Best Things to Do in Nantou (2026 Guide)

Top Attractions in Nantou

Sun Moon Lake

Tap a landmark for its full 2026 guide — tickets, hours and how to get there.

Book Tours & Activities in Nantou

Last updated: July 17, 2026

Nantou is the only county in Taiwan without a coastline, and it makes up for it with mountains, mist, and the island’s most famous lake. This is Taiwan’s green heart — home to Sun Moon Lake, the high-mountain tea and flower farms of Cingjing, the misty peaks around Puli, and some of the best cycling and hot springs on the island. If you have seen the coastal cities and want the highlands, Nantou is where Taiwan gets cool, quiet, and spectacularly scenic.

Getting here means going inland: buses run to Sun Moon Lake from Taichung’s high-speed rail station in around 90 minutes, making it an easy add-on to any west-coast trip. Give Nantou a full day and an overnight, and here is how I would spend it.

Please read before you book: Prices below were checked on 17 July 2026 from official sources. Admission fees and fares change over time — treat these as a planning baseline and confirm the live price on the official site before you go.

Cycle and Cruise Around Sun Moon Lake

Sun Moon Lake is the star of Nantou and one of the most beautiful spots in Taiwan. The lakeside cycling path — regularly ranked among the world’s most scenic — hugs the emerald water past pavilions, temples, and boardwalks that seem to float on the surface. Rent a bike for the morning, then hop a boat that shuttles between the piers (a NT$300 day pass covers unlimited stops — see the table above), stopping at the lively Ita Thao village of the indigenous Thao people. Dawn, when mist drifts over the water, is pure magic.

Ride the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway and Visit Wenwu Temple

The colorful cable car ropeway lifts you high above the lake for a bird’s-eye panorama before gliding down to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village theme park (a combo ticket buys both — see the table above). Back at lake level, the grand Wenwu Temple presides over the northern shore with sweeping views and guardian stone lions, while the hilltop Ci’en Pagoda rewards a short climb with the lake’s best photo vantage. Together they make an easy, view-packed loop.

Escape to the Cingjing Farm Highlands

High in the mountains above Puli, Cingjing Farm is a breezy alpine meadow where sheep graze on green slopes with cloud-topped peaks all around — a little slice of Switzerland in subtropical Taiwan. Walk the Green Green Grasslands, catch a sheep-shearing show, and stroll the Skywalk, a high boardwalk that floats along the ridgeline. The cool air and big views are a world away from the island’s humid lowlands.

Sip High-Mountain Tea and Explore Puli

Puli, the town at Nantou’s center, is famous for its clean spring water, which feeds everything from rice wine to paper-making. Nearby hillsides produce prized high-mountain oolong tea, and a visit to a tea farm or the Chung Tai Chan Monastery — a towering, strikingly modern Buddhist complex — rounds out a slower, more local side of the county. It is also the gateway to the mountains and a good place to base yourself.

Chase Waterfalls and Cross the Suspension Bridges

Nantou’s forests hide dramatic gorges and some of Taiwan’s longest suspension bridges. The Shuiliandong and Zhuoshui area, along with scenic swing bridges strung high over river valleys, give hikers and photographers plenty to chase. Whether it is a short forest trail to a waterfall or a heart-in-mouth walk across a canyon bridge, the county’s wild interior is easy to dip into.

Take a Guided Nantou or Sun Moon Lake Tour

If you would rather have the lake, Cingjing, and the mountain roads handled without the logistics, a guided day tour from Taichung is the easy way to do it. A local driver-guide sorts the winding highland routes, the boat and ropeway timing, and the best viewpoints, stitching the highlights into one smooth loop.

Where to Stay in Nantou

Klook.com

The choice here is between the lake and the mountains.

Around Sun Moon Lake, at Shuishe or Ita Thao, you will find lakeside hotels with balconies over the water, steps from the piers, bike rentals, and dawn views — the most scenic base for a first visit.

Up in the Cingjing highlands sit alpine guesthouses and villa resorts wrapped in cloud and mountain scenery, ideal if you want cool nights, sunrise over a sea of clouds, and easy access to the farm.

What to Pack

Nantou is high, green, and often misty, so pack a warm layer and a light rain jacket even in summer — the mountains cool down fast and cloud can roll in quickly. Taiwan runs on 110V Type A/B outlets, so bring a universal travel adapter to keep everything charged. And because a day here runs from a dawn lakeside ride to a late highland viewpoint, a slim power bank keeps your phone and camera alive the whole way.

Getting Around

Getting to Nantou means heading inland — buses run from Taichung’s high-speed rail station to Sun Moon Lake in about 90 minutes, and onward buses reach Puli and Cingjing. Around the lake, bikes, boats, and the ropeway cover most sights, but a rental car or a guided tour makes the mountain roads to Cingjing and the waterfalls far easier. A full day covers the lake and its temples; add an overnight to reach the highlands and catch the mist at dawn.

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