Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) is Taiwan’s largest, prettiest, and most famous lake. Known for its stunning vistas, scenic bikeways, black tea, and nearly extinct aboriginal tribe, it truly earns its spot on most visitors’ itineraries.
I’ve already written an extensive guide to Sun Moon Lake on my other website. But I understand that the large amount of info and ideas there can be overwhelming, especially when most visitors only stay for a night or two.
In this newer article, I’m going to piece it all together for you into a workable itinerary, which hits all the best spots and activities in the relatively short time you most likely have to enjoy Sun Moon Lake.
How Long to Spend at Sun Moon Lake
“How long should I spend at Sun Moon Lake?” is the big question asked by many a traveler. You could visit as a day trip, one-night trip, or two-night trip. My answer is: it depends.
If you have enough time in your overall Taiwan itinerary, then two nights at Sun Moon Lake is ideal. However, if you’re on a tighter schedule, which I know many travelers are, you can still squeeze in a nice visit with only one night or even as a day trip. You’ll be a little more pressed for time, but I will help you make it work!
If you plan to stay at Sun Moon Lake for one night, then leave Taipei or Taichung as early as possible to enjoy the better part of a day there. Plan to wake up early the next morning to explore more before (or even after) checkout time.
Since this is a very popular option, in my below Sun Moon Lake itinerary, I will assume you are spending one night at Sun Moon Lake.
If you’re coming from Alishan by bus, it will already be dark or close to it by the time you check in to your hotel at Sun Moon Lake. You won’t have time to see or do anything on that first day. Thus, for anyone coming from Alishan, I definitely recommend adding a second night, or at least plan to spend most of your second day there.
The same thing goes for the reverse – if you’re planning to take a bus from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan after visiting the lake, two nights at the lake will be ideal, since the bus leaves so early.
If you only budget one night at Sun Moon Lake and plan to take that early bus to Alishan the next morning, try get to the lake as early as possible on Day 1, otherwise you’ll barely have any time to explore the lake.
Getting to Sun Moon Lake
Where you’re coming from (and how early you leave) is going to have a big impact on how much time you have for your Sun Moon Lake visit.
From Taipei
Bus 1833 (see schedule) goes directly from Taipei Bus Station to this bus stop in Shuishe (the main village at Sun Moon Lake). There are four buses per day and the trip takes 3.5 to 4 hours. Buy your ticket in cash from the Kuo Kuang Bus Company window on the first floor of the station.
If you take the first bus of the day (7:00 AM) you will arrive there at around 10:40 AM. This gives you a decent amount of time to explore on your first day.
It’s faster but more expensive to take the HSR (see my HSR booking guide or visit Klook / KKday for discounted tickets) from Taipei Main Station to Taichung (one hour). Then go to 1F, exit 5 of the HSR station and take bus 6670 (90 minutes, see schedule).
Most people swipe EasyCard to ride this bus, but at peak times, demand for the bus is high and some people might not be able to get on. The bus will already have passengers before it gets there, and there tends to be a long line of people boarding at the HSR station. Therefore, I recommend that you reserve your seat on the bus from Taichung HSR to Sun Moon Lake (here’s how).
Including the transferring time (budget 15 minutes), this way will get you from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake in two hours and 45 minutes. If you catch the first HSR of the day (6:26, arrive Taichung 7:30) then the 7:45 bus from the HSR station, you could be at the lake as early as 9:05 AM.
From Taichung
Taichung is the main access point for Sun Moon Lake, so starting from there will give you a nice headstart.
From the Taichung city center, the Taichung-to-Sun Moon Lake bus (the same one I mentioned above, bus 6670) starts at Nantou Bus Gancheng Station (here) a few blocks north of the train station. It takes 1 hour 45 min to reach the lake.
Getting on the bus here gives you a very good chance of getting a seat, so it’s less crucial to reserve, unless that’s a long weekend, national holiday, or weekend in cherry blossom season (February).
Even if you plan to swipe EasyCard, you can get a little paper from the ticket window which essentially guarantees your spot in the queue.
The bus makes a second stop here right in front of the train station (use GoogleMaps for location).
The bus’s third stop will be at Taichung HSR station, which I covered in the section above. I recommend reserving your spot on the bus if boarding there, especially at peak times.
You can also take a private or shared transfer from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake.
From Alishan
There’s only one bus per day from Alishan to Sun Moon Lake (bus 6739). It departs Alishan Bus Station at 1 PM and arrives at Shuishe village at 4:50 PM.
On weekends and holidays, there’s a second one, departing Alishan Bus Station at 3:30 PM and arriving at Shuishe at 7:20 PM, well after dark.
Demand is high and space is limited on this bus, so I always recommend booking a seat.
If you’re going the other way, from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan, the bus departs Shuishe at 8 AM (second one at 8:30 AM on weekends and holidays).
From Cingjing Farm
To get from Cingjing Farm to Sun Moon Lake, take the bus from Cingjing to Puli bus station (90 min, see my guide to getting to Cingjing for the details) then you’ll hop on the Taichung-to-Sun Moon Lake bus from there.
For Sun Moon Lake to Cingjing Farm, it’s the same thing in reverse. There are also private transfers from Cinging Farm to Sun Moon Lake.
See my Cingjing Farm guide for more info about visiting it.
Tour and Private Car Options
If you’d rather forget about the transportation complications and trust some local guides to do the planning for you, there are Sun Moon Lake day tours from Taipei (Klook / KKday) or Taichung (Klook / KKday).
There are also day tours which squeeze Cingjing Farm and Sun Moon Lake into one day (Klook / KKday) and multi-day tours to Sun Moon Lake and Alishan (Klook / KKday).
With a private driver, you can make your own itinerary. Boom on Klook, KKday, or contact any of my recommended drivers for a quote.
Where to Stay at Sun Moon Lake
For this itinerary, it will make the most sense to stay in Shuishe (the main village at Sun Moon Lake), where all buses arrive and depart from.
Hostel options in Shuishe include Deer Traveler Hostel (Booking / Agoda) and Dreamy Nomads (Booking / Agoda). Both are well reviewed.
In the mid-range, some excellent options include Blue Sky Bay B&B (Booking / Agoda), Shaoguang 188 (Booking / Agoda), Doris Home (Booking / Agoda), and Yue Lake Backpackers (Booking / Agoda).
At the luxury end, The Lalu (Agoda) is one of the finest resorts in Taiwan and occupies a peninsula next to Shuishe. Fleur de Chine (Booking / Agoda) is an older five star resort which is one bus stop from Shuishe.
Overnight Itinerary: Day 1
What time you arrive at Sun Moon Lake will have a big impact on how you plan your itinerary there. I’ve created two different itineraries here depending on whether you arrive early (in the morning) or late (afternoon).
If You Have a Late Start
Let’s say you aren’t such an early riser and you had a later start from Taipei or Taichung. You may not arrive at Sun Moon Lake until the afternoon.
By the time you check in to your hotel (3 or 4 PM check in time at most of them), you’ve only got a few hours left before the sun goes down.
In that case, I recommend you spend the rest of the afternoon cycling. Rent a bicycle (book on Klook or KKday, or rent it on the spot at the many bicycle shops in Shuishe). There are regular, tandem, children’s, and electric bikes available.
The nicest cycling path starts here on the edge of Shuisghe and goes west along the lakeshore towards Xiangshan Visitor’s Center.
There’s also a nice cycling path here going east of town. If you go this way, you could potentially ride as far as Wenwu Temple to watch the sunset over the lake from there, but heads up that the final section to the temple will be along a car road, with some uphill.
Spend a couple hours cycling beside the lake, watch the sunset from anywhere along the lake shore, then return the bike in Shuishe.
If you arrived on a bus from Alishan, it will likely be dark by the time you check in to your hotel, so you won’t have time for cycling.
Have dinner at one of the restaurants in Shuishe. I recommend this one, which has aboriginal dishes and sets suitable for individuals.
One of my group members also recommends Old Papa Black Tea (明潭茶老爸), which has simple noodle dishes, braised pork rice, oyster vermicelli, bubble tea, and the like – also suitable for individuals. There are several others in town with Chinese/Taiwanese style dishes meant for sharing.
After dark, it’s extremely quiet at Sun Moon Lake. There isn’t anything to do besides taking an evening stroll on the docks or paths by the lake or getting some drinks from 7-Eleven.
If You Have an Early Start
If you have an earlier start (for example you took one of the first buses of the day from Taipei or Taichung), then I recommend using your arrival day for exploring around the lake, and save your cycling for the next morning before checkout.
Since you will arrive at Sun Moon Lake before check-in time at your hotel, drop your luggage at your hotel in Shuishe (if they allow it).
If not, simply stash it in one of the orange luggage lockers next to the small visitor’s center, bus ticket window, and 7-Eleven here at the bus stop.
Go to Shuishe Pier and take a ferry to Xuanguang Temple across the lake. You can buy a ticket on the spot (TWD 100) or get a ferry round trip pass (Klook / KKday) – this will save you money if you take two or more rides.
Note: “round trip” here includes three possible rides – Shuishe to Xuanguang Temple, Xuanguang Temple to Ita Thao, and Ita Thao back to Shuishe. It’s only valid for one day.
Ride the ferry from Shuishe to Xuanguang Temple. Ferries depart every 15-20 minutes and the ride across the lake takes 7 minutes. (Hate boats? You can also take the Sun Moon Lake bus, but it will take longer. Note that Shuishe is “Sun Moon Lake” stop on the schedule).
On the ferry ride across the lake, you will pass Lalu Island, which is sacred to the local Thao aboriginal tribe. When you get off the ferry, visit the temple and try the delicious tea eggs here.
If you have the time and energy, walk up the path through the forest to Xuanzang Temple.
From there, you could walk another 20 minutes (also uphill) to Ci’en Pagoda, which has an amazing lake view from the top. Note: in 2024, the pagoda is under renovations and there’s a sign saying it’s closed, but visitor’s have mentioned they were still able to enter.
From there, return to Xuanguang Temple and ride the ferry to Ita Thao village. If you went to Xuanzang Temple or Ci’en Pagoda, you can also take the Sun Moon Lake bus (see schedule) from either of those to Ita Thao.
Ita Thao is an aboriginal (Thao tribe) village and tourist center. The main thing to do there is to stroll up and down the main street, which is lined with food stalls, especially aboriginal foods and aboriginal millet wine (小米酒).
If you started your day early enough, this could be your lunch.
This is also a good place to buy Sun Moon Lake region’s famous black teas, which are rare in a country that produces mostly oolong. See my guide to Sun Moon Lake black tea.
Some people stay in Ita Thao as an alternative to Shuishe. There are some excellent accommodations there, many with lake views. However, it’s less convenient because you’ll need to return to Shuishe for getting the bus to leave Sun Moon Lake. Check the bus schedule carefully. Also note that most retaurants on the food street close around 6 or 7 PM.
From Ita Thao, follow the lakeshore walking path here for 15 minutes to Sun Moon Lake Ropeway station.
Ride the ropeway (buy tickets on the spot or check the deals on Klook / KKday) to the top to enjoy the amazing lake views.
Depending on how much time you have (and your level of interest), from the top you can take a second cable car down the other side to Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village.
This is a theme park with rides, Taiwanese aboriginal displays/performances, and cherry blossoms (February to early March – see my cherry blossom guide).
Entrance to the park (Klook / KKday) includes the return cable car rides.
The park is large and requires several hours to visit. If you plan to do this, then it would be best to skip the above plans at Xuanguang Temple.
Just go directly from Shuishe to Sun Moon Lake Ropeway by bus so you will have more time to enjoy it.
For your last stop of the day, take the bus from Sun Moon Lake Ropeway station to Wenwu Temple. The temple has a fantastic view of the lake, especially from just above the top of it. If you time it right, you could watch the sunset over the lake from here.
Finally, take the bus from the temple back to Shuishe. But check the bus times carefully – if you miss the last one at 6:20 PM, you’ll need to walk back to Shuishe.
Overnight Itinerary: Day 2
For early risers, start your day with a morning hike to see the sunrise over the lake. From your hotel in Shuishe, follow this narrow scooter road up Mount Maolan.
It will take you about one hour to reach the peak here, but you can enjoy epic sunrise and lake views even from halfway up (weather conditions permitting!). There are also some tea farms along the way. Note: the trail was damaged by a typhoon in 2024 – as of late 2024, there’s a sign saying it’s still closed, but you can easily walk around it the trail is actually fine.
If you’ve got a scooter or car, you can drive to another famous viewpoint, Jinlongshan, where it’s possible to see sea of clouds at sunrise – but you won’t see the lake from there.
Below is a stock photo from Canva – I’ll be updating with photos of these two viewpoints following my coming visit to Sun Moon Lake in spring.
Back in Shuishe, treat yourself to a coffee at Starbucks, which has an undeniably good lake view from its patio.
Your following plans will depend on how much you achieved the day before. If you followed my “early start” itinerary above, it means you already explored much of the lake, but didn’t do any cycling yet.
So, use your remaining hours before checkout time to rent a bicycle and go cycling along the lakeshore path going west or east from Shuishe. 1-2 hours is enough to have a good cycling experience.
If you followed my “late start” itinerary (hence you went cycling the day before), then you should proceed with my “early start” itinerary above for exploring the whole lake.
If you’ll be staying at Sun Moon Lake a second night, then great – you have the whole day to do it.
However, if you’ll be checking out today, your plan of attack depends on how late you intend to leave the lake. If you’re planning to leave right after checkout time from your hotel, you only really have time for one of the following:
- Take the bus to Wenwu Temple, visit it, then take the bus back to Shuishe.
- Take the bus from Shuishe to Ita Thao, have a few snacks on the food street, then come back.
- Take the bus or boat from Shuishe to Xuanguang Temple, visit it, then come back by boat or bus.
If you don’t need to leave Sun Moon Lake until later in the day, then check out from your hotel early, leave your luggage at the desk (or at a locker the Shuishe bus station), and proceed with my “early start” itinerary above, visiting Xuanguang Temple, Ita Thao, Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, and Wenwu Temple.
Return to Shuishe, collect your luggage, and leave Sun Moon Lake by bus.
Day Trip Itinerary
If you visit Sun Moon Lake as a day trip from Taipei or Taichung, start your day as early as possible to have as much time as you can at the lake.
As soon as you arrive in Shuishe, rent a bicycle, then go cycling west along the lake shore for 1-2 hours.
Treat yourself to a coffee from the Starbucks with a lake view then hop on a boat across the lake to Xuanguang Temple. Have a tea egg there, with the option to walk 20 minutes uphill to Xuanzang Temple and another 20 minutes uphill to Ci’en Pagoda.
If you had a later start to your day, I would suggest that you skip Xuanguang Temple – just take a boat from Shuishe to Ita Thao directly.
From Xuangguang Temple, Xuanzang Temple, or Ci’en Pagoda, take the boat or bus to Ita Thao and have aboriginal foods for lunch.
Follow the lakeshore path from Ita Thao to Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, ride the ropeway up and back down.
If you want to visit Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, you’ll need to skip some other things (skip cycling and/or Xuanguang Temple) to make time for it. Note: you can catch the SML to Taichung bus from Formosan’s main entrance – you don’t have to return to the lake and Shuishe to catch it).
Finally, take a bus from Sun Moon Lake Ropeway statiom to Wenwu Temple, visit it, then return to Shuishe and catch your bus back to Taichung or Taipei.
The last bus to Taipei departs at 4:45 PM while the last bus to Taichung HSR station or Taichung city center departs at 7:25 PM.
Great write-up!
hI Nick,
Thanks for the detailed post!
is there a need to pre-order online a ticket for the 1833 bus from taipie to sun moon lake (say in mid-december when it’s peak tourism time) or just show up early and buy in the counter?
thanks!
I’m not aware of any way to book it online. 12Go has it but their times are wrong so I don’t really trust it. Most people just buy tickets at the station before going. If you are going on a weekend, then perhaps go to the station a day or two before to buy the tickets and that should be fine.