5 Days Taiwan Group Tour: Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Kaohsiung

Li Hao (Hello)! Welcome to Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Taipei was honored as the 2nd best global travel city by Lonely Planet in 2022. It's a city open to all. Its culture, style, and attitude come at you in the best way possible! Modern Taipei 101 stands hand-in-hand with traditional temples. Night markets dot city, satisfying both locals and travelers.

Upon arrival at Taipei, you can make your own way to the hotel to rest. We'll inform you of the check-in procedure via Line, WeChat, or WhatsApp in advance. If you don't receive a notification, please contact us for immediate assistance. Your driver or guide will notify you of the next day's meeting time by phone or text message before 10 PM.

P.S. Locals are very warm and friendly, so feel free to ask for directions. And hotels do not provide disposable amenities such as razors, combs, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Please bring your own.

Free Time Idea:

If your flight arrives earlier, you can head to Taipei 101 (台北101) on your own to overlook the city streets and skyline. In the evening, you can savor street food at night market, trying bubble tea, fried chicken cutlets, stinky tofu, and more, kicking off your Taipei tour.

Top 2 Night Market:

Shilin Night Market (士林夜市): Taipei's top night market – the largest and most famous. First-time visitors to Taipei usually choose this one, with over 500 food stalls.

• Getting there: MRT Red Line (Jiantan Station, Exit 1, about a 5-minute walk).

Linjiang Night Market (通化夜市): A night market located an 18-minute walk from Taipei 101.

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Taipei

After breakfast, drive 3.5h to Sun Moon Lake from Taipei. On the way near lake, DIY Pineapple Cakes (凤梨酥) first. This cake stand out as Taiwan's representative traditional pastry, filling with fresh pineapple or winter melon. It’s crisp, milky, and melt-in-your-mouth. This cake symbolizes good luck in Taiwan, and you'll get to make your own good fortune!

Note: Book seven days in advance.

Then, head to Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) for half day, Taiwan's largest natural freshwater lake and one of its "Eight Great Sights," as well as a sacred site for Taiwan's Thao indigenous people. At 748 meters elevation, the 116 square-kilometer lake boasts emerald green waters. Lalu Island divides it into two halves: Sun Lake (north, round like the sun) and Moon Lake (south, crescent-shaped like the moon).

Look afar, lake is surrounded by mountains adorned with beautiful trees. Pagodas peek through the foliage, and sunlight dances on water's surface. That’s "jumping sunshine"! You can take a sightseeing yacht counter-clockwise to explore all the highlights (Shuishe Pier → Xuanguang Temple Pier → Ita Thao Pier → Shuishe Pier).

Departing from Shuishe Pier by sightseeing yacht, you'll pass Lalu Island (拉鲁岛), the legendary home of the Thao ancestral spirits, which partially submerged due to an earthquake. Arrive at Xuanguang Pier to disembark and try delicious tea eggs. Follow the trail to Xuanguang Temple (玄光寺) by the lake, then proceed to Xuanzang Temple (玄奘寺) to see the relics of Master Xuanzang, and finally ascend Ci'en Pagoda (慈恩塔) for a panoramic view of Sun Moon Lake. Return to the pier to head to Ita Thao Pier, enjoy local delicacies ashore, and then return to Shuishe Pier.

Optional: If time permits, you can choose to cycle around the lake near Shuishe Pier, or take a cable car to explore the indigenous cultural theme park, Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (九族文化村).

After the tour, stay at a hotel in Sun Moon Lake.

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Sun Moon Lake

Wake up in Sun Moon Lake’s mist, you’ll head to Alishan this day (about 2.5h drive). On the way to Alishan, drink High-mountain Tea (高山茶). Taiwan is world-renowned tea hub for over 300 years. High-mountain teas, cultivated since the 1970s in Alishan, yield a crisp, sweet perfume. Take a sip, feel Alishan drifting out from tea!

Then, head to Alishan, sung about by Asian superstar Teresa Teng as having "girls beautiful as water." Alishan stands alongside Sun Moon Lake as a major Taiwanese natural landmark.

You'll visit the core Alishan National Forest Recreation Area (阿里山森林游乐区), over 2,000 meters above sea level. This is Taiwan's most popular forest recreation area, famous for its forest railway, giant trees, evening glow, sunrise, and sea of clouds. The Alishan Forest Railway, one of only three high-mountain railways left globally. You’ll love red trains cut through mist, gliding past trees as they climb the mountain. Take ride and step into forest world! Choose Nature (A) route or Culture (B) route:

A Route (Zhaoping Station, Sisters Ponds, Three Brothers & Four Sisters, Golden Pig Auspice, Forever Love, Magnolia Garden, Shouzhen Temple)

Ride forest train or shuttle to Zhaoping Station. Then walk to Sisters Ponds where two sisters, loving same man but unwilling to harm each other, ended their lives. Then visit Three Brothers & Four Sisters (trees from shared roots), reach Golden Pig Auspice, a pig-typed tree stump shimmering under sun. Pass heart-shaped Forever Love tree to Magnolia Garden, and Shouzhen Temple (Alishan's largest temple dedicated to its guardian deity). Return by shuttle.

B Route (Shouzhen Temple, Three Generations of Wood, Alishan Museum, Xianglin Elementary School, Ciyun Temple, Alishan Sacred Tree Remains)

Take shuttle to start at Shouzhen Temple, visit Three Generations of Wood (three trees stubbornly growing from a single root). Explore Alishan Museum (tree specimens, indigenous culture), pass Xianglin Elementary (Taiwan's highest-altitude school), then reach cultural landmark of Alishan - Ciyun Temple (high Buddhist temple, Japanese Zen style). See Alishan Sacred Tree Remains, including the 2,300-year-old Xianglin Sacred Tree (香林神木). After gazing up at king of forest, take train back to the entrance.

Note: Train tickets and shuttle bus fees are at your own expense.

After the tour, drive back to hotel in Chiayi.

Tips:

• Alishan Forest Railway tickets are populaConsult us to purchase in advance.
• Temperatures are low, even in summer, staying around 15∘C (59∘F). Bring a light down jacket.
• Pack high-calorie snacks like chocolate.

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Chiayi

Today, you will depart Chiayi to Kaohsiung (100 km; 1.5 hours’ drive) after visiting Hinoki Village. When reach Kaohsiung, the third largest city & the largest port city in Taiwan, enjoy your time by visiting Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum and Cijin Old Street (Cijin District).

Chiayi is acclaimed as the "Forestry Capital", with the Alishan Forest Railway (fully opened in 1912) bearing witness to the rise and fall of its forestry industry. When visiting Chiayi, you must explore Hinoki Village (桧意森活村) - Taiwan’s earliest forestry settlement and a Japanese-era (1895–1945) dormitory area known as the "Little Kyoto of Taiwan".

Comprising 29 Japanese-style wooden historic buildings, this complex is Taiwan’s largest cluster of Japanese architecture. Built primarily with Alishan cypress, the structures include single-family houses for senior staff, duplexes for managers and families, four-unit residences for dependents, and row houses for single employees, along with a public bathhouse and guesthouse.

Entering Hinoki Village, the scent of cypress transports you into a century of Alishan forestry history. Here, you can learn about timber heritage, admire traditional craftsmanship, browse artisan shops for souvenirs, enjoy coffee, and sample Japanese sweets. It’s perfect for strolls or taking photos in a kimono!

After that, head to Kaohsiung for Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (Closed on Tuesdays). Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (佛光山佛陀紀念館) is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan, and its Big Buddha of Fo Guang is a famous landmark in Kaohsiung. The museum was founded in 1967 by Master Hsing Yun (星云大师; 1927-2023) and his disciples. Master Hsing Yun is the founding abbot of Fo Guang Shan, the 48th generation heir of the Linji Chan School, who was ordained at Qixia Temple in Nanjing and later propagated Buddhism in Taiwan at the age of 23. He introduced and advocated the "Three Acts of Goodness三好运动" in 1998 (Have Good Intentions, Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words存好心、做好事、说好话), which gained widespread popularity in schools and society.

You can explore the Path to Buddhahood (成佛大道), a 1.5-kilometer path lined with Bodhi trees symbolizing enlightenment and wisdom. Along the way, you can visit highlights such as the Eight Pagodas, the Pavilion for Ten Thousand People, the main museum, and the Big Buddha of Fo Guang. To reach the Pavilion for Ten Thousand People (万人照相台), you need to climb 37 steps, symbolizing the Thirty-Seven Practices leading to enlightenment. From the Pavilion for Ten Thousand People, you can take a photo with the Big Buddha by facing east and with the Eight Pagodas (八塔) by facing west. The Main Museum (本馆; only available on weekends) is one of the key structures of the Buddha Museum, which enshrines the true relics of Buddha. Finally, you will have a close-up view of the Giant Buddha of Fo Guang (佛光大佛), made of over 1,800 tons of bronze and iron, standing approximately 108 meters tall, making it one of the tallest outdoor seated Buddhas in the world.

Approximately 20% of the population in Taiwan are Buddhist believers, and the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum is a popular destination for locals to pray, meditate, and contemplate life's philosophy. The museum hosts an annual Lantern Festival during the Chinese New Year, featuring blessing lantern displays, floral parades, markets, and other activities. Additionally, the vegetarian meals here are also quite popular.

Finally, transfer to Kaohsiung’s Cijin Old Street (50 km, 1hour drive) by Taiwan's only Undersea Tunnel - Kaohsiung Cross-Harbor Tunnel (高雄过港隧道; 1,670 m).

Cijin Old Street is located on Cijin Peninsula, the earliest port in Kaohsiung, which was once primarily centered around fishing. Later, due to the construction of Kaohsiung Port, Cijin became an outlying island. As a must-visit tourist spot in Kaohsiung, Cijin Old Street, adjacent to the Cijin Ferry Terminal, is renowned for its fresh seafood and traditional snacks. Here, you can savor grilled squid, swordfish fried cakes, pork soup, oyster omelets, peanut coriander ice cream rolls, sweet potato cakes, pig blood cake, 50 Lan milk tea, and more. The street is lined with traditional old shops and unique vendors, exuding a nostalgic atmosphere.

Near Cijin Old Street, you can find Cijin Mazu Temple (Kaohsiung's first Mazu temple; Since 1673) for Mazu culture and Minnan architecture, or stroll on Cijin Beach for its black sands and sea view, perfect for experiencing the fishing village charm and harbor allure of the port of Kaohsiung!

After the food tour in Cijin Old Street, go back to your hotel in Kaohsiung.

Free Time Ideas:

1. Love River Night Boat(The Love Boat; Self-pay): Enjoy a romantic boat trip on the Love River, the mother river of Kaohsiung, for the landmarks of Kaohsiung, such as Kaohsiung Music Center (junction between Love River & Kaohsiung Port) & Great Harbor Bridge (longest cross-port rotating bridge in Asia; next to the Pier-2 Art Center).

2.Taiwan Food Tour in Kaohsiung Night Markets: Explore Ruifeng Night Market or Liuhe Night Market for local food.

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Kaohsiung

After breakfast, spend half day at Lotus Lake. Lotus Lake (Lianchitan) is one of the must-visit spots in Kaohsiung. Every summer, lotus flowers bloom, filling the air with a delightful fragrance, hence the name Lotus Pond. It is not only a great place to admire lotus flowers but also a destination for experiencing Eastern religious culture due to its pavilions, giant statues, and surrounding city walls. When you visit Lotus Lake, you cannot miss the iconic "Dragon and Tiger Pagodas" by its shores. This pagoda was recommended by CNN, making it one of Kaohsiung's most traditional religious scenic areas.

Built in 1976, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas stand at seven stories tall and are connected to the Nine-Turn Bridge, reflecting on the lake's surface to create a picturesque scene. It's said that there's a tradition when visiting the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas – you should enter through the dragon's mouth and exit through the tiger's mouth, which brings good luck and wards off evil. The pagoda's interior walls are adorned with exquisite ceramic artwork depicting moral stories, crafted by renowned artists. Additionally, along the shores of Lotus Lake, there are many temples and attractions like the Spring and Autumn Pavilion and the Beiji Xuantian Shangdi Temple. It is a popular spot for locals to stroll, cycle, and relax by the lake.

Your 5 Days Taiwan Group Tour ends in Kaohsiung. We’ll take you to High-Speed  Station in Kaohsiung for your departure.

Extend Your Travel to China Mainland: Take a flight to Beijing Forbidden City & Great Wall (3.5h), Shanghai The Bund (2h), Chengdu Panda (3.5h).

We, Asia Odyssey Travel, are so glad to accompany you for 4 Days Sun Moon Lake Alishan Tour, and are always prepared to design your destination in China and Asia. See you again!

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