Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) is Taiwan's best-known lake, in the hills of Nantou County, and the easiest big day trip from Taichung. A direct bus runs from the city center and from the high speed rail station to the lakeshore at Shuishe, and once you are there, boats, a round-the-lake bus, a ropeway and a lakeside bike path do the rest. Go early, give it the whole day, and plan the ride home before you set off.
- Bus 6670 Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Sun Moon Lake Line (Nantou Bus), from Gancheng Station in central Taichung or HSR Taichung Station, Exit 5, Platform 3
- Fare NT$193 one way, NT$360 return
- Ride About 1 hour 20 minutes from HSR Taichung Station and about 1 hour 45 minutes from Gancheng Station on the fastest runs; runs via Puli take longer
- Last bus back 19:25 from Sun Moon Lake
- Time A full day
How to get to Sun Moon Lake from Taichung
From central Taichung
The Sun Moon Lake Line of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (台灣好行日月潭線), run by Nantou Bus (南投客運) as route 6670, starts at Gancheng Station (干城站), No. 35-8, Section 1, Shuangshi Road, a short way from Taichung Station. It calls near Taichung Station (at the Minzu Road junction), at MRT Daqing Station (115 Green Line) and at HSR Taichung Station before heading out to the lake. It ends at the Sun Moon Lake stop in Shuishe (水社).
On the timetable we checked, the first bus leaves Gancheng at 07:20 every day. The last bus to the lake leaves Gancheng at 18:45 Monday to Thursday and 19:45 Friday to Sunday, and the last bus back leaves Sun Moon Lake at 19:25. There are about 27 departures a day Monday to Thursday and about 31 Friday to Sunday. Some runs go the long way round through Puli town (6670A and D), and on weekends and holidays 6670C goes via Chung Tai Chan Monastery (中台禪寺), so check which bus you are boarding if time is tight.
From HSR Taichung Station
Coming from Taipei or Kaohsiung by high speed rail? Go down to the bus area on the first floor and out to Platform 3 at Exit 5, where the same 6670 buses stop. Nantou Bus has a ticket counter there. → HSR Taichung Station
Tickets
Tap an EasyCard or iPASS on and off, pay cash on board, or buy a NT$360 return ticket at the Gancheng or HSR station counter. Ordinary tickets don't reserve a seat, so on weekends you queue; Nantou Bus also sells reserved seats online 1 to 15 days ahead. → EasyCard and iPASS
Getting around the lake
By boat
The lake boats link the three main piers: Shuishe Pier (水社碼頭), where the bus arrives, Xuanguang Temple (玄光寺) and Ita Thao Pier (伊達邵碼頭) on the far shore. The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area lists the first boat at 09:00 and the last at 17:00, every 15 to 20 minutes, going round counterclockwise. A one-day ticket lets you hop on and off all day. Buy it at the pier ticket booths, such as the Shuishe boat service station or the Ita Thao Visitor Center; the scenic area warns against cheap tickets from unofficial sellers.
By bus
Bus 6669 runs round the lake road from Shuishe past Ita Thao to Xuanguang Temple. The first bus from Shuishe is at 06:40 and the last at 17:05; coming back, the last bus leaves Xuanguang Temple at 18:00 and Ita Thao at 18:10. A transit card gets you a cheaper fare.
The ropeway
The Sun Moon Lake Ropeway (日月潭纜車) climbs 1.877 kilometers from the lakeshore by the Youth Activity Center near Ita Thao to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (九族文化村), about 7 minutes each way, with long views over the water.
- Hours: 10:30 to 16:00 on weekdays, 10:00 to 16:30 on holidays.
- Fare: NT$420 return, from 1 June 2026.
- Closed: usually the first Wednesday of each month for maintenance. In November 2026 the ropeway has posted maintenance on 4 and 5 November.
- Admission to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village includes the ropeway.
By bike
The lakeside bikeway is in sections. The easy one to start with is the Xiangshan section, about 3.4 kilometers and 30 minutes from Shuishe to the Xiangshan Visitor Center (向山遊客中心); the Yuetan section carries on 3.4 kilometers from there. The scenic area puts the full ride round the lake at about 30 kilometers and three and a half hours.
Good to know: the Shuishe Mountain Trail (水社大山步道) is closed after severe storm damage (notice posted January 2026, still up in September 2026), and the Dazhuhu parking lot and trail entrance are closed for bike path works, which the scenic area dates to the end of 2026. On Saturday 14 November 2026 a fireworks concert brings parking bans and traffic controls round the lake from 08:00 to 23:00, so take the bus that day.
A day at the lake
- Morning: an early bus from Gancheng or the HSR station, then the boat from Shuishe to Xuanguang Temple and on to Ita Thao.
- Midday: lunch at Ita Thao, then the ropeway before it stops for the day.
- Afternoon: back to Shuishe by boat, and a ride or walk along the Xiangshan bikeway before the bus home.
Add Xitou or Cingjing on another day, or link them up on a longer trip. → Xitou · Taichung as a base for central Taiwan · All day trips
Sources
Bus route, stops, fares and tickets from the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Sun Moon Lake Line page and its timetable. Boarding at the HSR station from the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area's Getting Here page; boats and the 6669 bus from its Traffic in the Area page; bikeway sections from its bike site; closures from its notices on the Shuishe Mountain Trail, Dazhuhu works and fireworks traffic control. Ropeway hours, fares and November 2026 maintenance notice from Sun Moon Lake Ropeway. Checked October 2026.