Taiwan by Bike: ~700km, 7 Days, and Plenty of 7-Eleven Stops
Seven days, almost 6,800 metres of climbing, endless coastal views, mountain roads, rice fields, convenience-store lunches and some seriously good Taiwanese food. Here's how our (luxury) bikepacking adventure went.
Taiwan had been on my cycling bucket list for a while. Great roads, beautiful scenery, mountains, ocean views and a pretty solid cycling culture. What's not to like?
So, together with my friend Bernd (fellow German), we decided to give it a go. The plan was simple: start in Taipei, head east towards the Pacific coast, and make our way south to Kenting over seven days.
Around 700km of riding, nearly 6,800 metres of climbing, seven nights in different places and everything we needed strapped to our bikes.
No support vehicle, no luggage transfers, no complicated logistics. Just two guys on bikes, a couple of small bags and a healthy reliance on Taiwan's convenience stores.
And as it turned out, that's pretty much all you need.
Travelling Light
One thing we agreed on early was to pack as little as possible.
We weren't camping, and we had accommodation booked every night, so there was no reason to carry half our wardrobes around Taiwan.
A small saddle bag for clothes, a frame bag for tools and spares, plus the usual cycling essentials. A change of clothes, some toiletries, a rain jacket and that was about it.
Cycling kit got washed in the evening and was ready to go again the following morning.
The beauty of Taiwan is that you're rarely too far from a 7-Eleven or FamilyMart. Coffee, sandwiches, rice balls, snacks, drinks, ice cream - pretty much everything you could ask for.
During the day, we mostly lived off convenience stores and the occasional local café. In the evenings, we went looking for proper Taiwanese food while breakfast was included with our accommodation.
Simple, practical and surprisingly comfortable.
Day 1: Taipei to Jiaoxi — Straight Into the Mountains
14 October | 82.24 km | 1,123 m climbing
We rolled out of Taipei around 9 AM, following the riverside cycling paths out of the city.
And what a great way to start a trip. Instead of fighting through city traffic, we spent the first part of the morning cruising along dedicated bike paths before eventually heading towards Shiding and into the hills.
That's where the climbing started.
A long, steady ascent took us into lush green mountains, past tea plantations and towards the beautiful Feicui Reservoir. The scenery was fantastic, although the weather decided to remind us that we were in a tropical country.
As soon as we hit the mountains, we got a little rain. Nothing dramatic, just enough to justify carrying a rain jacket.
Fortunately, that was pretty much the only rain we encountered during the entire trip.
The reward for the climbing was some brilliant descending along Highway 9, passing Pinglin before eventually dropping down towards the Yilan Plain and Jiaoxi.
Not a bad first day at all.
Day 2: Jiaoxi to Heping — Rice Fields, Ocean Views and a Train Ride
15 October | 97.07 km | 1,179 m climbing
Day two started with a completely different landscape.
We rolled across the flat Yilan Plain, surrounded by rice paddies, small villages and quiet country roads.
After that, things got considerably more dramatic.
The old Suhua Highway follows the mountains above the Pacific Ocean and offers some of the most spectacular coastal riding you can imagine.
With much of the traffic now using newer tunnels, sections of the old road are relatively quiet. You get winding roads, steep green mountains and incredible views over the ocean.
Definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
We originally planned to cycle as far as Dong'ao and catch the train to Hualien from there. But with the coastal scenery being so spectacular, we decided to keep riding along the Suhua Highway to Heping instead.
And it was absolutely worth it. More winding coastal roads, dramatic cliffs and incredible views over the Pacific Ocean. Definitely not a section we wanted to miss.
After 97km of riding, we eventually reached Heping Train Station, where we hopped on a train for the remaining 45-minute journey to Hualien.
A brilliant day on the bike and easily one of the most scenic stretches of the entire trip.
We arrived in Hualien, where we'd spend the next two nights.
Day 3: Taroko Gorge — Mountains on Another Level
16 October | 94.07 km | 808 m climbing
Our third day was dedicated to the famous Taroko Gorge.
The ride started along the Pacific coast, passing Qixingtan Beach before turning inland towards the mountains.
Taroko is famous for its dramatic marble cliffs, deep river gorge and towering mountains. It's one of Taiwan's most iconic landscapes and a very different experience from the open coastal roads.
We rode into the gorge and back, passing the famous Taroko Archway and following the winding mountain roads through some truly spectacular scenery.
The scale of the mountains and cliffs is something else, and it's definitely a ride worth experiencing.
One important thing to know: Access to Taroko Gorge is controlled due to ongoing construction and repair work following the earthquake. There are designated times when you can enter, exit and pass through certain sections of the gorge.
Make sure you check the latest gate opening times, road restrictions and construction schedules before heading out. You don't want to arrive at a closed gate and spend hours waiting, or find yourself unable to continue.
It's worth planning your ride around the permitted access windows rather than simply following your usual cycling schedule.
After completing the ride, we headed back to Hualien for another night and some well-earned food.
Day 4: Hualien to Ruisui — Into the East Rift Valley
17 October | 89.59 km | 699 m climbing
This was where Taiwan really started to show off its countryside.
We left Hualien along the coastal cycling paths before turning inland towards Liyu Lake and the East Rift Valley.
Imagine wide green valleys, mountains on both sides, rice fields, small villages and quiet roads winding through farmland.
That was pretty much our day.
We followed sections of the lovely Road 193, which has to be one of the nicest roads for relaxed cycling in the region.
There were plenty of rolling hills, but nothing too demanding, and the scenery made the kilometres fly by.
The route also took us through Danongdafu Forest Park, another peaceful stretch with very little traffic.
We finished in Ruisui, where a comfortable bed and a proper Taiwanese dinner were waiting.
Days like this are exactly why I enjoy bikepacking.
No rush, no particular agenda beyond getting to the next destination, and plenty of time to enjoy the ride.
Day 5: Ruisui to Taitung — The Long One
18 October | 126.77 km | 1,217 m climbing
Our longest day of the trip.
We continued through the East Rift Valley, passing small towns, rice fields and some beautiful stretches of almost traffic-free country roads.
The route took us towards Yuli and Chishang, an area famous for its rice paddies and picturesque rural scenery.
Some of the smaller roads here are absolutely brilliant. Smooth tarmac, very little traffic and mountains stretching into the distance.
We also followed sections of Road 197, which winds through hills, jungle and farmland before eventually bringing us towards Taitung.
By now, we'd settled into a pretty good daily routine.
Get up, have breakfast, get on the bikes, stop for coffee, ride some more, find a 7-Eleven, eat something, repeat.
With the temperatures climbing into the 30s, keeping the bottles filled was probably more important than anything else.
After almost 127km, arriving in Taitung felt particularly good.
Day 6: Taitung to Dawu — Back to the Pacific
19 October | 72.00 km | 527 m climbing
After a few days inland, we were back along the Pacific coast.
And honestly, the scenery just kept getting better.
The road south from Taitung follows the coastline, with the ocean on one side and green mountains on the other.
There were a few rolling climbs, but compared with some of the earlier stages, this was a relatively relaxed day.
One thing that really impressed me throughout the trip was Taiwan's cycling infrastructure.
Even on busier roads, there were often dedicated cycling lanes or wide shoulders, making the riding feel much more comfortable than you might expect.
And whenever possible, our routes took us away from the main roads entirely, onto quiet country lanes and cycle paths.
We passed places like Taimali and Jinlun, with plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the coastal views.
Our destination was Dawu, where we spent the final night before the last stage to Kenting.
By this point, we'd also started hearing reports of a typhoon approaching Taiwan. Fortunately, we were still enjoying sunshine and warm weather, although we kept an eye on the forecast.
Day 7: Dawu to Kenting - One Last Climb and the Southern Tip
20 October | 93.36 km | 1,243 m climbing
The final day started with a proper climb.
Leaving Dawu, we headed into the hills on a long ascent of roughly 11km, averaging around 4%.
Not brutally steep, but certainly enough to wake up the legs after six days of riding.
The views back towards the coast were worth the effort.
From there, we made our way south through rolling hills and eventually back towards the ocean, following the exposed coastal roads around the Hengchun Peninsula.
This stretch was another highlight, with dramatic coastline, open views and some seriously beautiful scenery.
We passed the area around Fengchuisha, known for its strong winds, and continued towards Taiwan's southernmost point and the famous Eluanbi Lighthouse.
And then, finally, Kenting.
Seven days, 655km and almost 6,800 metres of climbing later, we'd made it.
Time to put the bikes down and celebrate.
Getting Back to Taipei - A Useful Tip for Cyclists
From Kenting, we arranged private transport to Zuoying Station near Kaohsiung, which took approximately two hours.
From there, it was another 1.5 hours on Taiwan's High Speed Train back to Taipei.
One important thing to remember: you need to pack your bike before taking it on the high-speed train.
The easiest option is to bring a lightweight bike bag that can accommodate your frame and wheels once removed.
Alternatively, large black rubbish bags from 7-Eleven can work too. We removed our wheels and wrapped everything in the bags, which worked for us.
However, there's no guarantee this will always be accepted, so take note.
A proper lightweight bike bag is definitely the safer option.
Would I Recommend Cycling Taiwan?
Abso-f---ing-lutely!
What makes Taiwan such a great cycling destination isn't just one particular road or viewpoint. It's the variety.
One day you're climbing through misty mountains, the next you're riding along the Pacific Ocean, and the day after you're cruising through rice fields and small villages.
The roads are generally excellent, the cycling infrastructure is impressive, and outside the larger cities, traffic was rarely an issue on our chosen routes.
The food is great, people are friendly, and convenience stores make self-supported riding incredibly easy.
We were also incredibly lucky with the weather. Apart from a little rain in the mountains on day one, we had sunshine and warm temperatures pretty much the entire way.
And travelling light turned out to be exactly the right decision.
You really don't need much for a trip like this.
A reliable bike, a few essentials, some spare kit, a rough plan for each day and a willingness to stop for coffee whenever you find a nice café.
Would I do it again? Without hesitation!
Ride on! 🚴