Chiayi to Alishan 2026: Buses, Forest Railway and Station Choices

Chiayi to Alishan: choose the bus station first, or build a night around the railway

From a central Chiayi hotel, start with the 7322 bus services at the conventional railway station. From Chiayi HSR, the 7329 services take you uphill without a separate city transfer. Direct bus examples take about 2.5 hours. The forest railway is a much longer scenic journey, best planned with a night on the mountain.

At the 7 October 2026 check, the railway status showed normal operation on both the Chiayi–Alishan main line and the park branches. A through train to Alishan is available in the published schedule. This 2026 guide separates that journey from the park’s short train rides and explains the bus alternatives.

The main options at a glance

The B Route figure is the price displayed on its reservation product at the check date; confirm the selected fare category when booking. The A Route information page lists NT$283. Allow roughly another 30 minutes on buses via Fenqihu, plus traffic or road-control delays. Park admission, branch trains and hotel pickups are separate costs unless explicitly included.

Chiayi HSR and Chiayi TRA are separate stations

HSR is Taiwan High Speed Rail; TRA is the conventional railway. The city’s TRA station and the out-of-town HSR station are not one interchange. Picking the bus from your actual arrival station avoids an unnecessary journey across Chiayi.

For 7322 services, use the Alishan bus shelter at the front of Chiayi TRA Station. For 7329, follow the HSR bus signs to Exit 2 and Platform 7. Check the route and reservation before joining the queue, and leave enough time to move through the station with your bags.

Within the 7322 group, the regular buses are 7322 and 7322A; the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle versions are 7322C and 7322D. The A and D variants detour through Fenqihu. Some discounts depend on the exact service, so the suffix matters as well as the destination.

Bus departures, reservations and Fenqihu

The B Route timetable includes a 07:10 departure reaching Alishan at 09:40; the A Route timetable includes 08:40–11:10. Use the row for your chosen bus if visiting Fenqihu or staying at an intermediate stop. A Shizhuo guesthouse may be better reached before the final Alishan terminal.

Reserved seats are held for boarding at the stated origin. Show your QR ticket to the driver 10 minutes before departure; seats may be released to the waiting queue if you have not checked in by five minutes before departure. Boarding later along the route does not preserve that seat. Reserve the return first if you need a particular downhill departure.

An operator notice effective 1 October 2026 shortens the city end of regular routes 7322 and 7322A to Chiayi Railway Station. It also renames the relevant “First Parking Lot” stops “Fenqihu.” If an older map uses the former name, check the current stop instructions rather than assuming a new location.

Why the through railway journey works better overnight

In the main-line timetable, train 1 leaves Chiayi at 09:00 and terminates at Shizilu at 12:00. Train 5 leaves at 10:00 and reaches Alishan at 14:56. Select the destination as well as the train name when booking; “Alishan Express” alone does not mean the service reaches Alishan.

Train 5’s 4-hour-56-minute journey includes a 65-minute stop at Fenqihu. The downhill through train, number 8, leaves Alishan at 11:50 and reaches Chiayi at 15:45. It departs before train 5 arrives, so these trains cannot make a same-day through round trip from Chiayi. A practical plan is train up, sleep on the mountain, then walk and return by a suitable bus or train the next day.

The adult Alishan Express fare from Chiayi to Alishan is NT$600. Check seats in the booking system and use the fare table for shorter sections. Leaving the train at Fenqihu and continuing by bus requires a separate connection, with no automatic onward seat.

The park, your hotel and the sunrise train

After the bus reaches Alishan Bus Terminal, you still need to enter the recreation area and reach your accommodation. Ask where any hotel shuttle collects and whether you should enter the park first. Properties described as “Alishan” may instead be in Fenqihu or Shizhuo, well before the final terminal.

Zhaoping, Shenmu and Zhushan are separate mountain branch services. A Zhushan sunrise ticket does not cover transport from Chiayi. For sunrise, arrive the previous day and check the following morning’s departure announcement; the time changes with the day’s sunrise arrangements.

For a short stay, ask your Chiayi accommodation about leaving a large case behind and take an overnight bag. Bus luggage space and the approach to a mountain hotel can be restrictive. If travelling with a wheelchair or stroller, confirm the vehicle and final access in advance. See the recreation-area information for admission categories.

Comparing a shared transfer

The Klook shared Chiayi–Alishan transfer lists pickup options at Chiayi HSR and TRA, with a Chinese-speaking driver. Select the direction and dates for your actual stay, then check the drop-off point at the mountain end.

The listing allows a 24-inch suitcase per passenger and offers child seats as a paid option. Confirm extra bags and child-seat availability before paying. Treat a day tour separately: its sightseeing stops and same-day return may not fit an overnight stay, and admission inclusions depend on the selected package.

A realistic downhill connection

Choose the HSR A Route or city-station B Route before booking your onward train. Reaching the wrong Chiayi station adds another transfer. Road works, holiday traffic and poor mountain weather can all lengthen the trip, so leave a generous connection margin or descend earlier for a fixed flight or event.

Normal service today is not an all-weather promise. Recheck railway operations and bus notices before travelling, then check park or trail closures separately. Old storm reports should not be presented as current closures, while a running park branch does not establish that every road or trail is open.

Alishan transport questions

Which option suits a one-day forest visit?

An early bus leaves more walking time. The through railway train reaches Alishan at 14:56, making an overnight plan more practical.

Does the railway still only run as far as Fenqihu?

There is a through service to Alishan in the current timetable and normal main-line operation was displayed on 7 October 2026. Train 1 has a different endpoint, Shizilu.

Where is the bus at Chiayi HSR?

The A Route instructions specify Exit 2, Platform 7. Report to the driver as instructed for a reservation.

Can I stop for lunch at Fenqihu and keep my reserved seat?

Your reservation covers a particular service from its origin. Plan any later bus, ticket and available seat separately.

Does my uphill ticket cover the sunrise train?

Zhushan is a separate branch journey. Check its ticket and daily departure after arranging transport to Alishan.

Fares and timetables

HSR A Route · TRA B Route timetable · Bus reservations and notices · Railway timetable · Railway fares. Checked 7 October 2026.

Related planning guides

If your itinerary needs a change of station, see the BRT connection between Chiayi HSR and TRA stations.