Self-Launched Around Taiwan: Taipei to Hualien in 8 Days
8 days · Taiwan
MyTaiwanTour charges £1,976
No-markup version: ~£413 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of MyTaiwanTour's 8-day Around Taiwan loop, done independently by train, bus and shared taxi for a fraction of the £1,900+ private tour price. You'll cover the same highlights — the earthquake-damaged Longteng Bridge and Shengxing station in Miaoli, a Hakka leicha (pound tea) session, Sun Moon Lake by boat, Alishan's forest trails and forest railway, Kaohsiung's Buddha museum and Love River, a Chihpen hot spring, the East Rift Valley and Chishang's rice-paddy cycle path, the Tropic of Cancer marker, Liyu Lake, Qixingtan Beach and the Qingshui Cliff — but booking each leg and activity yourself. Taiwan is one of Asia's easiest independent destinations: the Taiwan Railways Administration network is fast, cheap and English-friendly, convenience stores are everywhere, and night markets keep food costs low. Costs below are rough per-person backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Taipei to Taichung via Longteng Bridge & Shengxing Station
Taichung
Catch an early Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR) or regular TRA train from Taipei Main Station to Miaoli/Fengyuan, then local trains or the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle to Longteng Bridge and the wooden Japanese-era Shengxing Railway Station — the exact sights the private tour covers, minus the van. Book a DIY Hakka leicha (pounded tea) session at a Shengxing teahouse (many small shops offer this for ~NT$250-350 / £6-9). Continue to Taichung in the afternoon, drop bags at a hostel or budget hotel near Taichung Station, and spend the evening eating your way through Fengjia Night Market.
🚌Taipei–Miaoli/Fengyuan TRA train ~£4-6; Taiwan Tourist Shuttle or local bus to Longteng/Shengxing ~£3; onward to Taichung ~£2-4
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Taichung Station (~£15-22/night, dorm cheaper)
- →Longteng Bridge
- →Shengxing Railway Station
- →Hakka leicha pounded-tea workshop (self-booked)
- →Fengjia Night Market
Taichung to Sun Moon Lake
Sun Moon Lake
Take the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (Sun Moon Lake Route 6670) or a Nantou bus from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake, about 1.5 hours. Check into a lakeside guesthouse in Shuishe or Ita Thao, then buy a Sun Moon Lake Ropeway/boat combo pass at the pier — a round-trip lake boat pass costs roughly NT$300-400 (£8-11) and covers the main stops. Add a stop at a tea farm in the area (Antique Assam Tea Farm or a Shuishe/Ita Thao tea shop) for an Assam tea tasting, and finish with indigenous-style food (bamboo rice, wild boar sausage) by the lake.
🚌Taichung–Sun Moon Lake shuttle bus ~£4-5
🛏Guesthouse near Shuishe or Ita Thao (~£18-25/night)
- →Sun Moon Lake boat tour (self-booked pass)
- →Tea farm / Assam tea tasting
- →Lakeside indigenous food stalls
- →Optional ropeway
Sun Moon Lake to Alishan
Alishan
Travel via Zhushan (famous for Dong Ding oolong — stop at a Zhushan tea shop for a tasting, often free or a small fee) and on to Alishan by bus (Nantou/Alishan bus connections, or via Chiayi then the Chiayi–Alishan bus 7329). The journey is slow and scenic; allow 3-4 hours. In Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, buy the entry ticket (~NT$300 / £8) and hike the forest trails — Giant Trees Trail, the Sacred Tree, Sister Ponds and the sunrise-view platforms. Stay in a budget hotel or guesthouse in the recreation area or Alishan village.
🚌Sun Moon Lake–Zhushan–Chiayi–Alishan buses ~£8-10 total
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Alishan (Ying Shan Hotel equivalent, ~£25-35/night)
- →Zhushan tea tasting
- →Alishan National Forest Recreation Area hiking
- →Giant Trees Trail & Sacred Tree
- →Sunset viewpoints
Alishan sunrise railway to Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Book the Alishan Forest Railway sunrise train to Chushan/Zhushan yourself at the Alishan station ticket office the day before (round trip ~NT$300-400 / £8-11) — worth the early alarm. After breakfast, bus down to Chiayi and take the TRA or HSR to Kaohsiung (~£6-9). In the afternoon visit Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (free entry, accessible by bus from Kaohsiung) — Taiwan's largest Buddhist monastery complex — then take a Love River boat cruise (~NT$150-250 / £4-7) in the evening and finish at Liuhe Night Market.
🚌Alishan sunrise train ~£9; Alishan–Chiayi bus ~£4; Chiayi–Kaohsiung train ~£6-9; local buses/MRT ~£3
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Formosa Boulevard MRT (~£15-22/night)
- →Alishan Forest Railway sunrise train
- →Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum
- →Love River boat cruise
- →Liuhe Night Market
Kaohsiung to Taitung & Chihpen hot springs
Taitung / Chihpen
Take the train south along the coast to Fangliao or Chaozhou and transfer to the South-Link Line towards Taitung — one of Taiwan's most scenic rail routes (~£8-11). Detour to a cocoa farm around Pingtung/Neipu for a bean-to-bar chocolate tour (several farms offer tours for ~NT$250-400 / £7-11, book by phone or online). Arrive in Taitung, then local bus or taxi (or a cheap shared ride) to Chihpen for a night in a hot spring guesthouse — public hot spring baths cost ~NT$200-350 if you don't have a private tub.
🚌Kaohsiung–Taitung train (South-Link Line) ~£8-11; Taitung–Chihpen bus/taxi ~£2-5
🛏Hot spring guesthouse in Chihpen (~£25-35/night)
- →Cocoa farm tour (self-booked)
- →Chihpen hot spring soak
- →South-Link Line scenic rail journey
Taitung to Hualien via East Rift Valley
Hualien
Rent a bike or scooter in Chishang (bike ~NT$100-200/hr, scooter ~NT$400-600/day with an international driving permit) and cycle the bucolic rice-paddy lanes of Brown Boulevard and the Chishang Brick Kiln area. Work your way north via the East Rift Valley by TRA local train or the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, stopping at Taitung Seashore Park, the Tropic of Cancer Marker in Ruisui, and the Japanese colonial-era Guangfu sugar factory (try the ice cream). Arrive in Hualien in the evening and hit Dongdamen Night Market.
🚌TRA local trains along East Rift Valley ~£5-8 total; bike hire ~£3-5; occasional bus ~£3
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Hualien city (~£15-22/night)
- →Chishang cycling (Brown Boulevard)
- →Taitung Seashore Park
- →Tropic of Cancer Marker, Ruisui
- →Guangfu sugar factory
- →Dongdamen Night Market
Hualien: Liyu Lake, Qixingtan & Jiang Jun Fu
Hualien
Take a local bus or a short taxi to Liyu Lake and hire a pedal boat or SUP (paddle boat ~NT$200-300 / £5-8). In the afternoon head to Qixingtan Beach for the Pacific views (bus 310 or a 20-minute taxi from town), and stop at Jiang Jun Fu 1936 — the restored Japanese-era military officers' quarters turned creative park — on the way back. Return to Hualien for another night-market dinner or a cheap seafood spot near the harbour.
🚌Local buses/taxis around Hualien ~£6-10
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Hualien city (~£15-22/night)
- →Liyu Lake paddle boat
- →Qixingtan Beach
- →Jiang Jun Fu 1936 heritage park
- →Dongdamen Night Market
Qingshui Cliff & tea farm, back to Taipei
Hualien to Taipei
Take the Taroko/coastal bus or a shared taxi along the Suhua Highway section past Qingshui Cliff for the classic Pacific cliff views (or the TRA train, which passes close to the coast; a short local bus hop to the Chongde viewpoint is the budget option). Stop at a Ruisui/Hualien area tea farm (or a Wuling/Hehuan-area tea stop on the way if going by bus) for a Taiwanese tea experience — alternatively visit the Hualien Sugar Factory or a local tea house. Take the TRA Taroko Express or Puyuma back to Taipei (~£9-12, 2-2.5 hours), arriving in the afternoon; the private tour ends with a drop at a Taipei hotel, so book a hostel or budget hotel near Taipei Main Station if you're staying on.
🚌Hualien–Taipei TRA express ~£9-12; local bus to Qingshui Cliff viewpoint ~£3
🛏Not included (add a Taipei hostel/budget hotel ~£18-25 if staying on)
- →Qingshui Cliff viewpoint
- →Tea farm / tea experience (self-booked)
- →Coastal Suhua Highway views
Self-launched vs. MyTaiwanTour
| This itinerary (self-launched) | MyTaiwanTour | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£413 | £1,976 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,563 per person (79%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more MyTaiwanTour-style trips? Check them out here.~£413
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Around Taiwan: Taipei to Hualien in 8 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £413 per person for 8 days in Taiwan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with MyTaiwanTour?+
Yes — MyTaiwanTour charges around £1,976 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £413 — a saving of roughly £1,563 (79%) per person.
How long is the Taiwan trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Taiwan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Taiwan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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