Sun Moon Lake is a beautiful scenic area in Taiwan and a popular tourist destination. Besides the lakeside scenery, one can also enjoy boat rides, Taiwanese street food, gift shops, temples, a gondola, aborigine theme park, and more. It is for sure a must-see destination for anyone coming to vacation in Taiwan.

We have visited Sun Moon Lake a total of 6 times over 7 years, using 3 different cameras and 3 cell phone cameras, in luckily mostly good weather. In the blog below I will stitch together all of these trips in a way that hopefully makes sense. It may not be the most ultimate guide ever but it has most of the major sites in it.

Background:
Sun Moon Lake (aka Zintun in local Thao language) is the largest natural lake in Taiwan and home of the aboriginal Thao tribe. According to legend, a white deer led the tribe to the lake, and is now trapped in a marble stone on Lalu Island, which is sacred ground to them. 
The name "Sun Moon Lake" comes from the different colors of the water in the lake, some of it being murky and on other parts of the lake, clear. Another account says that the name comes from parts of the lake being round like the sun, and other parts of the lake being curved like the moon. 
The first hydroelectric plant was built on the lake in 1919 by the Japanese, which was later taken over by the ROC government. The hydroelectric power is part of a system of hdro power plants running from Wushe to Sun Moon Lake down to Shuili Township, and includes at least 8 plants.
Sun Moon Lake Scenic area was created in 2000. The lake attracts visitors from around the world from year round for its beauty and surrounding sights, and is also known for the annual Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival which thousands of people attend each year.

Price:
Scenic Area Entrance: Free
Parking: Around 100 NT per day for cars
Boat Ride: 300 NT per person
Gondola Ride (Ropeway): 300 NT per person
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village: 850 NT per person. You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here. 

Hours:
Scenic Area: 24/7
Parking: 24/7
Boat Ride: roughly 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM every day
Gondola Ride: 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM every day
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village: 9:30 AM- 5 PM every day

Tours: 
​There are many tours and activities available at Sun Moon Lake such as SUP / standup Paddleboarding, Electric Boating, Canoeing, and Paddle Boarding, Water bike experience, Ebike Rental and Kayaking 
You can find more tours of Nantou on Klook here or KKday here. 

Accommodation:
We have stayed at and recommend Kirin Villa (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), a mountain resort in Puli near Sun Moon Lake. 
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  

How to Get There:
Bus: There are buses (Ubus/Kbus/etc) that leave all day from Taichung Station. You can book tickets to travel to Nantou via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
You can book tickets to Taichung via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here, then switch to a bus to Nantou. 
By Car/Scooter: Take National Highway 6 from Taichung up to Puli, and then follow the signs on highway 21 down to Sun Moon Lake. You can also take a car/scooter up highway 21 up from Shuili Township further south. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. Looking for scooter rental in Nantou? Search Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
Boat: You can circle the lake via three spots: Shuise Pier, Xuanguang Pier, and Ita Thao Pier.
Bicycle Rental: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 

Map: Please see below:

Nantou lies at the heart of Taiwan and is it's only landlocked county. It is known for its rugged natural landscapes and mountains, and includes the highest mountain in East Asia. If you come to Taiwan you should definitely pass through this place and stop by at some of the sights we will mention below.

How to get around Nantou:
As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. However, you can also a great deal of Miaoli by taking the train to Taichung then switching to inter-city bus, or local bus. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county. 
Scooter Rental: Looking for scooter rental in Nantou? Search Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
Car Rental: If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. 
By Bus: You can book tickets to travel to Nantou via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
You can book tickets to Taichung via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here, then switch to a bus to Nantou. 
Bicycle Rental: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

Tours: 
​There are many tours and activities available in Nantou such as river Tracing, paragliding, Shanlinxi Forest Recreation Area 杉林溪, Cona's Chocolate Castle, Shuiyuan Suspension Bridge, JOJOZOO Park, and Aowanda Forest Recreation Area.
You can find more tours of Nantou on Klook here or KKday here. 

Accommodation:
We have stayed at and recommend Jenq Yang Hotspring Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Trip.com here, or Klook here), a hot spring hotel near the mystical Lushan hot spring, and Maple Leaf Holiday Villa (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia.com here, Trip.com here, or Klook here), a lodge with a great view and within walking distance of Cingjing Farm. I also have stayed at and recommend Kirin Villa (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), a mountain resort in Puli near Sun Moon Lake. 
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  

Map:
​​Below is a map of these sites: