Sun Moon Lake FunTOUR Sightseeing Bus Day Tour: Sun Moon Lake & Nina's Chocolate Castle & Paper Dome (Departing from Taichung)

I absolutely loved this tour! The driver was an indigenous person, very cute and funny. The car even thoughtfully provided bottled water, and there was a picture card that could be used as a fan. I carried it with me to block the sun at Sun Moon Lake, and I could also check information anytime – very practical! What surprised me the most was Nina! There were so many capybaras inside, all plump and friendly, super therapeutic. As soon as you had food in your hand, they all came over, just like they were raised by grandma. The Sangxin special blend coffee was delicious, and the environment was also perfect for taking influencer photos. I highly recommend it to everyone!

In the past, whenever we went to Nantou, my boyfriend would drive, and we'd both be exhausted from traffic on the way back. This time, we took the High-Speed Rail directly from Hsinchu to Taichung, and seamlessly connected to this bus. It truly was a case of 'sleep on the bus, take beautiful photos when you get off'! After arriving at Sun Moon Lake, we rented electric bikes and rode to the Xiangshan Visitor Center. The lake views along the way were absolutely stunning. In the afternoon, we took so many photos at the Nina Chocolate Castle (the included admission ticket was a great deal, and entry was very convenient!). Plus, the exclusive bottled water and the fan with a brochure that they handed out on the bus were quite stylish. The fan had some information for audio tours and discount coupons, so many thoughtful details! Next time we go to Sun Moon Lake, I can definitely recommend this.

Ease of locating the meeting point and although there is no tour guide provided on this day tour, it is very self-sufficient. The tour to Sun Moon Lake is enjoyable with lots of food choices. But for those who would like to explore the island by cable car, ferry or the bus, this half day tour may not be enough. The other half day is to visit a chocolate factory, stopover for donuts at a cafe and a visit to Paper Dome.

With this bus, even if you live in Taipei, you can enjoy a round trip to Sun Moon Lake in one day. It's really convenient! You can leisurely depart from Taipei HSR Station in the morning, then transfer to this one-day tour bus downstairs at Taichung HSR Station, and arrive at the incredibly beautiful Sun Moon Lake around 11 AM! Along the way, there's a lovely shopping center where you can quickly use the restroom, buy some ice cream and souvenirs before continuing your journey. The weather was great on the day we departed, and the lake views at Sun Moon Lake are truly therapeutic. Spending over 3 hours here was quite sufficient; you can take a boat tour to Yidashao Old Street and explore at your own pace. After leaving Sun Moon Lake, on the way back, we also visited Nina Chocolate Castle to feed capybaras, and next door there's the Instagrammable cafe "Sangxin Lab" where you can enjoy snacks and coffee, and the Paper Dome. The itinerary was incredibly rich! Finally, we returned to Taichung HSR Station around 6:30 PM, and were back in Taipei by just after 7 PM. Exploring Sun Moon Lake this way is truly relaxing! You don't have to worry about traffic jams or finding parking at all. Highly recommend!

We stopped in Riyue Township for half an hour, and there wasn't much to see, mainly just to use the restroom. The Sun Moon Lake tour included a bus ticket, but taking a boat was more convenient, allowing us to leisurely shop and enjoy local food. The Paper Dome was quite boring and had a lot of mosquitoes. The staff at Sangxin Lab were indifferent; you had to buy something to redeem a donut. The umbrella given on the bus stated it came with one free donut, but the instructions were unclear, which left a bad impression. The Chocolate Castle offers guided tours at specific times, and DIY activities depend on individual preference. You can sample chocolates in the store, and there are capybaras outside, making this a good spot for children.

While waiting for the train at the High Speed Rail station on 9/10, the delay was quite noticeable. It was a bit unfortunate that heavy traffic on the road caused a delay, which compressed our time at the first attraction, Hemiway. However, we were given plenty of time at the next attraction, Sun Moon Lake, allowing us to take a boat tour around the lake and explore the old street before coming back to catch the bus!

Overall, it was very convenient! From Taichung HSR Station, you can see it right outside Exit 5. When it's time, staff members will hold up signs to direct everyone to the bus. The bus has cute decals, making it easy to spot. You can recognize this design at every stop, so there's no need to worry about getting on the wrong bus. There's a QR code on the bus for a "lazy bag" of information, where you can find attraction details, listen to audio guides, and even see suggested itineraries. I really liked that this tour didn't have a guide on the bus, allowing for a quiet and enjoyable journey! I especially want to commend the driver! Super friendly and enthusiastic, they even made announcements and put up signs at each stop to inform everyone of the meeting times!

The full-day itinerary allowed for ample time at each location. Although the group members didn't know each other, everyone was very punctual! Our cooperation made this trip a complete success. I really loved the arrangements for this tour! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a one-day trip.💕

Today, we completed all the scheduled attractions on our itinerary. This time, we also purchased an additional Sun Moon Lake boat tour ticket (Shuishe/Xuanguang Temple/Yidashao), with each pier stop lasting about 10 minutes, plus a cable car ticket (the add-on package price was NT$620 per person). Due to limited time, we didn't use the one-day lake shuttle bus pass this trip, nor did we visit Xiangshan, but I still highly recommend this one-day itinerary.

Screaming with excitement~~~ This Sun Moon Lake FunTOUR bus really knows what we want! We went to so many places in one day, from mountains to lakes (?), and it didn't feel rushed at all! In the morning, we first went to Sun Moon Town and bought lots of cute little souvenirs. After arriving at Sun Moon Lake, we took a boat to Xuanguang Temple to buy Grandma's tea eggs, then went to Ita Thao for some crazy eating and drinking. I thought that was the end of it, but there was also the super dreamy Nina Chocolate Castle (admission included!), and the capybaras inside were so cute! We ended the day perfectly with donuts from Sangxin Lab, which are super photogenic – don't miss it if you love taking pictures. We got to experience so much without even driving, I've already recommended it to all my girlfriends on my stories!