The Ultimate Guide to Sun Moon Lake 日月潭極限指南

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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.

Planning your trip to Sun Moon Lake?

Here are some top travel tips for you:

• Best time to visit: Winter or Autumn when it is less rainy
• How to get there: Taiwan Railway and Inter-City Bus
• Best place to stay: Kirin Villa or Jenq Yang Hotspring Hotel
• Book tours and activities at Sun Moon Lake on Klook
• Stay connected with a local SIM
• Rent a car to explore distant sights

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. 
Sun Moon Lake used to be separated by Lalu Island into two main bodies of water, Sun Lake and Moon Lake. These lakes were still technically one lake, but later, with the damming of the lake and raising the water level, the land on Lalu Island, which separated them, was mostly submerged. The reason why these lakes were so named is that one lake was murky and the other was clear. Also, one lake was more round like the sun, and the other lake was 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
Ferry Ride (starting at Shuitou Pier): 300 NT per person. You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here.
Paddle Boat Ride: 300 NT per person
Gondola Ride (Ropeway): 500 NT per person
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village: 980 NT per person. You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here.

Hours:
Scenic Area: 24/7
Parking: 24/7
Ferry Ride (starting at Shuitou Pier): 9 AM to 5 PM. Ferries leave roughly every 30 minutes.
Paddle 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

Cherry Blossoms Season:  Cherry blossoms can be seen in the park from February to late March. Check our our full guide to Cherry Blossom Season in Taiwan here.

Firefly Season:
Firefly season at Sun Moon Lake is from May to June. Check out our firefly season guide here.  
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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.

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:

Check out the places we will cover in this blog above. 

Drone Footage:​

Check out some drone footage of Sun Moon Lake above. 

Aerial 360 view from Ci En Pagoda at Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, Taiwan. This tower provides some of the best views of the lake and in all of Taiwan in my opinion. #慈恩塔 #日月潭 #南投 #台灣 #空拍

Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Monday, October 30, 2023

You can also see a 360 panorama from the lake above. 
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​Our Journey:

In this guide we will cover 15 Places:
​Shuishe Pier 水社碼頭
Shuishe Village 水社村
​Xuanguang Wharf 炫光碼頭
​Ci En Pagoda 慈恩塔
Master Xuan Zang Memorial Hall 玄奘大師紀念館
​Lalu Island魯島Ita Thao Wharf 伊達邵碼頭
Ita Thao Old Street 伊達邵老街
Nine Frogs Stack Statue 九蛙疊像
Sun Moon Lake Ropeway/Gondola Ride 日月潭纜車
Jiuzu Cultural Village 九族文化村
Wenwu Temple 文武廟
Shuishe Dam 水社壩
Xiangshan Visitor Center 日月潭向山行政暨遊客中心
King Garden 元首舘

On our most recent trip, we drove down from Puli to Shuishe Pier (水社碼頭), where we found a sweet deal on a boat ride tickets that included free parking. There are many places that sell ferry tickets on the side of the road or near the pier. Many hostels also sell the tickets. 
You can also find tickets for a discount on Klook here, or tickets that include bicycle rental here. 
You can also buy a Sun Moon Lake combo ticket on Klook here. ​

Shuishe Pier 水社碼頭:

Above is the boat schedule. The first stop being Shuishe, then Xuanguang, and finally Ita Thao, before going back to Shuishe. 

Shuishe Village 水社村 

We headed down the street looking for the boat people in blue vests. There are tons of places to eat and shop along the way. There also seems to the best hotels in this area. ​

The Shuishe Pier is also a great place for wedding photos I guess.

Walking over the the pier. There are quite a few boat companies, but most all of them offer the same price of 300 NT per head. If you go early enough in the morning theoretically you can ride the boats all day until they close after 5 PM.

A family poses for a photo in front of the lake.

Boats and Ci En pagoda in the background.

A view of Wenwu temple from the pier. 

The seating arraignments on the boat. 

Off we go!

Stop 1: Xuanguang Wharf 炫光碼頭

Our first stop was Xuanguang wharf. From here you can see the most expensive hotels on the other side of the lake. Our boat driver said one night there is about 10,000 NT.

Here you can see the beautiful turquoise color of the water in Sun Moon Lake. 

Main pavilion at Xuanguang pier. 

Some aboriginal singers at the pier. 

Lalu Island 拉魯島

From above the hill, you can see Lalu Island, a sacred Island to the Thao Tribe. I thought the boat ride would take us there, but it is off-limits. Check out our full guide to Lalu Island here. ​

I don't know what kind of flower this is, but it made for a nice photo.

​Ci En Pagoda 慈恩塔

If you feel in the mood for a good hike, you can walk up from Xuanguang Peir up to Xuanguang Temple and Ci En Pagoda. Here are some photos I took from a previous trip, in which we drove straight to the pagoda. 

Cien Pagoda is an iconic landmark at Sun Moon Lake that provides amazing views of the surrounding area. The pagoda is just a short hike from the main road. It is a must-see destination for anyone who is coming to Sun Moon Lake. Check out our full guide to Ci En Pagoda here.

This Pagoda was built by Chiang Kai-Shek in 1971 in remembrance of his mother.  

The weather on this December day was amazing. The clouds and sunshine made for some incredible scenery.

Looking down from the top of Ci En Pagoda. There is a bell here that you can ring, but I do not have a photo.

View to the north of Ci En Pagoda. 

View to the West.

View of the mountains to the south.

Another view to the south.

Closeup on Shuishe from the top of the pagoda. 

And then we continued our journey onward. Xuanguang pier was kind of a dud, but Ci En Pagoda is worth visiting.

Closeup on Ci En Tower as seen from the lake.

Master Xuan Zang Memorial Hall 玄奘大師紀念館

Master Xuan Zang memorial hall as seen from the lake.

Master Xuanzang was a Buddhist Monk during the Tang Dynasty who visited India to learn more about Buddhism. His journey was later novelized as Journey to the West.

The entrance of Master Xuan Zang Memorial Hall.

Another view of Wenwu Temple. See below for photos of the inside.

Another boat crusing back to Shuishe Pier.

Two guys fishing on a canoe.

Stop 2: Ita Thao Wharf 伊達邵碼頭

View of Ita Thao Pier with the Ropeway (gondola) in the background.

Closeup on the gondola.

Ita Thao Visitor Center on the pier.

Recently, SUP paddle boards, kayaks, and paddle boats have also been added. You can buy tickets here or for a discount on Klook.

Ita Thao Old Street 伊達邵老街

Ita Thao Old Street (伊達邵老街) is the best place for eating and shopping at Sun Moon Lake. The street includes endless shops and restaurants, with many indigenous Thao themes. At the end of the Old Street, you can find Ita Thao Pier, which includes Ferry rides, SUP and paddle boat experiences, bike rentals, and a bike path that goes to the Statue of Nine Frogs. It is a must-see on your trip to Sun Moon Lake. Check out our full guide to Ita Thao Old Street here. ​

Lots of people enjoying the views from Ita Thao Pier. 

Ita Thao Old Street has many restaurant and souvenir shops, definitely a must see stop for tourists.

There are many shops like this where you can buy traditional aborigine clothing and trinkets.

Also you can try out aborigine food like wild boar meat. 

More aborigine themed trinkets. 

View of Ita Thao Old Street looking toward the lake. This is one of the best old streets in Taiwan in my opinion, so make sure you give yourself lots of time to look around.

From Ita Thao old street you can walk over to the ropeway/gondola. There is a nice boardwalk along the lake connecting the two.

Nine Frogs Stack Statue 九蛙疊像

From Ita Thao, you can also walk or cycle to the Stack of 9 Frogs, which gives visitors an indication of the current water level at Sun Moon Lake. There were three frogs above the water when we visited. Check out our full blog on this spot here.

Here is some drone footage along the boardwalk. Flying drones is restricted near any of the three piers at Sun Moon Lake.

Tree branch in front of the lake.

The lake as seen at dusk.

You can also rent a bike and cycle around the whole lake! You can check out bicycle rental options on Klook here. 

Sun Moon Lake Ropeway/Gondola Ride 日月潭纜車

Ita Thao Pier as seen from the Gondola. The Sun Moon Lake Ropeway or Gondola has perhaps the best views of Sun Moon Lake. Currently, the ride takes you from Ita Thao Pier to Aboriginal Cultural Village Amusement Park. Check out this blog for a virtual tour.

We went to the Gondola on a Monday, but there was still a ton of people there.

Lots of students on a field trip or graduation trip I assume.

People Mountain People Sea.

Finally after half an hour in line we made it!

Riding up the Gondola!

View from a little higher up.

View of the East Side of the lake that appears to be slowly silting in. 
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Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village九族文化村

On the other side of the gondola, you will find yourself at Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village. Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village is Taiwan’s only large Indigenous-themed amusement park. Here you can find roller coasters, dolphin shows, indigenous dances, museums, and more. You can also visit Sun Moon Lake via the Ropeway/Gondola. It is definitely an experience you don’t want to miss. Check out our full blog on this place here. 

I did go into Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village. I did pay the 850 entrance fee. Worth it? Yes!
Sorry for the blurry photos. You'll just have to go there yourself to enjoy it!

You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here. 

Aborigine parade down the streets.

Cherry blossoms near the parking lot.

I guess the northwest Native Americans are also part of Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village?

There are also dolphin shows! I didn't get photos, but the dolphins jumped like 20 feet out of the water.

A child playing in one of the cultural exhibitions. 

A dance show put on at night.

See above for a video of the fire dance!
There are also roller coasters in the park, but I failed to get any photographic evidence of that. If you go though, I promise you will not be disappointed.

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Taking the gondola back. Please forgive the finger. 

Wetlands on the east side of the lake.

I've been on the gondola twice. In the image above, you can see the water level is way lower than at other times. Also on the top right is a fountain of water rushing up. Depending on the time of year they adjust the water levels to make sure there is stable hydro electricity production. 

Rows of gondola cars.

Ci En Pagoda as seen from the gondola.

More stuff you can buy inside after you ride the gondola.

Wenwu Temple 文武廟

Wenwu Temple is not on the Ferry Route, but I am adding it here anyway in case you want to see it on the way in or out of Sun Moon Lake. On the north side of the lake is Wenwu Temple, the biggest temple in the area. You can’t get there by boat, but you can walk or drive.Wenwu temples are Chinese temples that combine deities from literature and war.
This temple has halls dedicated to the God of War, the Warrior God, the God of Literature, and Confucius.
The original temple was built in 1938, as a consolidation of two temples that were flooded after a dam was built on the lake. It was rebuilt and expanded again in 1969 as a tourist destination.
Check out our full blog on Wenwu Temple here. 

View from the front of the temple.

Buddhist images for sale in the temple.

A Chinese soldier mime inside the temple. He looked pretty much like a statue, and scared quite a few people.

Ornate decorations from the temple.

Ci En Pagoda as seen from Wenwu Temple.

Another view of the lake from Wenwu Temple.

Shuishe Dam 水社壩

On the south side of Shuishe, you can find the Shuishe Dam, which was built in 1934 along with Toushe Dam 頭社壩 to control the water level on the lake and make way for hydroelectric power.

People enjoying the bike ride along the dam.

Another photogenic rock placed in front of the lake. 

Autumn leaves near the dam.
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Sun Moon Lake Xiangshan Visitor Center 日月潭向山行政暨遊客中心

After you get back to Shuishe Pier, you can drive or bike over to Sun Moon Lake’s Xiangshan Visitor Center, which is a beautiful piece of architecture, with great views of Sun Moon Lake. With curves and pools inspired by the lake itself, it is a combination of nature and engineering. Lately, it has become a popular tourist destination for Instagrammers. Check out our full blog on this place here.

Dusk falling on Ita Thao pier.

Night scene of Shuishe Pier.

Walking back to the car after a long day on the lake.

King Garden 元首舘

Another place we visited on the way out of Sun Moon Lake was the King Garden (元首舘) which is kind of a quirky castle meant for Taiwanese tourists, with lots of Taiwanese memorabilia in there.

Famous Taiwanese baseball players guarded by golden roman guards?

I got some delicious deep fried ice cream there, which I have not eaten before or since.

The strange hills in Caotun on the way back out of Puli.

​Places and things we missed:

• ​Youth Activity Center 青年活動中心
• Maolanshan Tea Farm 貓囒山茶業改良場
• Maolanshan Trail 貓囒山步道
• Neihushan Trail 內湖山步道​
• Standup Paddleboarding
• Electric Boat, Canoe, and Paddle Board
• Water bike experience
• Ebike Rental 
• Kayaking 

You can find more tours of Nantou on Klook here or KKday here. 

And a ton of other places, including temples, trails, farms, restaurants, etc. You'll have to go exploring and find them yourself!

Check out our full guide to Nantou here.

You can also out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​

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