3-Day Taiwan Tour from Taipei: Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Lukang

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/29

Duration3d

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · VI +2

PickupAt your hotel

Climb 366 steps to a temple by an emerald lake, then ride a mountain railway through ancient trees.

This private 3-day guided tour from Taipei connects three of Taiwan's most significant cultural and natural sites: Sun Moon Lake with its alpine temples and Thao indigenous heritage, Alishan National Forest with its ancient red cypress trees and heritage railway, and Lukang Old Town with its preserved Qing Dynasty architecture and spiritual temples. The tour includes a professional English, Vietnamese or Mandarin-speaking guide, two nights of hotel accommodation, all transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, one-way passage on the Alishan Forest Railway, and entry to Alishan National Forest. Meals and beverages are not included; plan to cover those costs separately, and note that most local eateries operate on cash.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Taipei to Sun Moon Lake

Meet guide at hotel lobby
Travel to Sun Moon Lake
Visit Wenwu Temple and Stairway to Heaven
Explore Ita Thao Village and Old Street
Walk to Ci’en Pagoda and ring bell
Visit Xuanzhuang Temple
Tour Xiangshan Visitor Center

Day 2 — Sun Moon Lake to Alishan and Chiayi

Breakfast at hotel
Travel to Alishan National Forest
Visit Giant Sacred Tree area
See Sister Ponds and pavilion
Visit Shouzhen Temple
Ride Alishan Forest Railway

Day 3 — Chiayi to Lukang and Taipei

Breakfast at hotel
Explore Lukang Old Town
Walk Lukang Old Street
Visit Lukang Tianhou Temple

The Experience

The tour starts with a three-hour drive from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake, where the landscape shifts from urban sprawl to the island's largest alpine lake, set at 748 meters elevation in Nantou County. The lake's name comes from its shape: the eastern half curves like a sun, the western half like a crescent moon, divided by the sacred Lalu Island. Your guide leads you to Wenwu Temple, perched on the northern mountainside with a golden-yellow roof and Northern Chinese palace architecture. The temple's signature feature is the Stairway to Heaven—366 steep steps rising from the lake's edge, each one engraved with historical names and solar terms—leading to ornate observation decks where the turquoise water and surrounding peaks spread out below. From there, you visit Ita Thao Village, the ancestral home of the Thao people, Taiwan's smallest officially recognized indigenous tribe, where you can sample millet wine, wild boar sausage and locally grown Assam black tea along the bustling Old Street.

On day two, you travel to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area in Chiayi County, a mountainous sanctuary at an average elevation of 2,216 meters, world-renowned for its five wonders: sunrise, sea of clouds, sunset, lush forests and the historic forest railway. The Giant Sacred Tree area holds over 30 ancient Formosan red cypresses between 800 and 2,000 years old; you walk elevated wooden boardwalks past the Xianglin Giant Tree, standing 45 meters tall and estimated at over 2,300 years old. The original Alishan Sacred Tree, which fell in the late 1990s, remains on-site as a monument to the forest's age. You ride the Alishan Forest Railway, a marvel of 1912 Japanese engineering that climbs from sea level to over 2,200 meters using Z-shaped switchbacks, spiraling loops and dozens of tunnels and bridges. The vintage red trains pass through changing climatic zones—tropical, subtropical, temperate—with cherry blossoms or towering cypresses framed in the windows. You also see the Sister Ponds, two alpine lakes nestled in the cypress forest, where the Big Sister Pond features a thatched pavilion on cypress-wood stilts connected by a winding bridge, and emerald-green waters often shrouded in morning mist.

The final day takes you to Lukang Old Town in Changhua County, a labyrinth of narrow red-brick lanes and traditional courtyard houses that preserves nearly three centuries of Qing Dynasty commercial life. The town earned its place in the saying "First Tainan, Second Lukang, Third Banka" for its authentic cultural treasures. Lukang Old Street—primarily Putou, Dayou and Yaojin Streets—features curved red-brick pavements, Fujianese-style residences, half-sided wells and ornate wooden doors decorated with traditional spring couplets. Master craftsmen practice ancient lantern making and wood carving in the narrow alleys, which were originally designed to break winter winds and deter pirates. The street is dense with local food: ox-tongue biscuits, oyster pancakes and shrimp monkeys served amidst lanterns and hanging birdcages. You visit Lukang Tianhou Temple, one of Taiwan's oldest and most prestigious Mazu temples, originally established in 1591 and housing a Black-faced Mazu statue brought directly from the ancestral temple in Fujian. The architecture showcases the celebrated spider-web caisson ceiling and intricate stone carvings depicting scenes from Chinese mythology. The incense smoke and temple fairs connect you to Taiwan's enduring maritime heritage before your return to Taipei.

What’s included

Professional licensed guide in English, Vietnamese or Mandarin Chinese.
two nights of hotel accommodation (standard or premium option at checkout).
air-conditioned vehicle transport throughout.
one-way Alishan Forest Railway ride.
entry to Alishan National Forest Recreational Area.
toll and parking fees.
local general liability insurance.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Edison Travel Service

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a multi-region itinerary that moves you through alpine lakes, temples, and mountain forests with a guide who sets the pace and explains the history—you stay in one base each night rather than moving hotels daily.