6 D y F u l l I s l a n d T o u r
16 DAY TOUR
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Not for the faint of heart, this full loop of the island (or ‘quan dao’ in Taiwan) will take you through every nook and cranny of the most amazing roads on the island. Heading south from Taipei you’ll wind in and out of the western mountains through Sun Moon Lake and Qishan Old Street, before then heading north through Kenting National Park, the East Coast Rift Valley, and finally up into the high mountains as you take on the route of the Taiwan KOM. An exceptional 16 day extravaganza that will let you experience the very best of the island.
DAY 1
Arrival into Taipei
We will transfer you from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport to your accommodation in downtown Taipei. After a short introduction from your local guide, as well as any bike building or fitting that’s needed, there will be an opportunity for some sightseeing as well as a chance to sample some of Taipei’s legendary night market treats!
DAY 2
Yangminshan Ride
You’ll spend the day riding to the north of Taipei, heading up the peals of Yangminshan National Park. As well as the 3 dormant volcanoes the park contains some stunning quiet back roads, alpine style climbs, and of course unparalleled views of the city below. You will be able to choose the difficulty level, with some tougher routes available to those who really want to push themselves. Either way, there will be plenty of time in the evening to explore Taipei’s most loved night market – Raohe. Our fabulous guides will accompany you through the bustling streets to find you local delicacies and secret treats.
Distance:705km
Total Elevation: 1,291m
DAY 3
Taipei - Nanzuang Old Street
Heading south west, you first need to escape the city. Leaving big metropolises can always be a challenge on a bike, but fortunately you can make full use of the extensive riverside bike network that connects downtown Taipei with the surrounding countryside. You’ll follow these awesome bike paths for 45km until you reach Shimen Reservoir and the first of 3 climbs up into the Hsinchu foothills. Passing over some small peaks, the quiet roads will keep you away from the busy cities of the west coast and drop you down into Nanzuang where you will spend the night.
Distance: 97km
Total Elevation: 1,705m
DAY 4
Nanzuang Old Street - Puli
Another day tracking the foothills of the central mountain range, this time with a couple of bigger climbs but still the same spectacular views. The first 50km tends downhill towards the Da’an river, which separates Miaoli from Taichung, and from there you’ll turn inlands and get your first taste of the central mountains. There’s two decent climbs to get from Dongshi over to Heping and then again over to Puli, but the roads are usually very quiet and the views are breathtaking. Finally you’ll emerge into the Puli plateau, which sits surrounded by mountains just below Sun Moon Lake.
Distance: 120km
Total Elevation: 2,573m
DAY 5
Puli - Chaiyi
From Puli Township you’ll climb up to the natural basin that has formed one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist attractions – Sun Moon Lake. Nestled in the central mountains, around 800m above sea level, Sun Moon Lake attracts thousands of local tourists each year as they come to enjoy the wonderful hiking and cool fresh waters, as well as visit the important shrines at Wenwu and Ci’en Pagoda. From the lake there’s a 20-odd km descent down to Zhushan valley, where you’ll follow the gently flowing river upstream to the start of the second climb of the day. Known as the 36 bend hill (some more pretty literal naming going on there!) it offers incredible views of the central mountains on the way up, and the west coast plains on the way down.
Distance: 124km
Total Elevation: 2,151m
DAY 6
Chaiyi - Qishan Old Street
A beautiful route that will continue the journey south, while keeping you off the busy industrial areas of the west coast around Chaiyi and Tainan. The road winds through the lower western hills that are dotted with indigenous villages, and you’ll quickly appreciate the differences between what you’ve seen further north during your journey so far. As well as the visual differences, there are big culinary changes, and you’ll be able to sample some of the indigenous cooking (and traditional iced dessert with the lunch stop in Yujing. Finally you’ll arrive into Qishan Old Street, which once served as the Japanese railway hub to control the southern province during the colonial period.
Distance: 103km
Total Elevation: 1,741m
DAY 7
Qishan Old Street - Kenting National Park
The final day on the west coast, we’ll continue to track the eastern edge of the plateau to stay away from the busier roads, until we meet the pinch point of the island at Jialu. From here, we’ll follow the only road heading south to Kenting National Park, with exceptional views out across the straits of Taiwan all the way. Keep your eyes peeled on the horizon, and on a clear day you’ll also be able to see Liuqiu Island.
Distance: 134km
Total Elevation: 817m
DAY 8
Kenting National Park Rest Day
Put your feet up and relax, and there can be no better place to recuperate than the beach town of Kenting. Popular with the locals, it is one of the best places to surf on the island, so feel free to rent a board for the day or go exploring one of the many beaches in the vicinity. If you’re still desperate for a ride, there will of course be an option to take a ride along the coast to take in some of the small fishing villages, the region’s famous rock formations, as well as, of course, the beaches.
DAY 9
Kenting National Park - Taimali
The ride north through Kenting National Park offers some of the best road riding to be had anywhere in Asia. The whole day is more or less super smooth coastal roads with almost no traffic, and a couple of punchy little climbs up through the jungle that open up into wonderful vistas of the pacific ocean. A winding 15km descent will bring you into Daren where a local lunch will have been arranged by our guide, and from here you can decide whether you’d prefer to ride or transfer the final 40km along a slightly busier stretch of road north to the aboriginal community in Taimali.
Distance: 140km
Total Elevation: 1,795m
DAY 10
Taimali - Chenggong
A slightly easier ride than the route through Kenting National Park, you’ll more or less spend the whole day meandering up along the coastal road, but with plenty of opportunities to break up the views of soft waves lapping at the shores of golden pacific beaches. The major attractions are all north of Taitung, and include an aboriginal art exhibition perched on the waterfront, and the slightly spooky ‘Uphill River’ (yet more very literal naming here!). Finally you’ll arrive into Chenggong where you’ll spend the night, with ample opportunity in the evening to sample the fresh swordfish which is the village’s speciality.
Distance: 75km
Total Elevation: 558m
DAY 11
Chenggong - Ruisui
We hate to say it, but for the first half of the day you have to endure yet more stunning coastline as you continue north along the pacific coast (a teeny tiny violin plays in the background). You’ll ride past the 3 Immortals Bridge and Baixian caves, which acted as stone-age beachfront accommodation way back when. Finally, just after crossing the tropic of Cancer, you’ll turn inland and climb across the eastern mountain range, past a couple of very small aboriginal farming communities, and down into the rift valley where you’ll spend the night in Ruisui.
Distance: 74km
Total Elevation: 923m
DAY 12
Ruisui - Hualien
Taiwan’s rift valley is a 180km stretch of flatland that was formed when the techtonic plates that dissect Taiwan pulled apart to leave a fertile plain flanked by two mountain ranges on either side. It’s the agricultural heartland of eastern Taiwan and has a phenomenal cycling route running up between the paddy fields and orange groves. Following this route for most of the day, you’ll eventually reach the north end of the valley and Hualien city, where you’ll be able to recover and take an early night in preparation for the big climb the following day.
Distance: 77km
Total Elevation: 740m
DAY 13
Hualien - Lishan (KOM)
The longest road climb in the world….need we say more? This isn’t just a grewling bucket list ride though, it’s a phenomenally beautiful route up into the Taiwanese high mountains. The first 30km section takes you on 3% average climb through the incredible Taroko Gorge, famous for its sheer marble cliffs, with the road cut into the landscape. Beyond Tianxiang, the gradient increases to an average of 5% for the next 45km, as you start to leave the tropical flora of the lower mountains and begin climbing up into the cloud forest – a band of thick woodland and ferns which sit at the usual cloud level on the mountains. Coming out of the forest the road delivers its kicker; a final 10km section averaging a mere 10% incline, where the thick vegetation has been replaced by an alpine-like baldness. Its a wonderful ride and fully deserves all the fame its very quickly gaining!
Distance: 83km
Total Elevation: 4,230m
DAY 14
Lishan - Jiaoxi
With the tiredness still lingering from the KOM, the good news is that this is a very quick 120kms. It’s not all downhill (we’ll remind you on the day, there are a few climbs!) but there’s also a 50km descent which has been well and truely earned during the previous day’s riding. Finish at the bottom of Yilan Valley with a visit to the award winning Kavalan whiskey distillery and a wee dram or two.
Distance: 121km
Total Elevation: 1,620m
DAY 15
Jiaoxi - Taipei
Nearly the end of the trip, but still with a classic day’s riding to go. You’ll ride up and over the old road connecting Taipei with Yilan county, which has now been replaced with a shiny new tunnel. The best views of Yilan county anywhere will be your companion on the climb up, and a knowledge of that rice dumplings await you in Pinglin will accompany you on the way down. Finally you’ll ride back into Taipei city through Fu De Keng – Taiwan’s biggest cemetery. Beautiful, ethereal and also bloody good cycling.
Distance: 69km
Total Elevation: 1,414m
DAY 16
Departure
Our guides will drive you to the airport to say goodbye.
Time to leave us… for now!
TRIP gallery
6 F l l I s l a n d T o u r
Our cycle tours are designed to capture the incredible treasures of Taiwan. A unique opportunity to ride stunning and challenging routes in one of the most beautiful corners of the world. With its imposing mountain ranges, rolling paddy fields, gorgeous ocean roads, ultra-modern cycle lanes and world-famous cuisine, Taiwan provides the perfect blend of safety, comfort and adventure to make it an ideal location to explore by bike.
With a highly experienced guide and a support vehicle with you at all times, you can simply relax and enjoy the ride, as well as savour the delights Taiwan has to offer: think night markets, national parks, temples, waterfalls, natural hot springs and so much more!
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