Taxis wait outside Hualien Station and are the simplest way to cover the short gaps the buses leave: the station to your hotel, downtown to the night market, the city to Qixingtan. For longer days, many visitors hire a taxi and driver for the day, known as a charter (包車).
Metered fares
- Flag fall NT$100 until December 31, 2026; NT$120 from January 1, 2027
- Then NT$5 per 230 m (unchanged)
- Source Hualien County Public Works Department, notice of September 11, 2026
The 2027 rise is the first change to Hualien's taxi fares since 2006. Have cash ready; not every taxi takes cards.
Chartering a taxi for the day
A charter is a driver and car for a set number of hours or a set route, at a price agreed in advance. It is the most popular way for visitors without a licence to see the open parts of Taroko, the coast road and the valley in one day, because the driver handles the parking, the Highway 8 time windows and the closures.
- Agree the route, the hours and the total price before you set off, and whether it includes waiting time, tolls and parking.
- Ask about Taroko first. A good driver knows which trails are open that week and the times the gorge road opens. Check our Taroko page too.
- Book through your hotel or guesthouse, or a tour platform (see tours and tickets).
Charter prices aren't regulated or published, so we don't quote one. Compare two or three before you agree.
→ All the ways to get around · Itineraries without a car
Sources: PTS on the 2027 taxi fare change, reporting the Hualien County Public Works Department notice of September 11, 2026. Checked October 2026.