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Taiwan Traverse by Road Bike
Duration
12 days
Site savings
$123
From
$3,977 USD
On this hilly, and in places steep, ride you will be challenged as you head up and over the Central Mountain Range twice, culminating at 3,275 m (10,745 ft) on the Hehuanshan Road. You will ride just under 927 kilometers (576 miles) in 9 days of riding on smooth tarmac roads. The trip is fully supported and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of cold drinks, ice and fresh fruit.
- CategoryAdventurous
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration12 days
- Culture LevelOut There
- Skill Level4 - Advanced
- Activity Level4 - Challenging
- Elevation4 - Challenging
- TerrainHilly
- Distance568.6 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance63.4 miles
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Quick Stats
- Duration12 days
- Main DestinationTaiwan
- Distance568.6 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance63.4 miles
- Elevation4 - Challenging
- TerrainHilly
Route Map (click to view larger image)
Itinerary Details
- Day 1Arrival in Taipei
Meet in the hotel to do a bike fitting or help with assembling bikes. After, we will have a trip briefing before having dinner.
- 31.1 miles
- Les Suites Taipei Daan
- Dinner
- Day 2Taipei - Fusing
You'll be picked up from your Taipei hotel in the morning and driven outside the busy city to start the ride to Fusing. You will just have a short ride, but it will start at sea level and end at about 450 m (1,476ft). It will be a gentle start through undulating hills to get the legs warmed up before you start the serious climbing. You'll be riding through thick forest, and the thick moss and huge ferns that line the narrow road give the whole place a Jurassic aura.
- 31.1 miles
- 1,079.4 ft
1,686.4 ft
607 ft - Da Kung Hotel
- Lunch and Dinner
- Day 3Fusing - Wuling Farm
You first big climbing day begins from the hotel. 35 undulating kilometers (21mi) warm up to one of the first steep sections and the first peak of the day at 60 kilometers (37mi). You’ll make a sharp descent down to the base of the plateau before the long climb begins to the top of Shih Yin Pass, nearly 2,000 meters (6,561ft) above sea level.
Admire the dense forest, changing from cedar to bamboo along the way, and breathe in the fresh air- you’re going to need it!
- 62.1 miles
- 2,044 ft
7,217.8 ft
5,173.9 ft - Wuling Farm
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 4Wuling Farm - Lu Shan Hot Spring
You start the day by continuing up the north cross island highway to Li Shan, a town famous for its mountain fruit. After 25 km (15mi), the long climb begins as you make your way to the day’s peak, at over 3,000 meters (9,842ft) in one of the most remote areas of the island.
Following the climb, you have a long descent through the remote farms in the high mountains.
- 55.9 miles
- -629.9 ft
5,124.7 ft
5,754.6 ft - Happy Moon Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 5Lu Shan - Taroko Gorge
One of the highlights of the trip, the climb starts immediately, and you’ll make an early start to ride the 32 kilometers (19mi) and 2,175 meters (7,135ft) up to Hehuanshan Pass, the highest road in East Asia at 3,275 m (10,744ft). A car transport and options to start at different points along the way on the way up are available.
Once at the top, the rewards come one after the other: cold drinks and snacks, fabulous scenery for memorable photos, and an exhilarating ride down into Taroko National Park and the world-famous Taroko Gorge. This will be one ride you will never forget as you drop some 3,270 m (10,728ft), riding through endless tunnels and a multitude of eco zones. The last 20 km (12mi) of Taroko Gorge is a mind-blowing ride through marbled walled passageways that twist and turn as the gorge rises some 500-1,100 m (1,640-3,608ft) above!
- 77.7 miles
- -3,034.8 ft
7,463.9 ft
10,498.7 ft - Crossing the Rainbow Bridge or Taroko Delight Villa
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 6Taroko National Park Rest Day
Take a break from the bikes today and spend the day hiking in Taroko Gorge. You will visit Siangde Temple that has a giant statue of Guanyin and a pagoda that provides views of the valley from the top. You can walk the Zhui Lu Ancient Trail as well, which takes you several hundred metres above the gorge for a breathtaking cliff-walk and spectacular views of the gorge below.
There are many other hikes to choose from, and the group can decide which ones are the best based on everyone’s interests.- 83.9 miles
- Crossing the Rainbow Bridge Guest House / Taroko Delight Villa
- Breakfast and Dinner
- Day 7Taroko Gorge - An Tong Hot Spring
From Taroko Gorge, you ride out onto the east coast and into the superb East Rift Valley. The group will cycle on an undulating route that hugs the foothills and takes you through numerous aboriginal villages.
After cycling through this fertile valley, spend the night at yet another wonderful hot spring resort!- 83.9 miles
- 685.7 ft
2,628 ft
1,942.3 ft - An-Tong Hot Spring Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 8Yu Li - Jhihben Hot Springs
Ride from the hotel south and then up into the Badlands area and enjoy splendid views from the deserted mountain road. You'll eventually connect with the Luye backroads and enjoy a wonderful ride through the outskirts of the port town of Taitung and down to the lush Jhihben River Valley, where the hot springs are between 75-96 degrees Celsius.
- 68.4 miles
- -659.4 ft
2,342.5 ft
3,002 ft - Hoya Resort and Spa
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 9Jhihben Hot Springs - Kenting National Park
Today's ride takes you over the top of Capricorn Pass and down to the white sand beaches of Kenting. Starting with a 50-km (31mi) ride down the south-east coast, you'll make the first crossing of the island from east to west. This is the route taken by most riders travelling around the island.
As you ride over the southern mountains, descend down to the west coast and around the Kenting peninsula. The group will stay overnight at Bai Sha Wan beach, famous for being a setting in the movie "Life of Pi."
- 74.6 miles
- -95.1 ft
3,323.5 ft
3,418.6 ft - White Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 10Kenting - Wutai Aborigine Village
Starting early in the morning from the guest house, you explore the southern part of Taiwan, which has the most dramatic coast line. We'll be hugging the coast and seeing the island’s best beaches. Then it's a 2 hour transfer from the coast to the mountain area, to navigate around busy roads.
After lunch, start climbing into the mountains to the village of Wu Tai, famous for its stone house architecture. On the road up to the village, you'll cross the highest bridge in Taiwan, approximately 100 m (328ft) above the river. Finish the day with a 17-kilomtre (10.5mi) climb to our destination.
- 65.2 miles
- 2,181.8 ft
4,481.6 ft
2,299.9 ft - Shenshan Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 11Wutai Aborigine Village - Kaohsiung
On the last ride of the tour, you'll leave behind the mountain village and head towards the vibrant southern city of Kaohsiung. You’ll lose elevation, cruising downward out of the peaks that have defined your journey through Taiwan. Fertile farmland line the mountainous slopes along the ride, and the group will stop for lunch in on one of the many indigenous villages for some traditional aborigine food.
Only a few small climbs remain, until you reach the Kaoping River on the very outer limits of Kaohsiung city. The day doesn’t end here however, there is one more surprise in store, the fantastic Fo Guang Shan Monastery. Multi-level pagodas and endless gilded Buddha statues line the pathways of this incredible Buddhist establishment. Following a wide-eyed wander through the monastery, transfer to the hotel in the city for the evening, with plenty of time to disassemble bikes, pack, and rest up for the next day of onward travel.
- 49.7 miles
- 1,259.8 ft
4,156.8 ft
2,897 ft - Kindness Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 12Departure