How to Get to Alishan Forest Taiwan: The Easiest Ways to get There 2025

Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, or as I like to call it, just Alishan Forest, because the actual name is way too long, was one of the absolute highlights of my Taiwan trip.

The forest is famous for its ancient giant cypress trees, misty trails, and of course the iconic sunrise above the sea of clouds. It used to be a big logging area during the Japanese era, but these days it’s all protected and has become one of Taiwan’s most beautiful nature spots.

In this little guide, I’ll tell you exactly how to get to Alishan, I got there (it was actually super easy), and the best ways to get there from Taipei and from Chiayi so you’ll know exactly what to expect. Let’s go.

In a Rush? Here Are Our Favorite Hotels in Alishan Taiwan

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Alishan Hotel – Click here for rates & availability

⭐️⭐️ Dafong Hotel Alishan – Click here for rates & availability

⭐️ Chinshan Villa – Click here for rates & availability

How to get to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area – My Experience

Ok so I didn’t actually have to go all the way from Taipei to Alishan because at the time I was coming from Kaohsiung, and on my way back up to Taipei I decided to do a little stopover in Chiayi. From there, I did Alishan Forest as a day trip.

How I got there though… that’s a whole story. Let me quickly tell you what happened so you don’t make the same mistakes.

We somehow managed to get tickets for the Alishan Forest Railway (which is basically impossible, it sells out super fast), but then had to return them because we realized we didn’t have enough time to actually do the train ride and still see everything we wanted. Heartbreaking.

Then we decided to just take the bus in the morning but of course, we missed it. Classic. After that, a taxi driver approached us and offered a pretty good deal to go in a shared taxi to Alishan. We ended up taking that, and honestly, it was super quick and only slightly more expensive than the bus. Apart from me getting super carsick on those windy mountain roads, it turned out to be a great option.

Helpful tip: Only take the Alishan train if you actually have time to stay overnight in Alishan, it’s worth it, but not practical as a quick day trip. Buses leave on time (learn from me and don’t miss them) from the main Chiayi train station. And if you do miss them, a shared taxi is honestly a great backup option and not that expensive either.

First Thing: Getting From Taipei to Alishan (Chiayi)

Ok so if you plan on getting to Alishan from Taipei independently, the first thing you’ll want to do is get to Chiayi. That’s the closest big city to Alishan, and from there you can figure out your transport up the mountain. Considering how long it actually takes to get to Alishan, I’d definitely recommend staying at least one night (even better, two) in Chiayi. Alternatively, you can join a day tour straight from Taipei if you want to make your life easier.

Train

Getting from Taipei to Chiayi by train is pretty straightforward. You basically have two options:

You can take the THSR (the Taiwan high speed rail), which is kinda pricey but super quick and it takes under 2 hours. The only downside is that the THSR station in Chiayi is a bit far from the city center, so you’ll need to hop on a bus or grab a taxi to get into town.

Alternatively, you can take the normal train (TRA), which takes around 4 hours, sometimes a bit less. It’s way cheaper, and the best part is you arrive right in the city center at Chiayi Main Station, the same station where you’ll catch transport up to Alishan. This is actually what I did (as in arriving at this train station), and even though it took a bit longer, I thought it was more convenient and budget-friendly.

Join a Alishan Day Trip

Of course, you can also just do a guided day trip from Taipei. This works well because the tour buses can go straight from Taipei to Alishan without stopping in Chiayi first.

Usually, you leave around 8 AM and get back to Taipei around 6 PM. You’ll get about 3+ hours in the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, which is honestly plenty of time to see the highlights. If you’re not too keen on planning or you’re short on time, this is actually a really good option.

👉 Book Here: Alishan Forest Day Trip from Taipei

Getting from Chiayi to Alishan Forest

Ok so now that you’ve made it to Chiayi, the big question: how do you actually get from Chiayi up into Alishan Forest? And trust me, I kinda attempted all of these options (and managed to mess them all up, as you might’ve read earlier in this article).

Alishan Train (This is a Highlight in Itself)

The Alishan train is basically an experience on its own, it’s not just a way to get there, it’s already one of the highlights. It leaves from Chiayi and runs all the way up through beautiful tea plantations, amazing forests, and mountains, with a little 1-hour lunch stop in Fenqihu on the way.

The only thing: getting tickets is super tricky. They only sell a limited amount and they sell out fast, so you’ll have to keep refreshing the website like a maniac (which we actually did… and even got tickets!). But then we realized we didn’t have time to stay a night up there, so we had to give them back which was heartbreaking.

Important: the train ride takes around 5 hours and you arrive in Alishan in the late afternoon. That means if you wanna take the train, you pretty much need to stay at least one night up there, otherwise you won’t see anything.

👉 Here’s the website where you can buy tickets (if you’re lucky enough to grab them).

Bus

This is what we tried to do but then managed to miss it (classic). There are big green tourist buses that leave right from the front of Chiayi Railway Station. You just pay with your EasyCard (super easy), and they take you straight up to the entrance of Alishan Forest.

The cool part: if you take the bus, you actually get a discount on the Alishan entrance fee. Usually, it’s 300 NTD, but with the bus ticket, it drops to 150 NTD which is a nice little bonus.

Private Transport

Another option (which is what we ended up doing) is taking private transport. This makes sense if you’re traveling with a group or a family. We got approached by a taxi driver right outside Chiayi station who was filling up his van, and we ended up sharing with 6 other tourists.

The price was only slightly more than the bus, and it was quick and comfortable although I did get super carsick on those windy mountain roads.

One thing to note: since we didn’t take the bus up, we didn’t get that entrance discount, so in the end, the bus would’ve actually been cheaper. But hey, we got there in one piece, and that’s what matters.

Of course, you can also just book private transport yourself in advance, so you don’t have to wait around outside the train station to get approached by a taxi driver.

👉 Book here: Private transport to Alishan Forest

👉 Book Here: Alishan Forest Day Trip from Chiayi

How to get from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan Taiwan

So I didn’t personally do this route myself, but I know it’s possible and that there’s actually a direct bus running between Sun Moon Lake and Alishan. The bus is operated by Yuanlin Bus and runs once a day, usually leaving in the morning and taking around 6-7 hours total.

You can buy the ticket at the Sun Moon Lake bus station or check schedules online. Just keep in mind it’s not the fastest or most frequent route, so definitely check ahead and plan accordingly if you want to do it this way.

Getting Home: Alishan to Chiayi City

Getting back from Alishan Forest to Chiayi is a whole other thing and honestly, a bit confusing. The last bus back to Chiayi usually leaves around 5:10pm, but these buses get packed fast. I’d definitely recommend not waiting until the last one. Try to leave 1 or 2 buses earlier just to be safe.

What I should have done (and you probably should too) is reserve the return ticket ahead of time, so you’re guaranteed a spot. We didn’t and we were literally stuck hoping for the best. Luckily, we managed to get the last two seats on the final bus.

At the terminal, there are two lines: one for people with reservations and one for those without. When we were there, no one stood in line until the very last minute and then everyone just jumped up at once. So yeah, maybe don’t make our mistake. Stand in line early, and ideally, get that ticket booked in advance.

FAQs About How to Get to Alishan Forest

How to get to Alishan from Taipei?

The easiest way is to take the train to Chiayi and then from there either the bus or the Alishan Forest Railway train up to Alishan Station.

How to Get to Alishan from Chiayi?

The best way here is definitely taking the Alishan train but if you don’t manage to get tickets, there’s also a bus or you can grab a shared taxi.

Where to Stay in Alishan?

Good question. There are loads of lodges and hotels around, but to be honest, none of them are amazing and they book out early too. There’s not much you can do though, just prepare to overpay for a pretty average hotel.

Is Alishan Forest worth visiting?

100%! It was one of my personal highlights in Taiwan. Especially because my Taiwan itinerary was very city heavy, so I really enjoyed every chance I got to be out in nature.

Final Thoughts on How to Go to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area

Getting to Alishan Forest was actually super easy, but I remember when we were planning it, we couldn’t find much online that really explained it clearly. Like, I didn’t even know what there was to do at Alishan or exactly how to get there, there just wasn’t much good info.

That’s why I put together these guides and articles now, to make it way easier for you to figure out how to get to Alishan Forest, what to do there, where to stay, and more.