Taiwan is a cycling paradise. Between coast-hugging highways that offer breathtaking vistas of the Pacific Ocean, undulating country roads dissecting lush valleys, and extreme ascents/thrilling descents winding around majestic mountain ranges, Taiwan has something for riders at all levels. If you are looking for casual riding combined with a diverse and immersive experience on this fascinating island nation, then SpiceRoads invites you to experience our brand new “Taiwan Explorer by Bike”. This tour has been specifically designed to strike the perfect balance between leisurely riding along scenic roads and intimately exploring the landscapes, cultures, and cuisines that span the south and east coasts of Taiwan.

The journey begins in the city of Kaohsiung, where we will zip down the so-called “tail of Taiwan” to reach the scenic coastline and white sand beaches of Kenting. We then traverse across the southern mountains and through Indigenous villages before rolling down to the east coast to be greeted by sweeping views over the Pacific Ocean. The next couple of days will be filled with epic stretches along the coast, stopping in maritime towns and villages steeped in history, filling our bellies with local delicacies, exploring forested areas, and lounging in hot springs! Once we reach the town of Chenggong, we’ll trade the blue ocean vistas for visuals of emerald green as we enter the Rift Valley, a simply stunning area of meandering rivers, rice paddies, quiet country roads and quaint local villages. The Rift Valley will be our cycling playground for the final days of riding before we cap off the adventure with an off-saddle exploration of Taroko Gorge, the world’s deepest marble gorge and probably Taiwan’s most impressive geological formation. This is the perfect way to end our adventure on a truly high note (literally!) before we say our goodbyes the following morning and you head up to Taipei by train.

This tour is sure to leave you with lasting impressions of Taiwan, still an underappreciated and much less visited destination compared with other East Asian countries! Let us show you what makes this cycling paradise such a gem to explore.

Suitability: The route has been designed with manageable distances and terrain, and can be done by anyone with a reasonable fitness level. The tour is fully supported, and the bus is always close at hand for those that find the riding too difficult.

Biking Conditions: Taiwan has some of the world's most bike friendly roads. The roads are smooth tarmac in excellent condition but some smaller roads in the mountain areas outside the city may be a bit rough and steep in places.

Arrival Day! 

Welcome to Taiwan! Today you will arrive in Kaohsiung, the country's second biggest city and nicknamed the “Harbor Capital '' due to its primal role as a hub for maritime trade. Depending on your arrival time feel free to explore on your own or relax at the hotel. In the afternoon we will meet for a bike fitting and trip briefing before enjoying a delicious Taiwanese welcome dinner.

Let the adventure begin! This morning we will transfer from Kaohsiung to Pingtung (around 1.5 hours) to reach the starting point of our inaugural cycling day. The ride begins with a jaunt along flat roads down “Taiwan’s Tail”, towards the island's southernmost point where we’ll find the impressive Eluanbi Lighthouse. From there, we skirt along the scenic coastline of Kenting National Park. Our final destination is Baisha Beach where we can reward our cycling efforts with a dip in the ocean! This is one of Taiwan’s most beautiful beaches, but don’t take our word for it; just watch the hit movie “Life of Pi” which used this area as the location for many of the beach scenes. After some beach time and checking into our hotel nearby we will regroup for dinner and stroll through Kenting’s buzzing street night market.

Today we travel coast to coast from Kenting to Dawu, along the way traversing the southern part of Taiwan’s mountainous spine, rolling past Indigenous villages and surrounded by incredible vistas. Beginning from Kenting we embark on a two-wheeled crossing of Taiwan's tail. The majority of the way will be along scenic road No. 199, one of the most gorgeous stretches of tarmac in the country! As we meander across the terrain we will pass through several Indigenous villages and our guide will explain some of the history and culture of Taiwan’s diverse ethnic groups. While the ride today will involve several ascents, as we begin to approach the east coast we’ll be rewarded with a gradual descent complemented by sweeping views over the Pacific Ocean. We’ll spend the night at a small coastal village in Dawu Township.

We start the day with a gentle 40 km ride further up the east coast, rejoicing in continuous vistas of the endless Pacific Ocean as we pedal forth. Our port of call today is Zhiben, famous for its hot springs. We arrive in time for lunch and in the afternoon we’ll take time to roam around the Zhiben National Forest Recreational Area. Here we’ll find not only hot springs but an abundance of natural scenery of waterfalls, banyan trees and tropical forests. Tonight’s accommodation will be a treat as you’ll have the option to soothe your muscles with hot spring baths and spa treatments directly at the hotel.

Today is our last day along the coast before we move inland. Departing from Zhiben, we cycle through a string of coastal towns and fishing villages before arriving in Chenggong. Here we will visit Samxianthai, a small off-shore island accessible by a beautifully arched bridge, and relish in spectacular views back onto the coast from atop the lighthouse. Chenggong is well known by the Taiwanese for its incredible seafood and we’ll be sure to sample some local delicacies at dinner here this evening.

Today we trade blue ocean vistas for visuals of emerald green as we enter the Rift Valley of Taitung. In the morning we depart from Chenggong and embark on the second mountain range crossing of the trip, transitioning from coast to inland river valley. It is well worth the effort as we’ll be greeted by a lush landscape of meandering rivers, rice paddies, quiet country roads and quaint local villages. This is the incredible Rift Valley of Taitung and it will be our cycling paradise for the next few days. Tonight we will stay at another hot spring resort southwest of Yuli, one of the 5 hot springs established during the Japanese colonial period from 1895 – 1945. We’ll enjoy a delicious dinner and don’t be shy to go for a therapeutic soak in the hot spring!

This morning we say goodbye to our hot spring hotel and spend the day cycling through the Rift Valley. Nestled between the central and coastal mountains this is the most fertile part of the island - in fact, the Rift Valley is referred to as Taiwan’s “rice basket” epitomized by a seemingly endless sea of rice paddy fields along the valley floor. If you ask around, many Taiwanese consider this to be the most beautiful part of the country and we’re sure you’ll probably agree with that! We cycle on an undulating route that hugs the foothills and takes us through numerous Indigenous villages. There is almost no traffic and you can enjoy views of the coastal mountains on your right and the towering peaks of the famous Central Mountains on your left. Taiwan has 270 peaks which are over 3,000 m in elevation and looking at this range as we ride north is a joy. We spend the night at a cozy guesthouse in the rural township of Guangfu. If the sky is clear at night be sure to do some star gazing!

Get ready for the final ride of the trip! We follow the Rift Valley to its northernmost point at the mouth of the Liwu River, where we find ourselves back on the coast facing the vast Pacific Ocean. This is also the gateway to the incredible Taroko National Park, home to Taiwan’s most awe-inspiring geological formations which will be our adventure playground the following day. Departing from Guangfu we’ll cycle leisurely on meandering country roads before ascending another mountain crossing which will carry us down back to the coast. We’ll cruise through Hualien City and, as we approach the Liwu River Delta, we'll get our first glimpse of the marble cliffs of Taroko Gorge. We spend the remainder of the day at leisure near the coast as we save our exploration of the Gorge for the following day!

Our last day is off the saddle as we explore the natural wonders of Taroko Gorge, the world’s deepest marble gorge. While we won’t be biking, we’ll certainly still be active as we explore the gorge's most impressive sites, such as the Swallow Grotto Cave, Baiyang Water Curtain Cave, and Tunnel of 9 Turns. We'll be hiking to these locations, covering distances of 2 - 4 km. From various vantage points the views are simply stunning - you’ll see the bright blue water of the river raging through the canyon and marble-walled mountains and peaks partially blanketed by lush vegetation.

After breakfast and our goodbyes, we will drop you off at the Hualien train station for your return to Taipei and onward journey. We can also arrange for a vehicle transfer if you prefer.