Taiwan · SUN MOON LAKE TOURS
The lake sits three hours from Taipei, which turns a pleasant afternoon into a long day or a night away. The 15 below compare the dawn day trips with the two- and three-day runs that add Alishan, priced and paced honestly.
Leave Taipei for Nantou County and Sun Moon Lake with a Chinese or English-speaking guide. Visit Shuishe Pier, Xiangshan Visitor Center, Xuanguang Temple, and Ita Thao. Group tours include the boat ticket, while cycling and private-tour boat rides cost extra.
“It was very good experience.Our guide was very kindly and sincere response so I always enjoyed with relax.If you're planning,just do it!”
Travel from Taipei through Puli, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, and Chiayi over three days. Expect long but scenic drives, temple visits, forest trails, a one-way Alishan train ride, two hotel nights, breakfasts, and guides such as David, Jessie, or Michael depending on departure.
“We mainly enjoyed this tour and it formed a good finale to our 5-week holiday in South-East Asia. It didn' t have quite the "wow" factor that our longer tour in Indo-China had, though. Plus points - Sun Moon lake itself, Wen Wu temple, Holy Monk shrine and Tse-En pagoda on the first day. On the second, the mountains, the railway and the walk through Alishan. On the third day, Lukang old quarter. Throughout, the guide's excellent and most informative talks, including answers to specific questions. Negative points - Visit to paper factory replaced with rice wine brewery visit (too fast, uninteresting and the wine is foul!); the aboriginal village…”
Travel south from Taipei by air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide, stopping at Sun Moon Lake, Lukang, Kenting, and Kaohsiung. You get three hotel nights, three breakfasts, admissions, and guided sightseeing, with lunch and dinner left flexible. Guides may include James, Joseph Yi, Billy Lin, or Tony.
“The program of this tour was interesting. It did give us a nice view of Taiwan. One little point of negative for us was how the driver took some risks in the traffic. Our personal guide could tell us a lot of interesting things about the temples, pagodes, culture and nature of Taiwan.”
Travel privately from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake, Puli, and Lukang with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, transport, breakfast, and one night near the lake. Expect temple visits, scenic stops, local snacks, and a packed but rewarding route through central Taiwan.
“The guide was really good, he has lots of knowledge and talks perfectly english ! The hotel was really nice. I recommend this tour.”
Meet at Taipei Main Station at 7:30 am for a small-group trip to Sun Moon Lake. A licensed English-speaking guide and driver take you to Shuishe Wharf, Xiangshan Visitor Center, Syuentzang Temple, and Ita Thao Pier, with a boat ticket included. Guides may include Joseph, Vincent, Lyndon, or JD.
“Beautiful area. It’s essentially driver service to Sun Moon Lake. Included in the tour is a ferry ride which stops in 2 other areas around the lake with local food and craft as listed in the tour description. There’s not really a guide. Just a driver to get you to the sight for sightseeing.”
Travel from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake in a private vehicle for up to three people, with time for a lake cruise or bike ride and a visit to Wenwu Temple. Guides including Ryan, Phyllis, Justin, and Johnny have helped guests tailor stops, take photos, and manage the long drive.
“Good driver who brought us around showing us the details, flexible to adjust place of visit during the trip”
Travel from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake with an English-speaking guide, a shuttle boat ride, lunch, and time at Ita Thao Pier. Guides such as Sky, Barbie, Gordon, and Vincent have led past departures. Expect a small group of up to 14, but allow about three hours each way by road.
“The gondola was cool because it had a glass bottom floor in which we could see everything under us. Tour guide: Barbie did an EXCELLENT job explaining everything to us and answering our questions!”
Travel privately from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake and Alishan with an English or Chinese-speaking guide such as Tony or An. You’ll ride the lake boat and Alishan Forest Railway, visit temples and cypress trails, watch sunrise, and stay two nights with breakfast included.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime curated experience from our tour guide, An. She did a great time at keeping us on schedule to see all of the planned major sites, yet still tweaked the trip towards more of the things we preferred to do. SRead more”
Travel by private vehicle from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake with an English-speaking driver-guide. Visit Shueishe, Xiangshan, the cable car station, Ci’en Pagoda, and Wen Wu Temple. Boat rides, bicycles, cable cars, meals, and entrance tickets cost extra.
“Our driver was very friendly and helpful. Boat ride at the Sun Moon Lake not as expected. Restaurant food so so.”
Travel from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake by high speed rail and car, then see the lake by boat and gondola. Your guide leads you to temples, pagodas, and a tribal restaurant for lunch. Small groups of up to 14 make this a focused day, though the $485 price is high.
“Only the two of us were on the tour so it was a 'private' tour. Our guide was experienced. Fluent English. He drove the car in and out of back roads, kept up a running narrative of the countryside and what we were seeing. Nice lunch, We saw the lake from many angles, a couple pagodas.”
Travel from Taipei to Alishan, Sun Moon Lake, and Taichung in a small-to-medium group of up to 40 people. You’ll ride the Zhushan Sunrise Train, walk among ancient trees, cruise Sun Moon Lake, and visit Taichung sights with an English or Chinese driver-guide.
“I had an amazing three day tour at Alishan forest and sun moon lake. Beautiful scenery and stunning landscapes. Our guide Xiao Hei was very helpful with answering all our questions, taking our pictures and driving us to all the hotspots! Would definitely recommend and visit again. 10/10!”
Spend a day at Sun Moon Lake using the option you choose: pedal the CNN-listed Around-Lake Bikeway, ride the ropeway from Ita Thao, or cruise to Lalu Island and Syuentzang Temple. Your voucher covers bicycle rental, boat travel, cable car travel, or a combination.
“Bus dropped us off right where we could ride the bikes. The bike shop held our luggage until we came back and took the boat to our hotel. We were able to walk to the gondola. Beautiful day”
Travel from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake in a private air-conditioned vehicle with a Chinese or English-speaking driver guide. You’ll cruise from Shuishe Pier, visit Wenwu Temple and Ci’en Pagoda, and have time for photos and local food. Guides named in feedback include Berry, Paul, and Sung-Ping.
“Sung-Ping was one of the best and most fun tour guides we’ve ever had! He was knowledgeable, cool and personable. The Sun Moon Lake was the highlight!”
Spend about nine hours traveling from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake with a private English-speaking guide and driver. You will cycle for an hour, eat Taiwanese food, ride a ferry and cable car, visit temples and villages, and browse local crafts. Dustin, AXL, and Honda are among the guides named in guest feedback.
“We took a Sun Moon Lake tour with our excellent guide Dustin, who shared fascinating history and local insights that made the experience more meaningful. Though the day was foggy and drizzly, it added a peaceful, atmospheric feel to the lake. We visited the XuRead more”
Travel from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English or Chinese-speaking driver guide. The day includes a round-trip boat ride, Wenwu Temple, Ci'en Pagoda, hotel pickup, insurance, and time for lakeside food.
“We love Berry! He was a wonderful guide taking us to all the top sites at Sun Moon Lake, super attentive, knowledgeable, and a fun time. Thank you so much Berry”
Pick a coastline, a kitchen or a mountain.
