The lake boats are the quickest way round Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) and the best way to see it. They link three piers, all boats go the same way round, and one ticket covers the full loop with a stop at each pier. Buy it at an official pier booth, not from someone on the street, and keep an eye on the time of the last boat.
- Piers Shuishe (水社), Xuanguang Temple (玄光寺) and Ita Thao (伊達邵); boats go round counterclockwise
- Hours First boat 09:00, last boat 17:00, every 15 to 20 minutes
- Ticket Fares are set by each boat company and posted at the pier booths; the standard ticket covers one loop, boarding once at each pier. Packages with the ropeway and lake bus from NT$620 (2026)
- Time for a loop Allow half a day with stops at Xuanguang and Ita Thao
Getting to the lake first? → Getting to Sun Moon Lake from Taichung
How the boats work
There are three main piers. Shuishe Pier (水社碼頭) is in Shuishe village, a short walk from the stop where bus 6670 from Taichung arrives. Xuanguang Pier (玄光寺碼頭) serves Xuanguang Temple, and Ita Thao Pier (伊達邵碼頭) is in Ita Thao village, across from the Ita Thao Visitor Center. The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area says every boat runs counterclockwise: Shuishe, then Xuanguang, then Ita Thao, then back to Shuishe.
The Scenic Area lists the first boat at 09:00 and the last at 17:00, with boats leaving every 15 to 20 minutes. Several companies run the boats, and on the way the captain usually gives a commentary on the lake's sights and history.
On your first boat, show your ticket at the waiting area by the pier; the staff stamp it, and after that you show the stamp or the stub to board. The package terms say the ticket has three parts, one for each pier, and is checked every time you board, so keep it safe until the end.
Good to know: the Scenic Area reminds visitors to check the last boat at each pier, not just the 17:00 departure. If you are at Xuanguang or Ita Thao late in the afternoon, ask at the pier when the last boat to Shuishe leaves.
Tickets and prices
What the ticket covers
The Scenic Area's Chinese page and the package terms both say the round-the-lake ticket is good for one loop, getting on once at each pier and ending at the pier where you started. If you want to go back and forth more than that, you buy an extra ride at the booth at the price posted there. (The Scenic Area's English page says you can ride as often as you like in a day, but its Chinese page and the package terms agree on one loop, so ask at the booth.)
Prices
There is no single official fare. The Scenic Area says boat fares are set by the companies themselves, so the price is the one posted at the booth, and it asks you to buy at the fixed booths so your ticket is honored. It warns against cheap boat tickets sold through unofficial channels.
The boat is also part of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle packages for the Sun Moon Lake Line (日月潭好行套票), which are the cheaper way to go if you want the ropeway too. The 2026 packages, valid to 31 December 2026:
| Package | What it includes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Boat loop, ropeway return, lake bus one-day ticket, one ride Shuishe to Xiangshan to Checheng | NT$620 |
| From Taichung | The same, plus the return bus between Taichung and Sun Moon Lake | NT$950 |
| With Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village | Return bus from Taichung, boat loop, Culture Village entry (with the ropeway), lake bus one-day ticket, Shuishe to Checheng ride | NT$1,360 |
There are also senior packages at NT$520 and NT$680, but only for Taiwanese nationals aged 65 and over. Buy the packages at the Nantou Bus counters at Gancheng Station or HSR Taichung Station (Exit 5) before you set off, or at the Nantou Bus Sun Moon Lake station counter in Shuishe. Nantou Bus also sells online versions through its shop, Nantou Holiday (南投假期), where in November 2026 the boat, ropeway and lake bus bundle was NT$610 and the version with the Taichung return bus NT$940; you swap the QR code for real tickets at the pier and the bus counter. → HSR Taichung Station
Where to buy
- Shuishe: the Sun Moon Lake Service Station for Bus and Boat (日月潭水陸交通聯合服務站), No. 163, Zhongshan Road, across from the Sun Moon Lake police station, sells boat tickets and packages.
- Ita Thao: the Ita Thao Visitor Center, No. 127, Wenhua Street, right across from Ita Thao Pier.
- At every pier: the boat fleet ticket booths.
The official pages don't say the boats take EasyCard, so carry cash for the booth or buy a package ahead. EasyCard does work on the lake bus, and gets a cheaper fare. → EasyCard and iPASS
Which pier to start from
Most people start at Shuishe, because that is where the bus from Taichung arrives. If you are staying the night in Ita Thao, start there instead and go Ita Thao, Shuishe, Xuanguang, then back to Ita Thao. Because the boats only go one way, plan your stops in loop order: you can't hop back to the pier you just left on the standard ticket.
A suggested loop from Shuishe
- Morning, Shuishe to Xuanguang. Take an early boat once they start at 09:00. Get off at Xuanguang Temple and look around.
- Late morning, Xuanguang to Ita Thao. Stop in Ita Thao village for lunch.
- Midday, the ropeway. The Sun Moon Lake Ropeway runs from 10:30 to 16:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 16:30 on holidays, and usually closes on the first Wednesday of the month. Its lake station is one stop from Ita Thao on bus 6669 (Sun Moon Lake Ropeway stop).
- Afternoon, Ita Thao to Shuishe. Be back on a boat well before the last one. From Shuishe, the last 6670 bus to Taichung leaves at 19:25.
The official sources don't publish sailing times for each leg, so the half day above allows for queues and time ashore rather than just time on the water. → Things to do at Sun Moon Lake · Where to eat
If the boats aren't running
Bus 6669, the lake bus, runs from Shuishe past the ropeway and Ita Thao to Xuanguang Temple. On the Nantou Bus timetable, the first bus leaves Shuishe at 06:40 and the last at 17:05, though only some runs carry on past Ita Thao to Xuanguang. Going back, the last bus leaves Xuanguang at 18:00 and Ita Thao at 18:10. A one-day ticket is NT$80, or tap a transit card. You can also ride the lakeside bikeway. → Cycling round Sun Moon Lake
Other ways on the water
Electric boat charters
To have a boat to yourselves, the Scenic Area lists eleven companies that charter electric boats (電動船包船), from 08:00 to 17:00, with their boat names and phone numbers on its transport page (in Chinese). Prices aren't published; ask the company or the boat association, the Nantou County Ferry and Yacht Business Association (南投縣渡船遊艇商業同業公會), on 049-2856428.
Kayak and stand-up paddleboard
Paddling is allowed, but only under the Scenic Area's rules (its notice of 21 October 2024, still the current one in November 2026):
- What: only non-powered craft, such as kayaks, rowing boats, windsurf boards and stand-up paddleboards (SUP). Water bikes may use a small battery assist with a permit.
- Where: only in four zones: Chaowu (朝霧), north of a line from Chaowu Pier (朝霧碼頭); Panshi (磐石), by the ropeway station and Ita Thao Pier; Sheng'ai (聖愛); and Yuetan (月潭), west of Xuanguang Pier, including the Beidan area.
- When: 05:00 to 17:00 every day.
- Weather: all paddling stops when Nantou County suspends work and classes for a typhoon, flood, earthquake or other disaster.
The easy way in is a guided trip. The Scenic Area publishes a list of approved SUP operators (合格SUP帶客業者名單, in Chinese), fifteen of them when we checked, each with its insurance expiry date; book with one on that list. Its rules say operators must give you a fitted life jacket with a whistle, a safety briefing before you go out, and a qualified open-water lifeguard for every group. Bringing your own board? You need a permit, applied for online 14 to 90 days ahead, for groups of at least two; you can't paddle alone.
Weather and safety
- Boats stop in bad weather. The boat companies may change hours or stop running because of the weather; the notice at the pier is final. In typhoon season, check the Scenic Area's news page and Nantou County's work and school suspension announcements before you set off.
- On board: sit spread out on the seats, don't stand or move about while sailing, stay inside the railings for photos, and don't all crowd to one side. Listen to the life jacket briefing.
- Getting on and off: watch the gap between boat and pier and follow the crew.
- No drinking before paddling, and keep your life jacket fastened the whole time.
Staying over? → Where to stay at Sun Moon Lake · Sun Moon Lake in 2 days · Sun Moon Lake
Sources
Piers, direction, times, how to board, ticket booths, the warning about unofficial sellers and electric boat charters from the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area's transport pages in English and Chinese; fares set by the companies and the lake bus one-day ticket from its FAQ; boarding and water safety from its travel safety page. Kayak and SUP zones, hours and permits from its water activities site, the notice of 21 October 2024, the rules for paddling and rowing and the approved SUP operator list. Packages and prices from the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Nantou packages page and Nantou Bus's Nantou Holiday listing, which also gives the ticket's one-loop terms and weather note. Bus 6669 times from the Nantou Bus lake bus timetable. Ropeway hours as on our Sun Moon Lake page, from Sun Moon Lake Ropeway. Checked November 2026.