Taipei Lodge
Lodge
Days 1, 2
Taiwan by rail - 6 Days (Taipei, Jiufen, Taroko, Swallow Grotto & Hualien)
Six days by rail around the island. Six days with reserved rail throughout, an Alishan guesthouse for the sunrise train and a guide in Taroko.
Meridian Overland
Runs this trip
Trekking
Six days by rail around the island
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Taipei 101Taipei 101's lift climbs 89 floors in 37 seconds and held the world record for years. Jiufen old streetJiufen was a gold town that emptied and then filled again with visitors. Taroko GorgeTaroko is a marble gorge and the road through it was cut by hand by veterans in the 1950s, with considerable loss of life.
Itinerary
Taipei 101's lift climbs 89 floors in 37 seconds and held the world record for years. The night markets are the better reason to be here.
TaipeiHow the day runs
- 1 hrsThe airport MRT into the city
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationTaipei Lodge
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Hotel night
- EasyCard loaded
Optional Activities
- Taipei 101 observatory, reached in 37 seconds
LANDMARKS Taipei 101 Shilin night market Longshan Temple Start point Taipei, Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), Taiwan 00:00 - 23:59Jiufen was a gold town that emptied and then filled again with visitors. It is at its best in the hour after the day-trippers leave.
Taipei, JiufenHow the day runs
- 1 hrs9:00 AM — the coast line east, then the bus up
- 11:00 AM — the old street and the teahouses at dusk
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationTaipei Lodge
Included Activities
- Rail and bus
- Guided walk
- Hotel night in Taipei
LANDMARKS Jiufen old street Amei teahouse Shifen waterfall Taroko is a marble gorge and the road through it was cut by hand by veterans in the 1950s, with considerable loss of life.
Taipei, Taroko, Swallow GrottoHow the day runs
- 2 hrs7:30 AM — the east coast express
- 5 hrs11:00 AM — the Shakadang and Swallow Grotto trails
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationHualien Lodge
Included Activities
- Rail tickets
- Park transport and guided trails
- Hotel night at Hualien
LANDMARKS Taroko Gorge Shakadang trail Swallow Grotto Eternal Spring Shrine The lakeside cycle route is thirty kilometres, largely flat and separated, and it is genuinely one of the best rides anywhere.
Hualien, Sun Moon LakeHow the day runs
- 5 hrs8:00 AM — south and inland via Taichung
- 1 hrs3:00 PM — the lake launch between the piers
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationSun Moon Lake Retreat
Included Activities
- Rail and boat
- Lakeside hotel night
Optional Activities
- The lakeside cycle path, rated among the best in the world
LANDMARKS Sun Moon Lake Ita Thao Wenwu Temple The sunrise train leaves before five and runs up to Zhushan for the cloud sea, which forms below you most clear mornings.
Sun Moon Lake, AlishanHow the day runs
- 3 hrs9:00 AM — south into the mountains
- 3 hrs2:00 PM — the giant cypress trail
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationAlishan Lodge
Included Activities
- Park entry
- Alishan guesthouse night
- Sunrise train ticket
LANDMARKS Alishan forest railway Sacred trees Cypress forest The high-speed line does Chiayi to Taipei in ninety minutes, which is what makes this last day possible.
Alishan, TaipeiHow the day runs
- 1 hrs4:30 AM — the sunrise train to Zhushan
- 4 hrs11:00 AM — down to Chiayi and the HSR north
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Sunrise train
- High-speed rail to Taipei
- Airport transfer
LANDMARKS Zhushan sunrise Cloud sea Taipei
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 1EasyCard loaded
- Day 1Taipei 101 observatory, reached in 37 secondsCosts extra
- Day 2Rail and bus
- Day 2Guided walk
- Day 2Hotel night in Taipei
- Day 3Rail tickets
- Day 3Park transport and guided trails
- Day 3Hotel night at Hualien
- Day 4Rail and boat
- Day 4Lakeside hotel night
- Day 4The lakeside cycle path, rated among the best in the worldCosts extra
- Day 5Park entry
- Day 5Alishan guesthouse night
- Day 5Sunrise train ticket
- Day 6Sunrise train
- Day 6High-speed rail to Taipei
- Day 1 · 2 nightsTaipei Lodge
- Day 3 · 1 nightHualien Lodge
- Day 4 · 1 nightSun Moon Lake Retreat
- Day 5 · 1 nightAlishan Lodge
- Day 1Taipei to TaipeiThe airport MRT into the city
- Day 2Taipei to Jiufen9:00 AM — the coast line east, then the bus up
- Day 3Taipei to Hualien7:30 AM — the east coast express
- Day 4Hualien to Sun Moon Lake8:00 AM — south and inland via Taichung
- Day 5Sun Moon Lake to Alishan9:00 AM — south into the mountains
- Day 6Alishan to Alishan4:30 AM — the sunrise train to Zhushan
- Day 6Alishan to Taipei11:00 AM — down to Chiayi and the HSR north
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Hualien Lodge
Lodge
Day 3
Sun Moon Lake Retreat
Hotel
Day 4
Alishan Lodge
Lodge
Day 5
What you'll eat
5 breakfasts and 2 dinners across 6 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 6.
- DinnerServed on days 1, 5
- BreakfastServed on days 2–6
7 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.4/5
Based on 8 reviews
Review summary
Food3.8/5
Guide4.1/5
Itinerary4.1/5
Transport4.0/5
Accommodation4.6/5
Tour operator4.4/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
N
Nikhil Joshi – Hyderabad2026-05-06 · Verified booking
The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. Lodges along the way were simple and comfortable enough after a long day. Crew were professional without being stiff about it. No hesitation recommending them.
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4
R
Rahul Menon – Hyderabad2026-05-06 · Verified booking
Taiwan in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Solid operator.
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5
N
Nina Hoffmann – Lisbon2026-05-06 · Verified booking
Did this over 6 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. Lodges along the way were simple and comfortable enough after a long day. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down. Would send friends their way.
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3
M
Marc Dubois – Dubai2026-05-06 · Verified booking
Long transfer at both ends that isn't obvious from the listing. Budget a day either side. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.
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5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Kolkata2026-03-13 · Verified booking
Taiwan in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Lodges along the way were simple and comfortable enough after a long day. Meals were good throughout and the vegetarian options weren't an afterthought. Solid operator.
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3
V
Vikram Bose – Delhi2026-03-13 · Verified booking
Pace was set for the fastest people in the group and it made the middle days hard. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
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5
M
Marc Dubois – London2026-03-13 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. The teahouses were warm and the beds were fine after eight hours walking. No hesitation recommending them.
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5
N
Nikhil Joshi – Mumbai2026-03-13 · Verified booking
Taiwan in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Lodges along the way were simple and comfortable enough after a long day.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
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Questions people ask
One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →