Sun Moon Lake works as a day trip from Taichung, but a night by the lake makes it a different place. The boats, the ropeway and the temples fill the first day, and on the second you have the bikeway almost to yourself before the first buses from the city arrive. This plan starts and ends in Taichung on bus 6670. → Getting to Sun Moon Lake from Taichung
- Getting there Bus 6670 from Gancheng Station or HSR Taichung Station to Shuishe, NT$193 one way; first bus from Gancheng 07:20
- Getting round Lake boats 09:00 to 17:00, bus 6669, and a bike
- Sleep Shuishe or Ita Thao, booked ahead for weekends
- Last bus home 19:25 from Sun Moon Lake
Before you go
- Book your bed. Weekends and festival dates fill up. Stay in Shuishe for an easy start on the bike, or in Ita Thao, the Thao village, with its food stalls and the ropeway close by. → Where to stay at Sun Moon Lake
- Book a bike if you want a road bike or e-bike. Giant's station at Shuishe is closed on Thursdays, so don't plan day two for a Thursday, or rent from the Xiangshan shop instead. → Cycling Sun Moon Lake
- Check the notices. Boats stop in strong wind, the ropeway closes for maintenance (usually the first Wednesday of the month), and fireworks nights bring traffic controls round the lake.
Day 1: boats, temples and the ropeway
- Morning: an early 6670 from Gancheng or the high speed rail station to Shuishe (水社). Leave your bags at your hotel if it will hold them, and buy a boat ticket at the official booth at Shuishe Pier. The standard ticket covers one loop round the lake, boarding once at each pier. → Sun Moon Lake boats
- Late morning: the boat to Xuanguang Temple (玄光寺). Walk the 560-meter Qinglong trail up to Xuanzang Temple (玄奘寺), then back down for the next boat.
- Lunch: the boat on to Ita Thao (伊達邵), the Thao village, for lunch. → The best restaurants at Sun Moon Lake
- Afternoon: walk the flat lakeside trail from Ita Thao to the ropeway station and ride up for the views (10:30 to 16:00 on weekdays, 10:00 to 16:30 on holidays). With children, give the afternoon to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village at the top. Then the boat back to Shuishe before the last sailing at 17:00.
- Evening: dinner in Shuishe or Ita Thao, and an early night.
Day 2: the bikeway, then temples or tea
- Early morning: Giant's Shuishe station opens at 07:00 (06:00 from May to October). Ride the easy Xiangshan section along the shore and over the water bikeway to the Xiangshan Visitor Center (向山遊客中心), about 3.4 kilometers and 30 minutes each way. The visitor center opens at 09:00; walk up its grass roof before riding back. Strong riders can take the full 30-kilometer lap instead, best on an e-bike.
- Late morning: bus 6669 to Wenwu Temple (文武廟) and the Year of Steps down to the water, or to the Ci'en Pagoda (慈恩塔) stop and the 700-meter forest path up to the pagoda (09:00 to 16:30).
- Afternoon: a taxi from Shuishe to the Sun Moon Lake Old Tea Factory (日月老茶廠) for Yuchi black tea and the old machines (08:00 to 17:00), then the 6670 back to Taichung. The last bus leaves at 19:25.
Prefer to walk? Swap the bike for the Hanbi Trail from Shuishe or the Maolan Mountain Trail through the tea fields. → Things to do at Sun Moon Lake
Going on from the lake
You don't have to go back to Taichung. Bus 6801 runs from Sun Moon Lake to Xitou's forest for NT$185, and some 6670 runs pass through Puli, the change for Cingjing. → Xitou · Taichung as a base for central Taiwan
Good to know: a rainy or windy day is the one to spend on the temples and tea, which you can reach by bus and taxi, and keep the bike and the boats for the better day.
Sources
Bus 6670 times and fares, boat hours and tickets, ropeway hours, bike rental hours, bikeway distances, opening hours and the 6801 fare are taken from our pages on Sun Moon Lake, the boats, cycling, things to do and central Taiwan, where each is sourced from the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area, Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, Giant Adventure and the sites themselves. Checked November 2026.