When taking the bus from Chiayi to Alishan (one of Taiwan’s top destinations), most passengers swipe EasyCard to ride it. However, this gives them last priority for seats.
At peak times (weekends, holidays, or cherry blossoms season in March/April), the line is sometimes so long that they can’t even get on, especially for the bus to/from Chiayi HSR, which doesn’t allow standing.
To avoid this, you should reserve your Alishan bus seats in advance. There are two ways to do this:
One is to buy your bus tickets at the FamiPort machine in any FamilyMart in Taiwan.
The other, which I will cover in this article, is to reserve the tickets on FamiTicket, the online version of FamiPort, then pick up the physical tickets at FamiMart once you get to Taiwan.
You’ll probably need to consult my table of bus times from Chiayi to Alishan while you go through this article.
Also see my more general guides to Chiayi, Alishan, and other options for getting to Alishan.
Things to Know Before You Book
- If you find the below booking process too complicated or don’t want to deal with the buses to Alishan, just book a Taiwan car rental with driver via Tripool. They offer point-to-point fares or an hourly rate. Click the Tripool link above or use my referral code Nick2026 when registering on the app to receive 3 x TWD 100 discount vouchers via email.
- To book bus tickets online, you’ll need to sign up for membership first, with a local phone number and address (I’ll show you how, even if you don’t have those).
- You’ll be able to pay online with credit card, then pick up the physical tickets from any FamilyMart in Taiwan (TWD 10 printing fee per ticket), anytime before departure.
- There are FamilyMarts at Taoyuan Airport (hard to find), Taoyuan HSR station, Chiayi city, and in every major city. But there are no FamilyMarts at Chiayi HSR station or anywhere in Alishan region (including Shizhuo and Fenqihu). This means you will have to pick up your return ticket before going to Alishan.
- You can purchase your tickets up to one month (31 days) in advance, starting from 12:00 AM (midnight) Taiwan time. Buy early for holidays or cherry blossom season! You can buy up to 4 tickets at once.
- Under 6 (age 0 to 5) ride free but don’t get a seat. Kids age 6-12 get half-price tickets and get a seat. If you want a seat for your 0 to 5-year old, but a children’s tickets.
- You’ll be able to choose a bus from Chiayi HSR station (bus 7329, see my guide to booking HSR tickets) to Alishan or Chiayi Station (bus 7322, see my guide to booking train tickets) to Alishan. There’s also bus 7314 (Chiayi to Shizhuo) and 7302 (Chiayi to Fenqihu), but those only have a few per day.
- It’s also possible to buy partial tickets to stops on the way, such as Xiding (for Eryanping trail), Shizhuo (for hiking or staying on tea plantations), or Fenqihu (for connecting to Alishan Forest Railway, on routes 7329 and 7322.
- But on routes 7329 and 7322, you can only reserve tickets starting from Chiayi or Alishan. In other words, you can reserve a ticket starting at Chiayi and get off at a smaller stop like Shizhuo or Fenqihu. But you CAN’T reserve a ticket starting at Shizhuo or Fenqihu. If boarding at a smaller stop, the only option is to swipe EasyCard.
- You can only buy tickets for one ride at a time. For return tickets, you’ll have to book them separately.
- Tickets can be canceled up to 30 minutes before departure time. I’ll explain how at the end.
- Ripped or stained tickets won’t be accepted.
- If you miss the bus that you have a booking for, you can still use the ticket to ride a later bus that day, but you won’t have a guaranteed seat. You’ll need to line up like everyone else, first-come-first-served.
- Also consider to just rent a car and drive there yourself.
- Some travelers like to spend a night in Chiayi city before going to Alishan, especially to try these Netflix-featured foods at Wenhua Road Night Market.
See my similar guide to booking tickets on the bus from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake and the equally popular bus from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan.
How to Buy Alishan Bus Tickets Online
Here are the steps you need to follow to reserve and pay for your seats on the bus from Chiayi to Alishan.
Step 1: Sign up for Membership
Go to the FamiTicket login and sign-up page. The button on the left (登入) is to sign in. The button on the right (註冊) is to register. Click on the 註冊 button to sign up.
Now you’ll need to fill in the above form. Here are the items in the order you’ll need to fill them in.
- Click 海外國護籍 (born overseas)
- Enter name as it appears in your passport (characters are limited so leave out middle name if necessary)
- Male (男) or Female (女)
- Passport number (護照號碼)
- Enter date of birth
- Enter Taiwanese mobile number (If you don’t have one, just make one up. It must be 10 digits and start with 09). Next line is to enter a second number (don’t need to).
- Enter Address in Taiwan. I put the address for Amba Ximending, one of my favorite hotels in Taipei. First column choose 台北市 (Taipei city). Second column choose 萬華區 (Wanhua district, 5th option). Third column copy-past this address: 武昌街二段77號
- Enter your email
Scroll down and there’s more info that needs to be entered, as in the above picture. Here are the items:
- Password (must be 8-15 characters and contain 3 of the following 4 items: lower case letter, upper case letter, number, symbol)
- Re-enter the password on the next line
- Password hint (don’t need)
- Receive newsletter, choose 是 (yes) or 否 (no).
- Click gray button if you are disabled with ID to prove it.
- Keep the blue check at the bottom to agree to the terms.
- Click 送出 (submit) button.
If anything didn’t work, you’ll get the above error pop-up. The problem will be highlighted in red on the form. If it worked, you’ll get the below success screen.
The above screen says that the registration was successful and that you should receive an email in 3-5 minutes.
Once you receive that email, open the email and click the long link that it contains. The link will take you back to the FamiTicket website, with a notice which says you’ve successfully verified your email, as below.
Step 2: Book Your Bus Ticket
Now that you’ve successful signed up, go back to the sign-in page. This time, you don’t need to click anything, because it should already be on 登入 (sign in).
Enter your email and password that you created when signing up. Click the blue 登入 button at the bottom.
Note: If you use a translation function on the following pages, you’re going to get some very weird English translations. It’s better to keep in in the original language (Mandarin) and follow my steps below to navigate and book.
Hover over “交通 Transportation” and choose “阿里山線 Alishan Route” at the bottom left (see image above).
Note, I did this whole booking on a laptop. If you’re doing it on a smartphone, it will look different. On smartphone, click the hamburger menu at the top right then choose the first item, 活動分類, and scroll down to find Transportation and Alishan Route.
You can also book other Taiwan Tourist Shuttles here by choosing the button on the right (I won’t cover those other routes here, but the booking process will be the same).
There are now 6 possible buses you can book. I suggest you use my Chiayi-to-Alishan bus timetable to figure out which bus you want to take.
#1 and #2 start at Chiayi station but don’t go all the way to Alishan. #3 and #4 start from Chiayi HSR station, with only #3 making the 20-minute detour to Fenqihu. #5 and #6 start from Chiayi Station, with only #5 making the detour to Fenqihu.
The 6 different bus options are as follows (starting from top-left and going across):
- 7314 (嘉義大雅站達邦線) Chiayi Station to Xiding or Shizhuo, only two per day, very early or very late
- 7302 (嘉義大雅站-奮起湖線) Chiayi Station to Fenqihu bus which also stops at Xiding and Shizhuo. You can book this bus from Chiayi to Fenqihu or Fenqihu to Chiayi only (can’t book starting from Shizhuo). Only 2 per day in each direction.
- 7329 (阿里山線(高鐵出發)經奮起湖) via Fenqihu Chiayi HSR Station to Alishan bus which also stops at Xiding, Shizhuo, Fenqihu, only 1 per day.
- 7329 (阿里山線(高鐵出發)) Chiayi HSR to Chiayi bus which stops at Xiding, Shizhuo, but NOT Fenqihu.
- 7322 (阿里山線(臺鐵出發)經奮起湖 via Fenqihu) Chiayi Station to Alishan bus which also stops at Xiding, Shizhuo, and Fenqihu
- 7322 (阿里山線(臺鐵出發)) Chiayi Station to Alishan bus which also stops at Xiding, Shizhuo, but NOT Fenqihu
Note 1: All the buses make the return journey, too. So if you want to book from Alishan back to Chiayi, click on the relevant one above (the return times will be included too, but need to be booked separately).
Note 2: Currently, buses 7329 via Fenqihu (#3 above) and 7322 via Fenqihu (#5 above) are not accepting online reservations for the return leg (Alishan to Chiayi) only. If you try to book these online, those specific times will say “sold out”. But they are not sold out – you can swipe EasyCard to ride them. I have indicated the three affected times with a star in my Alishan bus times table.
Once you figure out which bus you want to take, click the blue “購票” (buy ticket) button at its bottom-right.
For my test, I plan to buy a ticket from Chiayi HSR Station to Alishan, so I clicked bus #4. (Note: I could also choose #3, but that one will take about 20 minutes longer due to the detour to Fenqihu on the way).
Above you can see the details for the bus I chose, including the three possible departure times for Chiayi HSR to Alishan (9:30, 10:10, and 13:10) and Chiayi back to Chiayi HSR (13:30, 14:40, 16:40).
If I had chosen the one with the detour to Fenqihu, that one departs Chiayi at 11:00, and goes from Alishan back to Chiayi at 10:10.
The notes in Mandarin also mention that the date, time, and number of seats should be written on the ticket when purchased, stained or ripped tickets are not valid, and there’s a 10% fee to refund tickets.
Click on the blue 我要購票 (I want to buy tickets) button in the above image. Then you’ll see the below schedule.
Amazingly, sometime in 2025, they finally added an image of an English schedule below the Mandarin one, as in the below screenshot.
Now, let’s make a booking. Click on the calendar at the top of the schedule and choose your date of travel (up to 31 days in advance).
Then you’ll see a list of the six possible buses (see above two photos). This one is relatively simple (other buses are more confusing, as we’ll get to below). The first three times in the table are from Chiayi HSR to Alishan, and the last three are from Alishan back to Chiayi HSR. You can confirm this by consulting my Alishan bus timetable here.
If you look closely at the Mandarin characters, any buses with the characters 去程 are going up (Chiayi to Alishan), while the characters 回程 refer to “return” trips.
In my bus timetable (see link above), you’ll notice there should be one more departure from Chiayi HSR to Alishan at 11:00, but it’s not found on the above screenshots. Same thing for a 10:10 bus from Alishan back to Chiayi HSR.
That’s because those two buses stop at Fenqihu on the way, so you need to go back to the main menu of buses and choose the 7329A bus with the words 經奮起湖 (stops in Fenqihu) at the end of it.
If you do that, you’ll find it contains those two missing buses, as in the below screenshot.
From Chiayi train station to Alishan (bus 7322C, no stop in Fenqihu), it gets more confusing. First, there are more buses. Second, you’ll find that some of the departure times don’t quite match the ones in my schedule. And despite this one being more confusing, they weren’t nice enough to provide an English version of the timetable…
First I’ll show you the screenshot of the times, then I’ll explain why below it.
Ones I’ve left blank are correct departure times from Chiayi Station. Ones where I’ve added a time indicate the actual departure time from Chiayi Station. And ones where I’ve typed “Return bus” are buses from Alishan to Chiayi.
Now let me explain why some of the times are off.
Some of the buses on the list don’t actually start at Chiayi Station. They have one stop before it, called Daya Stop, where almost no one gets one.
So the time listed in the table for those specific buses is from Daya Stop. It takes 10-15 minutes for the bus to drive from Daya stop to Chiayi Station. So, I’ve added the stop times for Chiayi Station, where pretty much everyone gets on.
And once again, if you’re planning to take any of the buses which stop at Fenqihu on the way, you’ll need to select bus 7322 (阿里山線(臺鐵出發)經奮起湖), or #5 in my list of 6 buses above.
Then you should see the below options, with no further complications to mention.
For the Chiayi station to Alishan (with stop in Fenqihu) route, there are four options. The 9:10 and 14:10 are from Alishan to Chiayi station. The 9:40 is a departing time from Chiayi station to Alishan, while the 11:55 is from Daya station, so you need to add 15 minutes, for a 12:10 departure time from Chiayi train station.
Now that we’ve got the confusing times sorted, it’s time to actually select the bus you want. Once you decide, click the blue 立即購票 (buy now) button beside it (see last 3 screeshots).
If the button is gray instead of blue, the reservable seats are sold out.
Then you should see a screen like below. Just to confirm you’re on the right track, the first option should say 全票嘉義-阿里山 if you’re going from Chiayi to Alishan, or it will say 全票阿里山-嘉義 if you’re going from Alishan to Chiayi.
On this page, there is a list of possible stops with prices (top five are adult prices, bottom five which start with 半票 (half-price ticket) are child prices (aged 6-12) for the same five stops).
Starting at the top, the stops you’d be riding to are: Alishan 阿里山 (TWD 278), Shizicun 十字村 (240), Shizhuo (197), Xiding/Eryanping 隙頂 (172), and Longmei 龍美 (154).
Note that Shizicun is the same as Shizilu (十字路 or Shitzulu). It’s unlikely you’ll get off here.
Since I’m buying a ticket for myself only from Chiayi to Alishan, I chose the first one and selected ‘1’ (see screenshot above). You can choose 1 to 4 people.
At the bottom, leave the two boxes checked to agree to the terms and click the gray 電腦配位 (automatically choose seats) button on the left or 自行選位 (choose your own seat) on the right. I chose right.
NOTE: When booking a ticket from Alishan back to Chiayi, you may notice the stop choices are different. They may include unfamiliar stops like 頂六 (Dingliu), 觸口 (Chukou), and 龍美 (Longmei). They don’t include stops you might want to get off at (Shizhuo, Fenqihu, and Xiding).
If you want to ride the bus from Alishan and get off at Shizhou, Fenqihu, or Xiding, choose Longmei (龍美), which is usually the cheapest adult ticket option (around TWD 124). Longmei is shortly after Shizhuo, Fenqihu, and Xiding. You will still be able to get off at the stop you want.
If your desired stop is Fenqihu, just make sure you’re on one of the buses that actually goes to Fenqihu by checking my bus timetable and selecting a bus with 經奮起湖 (passes Fenqihu) in the name.
Now you get to choose your seat(s)! Dark gray seats are taken, light gray are available, and my selected seat is in green.
Use the zoom in/out magnifying glass to see more seats. You should be able to scroll down to see all 11 rows (44 seats total). However, on my browser, I had trouble scrolling down. I was using desktop – apparently this works better on mobile.
After making your selection, click the 確定 (confirm) blue button at bottom.
The above is a just a confirmation page showing your booking number, date of travel, bus, row and seat number, destination, and price.
There’s nothing to do here. Just click the blue 下一步 (next step) button. Notice that a 10-minute timer to finish your order has started counting down (see the green circle in the above and below screenshots).
In the below screenshot, the red button means “Delete Order”. The dark gray button beside it means “Modify Order” (if you want to go back and make some changes).
You’ve now reached the payment page. You must click the circle beside the words 取票手續費10元. This means you agree to pay TWD10 to pick up the ticket later at FamilyMart. (Update: you’ll now see these words in English, too).
Scroll down and enter your credit card information. Don’t use auto-fill (if you have your card number saved on your computer). You have to actually type the numbers in for it to work. Click the blue 結帳 (checkout) button at the bottom when ready. Give it a few seconds to go through.
Note: some readers have commented that their total fee owing at the end was zero for some strange reason (instead of a 278 like in the below screenshot), so something wasn’t working. One reader of this article reported that refreshing the screen made it work. Another said that using a different browser worked. Yet another said turning off Chrome’s page translation function (which I don’t recommend using anyways) worked.
If your credit card doesn’t work (some international cards sometimes just don’t work for certain things in Taiwan), try a different one. For US users, someone commented that Bank of America cards work best, but others may not.
Some travelers have reported that their payment wouldn’t work on Chrome, but when they switched to a different browser (Safari), it worked.
One reader commented that when it submitted his credit card info, the system said “Payment confirmation in progress” but it never went through. Support told him that he should wait 30 minutes, so the attempt would go to a failed state. Then he clicked the shopping card to find his order again, tried a different credit card, and it worked.
If your payment goes through, you’ll see the above confirmation screen. Congrats – your seats are booked!
Screenshot the booking as I have above. You can also click the blue 列印 button at the bottom if you want to print the ticket. However, you should also receive an email with all the same details.
The booking number at the top-left (T2092429 on mine above) will be needed for retrieving your physical ticket at FamilyMart in Taiwan.
If you forget to screenshot it, you can also find it again later by logging in to FamiTicket again and then clicking your username at the top-right.
Step 3: Pick Up Your Tickets at FamilyMart in Taiwan
Your final step is to pick up your physical Alishan bus tickets from the FamiPort machine in any FamilyMart in Taiwan.
Because many travelers had trouble with this, I now have a new guide for it: how to pick up your Alishan bus tickets at FamilyMart in Taiwan.
Keep in mind that there’s no FamilyMart at Chiayi HSR station, Shizhuo, Fenqihu, or Alishan. But you can find a FamilyMart here at T2 of Taoyuan International Airport, in Chiayi train station (very small, but it does have the machine), and in every major (and most smaller) cities in Taiwan.
The FamiTicket website states that you must pick up your ticket at least one day before the date of travel. However, I have personally asked them, and they told me that pick-ups on the day of travel still work – they just recommend you don’t leave it to the last minute.
Note that there will be a TWD 10 fee to have your ticket printed at the counter. FamilyMart accepts cash, credit cards, and digital payments like LinePay or ApplePay.
Step 4: How to Cancel Alishan Bus Tickets
If your plans change (or perhaps, like me, you bought an Alishan bus ticket as a backup plan in case you couldn’t get an Alishan Forest Railway ticket, but then you succeeded in getting the latter with help from my Alishan Forest Railway booking guide), then you can cancel your Alishan bus ticket.
There are two ways to cancel a ticket: online (if you didn’t pick up the physical ticket yet) or on the FamilyPort machine in any FamilyMart (if you already printed the physical ticket, this way is easier).
You can cancel your bus ticket anytime up to 30 minutes before the bus departure time.
To cancel your ticket online, click here and enter your name and phone number (if you don’t have a Taiwan number, just make up one, 10 digits starting with 09, like 0911111111).
The pages are in Mandarin, but you can use a translator as needed to follow the instructions. If you succeed, you’ll receive the refund to your card in up to 35 days.
If you have trouble with this, then your second option is to go to any FamilyMart, follow my instructions to print the ticket, then follow my instructions to cancel it.
If you’ve already printed your ticket at Family Mart, then you simply need to go back to any FamilyMart and follow my instructions to cancel it there.
If you used this guide to reserve your ticket online and paid by credit card, then you will need to pay the 10% cancelation fee in cash at the counter (so I had to pay TWD 24 to cancel my TWD 240 ticket).
Then, the remaining ticket amount will be refunded to your card in 3-5 days. I received my refund in 3 days.
If you cancel online, the ticket amount minus the reservation fee will be refunded to your card.
Hi Nick, thank you so much for the very detailed guide – I followed it and managed to book my tickets!
Glad to hear!
Thank you so much for your post. I already booked a ticket successfully as per your instructions.
Hi Nick,
Great guide – but! One item in the registration form is missing from your guide – the one where you should fill in your ID info (between you sex and your email address). Foreigners should put in their passport number there.
On my third try my credit card was finally accepted – phew! Hopefully I bought the right tickets… 😉
Question – is it necessary to pre-book the bus back to Chiayi from Alishan as well?
Cheers!
Nick, if I were to return from Xiding to Chiayi, do I purchase a ticket from Alishan to Chiayi and board at Xiding stop?
Thank you so much, I’ve added it! Glad your card worked. I would say that the demand for the bus from Chiayi to Alishan and Alishan back to Chiayi is equal, so yes, you should book it if you’re able to choose a time and stick with it. You wouldn’t want to miss the last bus and get stuck up there!
If you want to book the ticket online, you can only book tickets starting at Chiayi or Alishan. You can reserve a seat starting at any smaller stop in the middle like Xiding. That’s because they will totally fill the bus before leaving Chiayi or Alishan, as there is always a long line of people wanting to board the bus. They can’t just leave an empty seat for someone who will board the bus somewhere in the middle. So if you want to board at Xiding or any other small stop, you can only wait at the bus stop and swipe EasyCard to ride it. In other words, you can reserve a ticket starting at Alishan or Chiayi and get off at Xiding or other small stops. But you just can’t reserve a spot boarding the bus at Xiding or other small stops.
Dear Nick,
Thank you for your clear instruction in booking the Alishan bus Ticket. I have ordered my Alishan Bus Ticket online. My departure date is about 1 month from now. Can I just collect the ticket on the actual day of departure from FamilyMart?
Thank you.
Yes, that should be no problem. Just make sure not to leave it too close to the departure time and that there will be a FamilyMart where you planning to get it.
Hi Nick,
Thanks for the useful guide!
I didn’t manage to book the Alishan train and planned to take the bus up instead.
I can’t find the 7329A bus from Fenqihu to Alishan at 12.50pm. Does it mean it’s fully booked?
And also, have you tried booking through Klook? Not sure if it will be easier?
Thanks!
Hello, I faced an error at the payment page. Once I clicked the option of ticket collection fee of 10 yuan, it does not allow me to input my credit card details. Why is this so?
Note these words in the article: “You must click the circle beside the words 取票手續費10元.” Can you confirm, did you try that?
Unfortunately you can’t book a seat on the bus starting from Fenqihu. You can only book a seat starting from Chiayi or Alishan. That’s because the bus seats are very high demand and they will also fill all seats before departing. Thus they can’t just leave one seat empty for someone to board halfway, such as Fenqihu. The only option to board at Fenqihu is to swipe EasyCard. Usually some passengers get off at Fenqihu, so it opens up some seats for more people to get on. But since there is often a line of people hoping to get on, I suggest you line up early, such as 30 minutes before the bus is coming. You can’t reserve bus seats on Klook. You can only buy a voucher which will give you a QR code to swipe when boarding. But the QR code does not guarantee a seat. It will be first-come-first-serve just like those swiping EasyCard.
Hi Nick! Thanks for this guide!
I just wanted to confirm…So even I were to pay the full fare to reserve tickets from Chiayi to Alishan and board at Fenqihu, the seats purchased could potentially still be filled by other passengers and the bus operator wouldn’t let us sit in those seats?
You can’t reserve tickets if you are boarding at Fenqihu. If you buy a ticket from Chiayi and don’t show up, they’ll assume you no-showed and less others sit in the seat. The buses to Alishan are always packed and have long lines of people waiting for them. There’s no way they are going just leave one seat open for someone because they booked it but then didn’t show up at the spot they booked from.
Hi Nick,
thanks a lot for this guide!
I’m having the same problem as Caren: once I click the circle beside the words 取票手續費10元, the credit card data input fields disappear and I cannot proceed buying the tickets. Do you have any idea how to solve this?
I’m sorry but I’m not sure. I’ve just tested it myself and that doesn’t happen for me. I suggest that you try it from a different browser or device if possible. Please let me know how it goes.
Agreed that also not all their staff are firm on the FamiPort machines. What helped me and my friendly staff get started was the fact that we should select the FamiTicket option/app, instead of searching for some bus option/app, etc.
Good to know – I’ll add that info to the article.
Hi Nick, thanks for the useful guide! For the return trip from Alishan to Chiayi HSR, is it possible to purchase the earlier bus rides at 1010am? Didnt seem to find this option from the booking page. Appreciate your advice! Thank you!
Yes, it is. The 10:10 bus goes to Chiayi HSR station, and it stops at Fenqihu on the way. So you need to make sure to choose the bus called 7329 (阿里山線(高鐵出發)經奮起湖), which means Alishan Line (HSR) via Fenqihu. You’ll see the 10:10 bus there.
Hi Nick,
Thanks so much for your guide! very helpful! just wanted to check for the return buses from Alishan to Chiayi, what does the 班次 mean? Cos i wanted to book the 17.10 bus from Alishan but unsure of what the 班次 mean for the return leg! We booked a night stay at Shi Zhao and plan to head there after our day at Alishan! As per your guide, i shld get tickets heading to 龍美 right?
I also plan to visit Eryanping, you think we can just hop on to any of the buses that go there from Shi Zhao without booking tickets?
Also, if i book the bus from Chiayi to Alishan, I can drop at any of the stops in between right and do i need to take the same bus number when I board again or can i take any of the bus that is heading to Alishan?
thank you!
Val
班次 just means “departure” or “shift”, I’m not sure why they even put that. When departing from Chiayi, their notes say that for any with the words 班次, the denoted time is from Daya (one stop before the train station), while ones with other words, the time is really for Chiayi station. When departing from Alishan, there’s no difference so you can ignore it. And yes, since strangle they give no option for Shizhuo, you can book for Longmei and just get off at Shizhuo. Every bus will pass Shizhuo. And yes you can just hop on any passing buses, as long as there is space. Most drivers will let you on even if there are no free seats though and you just have to stand. The drive from Shizhuo to Xiding/Eryanping is only like 10 min. You can see the timetable in my Eryanping guide for all the times, but sometimes buses are not on schedule – often they come up to 10 minutes early or late. If you reserve a ticket from Chiayi to Alishan, you could surely get off anywhere you want, but you wouldn’t be able to then get back on another bus with the same ticket. You’d have to swipe EasyCard to pay for any subsequent bus you take. Hope that all makes sense!
Hi Nick. If I were to purchase the ticket from Famiport machine, can it also be done at any Family Mart store or only at the ones in Chiayi?
Any one in Taiwan, they all have access to the same tickets.
Hi! Thanks for amazing guide! Just booked my onward ticket.
However, cannot find in FamiTicket the bus 7322C departing from Alishan at 11:40. Do you know, is it cancelled? I need it Saturday 22th of June.
Yes, you are corrected, I just noticed a note in the Mandarin details on the booking page that they canceled the 11:40 one last year. I apologize for the inconvenience and I have removed it from my table.
I can’t thank you enough, Nick, for this. It has been incredibly helpful!
It’s really working! Thank you so much!
By the way, I also had to switch my browser from Chrome to Safari to complete the payment.
This is amazing, thanks so much Nick!
Thanks, I’ve updated the article with this info!
Hello I hope you can see this post because there do not seem to be any tickets available under the alishan route tab anymore. Is this a new thing or I am doing something wrong. Could you help me check on your side because the website is all in Chinese and it says that there is no such options currently. What should I do?
All buses from Chiayi to Alishan are currently not running because of the damage on the road from Typhoon Gaemi. Once the road reopens to buses, then they will put the bus schedules back up.
Hi Nick, appreciate this a lot! I have two questions
1. We should select the FamiTicket option/app – I saw one of the comment, what does this means? It’s going to be easier if we download the app?
2. Does Taoyuan airport has does FamilyMart machine? Because as soon as I landed, I will need to depart to Alishan. Was thinking that to print the ticket at the airport. Can you help to confirm if there’s one available?
Hi NIck, Does your note at the top of the page saying “no buses are running from Chiayi to Alishan until further notice” still apply? Because they are tracking as if they are running on taiwanbus.tw.
Completely indebted to you for your Taiwan info and inspo:)
I’m not sure if there’s an app, but the directions I provide in this article are for using the FamiTicket website (https://www.famiticket.com.tw/Home/User/SignIn). This is an online version of the FamiPort machines which are in every FamilyMart.
Yes, the airport has one FamilyMart, which is located on 5F South Airplane Observation Deck of Terminal 2. It’s a little tricky to find. First, you need to go to T2’s Departures Hall (3rd floor). Then walk to the far south end of the Hall, near check in counter 22. From there, you can take the escalator or elevator up to 5F South Airplane Observation Deck and you will find the FamilyMart there. And yes, it has the machine and they should be able to print the bus tickets for you. Chiayi city also has FamilyMarts, but there are none near the Chiayi HSR station.
If you are arriving at T1, then after you exit into the Arrivals Hall, follow the signs to the free Skytrain between terminals. The Skytrain station is in the long hallway between Arrivals Hall and Departures Hall (both on ground floor). When you arrive at t2 on the Skytrain, you will be on the 3rd floor, very close to check in counter 22 and the escalator/elevator up to FamilyMart.
They are running again as normal now and I have removed the note.
Hi Nick, so if I want to buy from Alishan back to Chiayi, I have to start over again? As in separate payment.
Yes, you will have to do the whole process twice.
Hi Nick, I am looking to make a booking for the 7322 bus from Alishan to Chiayi Train Station. I was wondering what is the difference between 班次(回程) at 11.40 am and 好行班次終點站為嘉義火車站(回程) at 12.40 pm?
Hi Nick, thank you so much for this, it works!
I’m going early October, on mid-week but I just realized that it is the China golden week holiday, so don’t want to risk it… Booked Chiayi-Fenqihu (staying 1 night in Fenqihu) and Alishan-Chiayi. Wish there was a way to book Fenqihu-Alishan but I don’t think so, right?
Also thanks for your other pages as well, I have been using them for references for my trip 🙂
Ivan – from Sydney Australia
The difference between the two won’t affect your trip. 班次(回程) goes back to Chiayi station that terminates at one more stop after that. The second one goes back to Chiayi station and finishes there. You can take either one. 11:40 seems to be a new time so I will add it to my timetable now.
China’s holiday time has no impact on Taiwan at all. And correct, you can’t reserve the bus starting from Fenqihu. Just need to line up and swipe EasyCard to board. Just go a little early to have a good spot in line.
Thank you very much for this article about how to book bus seats from Chiayi to Alishan. It’s really, really informative and helpful.
I understand that seats can only be reserved for getting on the bus from Chiayi or Alishan, and that there is no way to buy tickets in advance when boarding from other stops like Fenqihu.
My question is: Typically, how packed are the buses for getting on the bus at Fenqihu to go to Alishan? Is there a high likelihood or low likelihood that there would be 9 seats available for our family group (6 adults and 3 kids)?
This is what we’re planning: Monday morning travel from Chiayi to Fenqihu. Spend maybe an hour or so in Fenqihu. Then, travel from Fenqihu to Alishan National Scenic Area.
It varies a lot. Some of the earliest buses of the day are usually not so full. Afternoon ones can be packed and people have to stand if they are willing to. It depends a lot on the day and season, too. 9 people is a lot of empty seats to hope for. Any kids under 6 can sit on an adult’s lap so they don’t need a seat. It’s possible you will be able to, but I also can’t guarantee it.
Thank you so much for this guide. This process otherwise was impossible (I had wasted a couple of unpleasant hours prior to finding your site). After having successfully purchased my tickets, the feeling was similar to learning I’d been accepted into medical school.
I understand the feeling haha! It took me a while to figure it out myself to write the article, then I’ve had to make more changes since as I get feedback from readers. They really don’t make it easy!
Yo Nick, thanks so much for this detailed info. I was literally a couple of clicks away from cancelling my entire trip to TW because of the complexity to book (other) things in advance, your blog here saved the trip! Thanks again, greatly appreciated!
So glad to hear that. Enjoy your trip!
I failed the first time I went to FamilyMart to print my tickets, and the clerk couldn’t help. I think the issue was that the print out didn’t say FamiTicket on it. After re-reading the article and knowing to look for “tickets” rather than “transport”, using the FamiPort machine (with Google Translate) was easy.
Hi Nick, I had some issues with my pymt when I clicked submit after keying my credit card details. It kept saying server is busy, please try again. But when I toggled to my profile, there is duplication. 4 seats are “booked” instead of 2. Also, the status of the booking showed “payment is still under process”.
May I ask whether do you know how long it will take before it is confirmed? Or does this means that the booking is more or less guaranteed; I am just waiting for the txn to be approved?
Thank you for the big help!
getting an error thoughtful reminder 97720 when checking out.
I already checked the box with 10 yuan.
Logout and relogin but still getting this message.
Hi, I’m sorry, I haven’t experienced that so I’m not sure what the best thing to do is. First check your credit card to see if the payment went through. If it didn’t maybe try booking again later.
Sorry to hear that. Did you ever manage to book?
Thanks again, Nick, for the amazingly detailed step-by-step instructions. We’ve already used your Alishan-Sun Moon Lake bus ticket instructions as well. My one misstep this time was my own fault – it was correct in your instructions. We just bought tickets for October 30 from Chaiyi to Alishan – and got two of the eight remaining reservable tickets. No problem with our US Visa card. Thanks again.
Hey Nick, Thanks for such a detailed step by step. If I buy a ticket following this guide, it’s for the regular non tourst dedicated busses right? 7322 vs 7322C ? Did I understand that correctly?
Will I still be able to get the entrance discount at Alishan Park? Thanks!
** addtional tip: When using Chrome, you can right click anywhere on the Page and select ‘Translate to English’ which translates the entire page into English. That along with your guide and the process was pretty easy.
Hi Nick,
This blog of yours has been very useful to me. I was able to book reserved seats for a first morning trip to Alishan now. Thanks! Would you advise that we should also purchase our return tickets for 17:10 (last trip)? or should we just purchase upon arrival in Alishan? or in Taipei?
It’s really not a bad idea to book. Everyone wants to leave Alishan in the late morning or afternoon. The 7-11/bus station there starts selling the tickets going down from 8 AM. Sometimes they sell out quickly. If you know for sure which bus you want to take, then I would say book it.
Great, enjoy your trip!
Thanks for the tip, very useful! 7322 (from Chiayi station) and 7329 (from the HSR station) are both Taiwan Tourism shuttle buses. They just add some letters to indicate slightly different routes, like 7322C is direct and 7322D makes a small detour to Fenqihu.
Glad you got it sorted!
Hi Nick. Thanks for your detailed report. We managed to book a ticket to Alishan with your guide. When we wanted to book our Return the payments was unsuccessful. We didn’t receive an email but can see the booking in our account with the notion “payment ist being confirmed” (Google Translation). Did you experience this before and know what will happen next? Is there another option to pay for this trip or will the booking be canceled and we should make a nee one to be sure (our seats are still blocked)?
Hello, I was finally able to get tickets for Nov 23 dates. Bought the 9:30AM HSR pick up and last trip going back to HSR from Alishan. Would you know if we can use our reservation at an earlier departure of the bus? As we’re planning to drop by Hinoki Village in Chiayi in the late afternoon.
Hi Nick,
Thank you so much for the detailed guide on Alishan!! Has made planning so much easier 🙂
I would like to travel from Alishan > Fenqihu via the bus but noted that when purchasing the return bus tickets there isn’t Fenqihu as an option. If I purchase the ticket from Alishan > Longmei 龍美, can I also get off at Fenqihu as long as I choose the bus that stops at Fenqihu (e.g. Bus#7322D & 7329A)? Thank you very much!
Sorry, I’m not so sure. Is the booking still showing in your account now?
My understanding is that if you reserve seats, but miss that bus, you can still use the ticket for any later bus that day. However, you wouldn’t have a reserve seat on that bus. You’d just have to join the line and get first-come-first-serve access to a seat just like everyone who is swiping EasyCard. They don’t explicitly state that the same thing applies if you want to take an earlier one, but I assume that would be the case. So if you do that, go to the bus stop early to get a good spot in the line for higher chance of getting a seat.
You have to make sure to click on the correct bus route at the beginning. You must choose 7322 or 7329 which have the words 經奮起湖 (passes Fenqihu) at the end. So 7322 says 7322 阿里山線（台鐵出發）經奮起湖 and 7329 says 阿里山線（高鐵餓出發）經奮起湖. If you choose the 7322 or 7329 which don’t say Fenqihu, those buses doon’t go to Fenqihu and won’t show Fenqihu as an option for getting off.
Hi Nick, If I booked the return ticket but didn’t manage to collect it before heading to alishan, what other options do I have? is there a place to collect the tickets on Alishan or an app web version?
Thanks!
Hi Nick,
Thanks so much! So as long as I chose the bus that passes through Fenqihu for the return tickets, I can just purchase the return tickets from Alishan to 龍美, and get off at Fenqihu? Thanks again.
Unfortunately I don’t think so because there is no FamilyMart at Alishan. It’s best if you can get them first, such as in Chiayi city.
Correct!
hi nick, if i want to go from chiayi station to fenqihu at the earliest at 7:05, using bus 7322c, arrived at fenqihu at 8.49, but at famimart online,, the start is from chiayi daya station to fenqihu lake,, is it the same bus?
and if i want to continue to alishan from fenqihu there is a bus 7322D from fenqihu at 11.17 to alishan,, but i am afraid that if the seat on the bus is only fewer available, then i can not get on the bus? i have to wait until next bus at 12:38 or 13:53 until there is empty seat? is it right? too risky right?
may i know how do i continue my journey to Alishan if i stop at one of the stops (ie xiding) for Eryanping visit? did you mention about it anywhere in your blog? (i did try to lookout for it but in vain, did i miss it out or what). thank you for you time and effort for such guidance in details via your blog.
You hop on any passing bus to Alishan and swipe with your EasyCard (you can’t reserve a seat). You can see the bus schedule in my Eryanping guide.
Yes, it’s the same bus. Daya is where the bus starts, one stop before Chiayi station. So the 6:55 bus (Daya) will stop at Chiayi station at 7:05.
Getting on the bus at Fenqihu is a concern for so many travelers. I wish they had more buses or made it possible to reserve. Most of them time, some people get off at Fenqihu, so then more people can get on. Also, even if the seats are full, the driver will usually still let more people squeeze on and stand. If you are concerned about it, try to go to the bus stop early to get a good spot in line. Another option but more expensive is to order a Tripool from Fenqihu to Alishan.
Hi Nick,
Appreciate your thorough step by step instruction on how to book tickets.
I booked my ticket from Alishan back to Chiayi – Bus 7329 Nov 30 10:10
I compared my ticket /confirmation to your sample – I hope I purchased it properly.
區域 座位 票種 票價 活動序號 FTXXXXXXX… 大型車 5排 1號 全票阿里山-嘉義
Looks correct!
Hey Nick. Thank You for your detailed step by step guide. Everything was on point, from ticket collection to refund on the FamiPort machine. Much Appreciated.
The refund was a bit of a struggle, but with the help of Google lens and following instructions on the machine (random Taiwanese 09XXXXXXXX does work), it is doable and you don’t have to snail mail your tickets to the office. Just hand the FamiPort printed slip (for refund) to the cashier. He/She will calculate the 10% refund fee based on your ticket price. You pay in cash and give up your printed ticket (the one that cost 10 TWD for collection).
I got my refund within a few days (credit card, requested for refund 1 day before travel). Thought of sharing in case anyone would like to get their refund via the FamiPort machine.
Thanks Again Nick. Awesome Site 👍👍
Thank you so much. I will add this info to the article!
Nick, I just want to thank you for this incredibly detailed and helpful tutorial. I would have never been able to figure out how to reserve bus seats (which I really needed to do as I’ll be passing through Chiayi on a weekend) without this clear write-up. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome!
Hi! I just want to say that this is a very good guide! Got my ticket from FamilyMart. Thank you so much.
Thank you for this lifesaver of a guide! Just want to add some color to the credit card piece—the translation of the piece of text right above the input boxes for your credit card info refers to something called “3D Secure”, which is an international credit card security standard (so obviously American credit cards would be lagging behind this). I tried American Express and Apple Card (Mastercard) at first, and after digging through Reddit saw a comment saying Bank of America works best on international sites, and lo and behold, using my Bank of America Visa led to being redirected to an additional authentication site and the transaction subsequently being successful. Now all that’s left is going to Taiwan and picking up these reservations! Thank you once again, and safe travels everyone!
Thank you for sharing that info! I’ll add a note about it to the article.
Thanks for sharing this info. Not easy to find this info elsewhere even though I read mandarin. Very detailed and thorough, you the man.
Your guides are insanely helpful! After many years of not making to this area for various logistical and timing reasons it looks like 2025 I’ll finally make it to Alishan. Planning on a private car or bus (if I can make it in time) from Chiayi to Fenqihu to say one night and then the next day take the bus to go to Alishan and stay the night. Then take the train back down from Alishan to Chiayi. The main thing will be booking that train. One question I am unsure of is this: Can you now take the train boarding in Fenqihu to go to Alishan?
Thank you so much for all the insanely helpful guides on the Alishan travel process! We will be there next week and have managed to get forest railway tickets up, plus reserved seats for the bus back to Chiayi with all your tips 🙂
Re the 0 yuan checkout error coming up on Chrome browsers, I had the same and just refreshing the page fixed the error (without losing any of the order info).
Yes, you can buy tickets from Fenqihu to Alishan. You just have to input Fenqihu to Alishan on the ticket website. When you go to the ticket website, there’s a popup mentioning that priority is given to people riding from Chiayi all the way to Alishan. It says that people who want to buy tickets from Chiayi to Alishan can only do so 3 days before. But it doesn’t mention this for Fenqihu to Alishan, so I believe you should be able to try purchasing tickets from Fenqihu to Alishan 14 days before just like other tickets.
Thanks for sharing the tip!
Hi Nick, thanks for the detailed guide! I tried booking today for my Feb 14 trip but it’s not open for booking yet. Wondering if u happen to know how much in advance can we book the tickets.
Dear, Nick…
Thank you so much for your helpful guides. I just successfully purchased the bus tickets from Chiayi to Alishan online. Only 4 seats left which is just enough for 4 of us. We are going to Taiwan in this CNY. Sure will have lots of fun. Thanks again….
31 days in advance, so you still need to wait a bit longer
Re: 0 yuan pricing bug
In chrome, the 0 yuan bug it happened when I had the page translation turned on. Happened again when I refreshed. But it worked when I clicked on the circle to agree to the 10 yuan fee *before* I turned on translation.
So you could probably turn off translation, click the circle, turn it back on, and it should be fine.
Same for the date selection. I had issues selecting the dates when translation was on.
TLDR: Chrome translation affects Date Selection and Causes the full price to drop to zero. Switching back to original language before making the selections help.
Thank you, I will add this information to the post!
Hi Nick,
This has been very helpful and I have been able to book my bus ticket going from Chiayi to Alishan via 7322D, 9.40am departure.
Can I just get clarification on the following:
– how long does the 7322D 9.40am bus stop at Fenqihu? I notice with the HSR option you mentioned it stops at Fenqihu for 20 minutes, however you don’t mention the same for the 7322D.
– I found an english bus schedule https://www.ali-nsa.net/Content/files/taiwan-tourist-shuttle-alishan-route-B.pdf which although has the same 9.40am departure time from Chiayi, the departure times for the subsequent stops are all slightly different. Not that it matters for me in this instance, but I was just wondering.
Thanks!
Hey, I didn’t mean that the bus stops at Fenqihu for 20 minutes. Buses that go to Fenqihu take 20 minutes longer. That’s because Feqihu is not on the main Chiayi to Alishan highway. So the bus has to drive away from the highway for 10 minutes to reach Fenqihu, then drive 10 minutes to come back. The bus only stops at Fenqihu long enough for passengers to get off/on. The official bus schedule you linked to is very old. They never update it. In reality, they are changing the bus times all the time. Sometimes they remove some buses or add new ones. It’s really tough, but I try to keep the schedule on my website updated every time they make some changes to it.
If I decide to stay in Shizhao as a basecamp, will I be able to reserve the bus to/from Alishan? It sounds like the bus will be full in Chiayi and won’t have room by the time it reaches Shizhao.
You can’t reserve bus tickets if boarding from a small town like Shizhuo. You can only reserve if boarding at Chiayi or Alishan. So that means you can book Alishan to Shizhuo, but not Shizhuo to Alishan. For the latter, don’t worry too much about it being full. Some locals get off at the many small towns. And even if all seats are taken, the drive will still let you get on and stand in the aisle.
Hi Nick,
If the ticket status showing that “pending payment confirmation” meaning the purchase not successful?
Hi, did you enter your credit card info already? Did you receive any emails from them?
I couldn’t find the 7329A bus departing Alishan at 10:10am on the FamiTicket website 🙁
Do you know if the timetable has changed?
Hi Nick
We got your guide and your 14 day itinerary and took up your advice about staying outside of Alishan proper. We settled for Fenqihu. We are now trying to get tickets per your guide, but it is still a bit unclear. Maybe you can help us? Do all 7302 busses do a round trip starting in Chiyai going to Fenqihu and then back to Chiyai? We already know to ignore the half price tickets, but maybe you could guide us towards which of the adult ticket we should choose on the Famiticket site? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi, first, please note that in my 14 day itinerary I recommend staying in Sun Moon Lake, then Alishan for 1 night, then Fenqihu 1 night. So if you’re following that itinerary, you’d be going from Alishan to Fenqihu (not Chiayi to Fenqihu).
If you indeed plan to travel from Chiayi to Fenqihu, please start by confirming the bus times you want on my Alishan bus timetable: https://www.taiwanobsessed.com/chiayi-to-alishan-bus-schedule/ You’ll see there are buses departing Chiayi at 7:05 and 13:05. Coming back, they depart Fenqihu at 9:00 and 15:00. So your first step would be to choose which time you want. Then if you follow my guide above to select and book one of those times.
You can also consider buses besides 7302 for going from Chiayi to Fenqihu or Fenqihu back to Chiayi. All the possible times are listed in my bus timetable, including for 7322 (Chiayi station to Alishan via Fenqihu) and 7329 (Chiayi HSR station to Alisahn via Fenqihu). If you choose one of these, when booking, you need to make sure to choose the bus that goes via Fenqihu. My guide above covers how to do that.
Please let me know if you still need help after that. Also feel free to ask about this in my Taiwan Travel Planning group, where I answer questions faster than here.
It’s still there. That one goes via Fenqihu, so you have to make sure to choose the 7329 (Chiayi HSR to Alishan VIA Fenqihu) bus at the beginning. In Chinese that will say 7329 (阿里山線(高鐵出發)經奮起湖). See above in the article, I’ve mentioned the 6 different buses you can choose, and this one is #3 on the list.
Hi Nick, thanks so much for this informative piece! I’m looking to book the tickets for my upcoming trip and saw that the #6 bus Alishan (from TRA without going through Fenqihu) was available. A few days later I checked again and it wasn’t on the website anymore. Does this mean that the route is no longer available? I have not chosen the date though. Thanks very much in advance – planning a trip is really complicated.
Hi Nick, thanks for the detailed guide. I have a question: I am trying to book bus 7322C from Chiayi TRA to Eryanping (Anding) at 9:10AM. However, on the FamiPort website, there is only times 9:40AM, which I think is the 7322 bus and not 7322C. The FamiPort website also doesn’t show timings for 7322C. Does this mean that I have to go and queue early if I want to take the 7322C bus? So no reservation needed for 7322C bus? And also, for the return trip, I will not be able to reserve a bus back from Anding to Chiayi TRA, so I will have to go to the bus stop early to queue right?
Hi Nick! Very detailed guide but when i tried to book it on the Famiwebsite there’s only 5 options now? The option of Chiayi Station to Alishan Station is not there anymore #5 on the list. Is it only missing from my side? I have booked a stay near Chiayi Station as I wanted to take the earliest train there..
This was great to reference as I booked our tix to Shizhou.
It was not giving me an option to make payment so I followed the advice of taking translation off and and then it gave me the payment option. Now we’ll be looking for the Family Mart at SML :). thanks!!!!!
Hello Nick,
thank you so much for this detailed guide, it’s extremely helpful!
Last week, I signed up to the FamiTicket site and although the tickets weren’t available yet for the end of March, the bus 7322 that doesn’t take a detour via Fenqihu was still available and the times matched your timetables.
As I wanted to eventually book the tickes when they became availabe a few days ago, I had to find out that bus 7322 was gone from the FamiTicket website with only the one via Fenqihu still there (https://www.famiticket.com.tw/Home/Activity/Search/61) ; sadly, that one leaves me with way less options timewise. I couldn’t find any information about a possible cancellation of that bus, the official websites for the Chiayi buses are not working for me either, however.
Could it be that the website is momentarily glitching and that booking a ticket on a Famiport machine is still possible when I get to Taiwan? Or did I simply run out of luck because it’s cherry blossom season and all the tickets are already sold out?
Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated!
I have contacted them and the problem is now fixed.
I have contacted them and the problem is now fixed.
I have contacted them and this problem is now fixed. The Chiayi to Alishan bus (no stop in Fenqihu) should be showing again.
Hi, there was a glitch on the website but it should be back now.
Hi Nick,
Thank you for very useful info.
I did manage to buy ticket online and will collect it next month when I go there.
Let me share my experience.
My browser has Google translate , I chose to auto translate From Chinese to English.
Problem started at last step, I could see Credit card info box to be filled initially but once I clicked the Grey Dot to choose pick up option, Credit card boxes were gone. When I proceed without checking “pick up option” system insisted to choose it.
Then I tried next day and failed again even in different browser.
I turned off auto translate and clicked on that dot, then it worked.
I did manage to pay by credit card only when I turned off the auto translate function . I did manage to translate again after I clicked on the dot without problem .
Thanks again
Hi Nick,
Thank you so much for this great information !
I want to buy a ticket from Alishan to Chiayi HSR, so I have selected line 7329. is it correct ?
thanks
Cyrille
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions. I was able to successfully book round-trip bus tickets. As with other commenters, I only saw five bus options instead of six, and I had to book through Safari because I was getting errors while trying to put in my credit card info in Chrome. Appreciate the help, couldn’t have done it without you.
Hello, after a stop to Fenqihu, I’m wondering where I can buy/board tickets to continue to Alishan? Thank you
Hi Nick, I just prepare my travel to Taiwan (starting next week) and I would like to know how to get /a ticket from Alisian to Chiayi. I want to travel from Shuishe (Sun Moon Lake) to Alisian and it seems that acommodations are not available in Alisian during my visit, so I decided to spend only a day in Alisian.
Thanks in advance 🙂.
Yes, it’s correct! There are three departures per day, plus one more if you click the “7329 that also stops in Fenqihu” one.
Glad you managed to book tickets!
The only option at small stops like Fenqihu is to line up and swipe EasyCard. If the bus seats are all full you can stand in the aisle. On busy days it’s best to line up a little early.
Hi Nick,
Thank you very much for the comprehensive guide.
Are you able to advise if a 16 mins gap between arrival time at Chiayi HSR station and Bus 7329 departure time is sufficient to catch the bus?
There is a train departing Taipei at 11:11am and arrives Chiayi at 12:54pm while the last Bus 7329 is at 1:10pm.
Wondering
– if there is a need to catch an earlier train which arrives Chiayi at 12:13pm instead and
– if we will still be guaranteed the reserved seats even if we arrive “right on time” near 1:10pm or they may be taken up by others who queue and board on first-come-first-serve basis (e.g. bus driver assumes no more reserved ticket holders are turning up and frees up the seats).
Thank you.
Can I book the ticket from Chiayi all the way to Alishan, and get on at Fenqihu? We will be staying in Fenqihu and need to go to Alishan. Is the ticket valid if not starting at the start point?
Yes, you only need 5 or max 10 minutes (with quick toilet stop and/or buying snack) to get from the HSR platform down to the bus stop. If you have seats booked, you will definitely get those reserved seats.
No, you cannot do it. Because these buses tend to be full and maybe even have people standing in the aisles, there’s no way they will just leave one seat empty in case you might be getting on at a later stop. If you don’t show up at the stop you booked to get on at, they will assume you are a no-show and will let others sit in the seat.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Using GoogleTranslate on the pages does sometimes seem to mess things up, so that’s why I’ve chosen to guide people through the Mandarin pages in my article above. Glad you managed to finally book!
The instructions for booking a ticket are in this article. You can also just buy a bus ticket from the 711 counter inside Alishan bus station as soon as you arrive there, or swipe EasyCard to ride the bus (subject to seat availability).
Hi Nick,
Thank you very much for the helpful guide.
But I can’t find the blue (我要購票) button when I click inside to the 7329阿里山線(高鐵出發). I found only grey box which said “coming soon”. Have the tickets already sold out?
I just tried logging on to FamiTicket and it’s not even showing the 7329 routes to me. Something may be wrong with the system, which does happen sometimes. I suggest to wait a day or two and try again. And also make sure you aren’t checking too early (you can book 31 days in advance).
Hi Nick,
I have found a way to cancel the reservation for the busticket on the FamiTicket website and get a refund. This is much easier then printing the ticket in an FamiMart first before cancelling. To ask for a refund go to the footer of the website and click the third option on the right. Now you can fill in a form with your personal details and select the tickets you want to cancel. I hope it’s helpful!
Thank you so much! I’ve updated my articles with this information.
Hello! If I book bus 7329 going to Alishan from Chiayi can I book bus 7322 to go back to Chiayi from Alishan? We’re arriving from HSR Chiayi but checked in at Chiayi Train Station that’s why. Also, do you think there would be luggage lockers in Alishan Station for our luggage? (planning to go last week of December season) Thank you so much!
Hi Nick, thanks so much for this guide and the site overall, it’s been an indispensable resource for planning my Taiwan trip later this year.
Hoping you could help me with a question. I’m planning to go to Alishan in early November (during the week, not a weekend). My thinking was to take the earliest bus from Chiayi (around 6am) and then make a few stops along the way, eg to do the Eryanping trail, Shizuo, Fenqihu, before spending the night in Alishan (I would then spend most of the day in Alishan the next day). I’m wondering if space on the bus will be a problem when getting on the buses at the intermediate stops. I don’t mind standing but is it possible I might get stuck if the bus is full… any idea how likely that is to happen? Are there any taxis in the area if that happens?
Thx in advance!
JB
You can book any bus you want going up and down. Since you will book each leg separately, it doesn’t matter. There are luggage storage lockers in Alishan Bus Station and in Alishan train station.
It’s very rare that people who want to take the bus in Alishan region get stranded or left behind. I’ve only heard of the buses getting that full in cherry blossom season (March to early April). As long as you go to the bus stops around 10 minutes early, you should be fine, especially on a weekday. Unfortunately there aren’t usually any taxis available in these small towns.
Great, thanks for that. I didn’t realise I could book every sub-leg, eg Xiding > Shizhuo. I will look into that. Though it sounds like if I were to not book and just hop on with my EasyCard the risk of getting stranded is quite low. Thanks again!
Hi Nick, really glad that I found your detailed guide to Alishan from Chiayi! Due to my schedule, I only have time for a day trip to Alishan. I want to enjoy the Alishan Forest Railway but it is a 5-hour journey (really long!) & by the time i reached Alishan, it is already 3pm. I’m worried if I have enough time to spend up at Alishan.
Would you be able to give me some advice on whether my plan is workable? I intend to take the Alishan Forest Railway to Fengqihu. From there, I would take a bus to Alishan to cut down on the travelling time. Based on your Chiayi to Alishan Bus Schedule, is it right to say that I can catch Bus 7329A at Fengqihu @ 12.38pm & reach Alishan at 1.45pm? Last bus from Alishan is 5.10pm.
Or should i just skip the Forest Railway totally due to time constraint :’)
Do you have a recommendation for a day trip to Alishan?
Thanks in advanced for your help!
In the article I mention that you CAN’T book any rides if boarding at small stops like Xiding or Shizhuo. You can only book rides starting at Chiayi or Alishan. Boarding anywhere else, you can only swipe EasyCard. You should be fine to get on – the only time I’ve heard of people getting stranded is the extremely busy cherry blossom season.
It’s true that the Alishan Forest Railway takes a long time to get there and is not suitable for a day trip. What I usually recommend to travelers on a day trip is to skip it (especially since it can be so hard to get tickets), take the bus to/from Alishan, and enjoy riding the two short lines inside the park instead (Alishan to Chaoping and Alishan to Shenmu). Those ones are very short (only 6 minutes each), and they don’t have any mountain views (only forest), but they still allow you to experience the trains.
If you really want to take the train for the longer ride, then your plan would indeed work. Take the first train (9 to 11:30), then you’ll have time for lunch on Fenqihu old street, line up a little early for the 12:38 bus to Alishan, and then you would have about 3.5 hours to explore Alishan, which is enough to ride the train to Chaoping, explore around there, hike Sister Pond and Giant Tree trails, then ride train or walk from Shenmu back to Alishan station.
You can’t book the Fenqihu to Alishan bus, only line up and swipe EasyCard. But for the bus leaving Alishan, I do recommend you book it to guarantee a spot, especially since it’s the last one of the day.
Hi Nick, thank you so much for your suggestion & taking time to reply! Really appreciate it 🙂
I just discovered your website, and I’m planning to visit Taiwan and Alishan in October. Thanks for the DETAILED info on booking a bus from Chiayi to Alishan, and for all of the great travel tips!
Hi Nick,
i can’t see the link to cancel the ticket online? Could you share?
To cancel your ticket online, click here and enter your name and phone number (if you don’t have a Taiwan number, just make up one, 10 digits starting with 09, like 0911111111).
So sorry about that! I have updated the article with the link. Also it is here: https://www.famiticket.com.tw/Home/Refund/GetPage
Hi, Nick! Thank you for this wonderful page. I just want to ask how much will the bus fare be if I’ll ride from Alishan to Shizuo? Would you know why the FamiTicket displays Yuan currency in the end? When I converted it to my local currency it’s way too big. I hope you could help me. Thank you & more power to you!
The word yuan (元) means “dollar” in Mandarin, so in a Taiwanese context it refers to TWD (Taiwan dollar), also called NTD (New Taiwan Dollars), the currency of Taiwan (not China!) When you look at the return options on FamiTicket, there’s no Shizhuo option, but you can choose Longmei (龍美, TWD 126, equivalent to only USD 4), which is the closest town to Shizhuo, and then just get off at Shizhuo.
super handy! thanks Nick for all the effort you do in putting this info together and keeping it updated.
wanted to share that the auto translate on the website is what causes issue in trying to book the tickets.
I changed it to never translate and was able to proceed with paying
thanks!
Thank you, and that’s why I do recommend in the article not to use the translate function and to follow my steps for navigating the Chinese version instead. Glad you were able to get tickets!
身份證字號格式錯誤，請重新再試
Hi Nick I kept getting this error when I key in the correct passport number according to my country when registering, any idea how can i register successfully?
Make sure that you have clicked 海外國護籍 (foreigner) above, as I’ve covered in the article. Then it should allow you to enter a foreign passport number. If that still doesn’t work, please let me know.
Thanks so much for all of your articles. On Thursday, November 6th, I would like to take the 10:10 bus from Alishan to Fenqihu and then take the 2:35pm Alishan Express No. 2 from Fenqihu to Chiayi. If I can’t get the Alishan Railway tickets, and use the EasyCard to swipe to get on the 3:10pm bus to Chiayi, will it likely be standing room only? I don’t think I want to stand for 2 hours all the way to Chiayi! Instead, as a backup, I was going to forego Fenqihu and take the 11:40am bus from Alishan back to Chiayi. However, that would mean I would have two bus reservations departing Alishan the same day until I figure out if I can get the Alishan Railway tickets. Would the system prevent me from doing that? Thanks for your help.
I understand your concerns. It’s really annoying that the Alishan Forest Railway is so tough to book and creates such concerns. I think you should try to get the railway tickets from Fenqihu to Chiayi first. Going downhill, and from Fenqihu to Chiayi only, and on a weekday – these are all less popular, so you have a better chance.
If you have to take the bus from Fenqihu, it’s impossible to say for sure in advance what the situation on the bus will be like. Some people way get off the bus at Fenqihu, and that will free up some seats for those who want to get on. But if no one gets on, then standing in the aisle may be the only option. To increase your chance, try to go to the bus stop a little early to get a spot at the front of the line. If you don’t want to worry about it, you can also consider to splurge on a private transfer such as Tripool. This can be booked up till 6 PM of one day before, so it’s also a good last resort if other options don’t work.
The bus booking system won’t prevent you from making multiple reservations. However, canceling the reservations is a little difficult, so please keep that in mind.
Hi Nick, stumbled onto your page while planning for an upcoming Taiwan holiday, it is extremely detailed and useful! I have a question – does the bus have a luggage storage compartment like those in the big tour coaches? I am traveling with an 28inch luggage and plan to book the Chiayi – Alishan/Alishan – Chiayi routes. Thanks in advance.
Yes, the buses have compartments below for luggage storage. They aren’t huge, so at busy times, they can actually fill up if many tourists have luggage. But in that case, some people will just have to bring it onto the bus.
Hi Nick, thank you for the useful notes. On the Famiport website there’s big bolded phrase “ Please make sure to retrieve your ticket from the FamiPort at FamilyMart no later than one day before your departure date”. Does picking the ticket on the day itself still work? I only reach Taipei on the day itself and I see Friday 09:40 bus to Fenqihu easily sold out. It will be worrying if the reserved ticket can’t be picked up. Thank you.
Thanks a lot Nick… Never thought I could run blind-folded…
尼克•肯貝爾：
普通乘客可以預訂阿里山轉運站出發前往嘉義的復康號車次的車票嗎？
Thank you for mentioning this. I think it’s a new change, so I’ve added this information to my article. I’m sorry I haven’t personally tested to see what would happen if you tried to pick up a ticket on the date of travel. If you won’t have a chance to pick it up one day before, you can consider three options. You can buy the ticket directly at FamilyMart that day (hoping there’s some left, see my other article about how to buy tickets at FamilyMart), swipe EasyCard to ride the bus, or take a taxi/private transfer to Alishan. Hope this helps!
是的，那輛巴士適合輪椅通行，但普通乘客也可以搭乘。
尼克·肯貝爾你好！
購票說明中有「65歲以上外籍人士可以購買半價票」條款，持中國大陸護照，65歲以上乘客，可以購買半價票嗎？
如果說明上說65歲以上的外國人可以買半價票，那麼這應該也適用於中國公民，因為他們持有不同的護照，會被視為外國人。不過，這只是我的猜測，不能100%確定。我建議你嘗試買票，我想司機應該不會有什麼異議。
Hi Nick, do you know when the 2026 Alishan tickets will be available on FamiTicket?
The bus tickets are released 31 days before the date of travel.
Hi,
Do I book my ticket to Alishan station if I want to stop by at Fenqihu on the way up and board the bus again after that?
Thanks
If you want to make a stop at Fenqihu, then you can book your bus ticket for Chiayi to Fenqihu. However, when you get back on the bus from Fenqihu to Alishan, you can’t book that. Your only option will be to line up and swipe EasyCard. In other words, you can’t reserve a bus ticket from Chiayi to Alishan and take a break stop at Fenqihu.
Did anyone try picking up the ticket on the day itself? Unfortunately am travelling to Alishan right after landing at Taoyuan airport at 6.40am and intending to catch the 7329 bus at 10.10am. Looking to pick up ticket from family mart Taoyuan airport but not sure if that works?
I’m sorry I haven’t tried yet to confirm if it will work. If you want to try, then yes, you can do it at the FamilyMart at Taoyuan Airport. It’s a little tricky to find. From the Terminal 2 Arrivals Hall (1F), you’ll need to take the elevator or escalator up to 3F (Departures Hall). Turn right and walk to the far end of the hall, near check-in counter 22, then take the elevator or escalator up to 5F to find the FamilyMart. Or, you will probably find it easier to get it at the FamilyMart in Taoyuan HSR station. It is located here in the station: https://maps.app.goo.gl/C6atQkTGaiMzt4zv6
Hi Nick, I’m trying to book the Alishan Bus back to Chiayi, there’s a bus @ 12.40pm 2025.11.26 (三) 12:40 好行終點站嘉義火車站(回程)_復康
There’s a 復康 at the back so does this still means that the bus will still reach Chiayi @ 3.10pm?
I bought the Bus Tickets for 2.40pm but i’m thinking of changing to an earlier bus. The only way is to cancel my 2.40pm & rebook an earlier timing right?
Thanks!
Hi Nick, may i know how much is the reservation fee i have to pay if i cancel my bus ticket online? Thanks!
I believe the cancellation fee is 10% of the original ticket price.
復康 usually means that the bus is equipped for wheelchairs. Yes, the bus should reach Chiayi station at 3:10 – sometimes there can small delays due to traffic, so the buses aren’t always perfectly on schedule. And yes, I think that cancelling and rebooking is unfortunately the only way.
Hi! I bought my bus tickets through Klook and received a voucher that contains a QR code that I’m supposed to scan when I board. Am I correct in thinking that this is all I need, or am I supposed to use the voucher to reserve a seat on the FamiTicket website (similar to Klook’s process for booking HSR tickets)?
You can only do one or the other. So if you buy the voucher on Klook, you can’t make a seat reservation. You will be first-come-first-served like those who are swiping EasyCard. If you want a reserved seat, then the only way is via FamilyMart (either buy at the machine in FamilyMart, or book online then pick up at FamilyMart).
Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!
I have come across this characters 班次(回程)_復康 in the return bus. What do this mean?
回程 means return bus, which means this bus goes from Alishan to Chiayi. I have made some changes to my article to explain this and to update a few bus times, so please take a look.
Great guide. As always, some glitches. I got to payment. The online forms asks for phone number as well as name and usual card info. I tried leaving the field blank, but I got an error message for incomplete info. I tried filling in the dummy registration phone number but got a payment request denied. Probably a card security issue and, since the dummy number does not correspond to that on file with the CC, the card denied the transaction. So, it appears I cannot register with a foreign mobile number, but I cannot pay using a dummy number. Work around?
Left a comment earlier about website not accepting payment; thought it was a problem with dummy phone number. Long story short, changing the CCard solved the problem; transaction went thru with dummy number and a new card. Attempting to deal w the issue surfaced another puzzle. Not unusual for a system to show the seat picked as unavailable for a short time after a transaction has been denied. However, it appears this site marks the seat as unavailable for a very long period. The two aisle seats I tried to book but was denied were marked unavailable when I retried with a different CCard over an hour later. There were only 4 seats shown as available when I first logged on (2 aisle, 2 window), and it was down to only the 2 window seats when I tried the new card. I felt had to take one of the two remaining seats. It seems very unlikely the two aisle seats were actually sold in the interval, so any insight as to how to reset? Is this a cookie / cache thing? I did get emails after being denied which appear to tell me they’d hold the attempted bookings for 10 minutes so I could retry, but, again, it was over an hour later an the original 2 choices were blocked.
Hi Nick! I am planning to book a bus from Chiayi to Lincuo. Is it fine to just choose the Chiayi-Xiding trip on the booking platform, or would that be a problem? Thanks!
Yes, that works! Lincuo is in Xiding village. Please note, only the bus 7322 (Chiayi Station to Alishan) will stop at Lincuo stop. Bus 7329 (Chiayi HSR to Alishan) passes by but doesn’t stop at Lincuo stop. It only stops at Eryanping trailhead or Xiding bus stop.
To be clear, you can sign up for the FamilyMart website membership with a dummy number, since it requires a Taiwan phone number. But for a phone number associated with credit card, you’ll need to use your real number, and it should work. I didn’t screenshot the credit card payment page, but I’ve used my international card several times. I forget if I had to enter my phone number those times though. Please try again and enter your actual phone number on the credit card page, and let me know if that works!
For that, I have no idea. Taiwanese websites can be true mysteries of the universe. But I’m glad to hear you managed to get a seat!
Hi Nick, As I am planning to stay 3nites in Alishan, will I be able to print my Going (Chiayi to Alishan) and Return (Alishan to Chiayi) tickets from Taipei Familymart on the same day, ie 1 day before departing to Chiayi?
Yes, you will be able to print both. You’ll have to do each one separately at the machine.
I am reading your post – January 11, 2025 and I am in Chiayi right now. I really want to thank you for this very helpful post.
Hi Nick,
Thanks for all your fabulous advice! I’m looking to purchase a return ticket from Alishan to Fenqihu, however when I get to the Family Mart webpage and look at the bus times for any day within the next month, the return ticket options are all grey and say “sold out”. Did they maybe stop selling return tickets and you have to just line up for returns? Or can I try purchasing the return ticket from the 711 in Alishan the day before? Or maybe it’s just my browser having problems???
Thanks for your help!
First, you can only buy Alishan bus tickets at FamilyMart (not 711), and there is no FamilyMart at Alishan, so you must buy it before you go to Alishan, otherwise your only option will be to line up and swipe EasyCard to ride the bus down.
Second, I have just tested a random date in the next month and saw availability. You don’t choose “return” at any point. You just choose the bus route you want, then it produces a list of times (the times going up and coming down are all listed on the same table). The return ones all have the characters 回程 at the end of them. You can also compare the times listed to the times in my bus timetable to confirm those are the return departure times. Let me know if that works!
Hmmm, maybe I’m doing something wrong then. I followed the directions in this article but whenever I click on bus 7322 (with Fenqihu stop) the only times that have a blue button I can click on to book seats are the ones that say outbound. The ones with the characters 回程 all show up as greyed out with “sold out” (售完). Additionally, they’ve now opened up later dates that I can view (in the drop down calendar I can go all the way to April) but when I click on Mar 30 (the date I’m actually wanting to travel) there are only 2 times available and they are both the outbound options (ones with 去程 characters). I know I can’t book yet but they don’t even show the return option (at least when I’m logged in to my FamilyMart account). I tried on both Chrome and Internet explorer with no luck. I guess I just have to hope to get tickets from FamilyMart before heading up.
Hi Nick,
Just an update. I contacted FamiTicket’s official LINE account to ask about the return tickets (specifically line 7322 as that’s the one I’m interested in) and this is the response I got:
Hello, due to adjustments in the organizer’s operational plans, the following return journeys are currently only open for on-site ticket purchase and boarding, advance ticket sales are not available.
Therefore, if you wish to purchase tickets for any of the following departure times, please buy your tickets on-site and queue to board the bus (EasyCard or cash is accepted). Thank you!
The train services that require on-site ticket purchase are:
Line 7322 Alishan (departing from Taiwan Railways) via Fenqihu Return trip 09:10, 14:10
7329 Alishan Line (departing from High Speed Rail) via Fenqihu Return trip 10:10
So it would seem that right now you can’t pre-book the return trip. Maybe that will change in future but that is what I got on Jan 15, 2026.
Sorry to hear that issue is persisting, and I’m not sure why it would be like that. Their website can be glitchy, so it could just be a mistake that is hopefully fixed once those dates are released. So I would say keep trying back when the time comes. And if that still happens, then you can try any FamilyMart once you arrive in Taiwan.
Thank you so much for investigating it and letting me know! So I guess the only option for those will be to line up and swipe EasyCard. Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
Hi I’d like to go in early March to Alishan but will be alighting in the middle as I’m staying in a B&B 50mins away from the Recreation Area.
Problem is, I’m going up on the SAME DAY I land and I read that you say I can only print the reserved ticket 1 day before. So I’m wondering if one can buy weeks in advance and print it out when I land in Taiwan? Heard they have FamilyMarts in Taoyuan/Chiayi station. Or can I do it at home with a printer/take a screenshot or photo of the ticket etc?
Hi, I have messaged them and they replied that you can still retrieve the ticket on the day of travel. They just “recommend” people to get it at least one day before. Please note, there is a FamilyMart at Taoyuan Airport (but a little hard to find, on the 5F, need to take escalators up from 3F departures Hall near check in counter 22) and at Taoyuan HSR station. But there is NO FAMILYMART at Chiayi HSR station or anywhere in Alishan region. So if you plan to travel from airport to Chiayi to take a bus to Alishan, you would have to get it either at the airport or Taoyuan HSR station, before going south. If you plan to take a regular train to Chiayi Station in the Chiayi city center, there are many FamilyMarts there, including a small one inside the train station.
how is it that the 10:10 return time slot for the website is sold out before the 31 day windows.. even within the 31 day window it is sold out. is there another way to buy the bus tickets other than fami ticket?
Does it say “sold out” (in Mandarin, with button turned gray) or is it just not appearing there? If the time is just not on the list, you are on the wrong page. The 10:10 departure is via Fenqihu. So you have to make sure to choose the bus called 7329 Alishan to Chiayi via Fenqihu (7329阿里山線(高鐵出發)經奮起湖)
Hi Nick, I’m also trying to book the 10:10 bus departing Alishan to Chiayi HSR (115年7329阿里山線(高鐵出發)經奮起湖) but tickets for any of the dates are “sold out” and greyed out. Does this look normal to you? I’m able to see tickets available for other routes but no luck for this particular route. Thanks!
Hi, it seems that they’ve stopped online bookings for all buses (7329 and 7322) going downhill from Alishan to Chiayi.
The official bus schedules site is still listing the 10:10 departure, so it should still be running (you can ride it and swipe EasyCard). However, in the list of stops, it’s saying the Fenqihu stop is out of service. https://www.taiwanbus.tw/eBUSPage/Query/QueryResult.aspx?rno=7329A&rn=1664709826044&lan=E
I’m afraid I have no idea what’s going on there, but I will look into this, make some calls, see if I can figure it out, and report back ASAP. Unfortunately it’s tough right now because most people are on LNY holiday.
Hey, just an update about this. I have contact the bus company, and they said the 10:10 bus is still running, but the currently they are not taking advance bookings for it. You can swipe EasyCard or pay exact cash to ride it. And it will definitely make a stop at Fenqihu.
Hi! Would you happen to know if I can also make reservations with the Taiwan Pass? I saw it includes a roundtrip bus pass to Alishan but I’m not sure if reservation is available like with the railway or if I would have to wait in line for a seat.
Thanks Nick, appreciate your help with following up on the 10.10 bus. Will make planning a lot easier.
I’m not 100% sure, but my educated guess is that it does not include a seat reservation. Because seat reservations are done through a private company (FamilyMart), while the pass is issues by Taiwan Tourism, who have nothing to do with the seat reservations. I would assume the pass is just like a voucher for the bus ride, but this means you will need to line up and ride it first-come-first-served, just like those who are swiping EasyCard.
Hi Nick, thansk for your wonderfully helpful website. I’m trying to book Chiayi to Alishan bus 7329A Departing HSR so we can depart for a night in Fenqihu. The tickets were relaesed today and alreaddy more than half have sold. Booking online Famimart and all is as you have guided above but when I get to the payment and enter my card details I get a pop up saying “Helpful reminder Please click here to select your vote.” (貼心提醒. 請點選取票方式) the button that is available says ‘sure’ I click it and nothing happens. I’ve tried 2 different browers, 2 different cards. I;\’ve tried checking the – pick up in store button but the total reverts to 0 yuan so I cant complete the order – any tips?
Sorry to hear you are having this problem. I haven’t seen this before. Sometimes there are glitches on the site, and usually they get fixed within a few days, so please try again, and also try on a different device is possible.
The Mandarin message means you are supposed to choose your ticket collection method. On the final page, make sure you’ve clicked the little circle beside the words “全家機台或出示APP取票(手續費10元)”. Please let me know if you are still having issues. And you can get a much faster reply if you post questions like this in my Taiwan Travel Planning group. I only check the comments on my website about once per week.
Hi Nick,
Thank you for this wonderful guide! I was wondering if you know the exact location of the bus pick-up at Chiayi TRA station. We will be getting off at Chiayi HSR station from Taipei and I have overlooked the schedule and booked the one that would pick-up from Chiayi TRA. I tried to cancel and repurchase tickets but the earliest pick-up on Chiayi HSR is already sold out. I will be making arrangements by making an advance Uber reservation as we still got an hour to spare but I wanted to make sure we do it right so we wouldn’t be left behind.
Thank you so much!
No plan, and your plan should work fine. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes. Exact bus stop location is here on the east side of the station: https://maps.app.goo.gl/KsBiyPzFBz7dJXQh8
Hi Nick
I’m struggling to use the Famiticket site to book a ticket from Alishan to Chiayi. I want the 9.10am bus but there is one that leaves Chiayi at the same time so I do not know which to book.
Please help!
Thanks for your great detailed info. Wouldn’t be able to book without this!
Thanks for all the information Nick. I have last minutes plan to visit Alishan, but now could not get reserved seat for Alishan to Chiayi from the website (all sold out on the day that we plan to go). What are the chances to get seats if we line up (in the afternoon around 4pm) ? There are 4 of us and we do not want to be stranded if could not get the bus down to Chiayi. Thanks.
The bus you want is the 9:10 AM bus from Alishan to Chiayi (via Fenqihu). However, please see the *note in my Alishan bus timetable about the 9:10 departure, which says: *Currently the three return buses which go via Fenqihu are not accepting advance reservations. They will appear as “sold out” if you try to book them online. They are not sold out. You can swipe EasyCard (or pay exact cash) to ride them.
It’s tough for me to estimate what the exact bus situation will be like or tell you that you definitely will or won’t be able to get spots. Since you are going during cherry blossom season, that is the busiest time of the year and all buses are likely to sell out. If you want to go during a weekend, or especially the long weekend, that will be even worse.
Bus 7329 (to Chiayi HSR) will be the most difficult. Since that bus goes on a major highway at the end, the driver usually doesn’t let anyone stand on it. So if seats are full, no one else can get on. For the 7322 (to Chiayi Station) drivers may allowed some additional passengers to get on and stand in the aisle.
There’s usually two long lines of passengers at the station. First those who have a reservation get on. Next, the line of people who don’t have a reservation can try to get on, in the order they are lined up. If some reserved passengers canceled at the last minute or didn’t show up, then it will free up more spots for some of these people to get on. But there can easily be 20+ people in this second line. So if you want to increase your chances, try to reach the station and line up early.
If you don’t want to take the chance, you can arrange a private transfer in advance, such as Tripool: https://tripool.app.link/JfBdUgH7rZb