5-Day Best of Taiwan: Sun Moon Lake, Tarako Gorge, Kaohsiung, Taitung

Overview

Explore the diversity of Taiwan with professional guidance. This tour covers the most popular cities and tourist attractions to visit in Taiwan: Sun Moon Lake, Kaohsiung, Kenting, and Taroko.

Highlights

Key Information

Description

Day 1: Taipei – Sun Moon Lake In the morning, you will depart from central Taipei and head for the heart of the island, Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area. Sun Moon Lake is the biggest freshwater lake on the island. Divided by Lalu Island, the lake got its name from the unique terrain that looks like the sun on one side and a crescent moon on the other. The area around the lake is also home to the Thao people, a group of Taiwanese indigenous people. After lunch, you'll tour around the lake by bus and visit the most well-known attractions in this area: Ita Thao Indigenous Village, Ci’en Pagoda, Xuanzang Temple, and Wenwu Temple. At night, you'll enjoy a charming stay in a 5-star resort hotel. Overnight: Hotel Fleur de Chine – Mountain View Room (5-star), Sun Moon Lake, or equivalent Day 2: Sun Moon Lake – Kaohsiung After breakfast, enjoy a pleasant walk around Xiangshang Visitor Center, a unique building that allows people to enjoy the beautiful views of Sun Moon Lake from the top. After that, depart for Kaohsiung, the most populous city in south Taiwan — also a romantic harbor city. Your first stop is Fo Guang Shan, a large monastery founded by Master Hsing Yun in 1967. The hallmark of the temple is its huge gold-colored statue of Buddha Amitabha that can be seen from miles away. After the monastery visit, you'll move down the hill to the center of the city. It’s time to sate your appetite with some local delicacies at Liuhe Night Market, the oldest and most typical night market in Kaohsiung. Here you have the chance to taste the city’s signature street foods like seafood congee, steamed salted shrimps, papaya milk drink, rice cake, stinky tofu, and more. On this day, you will stay overnight at a centrally located 5-star hotel with a department store, convenient stores, and drug store nearby, so you can stock up on supplies for the rest of the trip. Overnight: Grand Hi Lai Hotel (5-star), Kaohsiung, or equivalent Day 3: Kaohsiung – Kenting – Taitung After breakfast, head south, where Taiwan’s first national park is situated. Kenting National Park is well known for its coastal geographical features and marine biodiversity, influenced by crustal deformation and the tropical climate. Kenting is also a paradise for surfers and divers. On this day, you will stop at Maopitou, Chuanfan Rock, Eluanpi Park & Lighthouse, and Longpan Park. Maopitou (literally meaning cat’s nose) is a unique natural rock formation. From a distance, it looks just like a giant crouching cat. Chuanfan Rock (literally meaning sail) is another unique natural rock formation. It looks just like the sail of a ship or a portrait of US former president Richard Nixon. Eluanpi Lighthouse was built during the Qing Dynasty. It was listed as one of the Eight Views of Taiwan during the period of Japanese rule. Longpan Park is a coral limestone tableland eroded by rainwater. It keeps the original features of the landscape, including wide grasslands, and faces the Pacific Ocean. After all that, you'll head for Taitung via South-Link Highway, and enjoy the scenery along the way. This night you will stay at a 5-star hot spring resort in Chihpen, Taitung. Chihpen is a hot spring area that is famous for carbonated hot-spring therapy. The hot spring water is known for improving circulation and relieving fatigue. Overnight: Hotel Royal Chihpen (5-star), Taitung, or equivalent Day 4: Taitung – East Coast – Hualien After a good night's sleep and a rich breakfast, you will travel along the east coast, the last unspoiled part of the island. Wherever you go, there are picturesque sights of both natural and human creation. This day, you will stop at the famous scenic spots Xiaoyeliu, Sanxientai, Shitiping, and Fanshuliao. Each stop features unique geographic characteristics. The first stop is Xiaoyehliu (literally meaning little Yehliu). The natural rock formations in this area look similar to those found in Yehliu on the northern coast of Taiwan, hence the name. Here, you can have an up-close look at the unique landforms of erosional coasts. Next, you will visit Sanxientai (literally meaning terrace of the three immortals), which is composed of offshore islands and coral reefs. The most famous landmark here is the cross-sea bridge, connecting Sanxientai with Taiwan Island. The next stop is Shitiping (literally meaning stone steps). Situated at the 65-kilometer mark on the coastal highway, it was formed when volcanic rock worn smooth by erosion was lifted in layers that resemble stone steps, which is just what its name means. Before the day's final visit at a marble factory, you stop by Fanshuliao: a unique canyon also regarded as a smaller version of Taroko Gorge. Marble mining and processing it was an important industry in Hualien, which helped boost the prosperity of the city. You will get an overview here of the major industry in Hualien, at a marble factory and its exhibition hall. End the day with a peaceful night's stay in a resort hotel; tomorrow you will be marveling at the world-famous natural wonder that is Taroko Gorge. Overnight: Hotel Silks Place Taroko – Mountain View Room (5-star), Hualien, or equivalent Day 5: Hualien – Taroko – Taipei After breakfast, you will visit the most spectacular place in Taiwan — also the largest marble canyon in the world — Taroko National Park. Situated in the east of Taiwan, Taroko National Park was established in 1986. This park features high mountains and sheer gorges, with a diverse range of wildlife and geological characteristics. The most well-known parts of this park are the marble cliffs, some of which soar up to 1,100 meters high. This day, you will stop at the most popular attractions: Shakadang Trail/Lushui Trail, Eternal Spring Shrine (Changchun Temple), Swallow Grotto, and Cihmu Bridge. Before your return to Taipei after lunch, you will stop by a spectacular attraction on the section of the Suao-Hualien Highway: Qingshui Cliff. First in the park, you take a walk along the Shakadang Trail or Lushui Trail, where the crystal clear blue water of Liwu River runs alongside you. This river has cut through the marble over millions of years, and created the deep, narrow gorge. Next, you stop by Eternal Spring Shrine, which commemorates the 226 personnel who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway. If the weather permits, you may take a walk through the tunnel below the shrine. Before lunch, you walk through the tunnel of Swallow Grotto, where you will enjoy a stunning view of the cliffs reaching up to the sky. The holes on the cliff surface were created by ground water and the rapid stream of the river. In the past, they were the natural nesting location of swallows, hence it got the name Swallow Grotto. After lunch, you stroll around Tianxiang, where Cihmu Bridge (Motherly Devotion Bridge) is located: an H-shaped hanging bridge built of marble by late President Chiang Jing-guo, named for a touching story about a loving mother. After a breathtaking tour of Taroko Gorge, you will finally stop by Qingshui Cliff and admire the scenery of the dramatic coastline. You will then head back to Taipei, and arrive in the hotel later the same afternoon.