I’ll cherish forever.

Private Tour with Allen – The Best Experience. From start to finish, the entire tour and setup was extremely simple and easy. I sent in an e-mail asking for a quotation on a private tour leaving right as we arrived in Hualien by train. Our agent kept in touch and kept us updated, before handing us to Allen, our tour guide for direct contact on meeting points and information. Allen met us on time with the car ready and waiting and we immediately set off for the gorge. We were given ample time to explore each of the places that we stopped at, before being picked up and taken to the next location. He seemed to know the best times to visit each location, as tour buses would arrive just as we were leaving each place, so most areas were relatively empty and serene. He took lots of photos of my friend and I together and sent them over.

He also noticed my friend loved butterflies, and as a complete bonus offered to take us to a butterfly museum (not part of the trip, and past the original time we were supposed to finish the tour). He talked with staff to get us in and gave us plenty of time to explore the butterfly museum without rushing us either. Afterwards he took us directly back to our AirBNB and gave us tips on where to go for dinner.

I would absolutely recommend doing this. More expensive than a bus but you get so much more out of the experience. We saw more locations in the day than I think some people would be able to in a week.

Great time with Manuel. Manuel was a great guide, very accommodating and knowledgeable. We were picked up from our hotel in the morning. The hike is about 5 miles round trip and 2,000 ft elevation gain. The cliff part is only a short section at the very end. The hike was a little challenging in the beginning, but had good views. We finished the hike early and were given an option what we wanted to do. We chose to see the cliffs then go swim. I would recommend Island Life Taiwan. They were also very fast to respond to emails and took pictures of us during the trip that they later sent us.

Amazing Experience! Joined this tour on the 23/Oct 2019 with Alan as our tour guide for our one-day Taroko Gorge National Park Day Tour and we have to say that we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Alan showed us unique elements of Taroko Gorge which we would have otherwise never noticed (the pano photo with an outline of Taiwan in the sky) and also took extra effort to make sure that we were all well taken care of during the trip (the special lemonade at the end of it is highly recommended!!)

Thanks once again to Island Life Taiwan Adventures and to Alan for this memorable experience.

Adventurous and exciting time at Taroko! I and my friend had a really great time with Island Life Tour with Allen. Allen has positive vibe and very friendly to all participants. During our journey, he told us few stories about Taiwan. In Taroko, he also showed us few tricks to take pictures. Oh boy, he could be a good photographer. I think he knows the spot already to take cool pictures.

Allen brought us to 5 spots overall, 4 trails / strolls and 1 restaurant. Taroko had its own charm: The unique pattern of the marble was, the color of the water, the lush greeneries full with trees surrounding the gorge. I agreed with my friend who ever said that you can always be amazed with every sight here in Taroko.

I particularly liked Baiyang Trail, 2 km walk ending at Water Curtain Cave (Xiulin). I enjoyed the views and I really liked that the water was crystal blue. I also loved to put my feet inside the water – how cold and refreshing that was. We entered the water curtain cave barefoot and that was really nice. Though, I wished I did this in other trail that allowed me to take good picture of the blue water with me standing in front of it.

The food choice in the recommended restaurant was Taroko Tribe cuisine. The taste was a bit different than Taiwanese and my local hometown food. It was quite light. I really liked the spinach. But overall I had a full stomach after the lunch.

All in all, Taroko (with Allen) was highly enjoyable. I wanna go back to Taiwan just for Taroko and explore more trails in my next trip.

Great tour guide – wonderful sights. My partner and I did the tour today and Allen our guide was such a wonderful host with so much knowledge after 10 years being a Taroko guide. The walks were breathtaking and the small group meant we could get around in a mini van rather than a bus (very convenient). The early start was very beneficial – so nice to do the walk without many on the trails. Would highly recommend.

Great Visit to Taroko Gorge. A very well organised trip from start to finish. The communication from the team from the first enquiry was excellent.

The tour was tailored exactly to us and also changed as we went along.

Tiffany our guide was great and very passionate and knowledgeable.

Taroko gorge is truly stunning.

Highly recommended

Great experience! Perfect trip, many interesting stops, lots of information and fun facts. Alan was a great guide, funny and charming (his English is really good, too). We enjoyed ourselves very much.

Comprehensive tour with a bonus swim at the end! I’m glad that we decided to book a tour instead of trying this on our own. Allen was a safe driver and a great tour guide, taking us to the main highlights of the park, providing a lot of knowledge and guidance on each site, and consulting with the group on our preferences. He was also really helpful in getting members of our tour group back to the train station on time. Ask about the river swim at the end – if the weather and water is cooperative, it’s a great way to end the day!

Great tour! I highly recommend The Better Taroko Gorge Tour with Island Life. The reservation is easy and Jamella is quick to respond and answered all my questions before booking. We had a 8-person tour that day and our guide Alan is not only knowledgeable he is funny too. Pick-up & drop-off and delicious lunch were also included. Excellent price for excellent tour.

Fantastic Day! I highly recommend this company for a great day in Taroko Gorge. Alan was our guide and what a superb job he done! A Hualien local who knows the park inside out, and he speaks great English. Alan allowed us to enjoy the highlights of the park at our own pace and he educated us along the way in a very friendly and memorable way. He also took some great photos for us and took us to the best lemonade spot afterwards (which I highly recommend you ask for). A really enjoyable day was had by all in our group. Thanks so much Alan! A great representative for your company and country.

Friendly and flexible local tour. We highly recommend this Taroko tour, since it begins early and escapes some of the bus crowds. Our guide was Allen, who was extremely friendly and knowledgable. He is local, and knows Taroko and the whole Hualien area, and can easily customize your tour according to your needs. He will let you explore the Taroko trails on your own, and in your own time and pace. He even sent us advice and tips on other Taiwan destinations that we took an interest in while chatting in the car. If we had had more time to spend in Hualien, we would have let Allen plan it for us. The area has a lot to offer!

Unforgettable trip! Exceptional trip! Our guide Allen is very friendly and knows the area really well so we can get maximum experience. We had a really great time in Taroko.

Taroko Gorge full day tour. My boyfriend and I had an awesome experience with this company! Everything was transparant and easy to book. Communication was absolutely great. Our driver (Santa) was super nice and had amazing stories to tell. His english was pretty good as well. He made sure we were comfortable and had a good time. The included lunch was very good too. We would totally recommend this to anyone who wants to visit Taroko Gorge and doesn’t have too much time.
Thank you!

Awesome day in Taroko gorge! We went on the Taroko gorge day tour in a small group of 8 and it was by far the highlight of our trip in Taiwan. Our tour guide Alan knew the area very well, spoke excellent English and was very well connected with the locals – he definitely went above and beyond to make sure everyone was safe and having a good time! We got to see all the best spots, swim in clear blue river water and taste the local aboriginal foods. Highly recommend this tour to everyone, Thanks Island life & Alan for a day we will never forget!

Wonderful tour with a knowledgeable local. The tour started early as promised, which meant that we were there ahead of the large tour groups. Our guide, Alan, was very engaging and knowledgeable. I like that he is not just droning on with a practiced tour spiel but actually telling stories and making it very interesting for us. And his stories really show the sincerity of someone who is also very interested and knowledgeable of what he is talking about. Alan is also a careful driver, which I appreciate greatly.
I rarely join tours because the scramble to follow schedules and the general chaos when it comes to large groups annoy me, that’s why I found it great that our tour group is only 8 people, and that Alan was able to steer us throughout the day in a timely manner without making us feel that we’re being rushed.
Would definitely book this tour again when I go back. Thank you!

The best tour in Taiwan! Everything was perfect, from start to finish. Jamella was quick to respond, answered all my questions, and provided that personal touch with booking this tour. Allen was a fantastic tour guide. He spoke very good English and, not only did he grow up in Hualien, but he played in Taroko Gorge as a child, so he knows it’s history and secrets first hand. Allen is friends with many of the natives you will meet during the tour (which also comes with certain perks). He also offers a personal touch, Allen remembers everybody’s names, will go the extra step to accommodate requests, and takes a genuine interest in exceeding expectations.

This is one of the best tours I’ve ever experienced and I have traveled throughout Asia and Europe. I love the personal touches!

Fun tour with Allen. Had a great day out with Allen on the Better Taroko Gorge Tour. As other reviews attest, Janella is super speedy at replying to emails and enquiries. Allen is very entertaining, his English is not always perfect but when it isn’t, it is funny. He loves the phrase “or something like that” haha. He was very knowledgeable and showed us some great spots. The lunch was also very tasty. As a tour guide myself, I loved the passion and the level of care for guests that he put into the day.

Highly recommended for private Taroko tour. We took a private tour for 4 pax with my family and it was great with pick up directly from our hotel and back before dinner.
The recommended Baiyang trail was beautiful and also an easy enough hike for my parents (not too strenuous but still fun for all ages!)
Santa’s English was really great and he was an amazing, knowledgeable guide.
Great experience overall!

Great day at Taroko Gorge. This tour was great, communication throughout the booking process of easy and efficient. The tour itself was excellent, Alan was a great guide. The whole day was very relaxed, yet we got to see many different spots within the park. His english was outstanding and he shared lots of interesting information both about the history of Taiwan and about the park itself. Our tour was on a national holiday so therefore the park was very busy meaning that Alan couldn’t accompany us on some of the walks as there wasn’t anywhere to park but despite this he made sure we knew where we were going and that we enjoyed ourselves. Lunch was also excellent.