Review Alishan National Forest Recreation Area Ticket

Alishan experience — absolutely magical for a first-timer. From the misty mountains and breathtaking views to the peaceful forest and unforgettable train ride, every moment felt surreal. 🌲🚂⛰️ Definitely an experience I’ll never forget. 🇹🇼❤️

I've always wanted to visit Alishan, and I finally found the time to go. We started driving after midnight and arrived at Alishan around 3 AM. The visitor center parking lot was already full, so we parked elsewhere and walked to the entrance, scanning the QR code to enter. The queue at Alishan Station was incredibly long, but thankfully there were three trains available to take us to see the sunrise. The walking trails were cool and comfortable. It was truly a wonderful experience, and I definitely want to go again. You can also visit the Chukou Visitor Center to get two delicious tea eggs.

the park is so huge that you need to spend at least a whole day to visit the famous attaction sites. you can ride a bus to get to the entrance of the trail and then spend 3 hours to walk inside the forest all the way to the train station. then you can ride the famous train to bring you back to the main center of the park.

Wow~ I really feel like you can't visit Alishan unless you take a tour package. I realized there are a lot more high mountains in Taiwan than I thought. There are even higher mountains, but Alishan was also truly fascinating and extremely, extremely high;; Just going up and down the mountain takes an hour, and combined with the travel time from Taichung... it really exhausted me; Even after getting to Fenqihu, I thought, "Okay, we're finally here," but absolutely not. If you get motion sickness, you really, really need to bring motion sickness medicine... Even though I don't usually get motion sickness, it was really tough for me; Strangely, the Chinese-speaking participants on the tour—whether they were Taiwanese(?) or Chinese(?), I'm not sure—were all full of energy and completely fine... The tour guide was Taiwanese, and since there were 4 participants each from Taiwan and South Korea, instead of English, they guided us in Taiwanese and used a translation app for Korean~ Although the trip was exhausting, the photos are so pretty that all those feelings completely vanish, so prepare your stamina well and make sure to visit Alishan, everyone~ It is incredibly magnificent!

This tour exceeded our expectations, mainly thanks to our guide 李明堂（阿汤哥） (vehicle no: RBV-5868). He was extremely experienced, patient, and thoughtful. His detailed explanations made the trip more meaningful, and he also helped us take many memorable photos.

The itinerary was well arranged and covered the key highlights of Alishan. Despite a tight schedule, we still enjoyed every stop. The natural scenery was stunning, and the forest train was very special. Highly recommended!

Alishan National Forest Recreation Area is truly worth a visit! Ride the vintage red train through the clouds and forest, enjoying sights like the Sister Ponds, Xianglin Sacred Tree, and the Giant Tree Trail along the way. The air in the park is fresh, and the trails are well-planned, making a stroll through the towering red cypress forest very pleasant. Even just slowing down to take photos, you can feel the healing power of the mountains and forests. On clear days, there's also a chance to admire the sunrise, sea of clouds, and sunset. Each season offers a different landscape, making it ideal for a half-day to full-day leisurely exploration. It's a classic, must-see attraction when visiting Chiayi.
Experience: Excellent

price: Almost the same price if you’ll buy onsite. However, you don’t have to leave the car because it’ll be scanned at the entrance. And, has a freebie - for me, I availed the sunrise pastry which cam be redeemed outside/downstairs of Alishan Station. Just find “Alishan Pastry”.
experience: Please be aware that going to Alishan is a 2 to 3-hour car/bus ride on a zigzag road, per way, from Chiayi! We did Alishan-Zhaoping route that costs $100/ride. IT WOULD BE THE BEST TO STAY OVERNIGHT OR MORE 🥰 I love the weather and thanks God it didn’t rain when we arrived.

Alishan National Forest Recreation Area is truly worth a visit! Ride the vintage red train through the clouds and forest, enjoying sights like the Sister Ponds, Xianglin Sacred Tree, and the Giant Tree Trail along the way. The air in the park is fresh, and the trails are well-planned, making a stroll through the towering red cypress forest very pleasant. Even just slowing down to take photos, you can feel the healing power of the mountains and forests. On clear days, there's also a chance to admire the sunrise, sea of clouds, and sunset. With different scenery throughout the four seasons, it's perfect for a half-day to full-day leisurely exploration and is a classic, unmissable attraction when visiting Chiayi.

This time, I specifically completed the route I missed last time. I booked a train ticket to Zhushan to watch the sunrise, but unfortunately, due to the typhoon, we didn't see it. However, seeing the huge crowds and the beautiful scenery still made me feel excited. On the way back, I made sure to admire the scenery outside the train window, which was absolutely stunning. Later, I walked through Zhaoping Park, Sister Pond, and reached Shouzhen Temple, where it started raining heavily. We used the electronic vouchers from our tickets to take the electric shuttle bus, which was so lucky! It didn't rain on us much and quickly took us back to Alishan Station. What a blissful experience!

We were incredibly lucky to experience cherry blossom season in Alishan. We were using a private charter to get to the park and having the ticket voucher we booked ahead of time gave us an easy passage to the main parking area, otherwise we would have to buy the park tickets at the main entrance. Highly recommend buying in advance. The free treats were also very delicious.