Sun Moon Lake

Mongolian ordinary passport holders are on neither Taiwan's visa-exempt list nor its eVisa list. Apply in person for a visitor visa at the Taipei Trade and Economic Representative Office in Ulaanbaatar: BOCA fee $50 single entry, $100 multiple entry. Applications are taken on weekday mornings; the permitted stay is printed on the visa.

Tip: Prepare a passport valid for over 6 months, return ticket, hotel booking, bank statement and employment letter; confirm the document list by phone.

Paper arrival cards were abolished on 1 October 2025: fill in the Taiwan Arrival Card online, free, before you arrive. It reads your details from a passport photo, and one person can submit the cards for the rest of the family.

Lakeside hotels are few and fill fast at weekends, during the cherry blossoms and over Chinese New Year. Shuishe village is closest to the bus and pier and easiest for a first visit; Ita Thao is next to the ropeway and the food street. Staying at least one night is far better than a day trip if you want to enjoy the lake quietly.

Tip: With children pick Shuishe or Ita Thao — both are by a pier and easy without a car.

From the Airport MRT station under both terminals to HSR Taoyuan Station (A18) takes ~16–19 minutes and costs NT$35. Tap your EasyCard or buy a token from the machine.

Taoyuan–Taichung on the HSR takes ~40–50 minutes: a reserved standard-car seat is NT$540, non-reserved NT$520, children half price. Book in the T Express app and board with a QR code; discounted tickets for foreign visitors are sold online.

From Exit 5 on the ground floor of HSR Taichung station, Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus 6670 reaches Shuishe in 1–1.5 hours; NT$193 one way, NT$360 return. Cash, EasyCard and iPASS accepted. Bus + boat + ropeway bundle tickets are cheaper online.

Arrive early at weekends — if the bus is full you wait for the next one.

Chunghwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile counters in the Taoyuan arrivals hall are open 24 hours. Chunghwa's unlimited 4G data: 5 days NT$300, 10 days NT$500 (with a little call credit). They may ask for your passport plus a second ID (e.g. a driving licence).

Tip: There is almost nowhere to buy a SIM at the lake — get it at the airport.

If your phone supports eSIM, buy a Taiwan plan from Airalo, Ubigi or similar before you fly and it works the moment you land. No queue, but no Taiwanese number — LINE is enough for contacting hotels and taxis.

Boats run daily ≈9:00–17:00 between Shuishe, Xuanguang and Ita Thao piers, every 30–45 minutes on weekdays and ~20 minutes at weekends. A 1-day unlimited pass is NT$300, often cheaper online.

Rent a bike or e-bike from the Giant shop near Shuishe pier and ride the bridge path over the water to Xiangshan Visitor Center; rental from ~NT$200. The full loop is hilly and shares the road with cars, so with children stick to the Shuishe–Xiangshan section.

The round-the-lake tourist bus stops at Shuishe, Wenwu Temple, Ita Thao, Ci'en Pagoda, Xiangshan and other key points; pay with an EasyCard. Public transport to the tea farms, Puli and Cingjing Farm is sparse, so ask your hotel to book a taxi or a car with driver.

Ita Thao's food stalls, small shops and the tea-egg sellers take cash only. ATMs at the lake are few (mostly inside 7-Eleven), so withdraw New Taiwan dollars (TWD) in Taichung or at the airport. Hotels, the ropeway and larger shops accept cards.

Spend NT$2,000 or more in one TRS-labelled shop on one day and you can claim the VAT back — show your passport in the shop for the refund form. Larger tea shops may take part; collect the refund at the airport when you leave.

Mushroom tea eggs at Xuanguang pier, the lake's 'president fish' (曲腰魚), indigenous grilled wild boar and bamboo-tube rice, Assam black milk tea and black-tea ice cream. Ita Thao's street has them all in one place.

Tip: No tipping; hotel restaurants add a service charge.

Most lakeside restaurants and stalls close early in the evening, and there is no night market like Taichung's. Have dinner early, and with children choose a hotel rate that includes breakfast. 7-Eleven ready meals and onigiri make good backup food.

Tip: Ita Thao's evening street stays open later at weekends.

The tea gardens and old tea factories north of the lake show how black tea is made and offer free tastings. 'Ruby' (T-18) is the most famous and makes a good gift. For children there are caffeine-free fruit teas and black-tea ice cream.

Police 110, ambulance and fire 119 — free, 24 hours. The 24-hour toll-free travel information line 0800-011-765 (English) and the International Community Service Hotline 0800-024-111.

During summer and autumn typhoons the boats, ropeway and buses may stop and mountain roads can have landslides — follow the Central Weather Administration's warnings. Swimming in the lake is banned except at the annual organised swim. Wear long trousers on forest trails against mosquitoes and snakes.

The lakeshore has only small clinics and pharmacies. The nearest large hospital is Puli Christian Hospital in Puli; for serious cases, the big hospitals in Taichung. Call your insurer's assistance line first.

Photos are fine at Wenwu and Xuanguang temples, but don't walk in front of worshippers or step on the main door's threshold. Lighting incense or hanging a chime is optional; donations go in the box.

Ita Thao is a living Thao village — don't walk into people's yards for photos or treat ceremonial sites as props. Thank performers after shows, and buy crafts directly from the makers where you can.

Bins are rare around the lake: put rubbish in your hotel's or a shop's bin, and sorting is strict. Don't eat on buses and boats, queue in line, and give up your seat to older people and those with children.

Book HSR tickets in the T Express app. Check bus 6670, lake boat and ropeway schedules and bundle tickets on the Nantou Fun Bus site. Google Maps shows the lakeside bus times.

Google Translate's camera mode translates Traditional Chinese menus on the spot; download the offline pack. LINE is Taiwan's main chat app — hotels, taxis and bike rentals reply on LINE.

Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) — before arrival. Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area — sights, events, firefly and cherry-blossom news. Central Weather Administration — typhoons and rain.

From the lake to Taoyuan: bus 6670 for 1–1.5 hours, the HSR ~40–50 minutes and the Airport MRT ~16–19 minutes — 3–3.5 hours in total with transfers. For a morning flight, spend the night before in Taichung or Taoyuan, and plan to reach the airport 3 hours before an international flight.

At the airport, before customs, show your passport, receipts and goods at the tax-refund kiosk or counter. Packing your black tea in checked luggage is easiest. Spend the EasyCard balance in a shop.