Day Trips from Taichung

Taiwan's most famous lake hands you postcard views and surprisingly private corners once you slip the tour groups. The cycling path around the shoreline keeps shifting the water's blues and greens in front of you.

This former port town keeps Taiwan's Qing dynasty architecture alive in narrow alleys where incense drifts from family temples and the metallic clang of traditional workshops turns out everything from lanterns to tin boxes.

The famous forest railway climbs through misty cedar forests where morning light filters through moss-covered trees, and indigenous Tsou villages pour coffee grown on the surrounding slopes.

Green pastures roll across hills where sheep wander freely and the air carries pine and mountain herbs. The Swiss-style chalets sit comfortably among the clouds.

Towering bamboo forests form natural cathedrals where light slips through green canopies, and suspension bridges sway above streams where you can spot Formosan landlocked salmon.

Sulfur-scented steam rises from outdoor pools ringed by forested mountains, letting you soak in milky white mineral water while the Dajia River roars somewhere below.

This indigenous Atayal area delivers cool mountain air and sweeping views over terraced fields where high-altitude tea grows beside lily farms that blaze in shocking orange patches.

A web of hiking trails climbs through bamboo and fern forests with Taichung city views below and the odd monkey sighting, the tougher trails pay off with fewer people.