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Jiaming Lake Trek - 4-Day / 3-Night (2027)
☀️☀️☀️ Trail Rating: Challenging ☀️☀️☀️
Taiwan Outdoor's Jiaming Lake Trek is a 4-day / 3-night tour to Taiwan’s most renowned mountain lakes. Situated around 3,300m above sea level on the southeastern side of Sancha Mountain (三叉山), is a mountain lake that holds great natural allure. Often referred to as the "Angels Teardrop", due to its brilliant blue color shape, Jiaming Lake stands as the second largest mountain lake in Taiwan and is a bucket list experience for many hikers in Taiwan.
Jiaming Lake can be climbed a number of ways, however, on this experience our guests will hike the more traditional route from Xiangyang Trailhead.
This Jiaming Lake Tour is a scheduled group hike and been designed to allow international residents and visitors to Taiwan a safe, convenient, and affordable way to climb to one of Taiwan's most iconic mountain lake.
The total hiking distance for this tour is approximately 26 kilometers (round trip) and is completed over three days and two nights on the trail. We apply for your permits/sleeping bag rentals and meal service in the mountain lodges. We also provide return transportation from Guanshan to the trailhead, an experienced guide, and an overnight in Guanshan, Taitung before the ascent, which allows the team to get a reasonable start to Day 2. the night before the hike starts.
Featuring two overnights in Taiwan's unique mountain cabins, this tour allows guests to conveniently explore a remote area of Taiwan's High Mountains without full gear.
Tour Highlights:
- Taiwan's lowest guest-to-guide ratio (6-to-1) for scheduled group hikes to Jiaming Lake
- Summit several of Taiwan's Bai Yue Mountain Peaks over three days
- Watch the sunrise over Taiwan's magical Jiaming Lake
- Enjoy a high mountain treking experience without having to carry a tent, sleeping bag and most meals
- Stay overnight at one of Taiwan's famous mountain lodges, Jiaming Lake Refuge House, on the edge of Yushan National Park (玉山國家公園)
Important Notes:
- To ensure we can apply and secure the difficult-to-get National Park permit, you need to book this tour two months and one week prior to your preferred departure date.
- Due to permit restrictions, no bookings can be made where the overnight (Day 2) at the mountain lodges falls on Saturdays. Therefore, when booking, guests can only select departure dates Saturday-Thursday of the week.
- Permits for Jiaming Lake must be applied 2 months in advance. Bookings for tours will close 2 months and 1 week prior to the departure date to ensure we secure, prepare and double check our guests' permit information.
- Our system is set up to allow guests to register and secure their seat on the tour, but you do not have to pay at registration. We will request payment only when our permits have been successfully secured.
- All of our scheduled departures for Jiaming Lake run from Saturday-Tuesday. Our permit application is for the Sunday. Due to the competitiveness of the permits, if we are unable to secure permits on the Sunday, we will attempt to secure permits on the Monday, meaning the tour will run Sunday-Wednesday.
- We run our tours "rain or shine". However, this doesn't mean we don't take guest safety seriously. We also know that running tours outside means there's a chance to we might get wet. That's all part of the experience. However, in the event there is adverse weather (as defined by a rain warning issued by the Central Weather Administration of Taiwan), the tour will be cancelled and a full refund will be provided. Guaranteed.
- In the event that the minimum group size is not reached, our sales team will inform registered guests up to 3 days prior to the permit application date.
2027 Tour Dates
- January 1-5, 2027
- January 9-12, 2027
- March 27-30, 2027
- May 8-11, 2027
- June 5-8, 2027
- June 19-22, 2027
- August 7-10, 2027
- August 21-24, 2027
- October 19-22, 2027 (Mid-Week)
- November 13-16, 2027
- December 25-28, 2027
- Note: Select the specific date on the drop-down calendar option listed on the right side of this page
The After-Purchase Process:
- Upon receipt of a booking and registration, Taiwan Outdoors' staff will contact the guest to ask for some additional information for permits and insurance purposes.
- Once permits have been applied and confirmed, our team will send you a request for payment.
- Approximately one month prior to the departure date, Taiwan Outdoors will send guests a pre-trip information email with details regarding their tour, including revised scheduled, pick up and drop off location and details regarding their destination.
- We'll add each group member to a private WhatsApp or LINE Group to allow for any last minute questions to be answered by our staff/guide.
Daily Itinerary
The schedule for day 1 will be for the team to independently arrive at the homestay/hostel in Guanshan (池上), where we will be staying. Hikers are free to arrive as their schedule permits, but it’s advised to arrive sometime in the late afternoon or early evening if possible. Once checked in to our homesty, we will discuss the route, itinerary, and equipment requirements, and your guide will answer any other questions you may have.
Please note, accommodation on Day 1 is included in the tour package, however, your transportation to Guanshan is not included. Guests must find their own way to Guanshan. Please plan ahead and provide yourself enough time prior to the departure to book and secure your transportation. Please book a one-way ticket, as our guests’ return train ticket will be included in the tour price.
>>>> Trains from Taipei take approximately 3 hours and depart 13 times/day between 06:10 and 22:00.
>>>> Trains from Kaohsiung take approximately 3 hours and depart 5 times/day between 07:45 and 18:30.
Please plan ahead. Contact Taiwan Outdoors at [email protected] if you require support in scheduling transportation.
Our accommodation for Day 1 will be at a local homestay approximately 5-minute walk from the Guanshan Train Station. There are convenience stores and restaurants located near the Guanshan Station Train. This small local homestay offers shared sleeping facilities for up to 6 guests per room. Private washroom facilities and showers are available on-site. Rolled mattress, duvet and pillows are provided.
No meals will be provided for guests on Day 1. Please prepare your own dinner, drinks, and any personal items you will need.
It will be an early morning with a 05:00 wake-up. Please be respectful of others as we will be using a shared room. We will wake up and purchase breakfast at a local restaurant or convenience store, check our equipment, and have a short briefing of the day’s schedule before jumping into our private shuttle to take us up to Xiangyang National Scenic Area (向陽國家風景區).
After about an hour and a half drive, we will arrive at Xiangyang National Scenic Area (向陽國家風景區). Here we will have our permits checked and make final preparations before departing. Bathrooms will be available here.
After a short break, we will depart and begin our journey up to the second-largest mountain lake in Taiwan. The first part of the day has us walking on a winding paved road up a series of switchbacks. Along the way, we will have the opportunity to stop at a small wooden viewing platform. If the weather is clear, we should have a gorgeous view of the South First Section (南一段) of the Central Mountain range.
After about an hour and a half, we will reach the end of the road, which is where we will leave the paved road, and begin hiking up the trail. After another 1.6km of relatively gentle hiking, we will have ascended up approximately 200m to the famous Xiangyang Mountain House (向陽山屋). This is one of the most popular mountain cabins in Taiwan and a common place for hikers to stay when going to Jiaming Lake. Here we will rest for about 15 minutes and re-fill our water.
At around noon, we should arrive at a large black-water pond. From this point on it will be a pretty steep ascent. We stop here for lunch to make sure we all have enough calories and energy for the rest of the day. After lunch. From here we will need to ascend roughly 300 more meters, mostly via stairs.
After about an hour of hiking, we will arrive at the Xiangyang Famous Tree (向陽名樹). The high winds at this altitude caused this tree's interesting shape and made it one of the most iconic trees in Taiwan. After another hour of hiking, we will arrive at a small fork on the trail. Mt. Xiangyang is about 30 minutes up to the left. If the team has energy (and the weather is good), we can summit it on the first day, otherwise, we will save it for the last day. Regardless of the day we summit, this is approximately a 1-hour round trip. Heavy backpacks will be left here for the summit).
Around 3:00pm we will arrive at the famous Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋), one of the most popular mountain cabins in Taiwan. We will check-in and pick up our sleeping bags and settle into our assigned bunk spaces. We will have free time until dinner (at 5:00pm) to rest, relax, take pictures, and socialize.
Our dinner for the evening will be prepared for us by the local aboriginal staff, who maintain this cabin. The food will be served buffet style and is a mixture of traditional Chinese dishes. The rest of the evening until bedtime can be spent relaxing, socializing, reading, organizing equipment, and preparing for the next day’s adventure. We ask guests to please be respectful and try not to be too loud. It's common for hikers in Taiwan to go to bed as early as 7:00 pm.
Day Two Overview:
- Total Hiking Distance: 8km
- Trail Conditions: Well-marked and maintained trail with moderate & steady inclines, compact soil, and some man-made structures.
- Estimated Time on Trail: 7 hours at a moderate hiking pace
Day Two Schedule
- 05:00 - Wake up
- 05:30 - Eat Breakfast (responsibility of the guest)
- 06:00 - Depart from the hostel in Guanshan (關山)
- 07:30 - Arrive at Xiangyang National Scenic Area (向陽國家風景區)
- 08:00 - Begin our hike
- 10:45 - Arrive at Xiangyang Mountain House (向陽山屋) to rest/refill water
- 12:00 - Trailside lunch (responsibility of the guest)
- 13:30 - Arrive at Xiangyang Famous Tree (向陽名樹)
- 15:00 - Arrive at Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋)
- 17:00 - Dinner is served (provided at the mountain house and included in tour price)
- 18:00 - 20:00 - Socialize, read, relax and pack
- 20:00 - Bedtime
*Note these times are based purely on average hiking times. These times may vary and depend on the pace kept by the group. This is a guided, group tour, so guests and guide will stay and hike together.
It will be an early morning with a pre-dawn wake-up at about 2:00am.
We will leave before sunrise so we will need to bring our headlamps. Most of our equipment will be left at the cabin as we will be returning to the cabin in the late morinng. We will just need to bring snacks, warm layers, rain gear, and sufficient water.
After about an hour of hiking, we will arrive at Mt. Xiangyang North Peak (向陽北峰). While not a top-100 peak of Taiwan.
From here, on a clear day, we will be able to see Mt. Sancha in the background, which is 5 minutes from Jiaming Lake.
Once we arrive back at the trail junction, we will head down to Jiaming Lake. We will allow for a few hours at the lake (weather permitting) for photos, eating lunch, exploring, and relaxing. If the weather starts to get bad, we will leave earlier.
We will depart and begin heading back down to Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋), which will take approximately 3 hours. On the way back, the team can summit one or both of Mt. Xiangyang North Peak (向陽北峰) and Mt. Sancha (三叉山).
Arriving back at the cabin, the group will have ample time to explore the local area, relax and socialize before dinner is served around 5:00pm.
Day Three Overview:
- Total Hiking Distance: 10km
- Trail Conditions: Moderate & steady inclines, compact soil, and some man-made structures.
- Estimated Time on Trail: 8 hours at a moderate hiking pace
Day Three Schedule
- 02:30 - Wake up
- 03:30 - Eat Breakfast (included in tour price)
- 05:00 - Depart from Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋)
- 06:30 - Arrive at Jiaming Lake
- >07:30 - Depart from Jiaming Lake
- Hike the peaks of Mt. Xiangyang North Peak (向陽北峰) and Mt. Sancha (三叉山)
- 12:30 - Trailside lunch (responsibility of the guest)
- 14:00 - Arrive back at Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋)
- 17:00 - Dinner is served (provided at the mountain house and included in tour price)
- 18:00 - 20:00 - Socialize, read, relax and pack
- 20:00 - Bedtime
Note: these times are based purely on average hiking times. These times may vary and depend on the pace kept by the group. This is a guided, group tour, so guests and guide will stay and hike together.
After breakfast, the group will pack up and continue hiking down the mountain. The team will have about a 7-hour hike back down to the trailhead and Xiangyang Scenic Area. The team will jump on the private shuttle that will take them back to Guanshan. In town, the team will have a celebratory lunch, and hot showers (included in the tour price), before heading to the Guanshan Train Station where our tour will conclude. We aim to arrive back at Guanshan Train Station no later than 5:30 pm. Return train tickets are not included in our tour prices. Tickets can be purchased in advanced or on site. Please plan ahead.
Day Four Overview:
- Total Hiking Distance: 8km
- Trail Conditions: Moderate & steady declines
- Estimated Time on Trail: 6-7 hours at a moderate hiking pace
Day Four Schedule
- 04:00 - Wake up & Eat Breakfast (included in the tour package)
- 05:00 - Depart from Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋)
- 06:15 - Arrive at Mt. Xiangyang (向陽山) for sunrise
- 09:00 - Arrive at Xiangyang Mountain House (向陽山屋)
- 10:00 - Arrive back at the forest road
- 11:00 - Arrive back at trailhead and Xiangyang Scenic Area
- 11:30 - Depart from Xiangyang Scenic Area
- 14:30 - Arrive back in Guanshan, have a hot shower, and get back on train.
- 16:30 - An estimated departure from Guanshan Train Station
*Note these times are based purely on average hiking times. These times may vary and depend on the pace kept by the group. This is a guided, group tour, so guests and guide will stay and hike together.
Cost Description
Price Includes
✅ Private round-trip shuttle service from Guanshan (Taitung County) to trailhead (Please note that guests are required to make their own way to Guanshan)
✅ English-speaking and experienced mountain guiding services
✅ One (1) night accommodation at a homestay in Guanshan
✅ Two (2) nights of accommodation at Jiaming Lake Refuge House
✅ 4 Meals included - Day Two: Dinner | Day Three: Breakfast, Dinner | Day Four: Breakfast
✅ Mountain Permits
✅ Sleeping Bag Rental at Jiaming Lake Refuge House
✅ Passenger insurance on the van
✅ Hiking/Mountain Insurance
✅ TWD $3,000,000 Travel agency liability insurance
✅ An experience of a lifetime hiking two of Taiwan's Top 100 Mountains and visiting the second largest mountain lake in Taiwan!
Price Excludes
❌ Meals not included - Day One: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Day Two: Lunch | Day Three: Lunch | Day Four: Lunch, Dinner
❌ Transportation to/from Guanshan, Taitung County
❌ Any additional snacks, food, or drinks
❌ Additional stops at other attractions or souvenir shops
❌ Additional Personal travel insurance
Cancellation Policy
| Cancellation Request Date | Cancel Fee |
|---|---|
| 41day before | 5% |
| 31day before | 10% |
| 2day before | 30% |
| 1day before | 80% |
- 95% refund when the cancellation notice arrives 41 days before the scheduled day of departure (less the 30% non-refundable administration fee).
- 90% refund when the cancellation notice arrives 31 days to 40 days before the scheduled day of departure(less the 30% non-refundable administration fee).
- 70% refund when the cancellation notice arrives 2 days to 30 days before the scheduled day of departure (less the 30% non-refundable administration fee).
- 20% refund when the cancellation notice arrives one day before the scheduled day of departure (less the 30% non-refundable administration fee).
An example:
If a single guest books a tour (at $14,700ntd) and pays because we successfully secured the permits, but cancels 32 days before the departure date, their booking is subject to both the Non-Refundable Fee and the applied 10% penalty there will be the following penalties:
$14,700 x 30% = $4,410ntd (Non-refundable fee) $14,700 - $4,410 = $10,290ntd (outstanding balance less non-refundable fee) $10,290*10% = $1,029 (10% cancellation fee applied at 32 days)
$10,290-$1,029 = $9,261ntd (refundable amount)
Guest will recieve an $9,261ntd refund in this scenario.
Notice
⚠️ PICK-UP: Our pick-up location will be in Guanshan, Taitung County. There will be no transportation services provided from other locations. Guests are required to arrange their own transportation and schedule to arrive in Guanshan on Day 1 by late afternoon or early evening. If you require support in coordinating your travel arrangements to Guanshan or require custom transportation solutions, please contact us directly at [email protected]. Additional costs may apply.
⚠️ DROP-OFF LOCATION: Our drop-off location at the end of this tour will be Guanshan Train Station. Guests are required to arrange their own transportation and schedule from Guanshan back to their home location on Day 4. If you require support in coordinating your travel arrangements from Guanshan or require custom transportation solutions, please contact us directly at [email protected]. Additional costs may apply.
⚠️ TOUR AVAILABILITY: These tours are scheduled group hikes and are available on the dates provided above. If you would like to inquire about a private (re: none public group hike) this tour can be booked online any time throughout the March-January. If groups would like to hike Jiaming Lake in February, please contact us directly. To ensure we can apply and secure the difficult-to-get mountain permit, you need to book this tour, at the latest, two months and one week prior to your preferred departure date. Due to permit restrictions, no bookings can be made where the two overnights (Day 2 and Day 3) at Jiaming Refuge House falls on Fridays & Saturdays. Therefore, when booking, guests can only select departure dates Saturday-Tuesday of the week. Some restrictions apply during holiday weekend periods.
⚠️GUIDE: In addition to providing an amazing outdoor experience, our guides have the responsibility for guest safety and well-being. Our guides will monitor the group's fitness levels and health throughout the tour. In the event of poor weather or if any guests are struggling from poor fitness or adverse conditions, they reserve the right to alter the tour itinerary and/or cancel the ascent. We thank you for your understanding as we believe guests' safety is of the utmost importance.
⚠️ MEALS: Day One Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are not included in the tour price. Day Two Breakfast and Lunch are not included in the tour price. Day Three Lunch is not included in the tour price. Day Four Dinner is not included in the tour price. Guests are responsible for preparing and bringing their own meals on these days. Guests are also responsible to be sure they have enough water for the duration of the tour (we suggest a minimum of 3 liters). There is a water source on this trail at both Xiangyang and Jiaming Lake Refuge House.
⚠️ GROUP SIZE: This small group hiking tour can be booked for groups between 1-7 guests. This tour is limited to 7 guests. We require a minimum of 5 guests to book for us to confirm each departure. If we are unable to secure 5 guests, we reserve the right to cancel a trip. Four month advanced notification will be provided to those guests who have already booked. Full refunds will be provided. If you have a team of more than 7, please contact us directly at [email protected]. Thank you for understanding.
⚠️ PERMITS: For hikers looking to join this tour, they must understand the following details:
- Hiking to Jiaming Lake is considered a bucket-list experience and is one of, if not the most famous high mountain hikes in Taiwan. As such, it's also very popular. Permits are required to hike this trail and can be very competitive to get. That said, with enough advanced notice (~3 months), we feel confident we can secure these permits for our guests.
- Permits must be applied between 2 months and 35 days prior to the tour date (the earlier the better)
- Taiwan Outdoors will apply for group permits on behalf of our registered and paid guests. This means if you are interested in joining this tour please ensure you register and pay as soon as possible - the earlier we get confirmation and payment, the better odds we can have getting permits.
- Despite when we apply, our group application is not guaranteed.
- These permits are not exchangeable. If guests have changes to the team members after the permits have been submitted, there will be a TWD$1500 fee required. However, many times permits sell out within minutes of becoming available. This process will only be available if permits are available.
- If our application is not successful, guests will be provided a full refund.
- Guests permits are not transferable, so if you book, pay, and are unable to attend on that day, we will provide refunds based on the domestic tourism laws, less a non-refundable administration fee (see our Cancelation Policy below
⚠️ PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Full payment is required post-permit submission - about two-months prior to the departure date. This ensures our guests are committed to the tour and allows us to confirm participation and secure permits without our guests having to make the payment.
⚠️ NON-REFUNDABLE ADMINISTRATIVE FEE: When a group registers and pays for Taiwan Outdoors' Jiaming Lake Tour, we secure their space on our trip by applying for National Park permits. Because of the work required to complete the permit applications, as well as the money required to secure the services provided on this trip, Taiwan Outdoors' has one non-refundable administration fees our guests should be aware of:
- Each booking will incur a non-refundable administrative fee of 30% of the booking price at the time of payment, in addition to cancellation fee enforced by the domestic law associated with consumer protection in Taiwan. The cancellation policy is outlined below.
- We understand plans can change. However, once permits and trip services have been confirmed, guest-requested transfers to another departure may incur a non-refundable fee, particularly where permits or limited inventory prevent us from reselling the original booking space.
⚠️ CANCELLATION POLICY:
1) In the event we are not successful in acquiring our guests' permits, a full refund will be provided. Guaranteed.
2) In the event Taiwan Outdoors cancels the event due to an Act of God, adverse weather (as defined by a Weather Warning issued by the Central Weather Administration of Taiwan) or any other unforeseen circumstance, a full refund will be provided. Guaranteed.
Do you have any other questions? Please send us an email to [email protected]
