Taichung Sun Moon Lake is located pretty much in the centre of Taiwan and it’s a popular place to visit on a day trip, but also to stay overnight. After visiting a few cities in Taiwan, a day in nature was what I needed, so I spent one of my days in Taichung walking and sailing around this very special lake on a Sun Moon Lake day trip from Taichung and this is how I did it so you can too!
Sun Moon Lake Day Trip from Taichung
Taichung to Sun Moon Lake Bus
The best way to do this Sun Moon Lake day trip from Taichung is to take the Taichung to Sun Moon Lake bus!
Taichung Bus Terminal is in the centre of the city next to Taichung Rail Station but this is NOT where you get the bus to Sun Moon Lake from. You get it from the bus stop – Nantou Bus Stand which is close to the bus station and on the edge of Taichung Park.
Upon arrival, especially if you leave in the morning which I suggest you do, I left Taichung at about 8:30 am, you’ll see a number of buses lined up opposite the park and a small ticket office. On maps.me which is a map app I use all over the world the ticket shop is detailed as Ybus and the bus stand is noted as Nan Tou Bus (bus to Sun Moon Lake, Xitou, Lakang).
You can just purchase a return bus ticket from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake for 360NTD however the more cost-effective way it seems and an easier way is to get one of the Sun Moon Lake passes.
Sun Moon Lake Passes
There is a range of passes available for your Sun Moon Lake day trip from Taichung for different prices as they include different things which you can see in the below photo:
I went for the 790NTD ticket which included the return bus ticket to Taichung from Sun Moon Lake, the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway / Cable Car ticket both ways, around the lake Bus ticket, a round trip Boat ticket and a bike rental coupon.
Another popular Sun Moon Lake Pass is the pass for 680NTD which includes the same as the above but full bike rental rather than the Sun Moon Lake Cable Car (although I did enjoy the ropeway, more on that below).
With that being said, on arrival to Sun Moon Lake Taiwan, there are plenty of people and shops selling tickets for boats and bike hire rental so you could get the return ticket only and work out what you want to do when you get there and it won’t cost you too much more. In fact, I didn’t even use the round the lake bus ticket that was included in my pass.
You can also buy combo passes like this online in advance too!
The Taichung to Sun Moon Lake bus takes just under 2 hours, heading directly into the centre of Taiwan into Nantou Country. You’ll be dropped off in a town called Shuishe at the Sun Moon Lake Bus Station.
FIRST TIMERS GUIDE TO TAIWAN
I’ve been to Taiwan twice. I love the country so much! I have written lots of posts to help you visit Taiwan, start with my 8 Helpful Tips For Planning a Trip to Taiwan from Start to Finish and the Best Places to Visit in Taiwan!
TAIWAN SIM CARDThe best way to stay connected in Taiwan is to buy this EasyCard & Sim Card package deal in advance. You’ll need an EasyCard to get around on transport in Taiwan anyway and at the same time you can get a Taiwan Sim Card with 4G and pick them up at Taipei Taoyuan Airport when you land!
GETTING AROUND TAIWAN
The Metro within cities in Taiwan is really great, easy to use and so safe. You’ll need an EasyCard which you top up with credit to use the metro and buses.
To get around Taiwan, I loved travelling by train. As a tourist, we can’t use the direct Taiwan train booking system. Instead you can go to a train station a few days before and purchase your ticket, or book online in advance using 12GO Asia!
Shuishe is a popular tourist town and when it comes to where to stay in Sun Moon Lake if you decide to stay overnight this could be a good place as it has lots of Sun Moon Lake Accommodation and restaurants nearby. However, as as Sun Moon Lake day trip from Taichung, I would suggest you start your Sun Moon itinerary by heading straight to Shuishe Pier to get out on the lake!
To help you plan your trip around Taiwan, have a look at all of my Taiwan Blog Posts here!
Sun Moon Lake Tours
If you would like the planning of your visit to Sun Moon Lake taken out of your hands then consider a Sun Moon Lake Tour, there are many tours you can purchase online in advance that leave from Taichung and Taipei. There are also tours that combine the Sun Moon Lake Alishan Pass as this is a popular place in Taiwan to visit that is close to Sun Moon Lake.
Sun Moon Lake Tours from Taichung
A Day at Sun Moon Lake including Taiching transfers, including a boat cruise, walking and seeing the Temples via Klook.
Sun Moon Lake Adventure One Day Tour including a bike tour, boat cruise, cable car and visiting the Temples via Klook.
Klook.com
If you’re happy to see Sun Moon Lake yourself but would like to get transfers from Taichung instead of the bus, which would work great if you are a family or there are a few of you, here are some options:
Shared Transfers between Taichung and Sun Moon Lake.
Private Transfers from Taichung Rail Station to Sun Moon Lake.
Sun Moon Lake Tours from Taipei
If you really want to visit Sun Moon Lake from Taipei, I would recommend a Sun Moon Lake Day Tour from Taipei as this way you do not need to worry about the transport yourself and will get there quicker than getting the train and bus yourself.
Here’s a Sun Moon Lake 1 Day Leisure Trip from Taipei including hotel pick up and drop off, a guide and lunch via Viator.
If you just want the transport organised for you, here’s a Private City Transfer from Taipei City or from Taipei Taoyuan Airport via Klook.
Trains are the best way to get around Taiwan. You can’t book trains online via Taiwan’s train system but you can book them online using 12GO Asia, the top transport booking platform in Asia. Search for your trains here:
Things to do in Sun Moon Lake
Here are the best things to do at Sun Moon Lake and an idea of how you can plan your Sun Moon Lake day trip from Taichung. I’ve also included a Sun Moon Lake Map to help you understand what the lake looks like and where the best places to visit in Sun Moon Lake are.
Sun Moon Lake Bike Rental
If you purchased one of the Sun Moon Lake passes with bike rental or you want to hire a bike when you’re there, picking up a bike in Shuishe is a good idea and biking around Sun Moon Lake is the best way to see Sun Moon Lake because the lake is lined with cycling paths said to be the best cycling tracks in Taiwan. Biking around Sun Moon Lake gives you a close up look at the lake and the surrounding areas.
Sun Moon Lake Boat Tour
What I decided to do was to get a boat from Shuishe across the lake to the second most visited town in Sun Moon Lake- Ita Thao. On the boat, Ita Thao Pier is the second stop. The boats do offer commentary but it’s all in mandarin!
This hop on hop off bus and boat combo ticket makes it easy for you to take your bike on the eco-friendly boat in an easy way so you can see all of the lake!
Explore Ita Thao
Itathao is an extremely tourist town but you have to visit on your Sun Moon Lake day trip from Taichung!
Ita Thao is full of souvenir shops but it is nice to see some traditional clothing and items that I hadn’t seen elsewhere in Taiwan before because they are very unique to this area and Nantou County. Part of visiting Sun Moon Lake is to learn and experience a bit about the traditional aboriginal culture of the people who used to live here.
Some Sun Moon Lake history is that it’s said that the ancestors of the Thao people found Sun Moon Lake as they were chasing a white deer, it ran to the lake and after they’d seen it they moved all the tribes to live beside the lake!
Ita Thao Shopping District is very popular and famous with Taiwanese so be sure to have a wander of Ita Thao Shopping Street even if you don’t plan to buy anything.
Street Food in Ita Thao
The best thing about Ita thao I think is its street food! When I arrived there at about 11:00 am the stalls were just opening up but by 1:00 pm everything was fully open. From Mochi to Meat there’s street food to suit everyone, there are even local aboriginal foods that you can try.
Sun Moon Lake Tea is very popular so many of the snacks are made with black tea like black tea ice cream, black tea egg rolls.
Sun Moon Lake is most popular with Taiwanese people, after all, it is the largest lake in Taiwan and an extremely special place however I noticed that many of the food signs were in English to help out foreign visitors to Sun Moon Lake.
Make sure you’re hungry enough to eat street food in Ita Thao on your Sun Moon Lake day trip from Taichung!
Related Post: Taichung also has a few night markets, have a read of this post to see which night markets in Taichung to visit!
Sun Moon Lake Ropeway
A short walk from Ita Thao is the base of the Sun Moon Lake cable car station and you really can’t miss it. The Cable Cars take you up and over the mountains in either a crystal clear bottom car or a normal car. I opted for the normal car as that what was included in my Sun Moon Lake pass. I actually really enjoyed the cable car.
It was amazing to see a full view of the lake from the top and swing over the mountains below. I was just a little surprised and disappointed when I reached the end and ending up turning straight back because at the end is the Aboriginal Culture village.
Purchase a combo ropeway ticket here to include boat and bike rental to save you money!
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
Initially, I liked the sound of this and it was on my Sun Moon Lake itinerary however upon arrival I realised that a ticket was 550NTD which is pretty expensive after already paying for the ticket pass for Sun Moon Lake.
In addition to this, from what I saw from the signs and from the ropeway, it’s more of a theme park, and a huge group of school children had just gone inside. From what I can tell, if you’re visiting Sun Moon Lake with children, it could be a fun place to visit, but as adults and as a solo adult, it didn’t seem appealing or worth my money, therefore I got back on the ropeway straight away and went back to Ita Thao Sun Moon Lake.
If you are interested in the Aboriginal Culture and want to visit the Sun Moon Lake Theme Park, this Aboriginal Culture Day Tour ticket combines both so you’ll be able to learn about the culture as well as have some fun!
To help you plan your trip around Taiwan, have a look at all of my Taiwan Blog Posts here!
TAIWAN ITINERARY HELP
Here are my top Taiwan itinerary posts to help your plan your trip:
- 2 Week Taiwan Itinerary!
- 1 week Taiwan Itinerary!
- 18 Best Places to Visit in Taiwan!
- How to Plan a Trip to Taiwan!
TAIWAN ON A BUDGET
Taiwan isn’t the cheapest country but it’s not the most expensive either and can be travelled on a reasonable budget. Here’s my post on the cost of travel in Taiwan and how to travel Taiwan on a budget!
Sun Moon Lake Activities
Aside from going on the tourist boats on the lake to get you from A to B, you can pedalo boats to take yourself and you can even go stand up paddleboarding on Sun Moon Lake too! The way to do this is by joining a SUP trip with a professional guide.
Sun Moon Lake Temples
There are a number of temples in Sun Moon Lake that surround the lake.
The closest temple to Shuishe is Wenwu Temple which is a huge temple built-in 1938. From Shuishe you can walk to Wenwu Temple, it’s about 3-4km but the walk is along the Sun Moon Lake trail which keeps you slightly away from the road and right on the lake. This trail is also part of the bike trail so it would be easier and faster to bike to Wenwu Temple from Shuishe.
Close to Ita Thao but not in walking distance are Xuanzang Temple and Cien Pagoda. Xuanzang Temple has the remains of monk Xuanzang inside it who was the holy monk in the Tang dynasty.
Ci En Pagoda is the pagoda you’ll see peeking out from the top of the mountain from the lake because its 46 metres high and is a landmark of Sun Moon Lake.
Both of these temples are accessible by foot from Xuanzang Temple Pier which is the first stop after the boat leaves Shuishe and before it gets to Ita Thao. Alternatively, you can get the round-the-lake bus from Ita Thao Pier to both of these temples which will reduce the amount of walking you need to do as the bus stops by the temples whereas from the pier you need to walk up to them.
Sun Moon Lake Accommodation
If you decide that you do want to stay overnight, instead of just doing a Sun Moon Lake day trip from Taichung! Sun Moon Lake Hotels that are are popular and well-rated are:
The lalu Sun Moon Lake Resort is the most popular hotel in Sun Moon Lake with a spa and infinity pool!
See Moon Lake Homestay is a cute looking homestay for a good price, perfect for couples.
Hu An The Lakeside House is perfect if you want to be right on the lake and to relax!
For more accommodation on Sun Moon Lake, have a look on Booking.com here!