July 2, 2026 - Nicknamed the “Bicycle Kingdom”, Taiwan is renowned as a global cycling powerhouse for manufacturing bicycles and e-bikes, but it is also rapidly developing itself as a premier global cycling destination.

Arguably, the country’s most famous cycling adventure is the 960-kilometre trek (about 600 miles) is the “Taiwan Cycle Route No. 1” that takes riders on a 10- to 12-day tour around the relatively small island.

The journey can be tackled as a complete cycling adventure, or you can enjoy the route’s many features at your own pace.

One of the many cultural landmarks to marvel at on the west side of the island (Day 3) is the Xiluo Bridge, a historic 1,939-metre-long, red-truss bridge connecting Yunlin and Changhua counties over the Zhuoshui River.

Further south and not to be missed is the 21km Sunset Salt Section Bike Path (Day 4) on the Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields, the oldest remaining salt pans in Taiwan. The sun’s reflection on the mosaic-like, tile-paved fields creates a stunning visual.

At the southernmost point of the main island of Taiwan, check out the Eluanbi Lighthouse located on Cape Eluanbi (Day 6), known as “The Light of East Asia.”

Heading north, enjoy the scenic 180km-long East Rift Valley (Huadong Valley) between the districts of Taitung and Hualien where you’ll find the Chishang Cycling route (Day 7) and the 1.5-mile, car-free Mr. Brown Avenue, often called the “Green Road of Paradise”.

A bit further north is the Yufu Bikeway (Day 8), a scenic 10km paved rail-trail in Hualien, East Rift Valley, connecting Yuli to Dongli that’s also car-free and built on an abandoned railway line. The journey includes the Antong hot springs, where you can stop and enjoy a dip, as well as a famous old railway bridge over the junction of the Eurasian and Philippine Sea tectonic plates.

Heading back to Taipei, you’ll pass through Yilan, Taiwan’s northernmost county on the east coast, known for its natural hot springs, surfing, and flat, recreational seaside cycling terrain.

The final section may include the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, an internationally renowned event held in New Taipei City, during the Lunar New Year (usually Feb/Mar) that sees thousands gather in Shifen to release lanterns, carrying wishes for the new year into the night sky, for a spectacular visual.

Before your final stop in Taipei, enjoy the 3km Wan-Ta Bikeway that links Baisha Bay to the iconic black-and-white Fugui Cape Lighthouse at the northernmost part of Taiwan.

Taipei is also a premier cycling city with over 100km of scenic, car-free riverside bike paths and a convenient, inexpensive YouBike bike share system.

Taiwan also hosts a number of cycling events, including the 105km Taiwan KOM Challenge, widely considered one of the world’s toughest hill climbs, and the annual Taiwan Cycling Festival held in Oct/Nov. The main event is the Sun Moon Lake Cycling, which includes Come! Bike Day, where participants can enjoy cycling around Sun Moon Lake.

There are also numerous Taiwanese cycling tour package companies, including Bicycle Adventure, One Dream Travel, Mango Tour and Giant Adventure (by Giant Bicycles), that offer many different kinds of exciting and unique cycling trips and adventures.

Read more about cycling in Taiwan here.
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