Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan: A beginner’s guide

Sun Moon Lake is one of Taiwan’s most beautiful destinations! In this guide, I’ll share our personal experience to help you make the most of your visit—from biking tips to food finds.

What to expect in this article:

About the Sun Moon Lake

In 2025, I finally had the chance to visit amazing Taiwan, which was such an amazing experience. In addition to that, the Sun Moon Lake might have been my favorite destination in Taiwan! We spent 1.5 days at the lake and could have stayed another day.
Why I wanted to go to Taiwan so deeply? My friend is Taiwanese and has shown me the prettiest pictures of the country and its mountains, even Sun Moon Lake and ever since that moment, I have been wanting to go there.

Some basic information if you don’t know anything about the lake: Sun Moon Lake is the biggest lake (8 km²) in Taiwan. It is in Nantou County and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. The name comes from its shape: one side looks like the sun, and the other looks like a moon. People come here for amazing views, peaceful temples, and fun outdoor activities like biking, hiking, and boat rides.
Surely, many Taiwanese people go here for a short holiday or weekend away! At least, I would do that if I were living in Taiwan.

What to wear at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi?

What’s it like to live & work in Taiwan?

Click Here

Transportation around the Sun Moon Lake

There are some ways to enjoy the route around the Sun Moon Lake. You can use a car, motorbike, or (electric) bicycle.

We chose to go for a motorbike, even though we are Dutch and love to use a bicycle. This is all because we’ve heard from others that the road along Sun Moon Lake can be hilly. So we preferred either an electric bicycle or a bike.
Eventually, we chose a motorbike, as we could use one for the two of us. I was really happy about this, as we could see more in less time and I did see others struggling while cycling when going up.

Of course, I don’t want to scare you, but if you are used to it, definitely use a bicycle. You will use a completely different route and be more close to the lake than while going by bike. So it is worth it. If you use a motorbike, you must use the car road. There are dedicated bike paths along some parts of the lake.

Rental Prices (2025):

Regular bicycles: Around 100 NTD per day
E-bikes: Around 400–600 NTD daily (depending on the battery duration).
Bike: 400 NTD for 1 day (until 6PM). 600 for 2 days

When we entered Shuishe, there were sellers coming to us and tried to sell their equipment. Surely there will be other places where you can rent a bicycle, but for us starting at Shuishe was quite handy, also because we stayed here.

Must-visit attractions at Sun Moon Lake

1. Wenwu Temple

Once you start your trip around the Sun Moon Lake from Shuishe, Wenwu Temple is the first temple you will come across.
When you reach, you will see the beautiful entrance gates and instantly be drawn to them. You can’t miss it!

The temple is decorated with red pillars, golden statues, and detailed carvings. It is dedicated to Confucius, the God of War, and Literature. The whole site has multiple levels and you can easily spend an hour exploring. Not only the temple is massive and beautiful, but the view from the temple is just as magnificent. It is worth to visit it!

2. Ita Thao food market

If you’re a foodie, you’ll love Ita Thao! This lively market is filled with delicious local snacks. —all super tasty. It’s a great place to wander in the evening. As the situation around the lake can be quite dark, it is a good idea to visit a town where there are lights and lots of things to see, eat, and buy. That being said, we were there in the afternoon and it was really crowded as well.

The town itself is not large, but you won’t get bored. You can also take a boat from Ita Thao or throw your garbage near the toilets (as it’s very difficult to find a garbage bin at the Sun Moon Lake).

Don't forget to book your activity with GetYourGuide

3. Ci'en Pagoda

Ci’en Pagoda is a 46-metre tall pagoda at the Sun Moon Lake. President Chiang Kai-shek wanted to build the pagoda as a memory of his mother, which was completed in 1971. Because of its height, it is difficult to miss the pagoda, you can see it while cycling/driving around the lake.

Be ready to climb—there are a lot of stairs to reach the top! But trust me, it’s worth the effort. The view from the pagoda is stunning, especially during sunset. The peaceful vibe up there makes it a lovely spot for reflection and a short rest.

4. Xuangzang Temple

This peaceful temple is dedicated to the famous monk Xuanzang. It’s much quieter than Wenwu Temple, which makes it a lovely place to sit and enjoy the view.
The architecture is beautiful, and there’s a serene atmosphere, I really felt at peace here. Maybe this was also because of the interesting talk we had with a monk there, being translated by other guests. She made sure we took a complimentary book with us, and it was very special that one book was actually dedicated to the Sri Lankan victims of the 2004 Tsunami (as my roots are from there).
It might seem small and not as amazing as the Wenwu Temple, but it’s very authentic, and don’t miss the chance to learn about the history of this significant figure in Buddhism.

5. Cable car at Sun Moon Lake

The Sun Moon Lake Ropeway is a cable car ride that connects Sun Moon Lake with the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village.
You will get breathtaking views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately, we skipped it because we had recently taken a cable car in Hong Kong. If you haven’t been on a cable car recently, it’s definitely worth considering!

Some numbers: It is 1.877 meters long, and a 7-minute direct cable car line.
It cost 380 NTD (retour), which is around 12 euros.
And the operating hours is for weekdays 10.30 – 16.00 and holidays 10.00 – 16.30.

6. Boat ride around the Sun Moon Lake

Want to sit back and relax? Then the boat ride is your answer. It is almost impossible to go to a lake and not take a boat ride. Although, we did not 😉
It should be a relaxing and scenic way to move between the main attractions. The boats stop at Shuishe, Ita Thao, and Xuanguang Temple Pier, so it is also easy to explore different areas.

Boat ride prices & schedule:

One-way ticket: 100 NTD
Round-trip ticket: 300 NTD
Boats operate from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, with departures every 15–30 minutes

On the website you also see this warning: Please avoid buying low-cost ferry tickets from non-official channels. (Currently the Nantou County official price is NT$300 per ticket.)

Lastly, you must have seen/heard of Lalu Island, in the middle of Sun Moon Lake. Unfortunately, visitors can not enter, this is all due to its great spiritual significance for the local indigenous people. Which is understandable.

7. Tutingzai hiking trail

After cycling all day, it can be exhausting to do a long trail, then Tutingzai Hiking Trail is a good one to start with. You will go down by stairs, which takes around 15 minutes only.
At the end of the trail, you can find a viewpoint, overlooking Sun Moon Lake. It was definitely worth it and we were the only ones, so had plenty of time to take nice pictures and enjoy watching the boats sailing by.
Be aware of monkeys, snakes, and bees though, although we have not seen any.

Read another article!

A must-do Bicycle tour in Pondicherry (India) Street art 1

The perfect weekend in Pondicherry: Where to stay, eat, and explore

14 March 2025 No Comments

Why you should visit 10.000 Buddha’s Temple in Hong Kong!

1 March 2025 No Comments

Where to eat at Sun Moon Lake?

Like already mentioned, Ita Thao is a great district for some good (street) food. But next to that, there are many more places where you can eat. Underneath are three more places that I loved eating at.

1. Nomad Day Cafe

As soon as we entered Suishe we had to have breakfast somewhere. On Google Maps we saw that this cafeteria had many good reviews. Well, in conclusion, we loved it. The choices are quite European, which was a nice change. We had smoked chicken and duck sandwiches and my Chai Latte was delicious. You can sit in or outside and the staff could speak English very well.

2. Matcha Prince

When you navigate to Matcha Prince, you’ll come to a nice spot for some good views and start some trails. But more importantly, you can have some interesting food (and buy presents)! Every dish has something with Match inside, just like the ice cream. I never had Match ice cream before, as it is not so famous in the Netherlands yet and it was nice! It is not really a restaurant, but make sure to buy the ice cream and sit, relax and enjoy the view.

3. Local restaurants

While in India, I always get sick while eating from a street market, in Taiwan, I had the craziest things and never got sick. While cruising with our motorbike, we came across two ladies cooking, which smelled amazing! Even though they did not speak English (I was a bit careful with my stomach) and there were just two spots to sit down, with Google, we explained we wanted rice with chicken, the easiest dish. And man, it was delicious! I’ll share a photo, if you ever come across this tiny stall, make sure to stop and have a meal from these lovely ladies.

How many days at Sun Moon Lake?

My suggestion would be to stay at least one night and two days at the Sun Moon Lake.

On day 1 we reached the Lake around 10, then had breakfast, dropped our luggage, and arranged a motorbike. We then visited Wenwu Temple, Ci’en Pagoda, had dinner at the local restaurant, chilled, and then walked around Shuishe
On day 2 we did another round at the Sun Moon Lake and visited Matcha Prince, Xuangzang Temple, and Ita Thao. Unfortunately, we already had to leave around 2 PM to visit a friend.

If you have more time than this, you can try to visit another temple, hike another trail, go inside the cable car, take a boat ride, and visit some places nearby. Nature in Taiwan is always gorgeous.

Where to stay at Sun Moon Lake?

We stayed in Shuishe, one of the two main villages by the lake (the other is Ita Thao liked mentioned before).
Shuishe is filled with shops, places to eat, plus easy access to the lake’s activities. You can also find many bike/bicycle rental shops here, making it a great starting point for your adventures.

We stayed at Tanxiang Resort Hotel, but truth to be told, if you are looking for some luxury, you better not stay here. We were budget travellers and for us, it was good enough for one night. The location was perfect, as it is located on a busy street where you can find anything.

How to reach Sun Moon Lake?

We first stayed in Taichung and then took public transport to the Sun Moon Lake. Many busses are going from and to the Sun Moon Lake, so there are no worries about that.

The one thing you should always carry with you through all of your travels in Taiwan is your Easycard. Once you reach Taiwan this is the first thing you should buy, next to a SIM card. With the Easycard you can pay for any public transport, taxis, and even some stores! Just pick a cute Easycard and top it up at any 7/11 or FamilyMart. It will be a lifesaver! Even when taking the bus to Sun Moon Lake, we could pay with the Easycard. If we had paid in cash or with credit card, we ended up paying more.

More tips for your stay

Weather: Bring layers—it can get chilly, especially in the early morning or late evening. But when the sun shines, it can get warm, especially when you cycle.
Best Time to Visit: Spring and autumn are perfect for comfortable weather and fewer crowds. We visited in January and had so much sun!
Hiking Options: Check out the Hanbi Trail for an easy, scenic walk along the lake. There are many more trails and don’t forget to visit more places around the Sun Moon Lake, when you have the time. We rented a motorbike and were wondering if we should go to a waterfall or other interesting things in the area, but unfortunately, we did not have enough time to do this.
Be aware of earthquakes: Nantou is in an area filled with earthquakes. Even during the 2 days we were there, we once got a notification (but did not feel anything) and once did my friend feel everything shake a tiny bit.
Evenings: In the evenings try to visit the larger towns like Shuishe or Ita Thao, to have a good time and enjoy the food.

Final thoughts about Sun Moon Lake

Sun Moon Lake is such a magical place! From the stunning temples to the gorgeous views, it’s a destination you won’t forget. Whether you’re here to relax, meditate, or have an active adventure, there’s something for everyone. It was my favorite place in Taiwan for sure!!

Do you have any other questions? Then make sure to contact me on my social media below.