The Taroko Gorge is one of the most incredible sites to see in Asia let alone Taiwan, unfortunately most bus tours and private tours really limit what you can see. The best way to appreciate and take in the enormity of the Gorge is on bicycle. Although it can be a little intimidating for people who are not very comfortable on a bike, it is highly recommended regardless.

Jill and I were really excited about our visit to the gorge in July 2016, and despite her reservations we booked a night at the Toroko Lodge nearby the Gorge where we arranged with the owner Rihang to take us near the top of the gorge in his truck where we could bike back to the Lodge when we were finished.

The lodge itself was in a nice area and very tranquil and Rihang and his family were super nice, but we learned that you do not need to stay there in order to book the bike experience. If you want to be in a more happening area I’d advise staying in nearby Hualien and getting up really early to get to the lodge for the biking.

We left bright and early and set off on the road. The Gorge looked more and more amazing as we got closer. The road twisted through tunnels and turns on the edge of sheer cliffs as we climbed slowly up to the top of the gorge. Rihang let us out and wished us luck getting down before 4 when the roads would be swamped with tour buses. We were on our in paradise.

The gorge becomes a full day’s activity when you take into account all of the off-bike hiking you can’t miss. We biked through a pitch black tunnel to some astounding scenery, waterfalls, and caves.

Getting on and off the bikes for hiking we encountered some stormy weather, luckily there was a museum we took some shelter in for the hour, then we got right back to it.

On the way down we shared the road with plenty of cars and buses, but everyone gave us space where they could. Usually it made sense to just wait for a number of them to pass before getting on the trickier roads and tunnels.

We got to the bottom of the gorge just in time for peak tour buses. The Chinese buses follow the same schedules with one another, which means it’s best to avoid being on the road during these times. The temple at the bottom was really amazing, but it seemed a shame that this is all that many visitors see of the entire gorge.

We biked through town and managed to find the lodge pretty easily. Handing the bikes back Rihang asked us what we thought of the experience, we were both at a loss for words.