A Complete Guide to Cycling in Taiwan (for Newbies or Pros!)

Taiwan is a fantastic cycling destination, whether you are looking for a casual ride or some serious cycling.

The country offers high mountain routes, rides along decommissioned railways, and lakeside, seaside or rice paddy-side trails. Bicycle styles are equally diverse, from high quality Giant bikes to electric, tandem, family, and railway bike carts.

In this article, I’ll tell you why cycling is so popular in Taiwan and some of the best routes.

I’ll also introduce the country’s ride sharing program (YouBike), best long-distance cycling trip guides (Mark Roche of Blue Skies Adventures and Taiwan Outdoors), and best place to rent bikes in Taipei for local or long-distance riding (MatthewBike).

Finally, I’ll give you some tips for bringing your own bike to Taiwan and how to take it on trains.

Taiwan as a Cycling Destination

Many Taiwanese are extremely passionate about cycling. Part of this owes to the fact that two of the world’s most well-known bicycle manufacturers, Giant and Merida, started in Taiwan (read other fun facts about Taiwan here).

Coincidentally, both manufacturers started in 1972. Giant was born in Taichung while Merida is headquartered in Changhua.

The owner of Giant, King Liu, is extremely passionate about bicycles. He helped to establish the YouBike bicycle sharing system. He even personally did a huan dao (round-island bicycle trip) at the age of 73. Doing a huan dao by bike is considered a rite of passage in Taiwan.

The YouBike bicycle sharing program was launched in Taipei city in 2009 and has spread across much of the country since. Taiwan KOM Challenge, one of the most difficult bike races in the world, started in 2012 and continues annually to this day.

Taiwan’s reputation as a cycling destination was sealed when CNN named Sun Moon Lake one of the most beautiful cycling routes in the world. Taiwan has also been called the “cycling capital of Asia.”

Meanwhile, casual cyclists have been flocking to Brown Boulevard in Taitung ever since Japanese-Taiwanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro rode a bike past its rice paddies in an EVA airlines commercial.

Organized Cycling Trips

If you’re hoping to do some serious biking in Taiwan, there are some people on the ground waiting to help. They can provide trip planning advice, equipment, vehicle support, and personal guides.

Blue Skies Adventures

If you’re looking for the ultimate cycling and/or hiking-focused adventure in Taiwan, Blue Skies Adventures can help with all the logistics.

Owner Mark Roche is a long-term resident who knows Taiwan’s cycling routes and high mountain hiking logistics like the back of his hand. As a native English speaker, he will be able to address any finer details or questions you may have.

Whether you want to rent a bike and full touring equipment, obtain permits for high mountain hikes, or embark on a guided cycling tour, he can arrange it all.

Learn more on the Blue Skies Adventures website and contact Mark here or here on Facebook.

Taiwan Outdoors

Taiwan Outdoors is an adventure-focused experience facilitator that I high recommend for all things outdoors in Taiwan. This includes high mountain treks, river tracing, paddle board, and of course, cycling.

For cyclists, they can organize it all, from route planning and equipment to support vehicles and guides. They’ve also got some great cycling info here.

Renting Bikes in Taiwan

There are multiple ways to rent bikes in Taiwan. For cycling in Taipei or renting bikes for long-distance riding, there’s MatthewBike in Taipei.

Taipei and other major cities also have the YouBike system. Finally, there are small bike rental shops all over the country.

MatthewBike Taipei

If you want to rent a bike in Taipei, then I recommend Matthew Bike.

Like the guides I mentioned in the previous section, MatthewBike can provide the following:

• High quality regular bikes or ebikes for riding in Taipei City
• Bikes and all the equipment needed for doing longer distance cycling, including a huan dao (round-island trip)
• Van support for longer trips, meaning they can carry your luggage and water, do repairs on the road, etc.
• Guided bike tours
• Bicycle maintenance and repairs

MatthewBike’s shop is located here in Shilin district of Taipei City, not far from Shilin Night Market.

YouBike: Taiwan’s Bike Sharing System

YouBikes are ubiquitous in Taiwan – you’ll see the iconic yellow and white bicycles everywhere. The system started in Taipei then spread to other cities (except the East Coast).

For many visitors, riding a YouBike around Taipei or other major cities will be their introduction to cycling in Taiwan.

For those living in Taiwan, YouBikes are a part of daily life and environmentally friendly way to get around.

You’ll need to use the YouBike 2.0 app to rent a YouBike (the 1.0 system, which had yellow and orange bikes, is almost totally phased out). You can also use the app to find available bikes and drop-off locations. You can even ride YouBikes at night in Taipei.

If you have a Taiwan SIM card with local number, you can sign up for membership and connect an EasyCard for tap-and-go rentals (see my EasyCard user’s guide).

If you don’t have a Taiwan phone number (for example, if you are using an eSIM or WiFi device), you can still rent a YouBike with a credit card.

I explain how to it both ways in my YouBike guide.

Renting Bikes in Other Places

Not everywhere in Taiwan has YouBikes. For example, the system has not been to introduced to Keelung, Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, and Nantou, nor can you find it on most of Taiwan’s offshore islands.

Similarly, popular cycling destinations like Sun Moon Lake, Chishang, and Houfeng Bikeway don’t have YouBikes. In all of these places, you can simply rent bikes from regular bicycle rental shops.

There are also Giant bicycle rental shops all over Taiwan. A great thing about these is that you can rent a bike at one location then drop it off at another. Use this map to find Giant locations.

In Taipei, there are many bicycle rental shops in the riverside parks. One good thing is that, unlike YouBike, they offer bikes for kids or adult bikes with child seats. Some examples are here, here, and here.  

Rental rates are very reasonable, at around TWD 50-100 per hour, depending on the bike. You may have to leave some ID as a deposit.

Easy Cycling Routes

For visitors who just want to hop on a bike and do some easy but scenic cycling for a few hours, there are numerous opportunities all over Taiwan.

In Taipei

The best cycling paths in Taipei are the city’s many interconnected riverside parks.

One very popular route is to start in Tamsui or Guandu and cycle north or south along the Tamsui river. You can start or end your trip at Tamsui, where you can stroll the lovely riverside market or watch the sunset at Fishermen’s Wharf.

Another excellent ride is from Dajia Riverside Park on the Keelung River to Raohe Night Market. Yet another is from Dadaocheng Wharf down to Treasure Hill Artists Village or as far as Bitan on the Xindian River.

Cycling in the city is a good way to get around, but it is less leisurely, as you have to navigate traffic and the many (many!) pedestrians who walk on the bicycle paths.

See more about these routes here on MatthewBike.

Houfeng and Dongfeng Bikeways, Taichung

Houfeng Bikeway and Dongfeng Bikeway are two connected easy cycling routes in the north of Taichung city. Houfeng Bikeway is 4.5 kilometers leads to a cool decommissioned train tunnel which you can cycle through.

13-kilometer Dongfeng Bikeway follows another decommissioned railway line to Shigang Dam, where you can see damage from the disastrous 921 Earthquake.

The two bike routes start here. To get there, take a train from Taichung to Fengyuan (20 minutes) then rent a bike here outside the station. If there are no bikes available there, take a taxi to the starting point, where there are multiple bike rental stations.

The trails are paved and mostly flat. Bike shops rent a variety of regular and electric bikes. There are also some cafes and ice cream shops along the routes.

Sun Moon Lake, Nantou

Sun Moon Lake has long been an extremely popular cycling destination in Taiwan, especially since CNN named it one of the world’s most scenic rides.

Few people actually cycle all the way around the lake. What’s more likely is that you will cycle part way around it, since the best attractions and views are on the western side.

For an easier ride or with young kids, rent your bikes in Shuishe, the main village, where buses from Taichung and from Alishan arrive. Go west along the shore – the dedicated, paved path starts here.

There are over a dozen bike shops in town, with all kinds of regular, tandem, electric, and children’s bikes, or you can order your bike on Klook.

For a more difficult ride, rent your bike in Shuishe and ride east / clockwise around the lake. There will be some uphill sections and parts where you need to ride on the vehicle road.

Ride past Wenwu Temple, Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, Ita Thao Village, Ci’en Pagoda, Xuanzang Temple, and Xuanguang Temple before turning back. If you decide to stay in Ita Thao village (my preferred one) instead of Shuishe, you can also rent bikes there.

Find more info in my Sun Moon Lake guide and recommended itinerary for visiting the lake.

Dongshan Mr. Brown Avenue, Yilan

Dongshan Mr. Brown Avenue is a smaller version of the more famous Brown Boulevard in Chishang (see below). This one is located in Dongshan township of Yilan county.

Like Chishang, the area features quaint rural scenery and rice paddies. You are also likely to see fields of green onions, an Yilan specialty.

To get to Dongshan Mr. Brown Avenue, ride a train to Dongshan station (2 to 2.5 hours from Taipei or a shorter ride from Jiaoxi, Yilan City or Luodong cities in Yilan). Rent a bike here just outside the station.

After your ride, head to Luodong Night Market for dinner. Here’s some more info about this cycling path.

Qixingtan Beach, Hualien

Qixingtan is a beautiful pebble beach just north of Hualien city. You’re not allowed to swim there but the views looking up the coast are stunning.

There are a few bicycle rental shops on the beach. You can rent a bike and ride up the coast to viewpoints of the stunning Qingshui Cliffs, just past the entrance to Taroko Gorge.

Another option is to follow the coast south all the way to Hualien city. The rental shops usually allow you to drop the bike somewhere in Hualien city, but you may need to have a phone number to arrange the meet-up point.

Find more information in my guide to Hualien, things to do in Hualien besides Taroko Gorge, and the most beautiful beaches in Taiwan.

Brown Boulevard, Chishang, Taitung

Chishang in Taitung is one of the most popular places for easy cycling in Taiwan. Just south of town lies pretty Dapo Pond. From there, dedicated paths lead to a gorgeous area of rice paddies.

The most famous road, where the Eva Airlines commercial was shot, is Brown Boulevard. The famous tree in the commercial is even marked on GoogleMaps.

But you’ll probably getting lost on some of the smaller paths more, as well as the beautiful irrigation canals, waterwheels, and traditional laundry stations. The best time to go is late May to early June or late October to early November, when the rice will be golden yellow.

There are dozens of bicycle rental shops around the train station in Chishang and at Brown Boulevard. Family-sized electric bicycle carts are also available. You can also order your bike here.

Because Chishang area is so beautiful, it is my most recommended place to stay in Taitung. Stay here instead of Taitung city!

Find all the info you need in my guide to cycling Brown Boulevard.

Guanshan, Taitung

Before the EVA airlines commercial made Chishang famous, the nearby town on Guanshan was actually more popular for cycling. In fact, Guanshan’s bike path is considered the first dedicated cycling path in Taiwan, dating to 1997.

The cycling path in Guanshan does a loop around the whole village. It takes 1 to 3 hours, depending on how fast you go and how often you stop.

It’s most flat with some uphill and includes a variety of rural scenes, like betel nut trees, forest, pond, town views and some rice paddies, but not as many as in Chishang.

Like Chishang, Guanshan is famous for its lunchboxes. The rice used is considered the best in Taiwan due to the region’s clean water.

You can rent bikes around Guanshan station or near the cycling path starting point here.

Find more info in this article I wrote for Taiwan Everything.

Cijin Island, Kaohsiung

When in Kaohsiung, many visitors like to take a half-day trip to Cijin Island, which is only 10 minutes off the coast by ferry.

As soon as you step off the ferry, you can rent individual or electric family bikes for exploring the island. It’s an easy ride to Cijin Beach, which has swimming, surfing, and a sunset bar.

You can also ride to Cijin Fort or further to some art installations and windmills along the coast.

Find more information in my Cijin Island guide.

Dapeng Bay, Donggang, Pingtung

Dapeng Bay is a large bay in Donggang township of Pingtung county. This is the same place where you can catch a ferry to Xiaoliuqiu island (see next entry).

Instead of just passing through Donggang, consider to spend the night. We stayed at Fuwan Resort (see on Booking / Agoda), a resort on a cacao farm. Next to it, we rented YouBikes here for riding along the bay. There’s another bike rental shop here.

Besides bay views, the paths go by some wetlands, art installations on the coast (some are lit up at night), and a pretty little church here.

The same bus which goes from Zuoying HSR station in Kaohsiung to Donggang Ferry Terminal (for Xiaoliuqiu) terminates at Donggang Bay Visitor’s Center and the YouBike rental spot. Fuwan Hotel is a 10-minute walk from there.

Find more information in my Donggang guide.

Xiaoliuqiu, Pingtung

Xiaoliqiu is one of Taiwan’s smallest offshore islands. Its tropical climate makes it suitable for visiting and snorkeling with sea turtles year-round.

The island’s smaller size also means it’s a great cycling destination. Besides regular bikes, you can also rent electric scooters without a driver’s license. These are strong enough to drive around the islands but not to ride up the cross-island roads.

For more information, see my guide to visiting Xiaoliuqiu.

Kenting National Park

Last but not least, Kenting National Park at the southern tip of Taiwan is another awesome cycling destination.

Most visitors stay around Kenting Night Market, where you can rent a bike or electric scooter (no license needed) for cycling to various beaches in either direction. Here are my recommended hotels there.

For a longer ride, follow Highway 26 east past Eluanbi Lighthouse and then north past scenic Longpan Park. You could go as far as Qikong Waterfall to swim in a natural infinity pool.

Find all the details in my Kenting National Park guide.

Rail Bikes

Besides normal bikes and electric bikes, Taiwan also has two special “rail bike” lines. These are decommissioned railway lines where visitors can now cycle in cute little carts along them.

One of these is Shen’ao Rail Bike in Keelung and New Taipei City. Each rail bike fits two passengers, who cycle along the track for 30 minutes from Badouzi station to Shen’ao or Shen’ao to Badouzi. This was one of my kids’ favorite experiences in Taiwan.

Read all about it in my guide to Shen’ao Rail Bike and book your Shen’ao Rail Bike ticket here.

Another is the Old Mountain Line in Miaoli county. The rail bikes there can fit more people. This one is not accessible by public transportation. Learn more in my guide to Miaoli.

Serious Cycling Routes

Serious cyclists will also be spoiled for choices of longer routes in Taiwan. Just keep in mind that Taiwan is extremely hot and humid in late spring, summer, and early fall, not to mention the possibility of heavy rain and typhoons. Here are the best times to visit Taiwan.

You can cycle virtually any road in Taiwan except for national highways (marked with green plum flower icon on GoogleMaps) and provincial highways (red shield icon). County highways (blue shield) are allowed.

Because longer cycling routes are not my specialty, I’m only introducing a few here. For many more ideas, refer to Station in the Valley, where resident cyclist Mark Roche of Blue Skies Adventures is compiling a list of the 100 best cycling routes in Taiwan.

Huadong Valley

For the best long-distance cycling in Taiwan, it’s all about the East Coast. The Huadong Valley (meaning Hualien to Taitung Valley) follows the inland Highway 9 and the train line from Hualien city to Taitung city.

Along the way, you’ll enjoy stunning mountains and quaint rural scenery with rice paddies. You’ll pass some lovely towns, including Fenglin, Guangfu, Ruisui (stop here for hot springs), the Tropic of Cancer Marker, Yuli, Chishang, Guanshan, and Luye.

This 185-kilometer, 10-hour ride (not counting stops) is ideal for two days, with an overnight somewhere in the middle, such as Ruisui. Search for hot spring hotels in Ruisui here.

If you intend to make more stops for sightseeing, or to cycle at a more relaxed pace, make it three days.

Read about the many stops on Highway 9 and 11 (for the next entry) in my guide to road tripping the east coast.

East Coast

A second option is to cycle from Hualien to Taitung on Highwaty 11, the coastal highway. The distance is similar to the previous entry, but slightly shorter and easier due to fewer winds in the road and hills.

Traffic on this route tends to be lighter due to fewer towns and attractions. You’ll enjoy coastal and sea views the whole way, including a few attractions, like Baxiandong Archaeological Site, Tropic of Cancer Marker, and Sanxiantai Bridge.

Try guesthouses in Changbin, such as Auntie’s Flower House (see on Booking / Agoda), at roughly the halfway point.

Also consider to ride the Huadong Valley going down from Hualien to Taitung and East Coast highway to come back, for an unbeatable 4 to 5 day ride.

There are also some roads connecting the two highways, if you want to do some combination of the two.

Huandao (round-island trip)

For the ultimate cycling trip in Taiwan, consider doing a complete huan dao (round-island circuit).

This 960-kilometer route is typically done in 9 or more days, depending on how far you intend to cycle every day.

Most people embark from km 0 at Songshan station in Taipei and tackle the route in a counter-clockwise direction.

The west coast portion of the route is more tedious, as you pass through high developed and industrialized regions, while the east coast is more wild and beautiful.

You can rent a bike and all the gear you need, with the option to add van support, from MatthewBike in Taipei.

Cycling the East Coast or doing a complete huan dao is a very popular activity, so you can find many guides and trip reports simply by searching on Google.

Taiwan KOM Challenge

The Taiwan KOM (King of the Mountain) Challenge is one of the most bicycle races in the world.

Cyclists must race from sea level to Wuling Pass, the highest navigable pass in Taiwan, at 3275 meters. On the way, they ride through Taroko Gorge, one of the country’s most famous attractions (we’ll see what’s going to happen with after the massive Hualien earthquake destroyed much of Taroko).

Only 105-kilometers long, the ride is incredibly steep. So far, the fastest time is 3:19:54.

All the info about registering is here on the official website. Also see my guides to Taroko Gorge and Wuling Pass in Hehuanshan region.

Tour de Taiwan (see official site) is another famous cycling race in Taiwan, usually held in spring.

Traveling with Your Bike

Here is some info for getting your bicycle to and around Taiwan.

Getting Your Bike to Taiwan

If you want to bring your own bicycle to Taiwan, you’ll need to check your airline’s guidelines, as they vary a lot.

Some airlines will have an additional charge, while some will consider it as a regular piece of luggage. Most likely you will need to take the bike apart (or fold it up if possible) and pack it in a suitable bag or carrying case.

See this article for more information on flying with a bicycle.

Taking it on the MRT

In Taipei City, you’re allowed to take your bicycle on the MRT, with some restrictions.

You can only take your bike on the MRT from 10 AM to 4 PM and 10 PM to Midnight on weekdays, or all day on weekends and holidays.

You can board or get off the MRT with a bike at most but not all stations. Stations where bikes are not allowed include Taipei Main Station, Tamsui, Zhongxiao Xinsheng, Zhongxiao Fuxing, Nanjing Fuxing, Da’an, and the whole Brown Line.

Here’s a map showing which stations are and are not allowed. In the stations, you must use the elevators, not escalators. You must board the train at either end, not anywhere in the middle, and don’t block the space for wheelchairs.

To ride the MRT with a bike, you must purchase a one-way ticket from the ticket window. The fare is TWD 80, regardless of how far you are going.

Here’s the complete list of rules.

Regular Trains

To take your bag on the regular train (TRC or Taiwan Railways Corporation) around Taiwan, you can simply carry it on as luggage if it’s in a bag smaller than 220 cm (sum of length, width, and height), with a length no longer than 150 centimeters.

On TRC local type trains, you can simply walk on with your bike.

For TRC express trains, there is an option to add a bicycle when purchasing your ticket. These trains will have a dedicated car for bikes with hanging racks. The bike doesn’t need to be bagged and the bike is half the price of your regular train ticket. You can only get on/off the train at certain stops with a hike.

For example, you can’t get on/off at Taipei Main Station – try Songshan or Wanhua stations in Taipei instead.  

When searching the list of trains to buy your ticket, note which ones have the green bike icon.

You can also ship your bike as luggage (bag needed). Once it arrives you have two days to pick it up. Find more info about all these options here, here, and here.

Also find more info about how to book train tickets in Taiwan.

High Speed Rail

Taking a bicycle on the HSR is simpler. The bike needs to be bagged, with maximum total dimension of 240 centimeters. The height cannot exceed 120 cm, length 100 cm, and width 35 cm.

The bagged bike will be considered a piece of luggage with no extra fee. You can place it in the luggage space at the front or back of each car.  

Read more about how to buy HSR tickets in Taiwan.