Taipei to Alishan - Travel guide, how to go, tips and tricks
1. TAIPEI TO ALISHAN - HOW TO GO
Here are your options to go to Alishan from Taipei.
| Mode of transportation | estimated fare | travel time | Where to buy tickets | Notes/comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 1835 | NTD 690 | ~6 hours | Taipei Bus Station | You will see the sunrise if you try this method. This is also the most cheapest and most effecient way to go Alishan from Taipei, but you need to buy the tickets directly at the Taipei Bus Station. However, there is no assurance that you will get seats especially during the holidays in Taiwan. [Timetable] 20:45 (March to Oct.) or 21:45 (Nov. to Feb.) every Friday and Saturday. |
| tripool taxi | NTD 8,999 (4 to 8 pax) | 4.5 hours |
| You can choose any pick-up point in Taipei (ex. your hotel in Ximending). For your drop-off point, type "Alishan National Forest Recreation Area" 4 pax average fare: NTD 1,541 8 pax average fare: NTD 989 Riding tripool is cheaper for a large group, than boarding the HSR to Chiayi then transferring to the Alishan tour bus. If you want to see the sunrise,then you need to be at Alishan at 4:00 am. Take note that there is additional charge for late night/midnight trips. |
| HSR Taipei to Chiayi, then ride Alishan tour bus (Bus 7329) | NTD 1,100 (if you got the Klook HSR discounted ticket, if not the fare will be NTD 1,358 ( NTD 1,080 HSR ticket + NTD 278 Alishan bus fare) | 4 to 5 hours |
For the Alishan tour bus (HSR Chiayi Exit 2 Platform 7), you can pay the fare via EasyCard | Departure times of the Alishan tour bus at HSR Chiayi: 09:30/10:10/11:00/13:10 You won't be able to see the sunrise at Alishan if you take this route, unless you will spend at least 1 night in one of the expensive hotels inside the forest recreation area |
| TRA Taipei to Chiayi Station then ride Alishan tour bus | NTD 590 to NTD 838 | 6 to 7 hours | [TRA website for the train tickets] | Not an efficient way to see Alishan, unless you want to explore Chiayi City first. You will need to stay in Chiayi for at least 1 night and board the first bus going to Alishan. Departure times of the Alishan tour bus at TRA Chiayi Station: 06:05/07:05/08:10/08:40/ 09:10/09:40/10:10/ 11:10/12:10/14:10 |
| Bus 1834 to Chiayi then ride Alishan tour bus | NTD 680 | 6 to 7 hours | Bus 1834: Taipei Bus Station For the Alishan tour bus, you can buy the tickets at the kiosk of the bus company inside Chiayi Station or get it via a Family Mart kiosk. | There is wifi in Bus 1834 as well as a charging port. |
| 1) TRA train/bus from Taipei then, 2) ride Alishan train to Fenqihu then, 3) ride bus to Alishan Forest | NTD 832 to NTD 1,080 | 7 hours | [Alishan Railway online booking website] | Not efficient, 3 tranfer points. You will need also to book the Alishan Forest railway ticket. In booking the ticket, select Chiayi as origin and Fenqihu as destination. |
If you're in another place in Taiwan, not in Taipei, then it's not a problem. You can always go to Alishan without the hassle. Just book tripool taxi.
When you make the booking, just type "Alishan National Forest Recreation Area" in the destination/drop-off point. You don't need to type the whole name because all the places in Taiwan are preset in the web app.
| Route | Estimated tripool taxi fare | travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area | NTD 8,809 (4 pax) | ~4 hours |
| Sun Moon Lake to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area | NTD 4,339 (4 pax) | 2.5 hours |
| Cingjing Farm to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area | NTD 6,665 (4 pax) | less than 4 hours |
| Taichung TRA Station to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area | NTD 5,299 (4 pax) | less than 3 hours |
| Tainan TRA Station to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area | NTD 4,499 (4 pax) | 2.5 hours |
| Kaoshiung International Airpot to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area | NTD 5,729 (4 pax) | 3 hours |
2. ALISHAN MAPLE SEASON
Another first from the luomujie blog. A maple viewing tour in Alishan! Most people visit the scenic area during the cherry blossom festival in April when the Tokyo sakuras open fully their petals. But do you know that the second half of December is also a good time to visit this famous tourist destination? Taiwan is not known to have a lot of maple trees, but certain places like Alishan can offer spectacular views of mountains that suddenly got shades of red, due to the vast number of native maple trees.
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| at Zhushan Station. Taiwan's highest train station at an elevation of 2,451 meters above sea level. |
Depending on the weather in the mountains of Alishan, Taiwan's trident and native maple leaves will change colors as soon the right conditions are met during the last month of the year. However, climate change can delay the metamorphosis of the maple trees up to the first week of January. So there is no assurance that you will see lots of red leaves in December. Don't blame me if you come here too late or too early. Haha!
November is also a good time to see maple leaves in Alishan but I have doubts if there will be a lot of trees to enjoy. It is said that in the trail from the Alishan Ranger Station to Alishan Hotel have lots of oliver maple trees. Common known as the Chinese maple, this plant has five leaflets. It's nice to see them glowing red under the rays of the sun, but I think Taiwan's native red maple is more interesting.
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| Taiwan red maple |
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| a Taiwan red maple leaf under the sunlight |
The Taiwan red maple is not the typical maple plant with "five lobes" but rather they look like ordinary leaves with jagged edges. They still have the five leaflets. However, it's not that obvious. The good thing is that they are in great numbers in Ogasawara Mountain. You can get to this place in Alishan by boarding the sunrise tour trains from Alishan Station. If you are from Taipei, just board Bus 1835 from Taipei Bus Station at night (every Friday and Saturday only) and after six hours you will arrive in the scenic area. Buy your train tickets at Alishan Station, ride the train and get off at Zhushan Station. After watching the sunrise, walk 550 meters to get to the Ogasawara Mountain Viewing Platform. The platform is shaped like an octagon inviting visitors to take 360-degree selfies.
The short hike from Zhushan Statoin was worth it. Some of the leaves had already fallen on the ground turning the brown color of the soil into a sea of red. I don't usually see this kind of scenery in Taiwan which makes the place more special.
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| Taiwan red maple leaves. Always look at the shape of the leaves to know if it is really a native red maple. Most tourists mistook the red leaves of the cherry blossoms in winter as the native maple of Taiwan. |
From the Ogasawara Lookout, a mountain range is visible with spots of red. They are probably native red maple trees. The plants are usually scattered in the nearby mountains during December (pseudo-autumn season of the island).
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| to the Duigaoyue Sunrise Platform |
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| Duigaoyue Sunrise Platform |
Since the last train going back to Alishan Station already left, I have decided to walk along the trails leading to Chaoping Station. On the way to my destination, I have discovered the secret station of the Alishan Forest Railway! The sidewalk leading to the Duigaoyue Sunrise Platform will delight anyone who loves the dramatic colors of autumn.
At the time of my visit, workers are busy setting up a stage. A concert had been organized to welcome the coming of a new year. I think this is happening annually in Alishan.
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| I really got curious about these red trees that I wanted to get near them and take some pictures. |
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| start of the Duìgāoyuè hiking trail (Gaoyue Trail) |
While looking at the mountains from Duigaoyue Sunrise Platform, I noticed a nearby rocky hill where there are lots of red maple leaves. So I followed the train tracks which led me to the start of the Duìgāoyuè hiking trail. I climbed the hills walking up and down on its semi-maintained pathway. Trees with broad branches were trying to reach the sky. Teasing visitors to look at them and take pictures with caution. If you have good stamina, you can finish this trail in an hour or two. But I still have lots of places to see so I started walking back to the shortcut which would lead to Chaoping Station.
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| Zhushan sunrise trail |
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| Zhaoping Station |
The shortcut is the Zhushan Sunrise Trail. Visitors who are staying in Alisha Gou Hotel have the option not to ride the train going to Zhushan Station and just follow this cemented pathway which will take hikers to the road leading to the highest train station in Taiwan.
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| Tashan mountain with specks of red |
I reached Chaoping Station and I was surprised to see the Tashan Mountain cliff to have specks of red. I arrived in Alishan when it was still dark and I really did not expect this. The eroded part of the forest railway is clearly visible much to the disappointment of visitors wishing to explore the other areas of the national scenic area. After enjoying the view, I boarded the shuttle bus going to Alishan Visitor Center. My plan is to walk outside the premises of scenic area and go to a place known for its sunset above a sea of clouds.
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| yellow trident maple tree |
As I approached the gate, a tree with broad branches caught my attention. All of its leaves were sparkling as the sun shines on it. Its yellow color radiates like gold. A mesmerizing sight that I would never forget in Taiwan. The stunning tree was a native yellow trident maple and I got more excited to see more as I found my way out of the gate of Alishan.
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| A green maple leaf that has turned into a yellow one. |
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| Taiwan yellow trident maple. Do you see the insect? |
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| Taiwan red trident maple |
Unexpected. The largest number of maple trees that I have ever found Taiwan are planted along Xīnzhōnghéng Highway. Just pass by the Alishan Fire Station and you would come across this part of the road that has a dazzling set of autumn colors. It's a battle between the yellow and red maple leaves as I got closer and closer to the sunset viewing area in Shāngxīnshān. While walking, I picked some fallen leaves that I still find to be fresh.
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| At an elevation of more than 2,000 meters, you can see the boundary between the clouds and the sky. |
Located at the 89.5 to 90.1-kilometer mark of the highway, locals come here to watch the sun as it set against the sea of clouds. Considered as one of the five wonders of Alishan, seeing the phenomenon is the exact opposite of the Alishan sunrise. The sun rises in the scenic area as diamonds while it sets here like a glowing gold nugget.
I was actually focused on maple leaves here rather than the sunset. I set up my tripod, sat on a rock and took photos of myself while I hold some of the precious maple leaves that I have collected.
Take your pick. Red or yellow? The Taiwan trident maple or the native red variety? Adore the wonderful shades of autumn through the luomujie blog's Maple Series: Alishan.
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