Stay the night if you can. A day trip from Taichung gives you the lake between the first bus and the last boat; a night at the lake gives you the water at dawn, before the tour buses arrive, and a quiet shore after the day-trippers leave. The short answer on where: Shuishe (水社) for the bus, the boats and the most choice, or Ita Thao (伊達邵) for the Thao village streets and the ropeway. Both have big hotels and small family-run B&Bs (民宿), and every place on this page is on the Tourism Administration's register of licensed lodging.
Getting to the lake is on our main page. → Getting to Sun Moon Lake from Taichung · Sun Moon Lake in 2 days
At a glance
| Area | Best for | Getting around |
|---|---|---|
| Shuishe | First visits, arriving by bus, the most hotels and restaurants | Bus 6670 stops here; Shuishe Pier boats; bus 6669 starts here |
| Ita Thao | Evenings in the Thao village streets, the ropeway | Ita Thao Pier boats; bus 6669 (Ita Thao stop) |
| Quieter shores and inland | A calm night, cycling, tea country | Walk or bike to Shuishe; local shuttles; a car or taxi helps |
| Puli | A town base for a wider trip round Nantou | Some 6670 runs and the Puli to Sun Moon Lake shuttle |
The areas
Shuishe
The practical choice. Bus 6670 from Taichung ends at the Sun Moon Lake stop in Shuishe, the lake boats leave from Shuishe Pier, and bus 6669 round the lake starts here. Shuishe is the lake's busiest stretch of hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and shops, and the Hanbi Peninsula (涵碧半島) with the grandest hotels is at its edge. Stay here if you are arriving and leaving by bus, or want the widest choice.
Getting around: 6670 to Taichung; 6669 round the lake; boats from Shuishe Pier to Xuanguang Temple and Ita Thao.
Ita Thao
Ita Thao, on the far shore, was the main home of the Thao (邵族), Sun Moon Lake's Indigenous people, and is now the lake's other lively center: a few streets of gift shops, B&Bs, restaurants and snack stalls, with Thao and mountain food such as wild boar sausage and bamboo tube rice. The scenic area keeps the outdoor streets open round the clock, and each shop sets its own hours. The ropeway station by the Youth Activity Center is close by, and Ita Thao Pier is in the middle of it all.
Getting around: boats from Ita Thao Pier; 6669 to Shuishe and Xuanguang Temple. There is no direct bus to Taichung: change to 6670 at Shuishe.
Quieter shores and inland
For a slower stay, look a little away from the two centers. West of Shuishe, the lakeside bikeway runs about 3.4 km to the Xiangshan Visitor Center (向山遊客中心), and Sun Moon Lake Hotel (below) stands beside it. South of the lake, the farming basin of Toushe (頭社) has small B&Bs, reached by the Sun Moon Lake to Xiangshan to Checheng shuttle (about every 80 minutes, NT$100 for a day ticket). Inland, the tea country round Yuchi town (魚池) has B&Bs among the tea fields. You trade the view of the water from your door for quiet, and evenings out mean a car or a taxi.
Getting around: Bike or on foot along the bikeway to Shuishe; the Xiangshan to Checheng shuttle; Taxi for the inland B&Bs.
Puli
Puli (埔里) is the nearest full-size town, north of the lake. It makes sense if Sun Moon Lake is one stop on a longer trip round Nantou, or if the lake is full. Some 6670 runs from Taichung go via Puli (6670A and D), and the Puli to Sun Moon Lake to Shuili shuttle leaves Puli about hourly from 06:00 to 17:00. You lose the lake at dawn, which is the main reason to stay over.
Getting around: 6670A/D and the Puli to Sun Moon Lake shuttle.
Good to know: the boats stop at 17:00, and the last bus 6669 leaves Ita Thao for Shuishe at 18:10. If you sleep in Shuishe and eat dinner in Ita Thao, or the other way round, plan on a taxi back, or eat where you sleep.
Hotels
Six well-known hotels round the lake, from the famous to the practical. All six hold a current licence on the Tourism Administration's lodging register. Where we give a star rating, it is the Tourism Administration's own star rating. We don't give prices: they change with the season and the day of the week, so check the hotel's own site.
The Lalu (涵碧樓)
The Lalu is the lake's most famous hotel, on the Hanbi Peninsula beside Shuishe. The site has a long history: a Japanese-era lodge built here in 1901 hosted Crown Prince Hirohito in 1923, and after 1949 it became Chiang Kai-shek's lakeside residence. Today's hotel is a calm, minimalist building known for its views and its 60 meter infinity pool, designed by the architect Kerry Hill to seem to flow into the lake.
- Area Hanbi Peninsula, Shuishe
- Known for Lake views, the 60 meter infinity pool, the spa
- Licence International tourist hotel, 交觀業字第1051號; five stars
- Getting there Free pickup from the Shuishe bus terminal for guests who ask when booking; a paid shuttle from the high speed rail station (book 48 hours ahead)
- Book The hotel's own site, or call +886 49 285 6888
- Google rating 4.4 from 5,818 reviews
Grand Hilai Sun Moon Lake (漢來日月行館)
Next door on the highest point of the Hanbi Peninsula, Grand Hilai Sun Moon Lake is the former The Wen Wan Resort (日月行館), rebuilt by the Hi-Lai group and reopened for trial operation on 1 November 2024. All 93 rooms look over the lake, each with its own hot spring tub fed by water from 1,600 meters down, and there is an infinity pool on the roof. You may still see the old name on booking sites and older maps.
- Area Hanbi Peninsula, Shuishe
- Known for 270 degree lake views, in-room hot spring tubs, the rooftop infinity pool
- Licence International tourist hotel, 交觀宿字第1577號
- Getting there Taxi from the Sun Moon Lake bus stop in Shuishe, or ask the hotel about pickup
- Book The hotel's own site, or call +886 49 221 2188
- Google rating 4.7 from 926 reviews
Fleur de Chine (雲品溫泉酒店)
Fleur de Chine is a large hot spring hotel in Shuishe. Its 207 rooms all have big windows and a balcony, with a private marble tub for the hot spring water, a clear, odorless bicarbonate spring. It has a pool, a spa and a children's play area, and the hotel pitches itself at families.
- Area Shuishe
- Known for In-room hot spring tubs, lake-view balconies, family facilities
- Licence International tourist hotel, 交觀宿字第1611號; five stars
- Getting there Taxi from the Sun Moon Lake bus stop in Shuishe, or the hotel's high speed rail shuttle (book by 18:00 the day before)
- Book The hotel's own site, or call +886 49 285 6788
- Google rating 4.7 from 23,259 reviews
Hotel Del Lago (大淶閣飯店)
For location, Hotel Del Lago is hard to beat: it sits beside Shuishe Pier, about three minutes on foot from the bus. Its back faces the lake, and most room types have a lake view and a balcony; a few cheaper rooms face the street, so check which you are booking.
- Area Shuishe, by the pier
- Known for The location, lake-view balconies
- Licence Hotel, 南投縣旅館070號
- Getting there About 3 minutes' walk from the Sun Moon Lake bus stop; parking is limited and can't be reserved, with a paid lot nearby
- Book The hotel's own site, or call +886 49 285 6688
- Google rating 4.1 from 3,148 reviews
Wyndham Sun Moon Lake (日月潭力麗溫德姆溫泉酒店)
The big hotel on the Ita Thao side. Wyndham Sun Moon Lake has 197 rooms, each with its own hot spring bath, plus a hot spring spa and an outdoor pool. It suits anyone who wants Ita Thao's evenings with a full-service hotel, and its free shuttle from the high speed rail station saves the change of bus.
- Area Ita Thao
- Known for In-room hot spring baths, the hot spring spa, the free HSR shuttle
- Licence Tourist hotel, 交觀宿字第1596號; five stars
- Getting there 6670 to Shuishe, then 6669 to Ita Thao; or the free hotel shuttle from HSR Taichung Station, Exit 6, at 14:00 (book by 18:00 the day before)
- Book The hotel's own site, or call +886 49 285 0085
- Google rating 4.5 from 2,723 reviews
Sun Moon Lake Hotel (日月潭大飯店)
A quieter choice west of Shuishe. Sun Moon Lake Hotel stands on the lakeshore beside the bikeway toward Xiangshan, with 106 rooms, many of them facing the lake, a garden on the water and bikes to rent. It is a good base for an early ride before the path gets busy.
- Area West of Shuishe, on the bikeway toward Xiangshan
- Known for The lakeside bikeway at the door, lake-view rooms
- Licence Hotel, 南投縣旅館088號
- Getting there A walk or bike ride along the lakeside path from Shuishe, or a Taxi from the Sun Moon Lake bus stop
- Book The hotel's own site, or call +886 49 285 5511
- Google rating 4.3 from 4,374 reviews
B&Bs (民宿)
Much of the lake's lodging is small and family run. A minsu (民宿) is a B&B in the legal sense: under the Development of Tourism Act it is a home-based family side business, run in the owner's own house, and it must be registered with the county before it takes guests. B&Bs are small by law, usually eight rooms or fewer (up to 15 in scenic and Indigenous areas), so you deal with the owners, not a front desk. Many serve breakfast, some don't, and most take bookings by phone, LINE or their own website as well as on the booking platforms. Yuchi Township, which takes in the whole lake, has more than 200 registered B&Bs.
Six licensed B&Bs that come up again and again in Taiwanese travel coverage:
Doris Home (朵麗絲的家)
Doris Home is the cat B&B: the owners' cats wander the building, and some rooms have cat trees and take guests' own pets. It is on a quiet lane in Shuishe and was a nominee in TVBS SuperTaste's 2025 lodging awards. It does not take children under 13.
- Area Shuishe, about 5 minutes' walk from the visitor center and 10 from the pier
- Stands out Cats, design-led rooms, pet-friendly rooms
- Licence 南投縣民宿681號
- Book Own site, phone +886 49 285 5221, LINE, Agoda or Booking.com
- Google rating 4.9 from 1,048 reviews
Mei Jen House (日月潭美真舘)
Mei Jen House is about a minute's walk from Shuishe Pier, with check-in at its reception on Zhongshan Road near the bus stop. It is the B&B for a stay without a car: it has no parking of its own. It asks that guests be 12 or older, so check when you book.
- Area Shuishe, about 1 minute from the pier
- Stands out The location; easy without a car
- Licence 南投縣民宿887號
- Book Phone +886 49 285 6511 or the own site
- Google rating 4.6 from 251 reviews
Laurel Villa (桂月村)
Laurel Villa is on Mingsheng Street near Shuishe Pier. It serves simple, wholesome food and runs an early-morning bike ride to catch the sunrise on the lake, which is exactly the reason to stay over. It says booking on its own site costs less than on the booking platforms.
- Area Shuishe, near the pier
- Stands out The sunrise bike ride
- Licence 南投縣民宿174號
- Book Own site, phone or LINE +886 919 314 119
- Google rating 4.5 from 620 reviews
HuYue Lake View Hotel (湖悅景觀旅店)
Despite the name, HuYue is a registered B&B, on the lakefront a few steps from Ita Thao Pier and a few minutes' walk from the ropeway. Most rooms have a balcony with a wide view of the lake, there is a lift, and a simple breakfast is included with most room types, served in a top-floor room over the water.
- Area Ita Thao, by the pier
- Stands out Lake-view balconies, the rooftop breakfast room
- Licence 南投縣民宿502號
- Book Own site, phone +886 49 285 0002, LINE @huyue502
- Google rating 4.4 from 1,025 reviews
Miller Home (米樂民宿)
Miller Home is a small B&B in the streets of Ita Thao, with country-style double and family rooms. It also arranges sunrise and sunset stand-up paddleboarding on the lake.
- Area Ita Thao village
- Stands out Small and homely; sunrise paddleboarding
- Licence 南投縣民宿587號
- Book Own site, or phone +886 49 285 0625 (09:00 to 21:00)
- Google rating 4.7 from 318 reviews
Secret Garden Design Villa (秘密花園設計villa)
For the inland tea country, Secret Garden Design Villa is one of the lake area's longest-running B&Bs, nearly 30 years old according to TVBS SuperTaste. It sits in woodland near Taiwan Adventist College, with glass-walled buildings, views over tea fields and a glass breakfast room. You will want a car or a taxi.
- Area Inland Yuchi, near Taiwan Adventist College (三育基督學院)
- Stands out The forest setting and design, quiet
- Licence 南投縣民宿456號
- Getting there Taxi from Shuishe
- Book Phone +886 49 289 7801 (the number on the lodging register), or the booking platforms; address 魚池鄉瓊文巷39-11號
- Google rating 4.9 from 237 reviews
Airbnb and unlicensed rooms
Taiwan's rule is simple. Under the Development of Tourism Act (發展觀光條例), anyone who rents rooms to travelers has to be a registered hotel (旅館) or a registered B&B (民宿), with a registration certificate and an official lodging mark from the local government, before taking a single guest. Renting out a flat or a spare room without one is not legal, however it is listed.
That doesn't make Airbnb off limits. A licensed B&B or hotel can list on Airbnb, Booking.com or Agoda like anyone else; Doris Home above, for one, is on Agoda and Booking.com. The question is not where you found the room but whether the place is registered. The Tourism Administration still counted 106 unregistered B&Bs in Nantou County in the first quarter of 2026, so it is worth a quick check.
How to check a place
- Look it up. Search the name on Taiwan Stay (台灣旅宿網), the Tourism Administration's list of every licensed hotel and B&B in Taiwan. It has an English option in its language menu.
- Ask for the number. Every licensed place has a registration number. A Nantou B&B looks like 南投縣民宿887號 (Nantou County B&B No. 887), a hotel like 南投縣旅館070號, and a tourist hotel like 交觀宿字第1611號. Many put it on their website; if a listing can't give you one, ask why.
- Look for the mark. The law requires registered hotels and B&Bs to display the official lodging mark issued by the government.
Why it matters
Registration is not paperwork for its own sake. A registered hotel or B&B must carry liability insurance, and B&Bs have to meet building and fire safety standards set under the Act before they are registered. An unregistered room has had no such check. Since April 2025 the fines have been steep: NT$100,000 to NT$2,000,000 for an unlicensed hotel, NT$100,000 to NT$1,000,000 for an unregistered B&B, and up to NT$1,500,000 for advertising one online. That is the operator's problem, not yours, but a place that gets shut down can cancel your booking at short notice.
Booking tips
- Book early for weekends and holidays. Saturdays, long weekends and Lunar New Year fill the lake. So do event days: the Sun Moon Lake swim in September (20 September in 2026) and the autumn fireworks nights. On Saturday 14 November 2026 a fireworks concert brings parking bans and traffic controls round the lake from 08:00 to 23:00.
- Plan dinner. The boats stop at 17:00 and bus 6669 stops running at about 18:00, and each shop and restaurant sets its own hours, so book a hotel with a restaurant or eat close to where you sleep. → Where to eat at Sun Moon Lake
- Check breakfast. Some rates include it, some don't, and at a few places it depends on the room type.
- Driving? Ask about parking when you book. Several Shuishe and Ita Thao places have only a few spaces, first come first served, or send you to a paid public lot.
- Ask about shuttles. Some of the big hotels run their own shuttle from HSR Taichung Station, but you usually have to book it the day before.
- Lake view or not. "Lake view" can mean a balcony over the water or a glimpse between buildings. Read the room type, not just the hotel name.
Our pick
For a first night at the lake without a car, stay in Shuishe, close to the bus and Shuishe Pier, so the morning boat and the bus home are a short walk away. If evenings matter more than an early bus, stay in Ita Thao. Either way, set an alarm: the lake before 07:00 is the reason to be here.
Next: → Things to do at Sun Moon Lake · The lake boats · Cycling round the lake · Where to stay in Taichung
Sources
Licences, lodging classes, star ratings, room counts and addresses for every hotel and B&B from the Tourism Administration's lodging open data (旅館民宿 dataset, updated 3 November 2026) and Taiwan Stay; The Lalu's history from its entry there. Hotel details from the hotels' own sites: The Lalu (shuttles), Grand Hilai, Fleur de Chine, Hotel Del Lago, Wyndham Sun Moon Lake (transport and shuttle) and Sun Moon Lake Hotel. The Lalu's pool from China Times; Grand Hilai's history and reopening from TVBS SuperTaste. B&B details from their own sites (linked above) and TVBS SuperTaste on Doris Home and Secret Garden Design Villa. Ita Thao from the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area's Ita Thao page; boats, bus 6669 and the Puli and Toushe shuttles from its Traffic in the Area page; the fireworks traffic controls from its notice. The law from the Development of Tourism Act (Articles 2, 24, 25, 31, 41, 55 and 55-1) and the B&B Management Regulations (Article 4, size limits); the fines as amended on 2 April 2025 from the Act's amendment history; unregistered B&Bs in Nantou from PTS News (April 2026). The 2026 swim date from Money Weekly. Checked November 2026.