Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Taiwan Round the Island: Taipei, Taroko, Tainan, Sun Moon Lake
A proposed 10-day loop by rail and road: Taipei, the Hualien coast and whatever Taroko has open, the East Rift Valley, Tainan and Sun Moon Lake.
10 days · Round trip from Taipei · up to 12 guests
Sun Moon Lake, photographed in August 2010; not a winter scene Photo: lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons, resized
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Taipei
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Plan for an estimated 4 to 8 km of walking on sightseeing days, with steps, hills and heat or damp, plus an estimated two hours of easy cycling on flat paths at Chishang and Sun Moon Lake. Days 7 and 9 are long rail-and-road days. Shorter-walk suggestions are not step-free alternatives; suitability, transport and extra costs need checking before booking. Transfer times are estimates pending the final route and suppliers.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners
- Season
- Cooler months
Highlights
Why this trip
- Taipei's National Palace Museum and a night market
- Jiufen's stepped lanes and a ride on the Pingxi railway line
- A train down the east coast to Hualien
- Taroko National Park, on the trails and areas the park has open
- Chishang's rice fields by bicycle, depending on the crop cycle
- Tainan, the old capital, with its temples, Chihkan Tower and snack streets
- Sun Moon Lake by bike or boat, in tea country but not at Alishan
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Taipei
Taoyuan Airport (TPE) to your hotel in Taipei
- Dinner
- Stay in Taipei
Fly into Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). A transfer is proposed from arrivals to a central Taipei hotel; we confirm the method and time with the supplier. If you land early, ask the hotel whether bags can be held (not assumed), then wander toward a neighbourhood teahouse or a covered market.
Evening
In the early evening a guide is proposed to meet the group for a short briefing on the ten days: the order of rail and road legs, which are long days, how to treat the Taroko trail closures, what to pack for damp days and warm ones. We then walk to a welcome dinner of Taiwanese dishes nearby, perhaps beef noodle soup or a table of small plates. Tomorrow begins with the Palace Museum, so tonight is for resting after the journey. No flights or rail seats are booked yet.
Included
- Proposed airport transfer
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Palace Museum and a night market
Taipei: National Palace Museum, then an evening night market
- Breakfast
- Stay in Taipei
Morning
We plan to visit the National Palace Museum in the morning, with its collection of imperial Chinese art that came to Taiwan in the late 1940s. The museum's own site lists opening Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00, with ticket sales until 16:30, and Mondays closed apart from a published list of special opening days, so this day is fixed to a day it is open once dates are set. The guide chooses a few pieces to look at slowly rather than racing through every gallery.
Afternoon
Lunch is free, perhaps in a lane near Shilin. In the afternoon you can browse Taipei's neighbourhoods, ride the MRT, climb the Elephant Mountain trail for a skyline view if the weather is clear, or rest.
Evening
In the evening we go together to a night market, such as Shilin or Raohe, to taste street food. Taipei in cooler months can be damp, so a compact umbrella is advised.
Included
- National Palace Museum visit, subject to ticketing
- Night market visit with your guide
Optional experiences
- A guided tea tasting; Taipei 101 observatory, cost not included
Easier option: Skip the hill walk; taxi use is unconfirmed, may cost extra and is not included
More active option: Climb the Elephant Mountain trail for the skyline view
Free time: Free afternoon
Jiufen and the Pingxi line
Taipei: Jiufen lanes, then the Pingxi railway line
- Breakfast
- Stay in Taipei
- By train
Today is a day trip out of Taipei. We go to Jiufen, a former gold-mining village that climbs a hillside in narrow stepped lanes lined with teahouses and snack stalls, often wrapped in fog or drizzle.
Afternoon
In the afternoon we reach the Pingxi line, a short branch railway where the tracks run between shopfronts. Releasing paper lanterns here is regulated by New Taipei City and the rules on where and when it is allowed have changed, so we do not promise a lantern release; if it is permitted on the day, you may choose to take part, at your own cost.
Evening
We return to Taipei in the evening and the night is free. The lanes involve many steps and can be slippery; the guide decides on the day if heavy rain or fog changes the plan.
Included
- Jiufen walk with your guide
- Pingxi line visit
Optional experiences
- Lantern release where permitted on the day, cost not included
Easier option: Remain on the lower lanes at Jiufen; Any vehicle or taxi help is unconfirmed, may cost extra and is not included.
More active option: Walk further along the Pingxi trails
Free time: Free evening in Taipei
Activity: Lantern rules and weather may change the plan
By train to Hualien
Taipei to Hualien by train, then the coast at Hualien
- Breakfast
- Stay in Hualien
- By train
Morning
After breakfast we take a train south and east along the Pacific coast to Hualien. Express trains on this line normally require reserved seats; Taiwan Railway's booking window opens 28 days before travel, so seats will be ticketed once dates are agreed; the journey is roughly two to three hours depending on the service and is confirmed against the timetable at that point. The coast between the cliffs and the sea is the scenic part. We check in, then walk by the Pacific near Hualien or drive to a viewpoint, and the guide introduces tomorrow's Taroko day, including what the park has open after the April 2024 earthquake. Hualien county was the area most affected by that earthquake, so we stay attentive to local conditions.
Evening
The evening is free for a night market and seafood. Train times are estimates and the east coast line can be disrupted by weather.
Included
- Train Taipei to Hualien, seat reservation to be ticketed
- Coast walk at Hualien
Easier option: Shorten the beach walk; Any vehicle or taxi help is unconfirmed, may cost extra and is not included.
Free time: Free evening in Hualien
Taroko National Park
Hualien: Taroko National Park, or an east-coast day if the park is closed
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Hualien
Taroko Gorge is the reason most visitors come to Hualien, with marble canyon walls above the Liwu river, but it is still recovering from the April 2024 earthquake. The park's own status page, read on 8 November 2026, listed most gorge trails as closed, gorge buses as suspended, and the Taroko Visitor Center area, Tianxiang area and part of Lushui as open.
Evening
Provincial Highway 8 runs under convoy release times with a night closure from 18:30, so the day is built around the park's timetable. We therefore plan the day on whatever the park has open when we go, which may mean a short walk from the visitor centre, the Tianxiang area and a viewpoint stop, and the guide decides on the day. If the park or the highway is closed, we substitute an east-coast day around Hualien instead, with the details agreed in the written quote. Lunch is free. We return to Hualien in the late afternoon for a group dinner.
Included
- Taroko day with your guide on whatever the park has open, or an east-coast alternative
- Group dinner in Hualien
Optional experiences
- A river rafting or cycling outing, cost not included
Easier option: Choose the viewpoints and shorter walks the guide judges suitable; vehicle access is subject to park rules
More active option: Take a longer open walk where the park permits
Free time: Free lunch
Activity: Park and highway status changes; confirmed with the park before each departure
East Rift Valley and Chishang
Hualien to Chishang by train, then rice fields by bicycle
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chishang
- By train
We take a train south from Hualien along the East Rift Valley, a long, narrow plain between two mountain ranges, to Chishang, a small town known for its rice. We estimate about two hours on the train and confirm it.
Afternoon
After a lunch stop we spend the afternoon cycling flat paths through the rice paddies. The look of the fields depends on the crop cycle: green in growth, gold near harvest and bare after it, and we do not promise any one of these on your dates.
Evening
We stay in or near Chishang, in a small hotel of a kind to be chosen, and the evening is quiet by design. This is a gentle day with little walking, but the bicycles require balance and a helmet. Tomorrow is a long rail day south to Tainan.
Included
- Train Hualien to Chishang, seat reservation to be ticketed
- Cycling in the rice fields with your guide
- Lunch stop
Easier option: Ride at a gentle pace; electric bicycles or a following vehicle are unconfirmed, may cost extra and are not included
Free time: Quiet evening
Activity: Crop appearance varies by season
South by rail to Tainan
Chishang to Tainan by rail via Taitung and Kaohsiung, with a change
- Breakfast
- Stay in Tainan
- By train
This is a long rail day, an estimated four to five hours depending on the connections, from Chishang south through Taitung, over the south link to Kaohsiung and on to Tainan, with at least one change likely. Seats and the exact route are to be ticketed and confirmed, and the south link can be affected by weather.
Evening
We keep Kaohsiung only as a transit point where a change or a short stop may be needed; we did not allocate a night there or at Kenting, since a night would add a day. We arrive in Tainan in the late afternoon, and check in. The evening is free for the snack streets near the old centre: danzai noodles, oyster vermicelli, shrimp rolls. Tainan is the island's old capital and its slower pace is the point of coming. We do not promise exact train times; if the connections prove impractical we may replace the rail with a road transfer.
Included
- Rail Chishang to Tainan, routing and seats to be confirmed
Free time: Free evening in Tainan
Activity: Connections not yet checked
Tainan temples and old streets
Tainan: temples, fort and old lanes
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Tainan
Today is Tainan on foot and by taxi. We plan to visit a handful of the old city's temples, such as the Confucius Temple and a Mazu temple, to see the incense, carved roofs and local ritual, and to see two historic forts. The official Tainan tourism site lists Chihkan Tower open daily from 08:30 to 21:30, though that listing may date from 2024, and both forts keep daily opening hours that we check before travel. The guide explains how Tainan was the capital under successive rulers.
Afternoon
Lunch is free, and we suggest sampling at a few stalls rather than one restaurant. In the afternoon you may rest or walk the old lanes of Shennong Street.
Evening
We share dinner at a local restaurant. Tainan's night markets run only on certain days of the week, so any market visit depends on the day and is checked when dates are set. Temple etiquette applies: modest clothes and quiet during ceremonies.
Included
- Tainan temple and old-town walk with your guide
- Group dinner
Optional experiences
- A night market visit on a day one is running, cost not included; fort entry fees, not included
Easier option: Visit fewer temples; Any vehicle or taxi help is unconfirmed, may cost extra and is not included.
More active option: Walk the old lanes in the afternoon
Free time: Free lunch and afternoon
Sun Moon Lake
Tainan to Sun Moon Lake by high-speed rail and road
- Breakfast
- Stay in Sun Moon Lake
- By train
We leave Tainan for Sun Moon Lake, in the central mountains, travelling by high-speed rail to Taichung and then by road; we estimate roughly two and a half to three and a half hours in total and confirm it once seats are ticketed. This stop is in tea country, but not Alishan, which is a separate mountain area not on this route. Sun Moon Lake is known for black tea, and a tasting is proposed, subject to availability.
Afternoon
In the afternoon you can cycle a flat lakeside path or take a boat on the lake; both are proposed and neither is booked, and boat piers close in bad weather. The official scenic area site lists Ci'en Pagoda open from 09:00 to 16:30, so a late arrival may mean seeing it the next morning instead. The lake is high, so evenings are cool.
Evening
Dinner is free. Mist may hide the far shore, and a popular lake can be busy.
Included
- High-speed rail Tainan to Taichung, seats planned
- Road transfer to Sun Moon Lake
- Tea tasting, subject to availability
Optional experiences
- A lake boat ride or a bicycle hire, cost not included
Easier option: Take the optional lake boat (cost not included, availability unconfirmed) instead of cycling
More active option: Cycle a longer section of the lakeside path
Free time: Free evening
Return to Taipei and departure
Sun Moon Lake to Taoyuan Airport (TPE) via Taichung and high-speed rail
- Breakfast
- By train
Morning
After breakfast we leave Sun Moon Lake by road to Taichung and take the high-speed railway north toward Taipei and Taoyuan, an estimated three to four hours in total with connections, and continue to the airport. If time allows before leaving, a short stop at Ci'en Pagoda, listed open from 09:00, is possible.
Evening
We do not set a default flight deadline; because of the journey we recommend an afternoon or evening flight, or an added night in Taipei, which is not included. The trip ends at Taoyuan Airport or at a Taipei hotel of your choice. We do not promise arrival times: weather or rail delays can lengthen the journey, and tickets are not yet booked. This proposal ends here, with no overnight on day 10.
Included
- Road transfer and high-speed rail seat, proposed
Free time: Free until your departure
- Taipei3 nights
- Hualien2 nights
- Chishang1 night
- Tainan2 nights
- Sun Moon Lake1 night
- Taipeiend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: From October to April, Taipei and the north are often cool and damp, Hualien can be wet, and Tainan and the south are warmer and drier. Typhoons are mainly a June to October risk but can still affect early departures; rain can close mountain roads and trails at short notice.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-time visitors who want the whole island by rail
- Food-focused travellers
- People comfortable with trains and a few long travel days
- Solo travellers, who can ask for a single-room quote
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: stairs, temples, lanes and boats are part of the plan
- Travellers expecting the classic Taroko gorge walks: several remain closed
- Travellers wanting a confirmed departure now: this itinerary is in development
- Anyone who dislikes long train days
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Taipei3 nights
- Hualien2 nights
- Chishang1 night
- Tainan2 nights
- Sun Moon Lake1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights in hotels (a comfortable standard, to be confirmed): 3 in Taipei, 2 in Hualien, 1 in Chishang, 2 in Tainan, 1 at Sun Moon Lake
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Hotels named only once confirmed
Transport
- Proposed airport transfer on arrival
- Planned train seats Taipei to Hualien, Hualien to Chishang, Chishang to Tainan; high-speed rail seats Tainan to Taichung and Taichung to Taoyuan; bookings pending
- A group vehicle for local transfers, booking pending
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group, appointment to be confirmed
- Local guides where sites require them
Activities
- Taipei: National Palace Museum, night market
- Jiufen and Pingxi line
- Taroko on open trails
- Chishang cycling
- Tainan temple walk
- Sun Moon Lake tea tasting
Meals
- Breakfast daily on days 2 to 10 (9)
- 1 lunch: day 6
- 3 dinners: welcome dinner on day 1, day 5 in Hualien, day 8 in Tainan
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Visa or travel authorisation fees, if any apply to your passport
- Meals not listed
- Drinks and street food
- Tips
- Optional activities such as bicycle or boat hire at Sun Moon Lake
- Extra nights, including a Taipei night on day 10
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- Price on request
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Is this trip available to book?
Not yet. It is a proposed itinerary: there are no departure dates, hotels or suppliers appointed. You can send an enquiry for a written quote. An enquiry takes no payment and confirms no booking.
What is open at Taroko right now?
On the park's own status page, read 8 November 2026, the Taroko Visitor Center area with the Dekalun and Dali-Datong trails, the Tianxiang area and part of Lushui were open, while most gorge trails were closed and gorge buses suspended. This changes, so the day depends on what the park has open at the time.
What if Taroko is closed on my dates?
We would use an alternative east-coast day around Hualien. The details would be agreed in the written quote, since the park or Highway 8 can close at short notice after rain or rockfall.
Is Alishan included?
No. Alishan is a separate mountain area some hours from this route. The trip stays at Sun Moon Lake, which has its own proposed tea tasting.
When is the best time to go?
October to April is the comfortable season and no dates are set. The typhoon season runs roughly June to October, and Lunar New Year can close some sites and fill trains, so dates are checked before a quote.
Will the rice fields be green?
Not guaranteed. Chishang's paddies change with the crop cycle, so on your dates they may be green, golden or bare after harvest, and the cycling is planned as a pleasant ride either way.
How long are the train days?
Day 7 (Chishang to Tainan) is the longest, an estimated four to five hours with a change; days 9 and 10 are rail and road days of roughly three to four hours. Times are estimates and seats are to be ticketed.
Are the lanterns at Pingxi guaranteed?
No. Lantern release is regulated by New Taipei City and the rules have changed, so we do not promise it. If it is permitted on the day, taking part is optional and at your own cost.
Is the National Palace Museum open every day?
The museum lists opening Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, and is closed on most Mondays apart from published special opening days, so this day is placed on a day it is open.
Do I need a visa?
Entry rules depend on your passport, so check the official entry pages before you travel; we do not give visa advice.
What does the price include?
The proposal includes nine nights in hotels, breakfasts on days 2 to 10, one lunch, three dinners, planned rail seats, a vehicle for local transfers, a guide and the entries in the day plan. The written quote sets the final price, taxes and inclusions.
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