4-Day Taiwan Tour: Sun Moon Lake to Kenting with Private Guide

Four days, one private vehicle, the whole cross-section of Taiwan

This private 4-day tour connects Taipei to Sun Moon Lake, Lukang, Kenting National Park and Tainan in a single itinerary, with a dedicated English, Vietnamese or Mandarin-speaking guide, air-conditioned vehicle, three nights' hotel accommodation and all tolls and parking covered. You travel at your group's own pace through Taiwan's most significant cultural and natural landmarks, from the mist-wrapped alpine lake to the tropical ocean cliffs and the ancient streets of the island's oldest city. Meals and drinks are your choice. Tipping your guide is optional.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Taipei to Sun Moon Lake exploration

• Meet guide at hotel lobby
• Drive 3 hours to Sun Moon Lake
• Visit Wenwu Temple and climb Stairway to Heaven
• Explore Ita Thao Village and Old Street
• Walk to Ci’en Pagoda through forest trail
• Visit Xuanzhuang Temple
• Explore Xiangshan Visitor Center

Day 2: Sun Moon Lake to Lukang and Kaohsiung

• Breakfast overlooking Sun Moon Lake
• Travel to Lukang
• Visit Qing Dynasty Buddhist temple
• Walk Lukang old commercial district
• Visit Mazu Temple
• Arrive in Kaohsiung

Day 3: Kaohsiung day trip to Kenting National Park

• Breakfast in Kaohsiung
• Drive to Kenting National Park
• Visit Crouching Cat coastal platform
• See Sail Rock landmark
• Walk to Eluanbi Lighthouse
• Explore Longpan limestone grasslands
• Visit Hengchun Qing Dynasty city walls
• Return to Kaohsiung

Day 4: Kaohsiung to Tainan and Taipei return

• Visit Kaohsiung famous lake
• Walk Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
• Travel to Tainan
• Visit Chikan Tower
• Explore Tainan street food scene
• Walk Tainan historical street
• Private ride back to Taipei

The experience

The route starts with a three-hour drive from Taipei into the mountains. Sun Moon Lake sits at 748 meters elevation in Nantou County, shaped so distinctly that its eastern half looks like a sun and the western half curves into a crescent moon, separated by the sacred Lalu Island. You'll visit Wenwu Temple, a Northern Chinese palace-style structure with a 366-step "Stairway to Heaven" carved with historical names and solar terms, then walk through Ita Thao Village (the ancestral home of the Thao people, Taiwan's smallest indigenous tribe), where you can taste millet wine, wild boar sausage and local Assam black tea. Ci'en Pagoda sits at exactly 1,000 meters above sea level when combined with Mt. Shabalan's summit. A 700-meter forest walk leads to it, and from the top the lake's sun-and-moon shape aligns perfectly with the surrounding peaks. Xuanzhuang Temple, built in 1965 to house relics of the Tang Dynasty monk Master Xuanzang, offers a quieter alternative to the busier lakeside sites, with murals depicting his 17-year pilgrimage to India.

Day two takes you from the mountains down to Lukang, a former port town now preserved as a living museum of red-brick alleys and traditional courtyard homes. Your guide will point out the spider-web caisson ceiling inside Taiwan's most beautifully preserved Qing Dynasty Buddhist temple: built entirely without nails and standing for over two centuries. The old commercial district includes the famous "Breast-Touching Alley," a narrow passage that reflects ancient town planning. Mazu Temple, dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea, features dragon-carved stone pillars and smoke-stained ceilings from centuries of incense. That evening you arrive in Kaohsiung, the vibrant southern metropolis where you'll stay for the next two nights.

Day three is a full day-trip to Kenting National Park at Taiwan's southernmost tip. The landscape shifts into true island terrain: turquoise waters, dramatic coral formations and windswept coastal cliffs. You'll visit Maobitou Park, a coastal viewing platform named after a fallen coral rock shaped like a crouching cat, where sea-eroded caves and coral reefs line the shore. Sail Rock rises 18 meters from the sea and bears an uncanny resemblance to Richard Nixon's profile from certain angles. Eluanbi Lighthouse, known as the "Light of East Asia," was fortified with trenches and gun holes in the 19th century. You'll stand at the edge where the Taiwan Strait, Pacific Ocean and Bashi Channel meet. Longpan's windswept limestone grasslands perch high above the Pacific with dizzying panoramic views of vertical cliffs and crashing waves. You'll finish in Hengchun, where Taiwan's most well-preserved Qing Dynasty city walls frame the South Gate and the streets blend traditional southern Taiwanese life with a laid-back surf town atmosphere.

Your final day combines Kaohsiung's lakeside landmarks with Tainan, Taiwan's oldest city and former imperial capital. The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas let you enter through the Dragon's mouth and exit the Tiger's to wash away bad luck. Chikan Tower, originally built as Fort Provintia by the Dutch in 1653, now has Chinese-style pavilions sitting directly on top of the original red-brick Dutch foundations. Tainan's street-food scene is legendary: your guide navigates you through multi-generational snacks like savory rice pudding, milkfish soup, crispy shrimp rolls and coffin bread. A walk along the best-preserved historical street takes you past restored two-story wooden shophouses from the Qing Dynasty river-port era, now home to local artists, boutique cafes and vintage shops. From there, your private driver takes you back to Taipei.

What’s included

• Professional licensed tour guide in your chosen language.
• three nights' hotel accommodation.
• air-conditioned private vehicle for all transport between Taipei, Sun Moon Lake, Lukang, Kaohsiung, Kenting and Tainan.
• all tolls and parking fees.
• entry to Maobitou Park, Eluanbi Park and Chikan Tower.
• local general liabilities insurance.

Options for this experience

2 options

GroupGuide in 4 languages · No fixed timeWith breakfast, for 2 to 15 travelers: an even number of travelers gets shared twin or double rooms, an odd number gets shared twin, double, or triple rooms; pickup is included.

Solo TravelerGuide in 4 languages · No fixed timeA single room for one person, with breakfast; pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Chinese and Vietnamese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Edison Travel Service

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a private vehicle and guide dedicated only to your group for four days, so you can move at your own pace between Taiwan's landmarks without syncing to other travelers' schedules.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Vietnamese, Chinese and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): free.

What's included in the 4-day tour price?

The tour includes your professional licensed guide, three nights' hotel accommodation, the air-conditioned vehicle for all transport, all tolls and parking fees, and entry to Maobitou Park, Eluanbi Park and Chikan Tower. Meals and drinks are not included, so you choose where and what to eat each day.

Can I book this tour as a solo traveler, or does it have to be a group?

You can book as a solo traveler or as part of a group. Both options are available at checkout, and the itinerary and inclusions remain the same either way.

How much time do we spend at Sun Moon Lake?

You arrive at Sun Moon Lake on the afternoon of day one and stay overnight there. Day two morning includes breakfast overlooking the lake before you depart for Lukang, so you have the evening and early morning to visit the temples, pagoda and visitor center at your own pace with your guide.

Is the tour suitable if I'm not very fit?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Most sites involve walking on established paths and streets: Ci'en Pagoda requires a 700-meter forest walk, and Longpan's grasslands are windswept but flat. Your guide adjusts the pace to your group.

Do I need to tip my guide?

Tipping is not required, but it's a wonderful way to show appreciation for your guide's service if you'd like to.