Sun Moon Lake ‘shines’ as one of Taiwan’s top tourist destinations – and waking up to wonderful waterside views is always a pleasant way to start the day.
Most of Sun Moon Lake’s accommodation options are clustered around its two main lakeside towns – Ita Thao and Shuishe, where you can find many mid-range guesthouses and high-end hotels.
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Sun Moon Lake is home to some of Taiwan’s most prestigious luxury resorts including The Lalu Hotel, Fleur de Chine Hotel and the Grand Hilai Sun Moon Lake, which are perfect for a special occasion or a Taiwan honeymoon.
From luxury hotels to budget accommodation, this our Taiwanderers guide to the best Sun Moon Lake hotels in 2026. We last stayed in Sun Moon Lake in April 2026 staying at Hu Yue Lakeview Hotel.
Taiwan checklist
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Why stay in Sun Moon Lake?
We’ve visited Sun Moon Lake on several occasions (most recently in March 2026) and would totally recommend visiting this scenic setting as part of your next Taiwan itinerary.
Given the travel time from the nearest cities, a day trip is likely too rushed (especially if there is bad weather) so one or two nights here would be ideal.
Whilst it can get busy, the sight of sunset over Sun Moon Lake or a trip to the waterside temples usually makes up for the crowds and it is easily accessible from Taichung and Alishan.
A great place to hike, bike or enjoy luscious lakeside views, Sun Moon Lake has many things to do from cable cars to cultural villages, tranquil temples to Taiwanese tea-tasting – and the views from Ci-en Pagoda are some of the best in Taiwan.
Sun Moon Lake is worthy of an overnight stay so you have at least one full day to explore – check out our 1 to 2 day Sun Moon Lake itinerary.
How to get to Sun Moon Lake
We have written an extensive guide on how you can reach Sun Moon Lake from Taipei, Taichung and Alishan, check out our how to get to Sun Moon Lake article.
Taichung is the nearest big city that is connected to Sun Moon Lake with tourist shuttle buses. Many visitors combine a visit to Sun Moon Lake with Taichung, check out our things to do in Taichung guide >
If you are coming on the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus from Taichung then you will be dropped off at the Shuishe Visitor Center (map). You can use a Taiwan EasyCard to pay your fare.
Small Taiwan Tourist shuttle buses also operate between Sun Moon Lake and Alishan (2 journeys per day). Check out our Alishan itinerary >
Or try a private driver or transfer – we have written a Taiwan private driver / transfer guide >
More things to do in Sun Moon Lake >
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Where to stay – Ita Thao vs Shuishe
We’ve now done a couple of overnight stays in Sun Moon Lake. Before our first trip, we did a lot of research into which was the best place to stay. As we were reliant on public transport, we narrowed it down to Shuishe vs Ita Thao (Yuchi is another possibility, but the town is a little way back from the lake).
Based on our experiences, we would recommend staying in Ita Thao over Shuishe if you are looking for slightly cheaper hotels.
Ita Thao has more attractions on its doorstep (like the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village plus various bike, paddleboard and pedalo hire) plus a bigger range of shops and food.
Shuishe has more lake view hotels which are slightly more expensive.
You might like our Ita Thao guide and / or Shuishe guide.
Booking Sun Moon Lake hotels – top tips
Once you are ready to start booking your Sun Moon Lake hotel(s), there are a few general rules and tips:
- Peak season in Taiwan is generally classed as the summer months but you’ll also find room rates are likely higher in the winter because of Christmas in Taiwan, Taiwan Lunar New Year and cherry blossom season.
- We find agoda.com has the best room rates for Taiwan / Sun Moon Lake hotels plus booking.com is also quite good. Use the agoda code TAIWANDERERS for a discount.
- Online rates for Taiwan hotels are generally better than booking in person. We even had a situation where we tried to extend a Taipei hotel booking at reception and the staff kindly informed us we should book it on Agoda instead as it would be cheaper!
- If possible, book your Sun Moon Lake hotel rooms several months in advance as the room rates tend to increase in the months before you arrive – also consider making use of the ‘cancellable’ room options that some hotel booking sites have like Agoda.
- Sun Moon Lake is quite spread out so plan in advance how you will get to your hotel with luggage – most recently, we took the bus from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake then a taxi from Shuishe to Ita Thao – previously, we took our big suitcases on the Sun Moon Lake ferry.
Sun Moon Lake hotels and accommodation
Here are some highly rated Sun Moon Lake hotel and accommodation suggestions for all types of budget:
Luxury Sun Moon Lake Hotels ($$$)
Grand Hilai Sun Moon Lake (Shuishe)
The newest luxury hotel in Sun Moon Lake, the 5* Grand Hilai Sun Moon Lake has incredible views, a spa, sauna and fine dining.
Located on the Hanbi Peninsula, all room types have balconies and a private hot tub – many offer panoramic views of the lake – room sizes are typically 525 to 570 ft².
All rooms have complimentary mini-bars, Nespresso coffee machines, Dyson hairdryers, Samsung QLED TVs, high tech speakers and luxury bath products.
With hot springs on the 11th floor, Grand Hilai Sun Moon Lake has a Japanese onsen-style setting, cold plunge pool and steam rooms.
After a day of sightseeing, unwind in the rooftop pool overlooking the lake or enjoy dinner / buffet breakfast or a drink at the Sky Lounge, the highest-view rooftop restaurant in Sun Moon Lake.
Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Lealea Garden Hotel Sun Moon Lake (Ita Thao)
A popular hotel 5* with lake views, known for its wonderful wooden exteriors, made from Taiwan cypress wood.
Lealea Garden Hotel Sun Moon Lake facilities include an indoor pool, sauna, restaurant, game/chess room and free bike rental.
It is one of the best located Sun Moon Lake hotels, directly looking out over the lake and a short walk to the Rope Way (cable car), the ferry terminal and all the restaurants / shops in Ita Thao.
The rooms have homely traditional interiors – treat yourself and pay a little extra to have a balcony with a lake view.
Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Fuli Hot Spring Resort (Shuishe)
Set a little way back from the lake, this is a popular hot spring hotel blessed with mountain views – it is also just a few steps from the bus station where the main shuttle drops you off from Taichung.
Facilities include an outdoor pool, hot tubs, spa, private hot spring bathhouses, karaoke, bar and their Imperial Kitchen restaurant, serving Nantou dishes using local ingredients.
Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Wyndham Sun Moon Lake (Ita Thao)
A 5* chain hotel and service apartments next to downtown Ita Thao, this is one of the biggest and most modern hotels in Sun Moon Lake with 200 rooms, two restaurants and a few bars.
Each room has private hot-spring tubs in the rooms and some have balconies with lake views.
Wyndham Sun Moon Lake facilities include an alfresco pool, gym, creche, roof terrace, spa and conference facilities. The club lounge has daily snack times and a Happy Hour. The hotel also offers a shuttle service between Sun Moon Lake and Taichung HSR station.
When we asked our TTT Facebook group for local restaurant recommendations, several members recommended the Shao Chinese Restaurant in Wyndham Sun Moon Lake resort. Their Cantonese cuisine was nice, served with lots of Taiwanese tea and actually quite well priced for Sun Moon Lake – so we ate here twice!
Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Mid-Range ($$)
Hu Yue Lakeview Hotel
On our latest 2026 trip to Sun Moon Lake, we spent 3 nights here in an amazing 355 ft ² lake view room.
The room itself was clean and comfortable and the balcony was an excellent size. The bathroom was shiny and modern with big glass windows (but you can lower the blinds for privacy). The bed was large, and the TV had the Netflix app inbuilt so we could watch films at night.
Breakfast is served on the top floor (8th floor) offering a small buffet and gorgeous morning views. The hotel is conveniently located near to Ita Thao Pier for the ferry and there are many convenience stores, street food stalls and restaurants on your doorstep.
Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
H& Sun Moon Lake Shui Yang / Shui Yang Lakeview House
We stayed at this friendly guesthouse in 2024 – it is located just a few minutes walk from the pier and all the restaurants.
Breakfast was included and you can enjoy eating it on their small deck overlooking the lake. They also provide a small tea tasting tray when you first arrive – sunsets here are so pretty and peaceful.
Very isolated with a clear view of the lake, a highlight was starting each day with a breakfast looking out over the lake – the hotel also had a cute cat and dog who enjoyed the terrace too.
Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Sun Moon Lake Apollo Resort Hotel
Highly rated brand-new hotel with lake views located a 3 minute walk away from Shuishe Pier.
Located in the heart of Shuishe next door to Sun Moon Lake Starbucks and the ferry pier, Sun Moon Lake Apollo Resort Hotel also has incredible circular / porthole style windows (but huge!) in some rooms – guests also rave about the buffet breakfast.
Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Budget ($)
Sun Moon Lake Fisherman Homestay
A cheap and cheerful guest-house / hostel, Sun Moon Lake Fisherman Homestay is an old fashioned and no frills affair with clean rooms.
Dorm beds and a shared kitchen are also available.
Check rates and availability on booking.com and agoda.com
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