TRAVEL TOGETHER
Make this trip work for your group
A move from the city to a lakeside stay changes the pace.
- Adjust the route
- Shorten wetland walking and lake transfers and plan luggage storage first.
- Check your room
- Compare the bed layout and room occupancy for your group. For friends, confirm separate beds or rooms; for couples, check the booked room category and outlook.
An editorial match to this route, not an accessibility or age-suitability certification. Existing budgets use the group size stated in the article; recalculate for your party.
CITY TO LAKE
two days in the city,
Lake overnight.
2 nights in Taichung followed by 1 night at Sun Moon Lake. Staying by the lake leaves time for Ita Thao and a lakeside evening. The cable car and next-morning cycle ride remain optional, depending on queues, weather and onward transport. The final day includes transfers in Taichung and Taoyuan, so this plan assumes an international flight after 17:00.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
What to keep, book and leave flexible
Keep the experience
The reward is an evening and a morning beside the lake. After lunch and a waterfront walk in Ita Thao, the cable car can stay optional.
Arrange first
Check your lake hotel’s location, luggage storage and transfer to Shuishe before choosing buses. Compare room rates with the same breakfast and dinner inclusions.
Leave room to change
Cycle on departure morning only if rental hours and the return bus leave enough time. Skip it after a slow breakfast or delay; for an early international flight, return to Taichung the previous day.
Route and bilingual copy reviewed on 10 September 2026. Prices remain planning estimates; follow the dated operator and property information linked below.
3 NIGHTS · 4 DAYS
Schedule to follow
From the airport to Taichung Station, only walk around the old city center on the first day.
The exterior of Miyahara in Taichung, on the first-day old-town walk after hotel check-in, together with Green River.
YangChen(TW) / Wikimedia Commons · Resized · CC BY 2.0- 01Arrive at Taoyuan Airport around 11:30, enter the country and secure baggage for 60–90 minutes.
- 0213:00 Airport MRT → A18 Taoyuan HSR Station approximately 15–20 minutes
- 0313:40 HSR Taoyuan → Taichung about 40 minutes · General reserved seat around NT$540
- 0414:40 Transfer from HSR Taichung Station to TRA Xinyur Station → Taichung Station approximately 12 minutes
- 0515:30 Hotel check-in → Miyahara/Nokcheon walk
- 0618:00 Dinner of pig's feet and lurou plate at Fu Ding Wang Zhongzheng Branch
From market mornings to architecture and wetland sunsets
Gaomei Wetlands. Check sunset, tides and boardwalk access.
- 0108:00 Wangji Chaitouguo and glutinous rice sausage breakfast at the 2nd Market
- 0209:30 Shenji New Village·Calligraphy Greenway Walk
- 0312:00 Lunch and bubble tea at Chun Shui Tang Siwei Original Store Branch
- 04Optional · 13:30 Tour the interior and rooftop garden of the National Taichung Theater — Skip the theatre if the wetland sunset is your priority.
- 0515:00 Transfer to Gaomei Wetland by bus route 309 or scheduled tour · 70–100 minutes
- 06Around 17:00, return to Taichung after confirming sunset, boardwalk, tide, and strong wind control.
Move to the lake for Ita Thao and a waterfront evening
The lakeside station of the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, the planned afternoon activity after arriving at the lake; check operations before boarding.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / Wikimedia Commons · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0- 0108:30 Check-out → Gangan Station or HSR Taichung Station Nantou Bus Stop
- 02Around 09:20, board Sun Moon Lake Line No. 6670. Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to Shuishe.
- 0311:00 Arrive at Shuishe, store luggage at the hotel and move to the dock.
- 0411:30 Go to Xuanguang and Dasao by cruise ship · Check pass type and operation notice
- 0513:00 Indigenous lunch at Dasao Rusuan Restaurant
- 06Optional · 14:20 Approximately 10–15 minutes on foot → Sun Moon Lake cable car round trip · Check maintenance date and weather control — Skip the cable car after a leisurely boat trip and village lunch.
- 0717:00 Check-in at lake accommodation, adhere to reservation time if plan includes dinner
An optional lakeside ride, then leave time for airport transfers
A lakeside cycle path at Sun Moon Lake. Choose a short section on departure day.
- 01Optional · 07:30 After breakfast, cycle the Shuishe–Xiangshan path. Allow up to two hours, including stops, only if bicycle rental and your return bus timing fit.
- 0210:00 Check-out and bicycle return → Shuishe bus stop
- 03Around 10:40, take bus number 6670 to HSR Taichung Station, about 1 hour and 30 minutes
- 0412:40 HSR Taichung → Taoyuan approximately 40 minutes
- 0513:40 Transfer to Airport MRT at A18 → Terminal approx. 15–20 minutes
- 06Arrive at the airport around 14:20. For international flights, departure after 17:00 is recommended.
At Gaomei Wetland, tides and boardwalks open before sunset. Check the official announcement on the day of departure.
EAT ALONG THE ROUTE
From market breakfasts
to Indigenous cuisine by the lake.
Prices and opening hours are approximate as of confirmation in September 2026. Check the linked official or local information for regular closures, material shortages, and reservation conditions just before departure.
DAY 2 · Morning
Wangji Caitouguo and Nuo Mi-chang
- Getting there
- Inside Taichung 2nd Market · About 10 minutes by bus from Taichung Station
- menu
- Radish rice cake, glutinous rice sausage, egg, pork intestine soup
- budget
- Approximately NT$100–200 per person
- Opening hours
- Normally 06:30–18:00 · Check for material shortages and closures
If you add an egg to half radish rice cake and glutinous rice sausage, it's good for two people to share. Get there before 9 a.m. to avoid lines and chances of it being sold out.
Check the latest information ↗
DAY 2 · Lunch
Chun Shui Tang Siwei Original Store Branch
- Getting there
- Approximately 15 minutes walk from Shenji New Village / Before moving to National Taichung Theater
- menu
- pearl milk tea, beef noodle, pork noodle and Taiwanese snacks
- budget
- Approximately NT$250–500 per person
- Opening hours
- Normally 08:00–22:00 · Last order confirmation
Rather than just drinking bubble tea, you should have lunch together to avoid the afternoon trip to the theater and Gaomei. Please allow waiting time on weekends.
Check the latest information ↗
DAY 1 · Dinner
Fu Ding Wang Zhongzheng Branch
- Getting there
- Approximately 12–18 minutes walk from Miyahara/Taichung Station
- menu
- Soy sauce pig's trotters, luroufan, bamboo shoots and tofu side dishes
- budget
- Approximately NT$180–400 per person
- Opening hours
- Normally 11:00–20:00 · Check branch closures
This is a dinner option after the arrival-day city walk. Since the texture of each part of pig's trotters is different, it’s best for two people to order the meat and tendon parts separately.
Check the latest information ↗
DAY 3 · Lunch
Lusihan Indigenous Restaurant
- Getting there
- Ita Thao Old Street · Approximately 5 minutes walk from the dock
- menu
- Wild boar dishes, bamboo rice, local greens and stuffed chicken wings; check the current menu
- budget
- Approximately NT$300–650 per person
- Opening hours
- Open for lunch and dinner, irregularly closed and reservation confirmation
Have lunch at Ita Thao; continue to the optional cable car only if time allows. There are many menus where two people share multiple plates, so if you're alone, check first how much you can order.
Check the latest information ↗MORNING ON TWO WHEELS
lake in the morning
Take the lakeshore at your own pace.
There’s a good lakeside bike path from Shuishe to Xiangshan Visitor Center. The suggested out-and-back ride is about 6–8 km. On departure day, check bicycle rental hours and your bus first; skip the ride if it puts checkout or the airport connection under pressure. A full loop of the lake is longer and includes road sections, so it is outside this plan.
If it rains or has strong winds, skip the bike ride and stay near Shuishe and take an earlier bus to Taichung when possible.
TRANSFER CHECK
Taichung Station
There are two places.
THSR Taichung station is different from the TRA Taichung station in the city center. The journey between the two stations is approximately 12 minutes with a transfer at TRA Sinur Station, but if you include waiting time, it will take 30 minutes. Take the Sun Moon Lake bus from HSR Taichung Station or Ganjeon Station, whichever is closest to your accommodation.
WHERE TO STAY
lake Luxury Two,
Two cost-effective options in the city center.
Which stay suits your trip?
Fleur de Chine is better for hot springs and half board, and The Lalu is better for architecture and front lake view. City Inn is good for travel efficiency, and Hotel 53 is good for balance between room size and exploring Taichung’s Central District.
Fleur De Chine Hotel Sun Moon Lake
North of Shuishe · Check in advance whether hotel shuttle is in operation
- price
- Double occupancy approximately NT$12,000–22,000+ per night
- breakfast
- Crimson Buffet and many plans including breakfast
- Dinner
- The 1 night, 2 meals plan includes dinner at Crimson Buffet or a designated restaurant.
- parking
- Parking provided for guests, check with hotel for electric car and valet conditions.
- Advantages
- The room's hot springs, lake view, swimming pool, and spa are located in one building, providing a high level of completeness for a staycation.
- Cons
- It’s located away from the center of Shuishe, so it’s inconvenient to go to outside restaurants, and prices rise significantly on weekends and holidays.
The Lalu Sun Moon Lake
Southern lakeside of Shuishe, about 5 minutes by car from the dock.
- price
- Double occupancy approximately NT$16,000–28,000+ per night
- breakfast
- Lakeview Restaurant Breakfast · Check availability
- Dinner
- Operates Asian, Japanese, and Western restaurants · Basic room rate not included
- parking
- Parking provided for guests · Check license plate number and valet conditions before arrival
- Advantages
- The lake front terrace, infinity pool, quiet architecture and view are the strongest among the four.
- Cons
- It’s the most expensive and the policy for children and room occupancy can be strict, so you must check the reservation conditions.
Cityinn Hotel Plus Taichung Station Branch
Approximately 2–4 minutes walk from the back entrance of TRA Taichung Station
- price
- Double occupancy approximately NT$1,900–3,600 per night
- breakfast
- Breakfast service ended on 1 September 2026; plan to eat nearby
- Dinner
- No restaurant for dinner · Use of shared lounge and nearby restaurants
- parking
- Limited free parking, first-come, first-served, if full, check affiliated/nearby parking
- Advantages
- It’s convenient to transfer to the airport and Sun Moon Lake and access Miyahara, and has a laundry room, so it’s practical.
- Cons
- The basic room is small and has no windows, so you need to check the room name on the reservation screen.
53 Hotel
Opposite Miyahara · Approximately 7 minutes walk from TRA Taichung Station
- price
- Double occupancy approximately NT$2,000–3,800 per night
- breakfast
- Buffet breakfast · Rates vary depending on inclusion
- Dinner
- Dinner not available · Use of the 2nd Market and Central District restaurants
- parking
- Limited dedicated/affiliated parking · Advance inquiry recommended
- Advantages
- Good balance between the route between the station and the 2nd market, relatively spacious rooms, and price.
- Cons
- Due to the nature of the old building, there are differences in view and soundproofing for each room, and there’s not enough parking space.
Rate criteria · Approximate range of 2 people per room per night searchable in September 2026. Whether tax, breakfast, dinner, and parking are included is based on the final payment screen.
BUDGET GUIDE
Estimated cost per person
This is the cost per person for a two-person trip and excludes flights and shopping. At lake hotels, the total price varies greatly depending on whether you choose 1 night and 2 meals.
GOOD
Advantages of this schedule
- See both sunset and morning by not doing a day trip to Sun Moon Lake.
- City, wetlands, and lake scenes don’t overlap
- Restaurants are located along actual travel routes every day.
CHECK
Things to know
- HSR Taichung Station and City Center TRA Taichung Station are different stations.
- Gaomei Boardwalk and Cable Car are weather controlled
- For an earlier flight, skip cycling and recheck the entire airport connection; consider returning to Taichung the previous day.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
Check again before departure.
Taiwan High-Speed Rail · Timetable and Fares ↗Taichung Tourism Bureau · Scenic Spots and Route 309 ↗Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area · Traffic · Cruise · Control Notice ↗Nantou Bus · No. 6670 Latest timetable ↗Sun Moon Lake Cable Car · Operating days and fees ↗Times and prices are as of confirmation on September 3, 2026. For transportation and facility operations, the final standard is the official inquiry results of the travel date.
English edition of our Korean guide. Times and prices retain the source review date; they are not live booking quotes. Check eligibility for visitor fares and plan international flights separately.