The Full Chiayi-to-Alishan Bus Schedule and Passenger Guide

114 thoughts on “The Full Chiayi-to-Alishan Bus Schedule and Passenger Guide”

1. Wow that’s sooo helpfull! We are actually planning to go to Alishan tomorrow, jan, 26th!

   Thanks a lot!

   Alain et Olivier, Montréal

2. Thanks for this. Will I be able to cancel or reschedule after i’ve bought the ticket?

3. Yes, if you log in to the website, click your profile at the top right, and it should show your booking, with the option to cancel. If you want to reschedule, you may have to cancel first then rebook a new one.

4. I am planning to visit Taipei between 1 Apr and 6 Apr this year and to visit Alishan for the cherry blossom. Will it be crazy period to do it as I read in one of your post that this is a long week of holiday for the locals. Can cherry blossom be viewed anywhere else besides Alishan?
   Thanks in advance for your advice!

5. This is very helpfull. I was able to book our Chiayi-Alishan ticket. Problem is from Ali to Fenchihu, the 14:10 sched has no Fenchihu stop on it. I used google translate.

6. Yes, I noticed that too and recently added a note to the article about it. I don’t know why they didn’t include the stop as an option. But I suggest that you just buy a ticket from Alishan to Longmei (龍美), which is one of the options. Longmei is not far after Fenqihu, and even though your ticket says to Longmei, you can surely get off a few stops earlier and Fenqihu. Just make totally sure that you’re buying a ticket for (and boarding) one of the buses that indeed stops at Fenqihu.

7. Normally, cherry blossoms can be seen at Alishan from March to early April. However, this year, the cherry blossoms have started earlier all over Taiwan. They are already fully blooming now at Alishan. So, unfortunately, there is a good chance that all cherry blossoms in Taiwan, including Alishan, will be finished by April. You can double check if there’s any still blooming before you go by checking the most recent reviews on GoogleMaps.

8. Thanks for the great information! I am staying a night in Shizhuo because of your beautiful notes about it. Assuming I can get a ride to Fenqihu from my B&B from Shizhuo, I would love to take the bus from Fenqihu to Alishan. Can I reserve a ticket on either 7322D or 7329A, pay the whole fare from Chiayi to Alishan, but get on at Fenqihu instead?

9. Nick, The information that you provide on your site is invaluable and very much appreciated. My wife and I will be visiting Alishan on April 21 (a Sunday) of this year, and will follow your step by step guide on reserving the bus (Chiayi to Alishan). Having said that, I have a question relating to bus vs. Alishan train. If I am lucky and successfully reserve Alishan Express #1 (for April 21) and stop at Fenqihu. Can you speak to how busy is the bus that stops in Fenqihu (7329A or 7322D) on its way to Alishan during the weekend? My preference is to catch either of these buses rather than catch a local bus to Shizhuo and then transfer from Shizhuo to Alishan onto buses coming up the highway from Chiayi. With 3 trains coming to Fenqihu on the weekend, are there a lot of people that will want to continue on to Alishan? Will it be a challenge to get on the 7329A or 7322D at Fenqihu? Or do many people come on the train to Fenqihu or other stops and then return back to Chiayi by train?

   One more question, can you tell me what the difference is between the Jungshing Express and the Alishan express. I see that the Jungshing Express runs only on weekends and have also read that it is NOT reservable. I see in the Alishan Forest official website that the booking system seems to allow a reservation on the Jungshing Express. Is this your understanding and other than time of departure, do you have a preference for Jungshing Express vs. Alishan Express.

10. Hi there – I’m looking to book 2 bus trips:
    1. Chiayi HSR to Xiding (day 1)
    2. Xiding to Alishan the next day.

    Is there a risk, that even with a reserved seat, that the seats would be taken before we board on day 2, (Xiding to Alishan)?

    Thank you!

11. No, you can’t do that unfortunately. These buses are very high demand and there’s always a line for them. They won’t leave a seat empty for half the trip for your when there’s always more people hoping to get on. If you buy the seat from Chiayi but don’t show up in Chiayi, they will just let someone else take the seat. Their website (and my article above) also mentions that you can only reserve seats starting from Chiayi or Alishan.

12. Hi Nick,

    Regarding your response to Tina’s question – does that mean one would need to line up if getting on at smaller stops such as Fenqihu/Xiding/Shizhuo and hope they snag a spot on the bus? Are there alternatives you recommend? We’re travelling with a 3yr old too.

    Thanks!

13. The bus is always quite busy, especially on weekends, and especially in April (due to cherry blossoms season, even though cherry blossoms will be finished by then). I can’t say exactly what will happen because every day and situation is different. USUALLY, some people always get off the bus at Fenqihu (for buses heading to either Chiayi or Alishan). So this frees up some seats for new people to get on. Exactly how many people will get off each time? Well that is just a gamble. No one can know for sure. Maybe there’s a group of 15 people on the bus and they all get off. Maybe you’re unlucky and no one gets off. And some people do only visit Fenqihu then go back down, while others continue to Alishan. Who knows the exact percentage every day. Because of this uncertainty, relying on that bus is always a small risk. To improve your chances, you can line up at the bus stop earlier. I always tell people to aim for 30 minutes early, but that depends on you. If you don’t want to take the chance, then you can pre-arrange private transport from Fenqihu to Alishan by using the Tripool app/website.

    As for Jungshing Express vs. Alishan Express, good question (and by good, I mean hard, haha!). After doing a little research on Mandarin pages, my understanding is that the Jungshing trains are an older kind of train car that used to be used. So when they re-introduced them again for weekend service, it was a big deal for train lovers in Taiwan. Most of the info I’m seeing says they are more like bench seating so they can’t be booked in advance. However, one chat I found mentioned that it does have at least one car with normal seats, so my guess is that those are the ones which can be booked. Another possibility is that it has changed, and now it’s all reservable, but I can’t find any info confirming that. But if you see it as bookable on the site, then go ahead and book it. The time it takes the train to reach Fenqihu is the same as other train types. I will confirm it is bookable later today when the site opens (6 AM to midnight Taiwan time) and confirm.

14. As mentioned in this article and as asked by other commenters here, you can only book seats starting from Chiayi or Alishan. You can’t book a seat boarding from Xiding. So when boarding at Xiding, then yes, there’s a small chance the bus will be full and the driver won’t stop for you. The chance of this happening is higher on weekends, holidays, and cherry blossom season (March to April). When the bus comes, wave your arms to indicate you want it to stop for you. If you are concerned about this happening, then you can arrange a private transfer from Xiding to Alishan on Tripool.

15. Yes, the only option is to line up or wait at smaller bus stops and hope for a seat. The only alternative is arranging private transport, for example on the Tripool app/website.

16. Hi Nick,

    Thanks for your comprehensive guidance of transport to Alishan.

    I tried to book online FamiMart webside for Bus 7302 (wanted to take the Chiayi train to Fenqihu station at 655 (this is from daya bus station right). Will it stop at Chiayi TRA train station please?

    When reach 849am at Fenqihu, would like to take 7322 Bus from Fenqihu to Xiding at 958am then take Bus 7322C at 1123am or Bus 7329A at 1212pm to Alishan.

    We (4 of us) heading from Chiayi TRA station on 24 Apr to Alishan and returning 25 Apr to Taipei so it is a bit rush.

    With such itinerary, in your opinion, is it feasible please? If not, any other advice.

    Thanks in advance.

17. Yes, the 7302 bus will start at Daya stop at 6:55, Chiayi train station at 7:05, and Fenqihu at 8:49. Make sure you get on that bus, and not 7322C (7:10), which does not stop at Fenqihu. Your plan is a little tight but it works in terms of time. You will have about 1 hour at Fenqihu, but I suggest you go to line up for the bus at least 15 minutes early so you can get a spot. And at Xiding, I suggest you do Tea Mist Trail (not Eryanping trail) because Eryanping trail upper portion is closed for renovation right now until summer 2024 and can’t reach the top. Tea Mist Trail is still open and goes up to the same viewpoint. Probably you will need to take 12:12 bus if you want enough time to do that hike.

    Your plan does have a little backtracking, though. Because the bus will pass Xiding first, then Fenqihu, then Alishan. So why not first Chiayi to Xiding (like 7:10 bus), the Xiding to Fenqihu (10:53), and Fenqihu to Alishan (12:38)? This gives a little more time for the hike, similar time at Fenqihu, and no backtracking. Also, Fenqihu is famous for lunchboxes and snacks, so this way you can go to Fenqihu around snack time.

18. Thanks Nick for your suggestion. Initially i worried that there may not be any seats if i take xiding to Fenqihu at 10:53 since mainly pple whom take bus wants to go Fenqihu.

    Understand about the lunchboxes. I checked that the Ya Hu Tie Lu Bian Dang opens at 830am. The baked donut also opens early. Same as the Jie Zai Mao Ah Ma Cai Zai Guo. That’s why i thot of doing the backtrack.

    With the above explanation, do you think it is safe to take from xiding to fenqihu instead of doing the backtrack during weekday (wed 24 April)?

    In addition, do you know the free shuttle bus between Chiayi TRA and Chiayi HSR schedule and where to wait for them please? I will need to take the HSR back to Taipei the next day after coming down from Alishan.

    Thanks for your time and explanation in advance.

19. This is a brilliant guide Nick, thank you.

    On 25/04 we have booked the 9am Forest Railway to Fenqihu – arriving 11:21.
    It then looks like we’d take the 12:38 from Fenqihu to get to Alishan at 13:45.

    Assuming we should be waiting for the last bus back to Chiayi by 16:15 (~30m before departure), that only leaves 2.5h for Alishan itself.

    Do you think that’s enough time, or better to pay to stay in Alishan overnight?

20. Just writing to confirm that yes, it does now seem possible to reserve Jungshing express trains online.

21. That’s really tight for both Fenqihu and for Alishan. At Fenqihu that plan only gives an hour and a bit, just enough time to take a quick look at the old street and buy some lunch. Buses in the region tend to be packed, so it’s smart to wait in line for the Fenqihu to Alishan bus well before it comes. Buses are often full, so only the number of people who get off at Fenqihu can then get on and take their spots. So I usually advise people to wait in the line 15 to 30 minutes early for a better chance of getting a spot on the next bus. And then for Alishan, 2.5 hours is also dangerously tight. I usually advise a minimum of 3-4 hours. When you arrive there, you need 15 minutes to walk from bus station, pay entrance fee, and go to Alishan train station. Then wait for the next train (that could eat up another 15 to 30 minutes. Walk Sister Pond Trail to Shouzhen Temple and Shenmu station, ride the train from there back to Alishan station and walk back to Alishan Bus Station. If you move quickly and don’t get lost (the trails around Shenmu can be a little disorienting), you could achieve this all in 2.5 hours. Also note, if the time for the next train from Shenmu back to Alishan station isn’t good, you can also simply walk back in about 20 mins).

    But again there’s a bus issue here. Since these buses are often high demand, some seats on the bus will be booked, and people can also buy return tickets for that day from the 7-11 there. It could be sold out by the time you get there. So if you want to attempt this plan, and you need to get that specific bus, then I highly suggest booking in advance following my guide. As for the leg from Fenqihu to Alishan, that unfortunately can’t be booked in advance.

    Spending the night at Alishan would surely make all of this more relaxed, but it’s true hotels there are pricey.

22. Sorry for my slow reply. And I see about the early shop times at Fenqihu, so that makes sense also. I feel like either way you plan it, there is some concern about available seats on the bus. Like in your original way, you still have to hope for seats on the bus for Fenqihu to Xiding (probably fine because still early and going down direction) and Xiding to Alishan (at a busy time of the day, with probably no one getting off at Xiding). And in my proposed way, you have to worry about seats for Xiding to Fenqihu and Fenqihu to Alishan. So basically seats are a concern for all the buses 🙂 But most Alishan area bus drivers will still allow more people to get on the bus, even if it’s full, but you have to stand. So I think you just have to go with whichever way feels best for you. Also note sometimes the buses are a little off schedule, like they might even come up to 10 minutes too early. So you also need to be prepared to be flexible or change your plans a little if needed. Chiayi free schedule you can find on HSR website, click Travel Informations, Stations, Chiayi. Scroll down and change 7211 to 7212. Note that the bus starts from Southern Branch National Palace Museum (before the HSR station) so the times shown are from there. At the HSR station, bus is from west side. At train station, it’s at the back of the station (not front where people catch buses to Alishan or visit Chiayi city. Use GoogleMaps directions to see exact spots.

23. Hi Nick,
    My partner and I plan to travel to stay in shizhuo for a few days in late may. It was recommended to us that we take the bus 7322D from Chiayi station to Fenqihu at 0940, and then the 7322A bus at 1350 to Shizhuo.

    If we book one 7322D bus from Chiayi to alishan and one 7322A bus from alishan to Chiayi, will that be enough to get to Shizhuo?

24. I don’t understand, is your main goal to see Fenqihu, Shizhuo, or both? If it’s only Shizhuo, then just take the bus from Chiayi to Shizhuo. You can see all the times in my article. If you want to make a stop at Fenqihu (which is about 10 min past Shizhuo, but only some buses make the detour to it, as you can see in my timetable), then 1-2 hours is plenty of time to explore the old street and get some food there. It’s very small. But if you want to do some hiking in the bamboo forest next to it, that will required more time, like 1-5 hours (depends how far you go).

25. On Sunday July 21, I’ll be travelling to Fenqihu from Chiayi, stay 1 night, then headed to Alishan the following day. Do I need to buy my bus ticket all the way to Alishan? If the answer is no, then do I have to stand in line at Fenqihu bus station the following day to catch the bus to Alishan using my EasyCard or can I book it in advance? Thank you!

26. Hi Nick! Thank you for the detailed explanation and bus schedules. I would just like to clarify something because I seem to cannot find the direct answer here.

    Is there a direct bus we can ride from Fenqihu station to Chiayi HSR?

27. As I mention in the article, you can only reserve bus tickets starting from Chiayi or Alishan. So you can reserve Chiayi to Fenqihu. But you can’t reserve a seat starting from Fenqihu. So if you want to board the bus at Fenqihu, the only way is to line up, hope for a spot, and swipe EasyCard to ride it. Usually some people get off the bus at Fenqihu, so that frees up some spots. But to increase your chances, I suggest you line up 15-30 min early.

28. You can find the answer by checking the second timetable in this article. You will see that there is one bus per day which stops at Fenqihu (11:01) and goes to Chiayi HSR station (12:56).

29. Many thanks for the detailed guide, Nick. After reading all of your blog posts, I was able to book my HSR, TRC, and bus tickets to all of the locations I’ve planned to stay in. Your page is the only one that I am currently relying on to get detailed information regarding Taiwan. Thank you for your time and effort to put everything together; it is tremendously helpful! I feel less stressed not having to worry about these logistics while I’m in Taiwan.

30. Thanks so much, I’m really glad to hear that!

31. How can you have the discount of TWD 150 if you pay the bus with easycard directly in the bus? Isn’t It possible?
    Thanks for your helpful post.

32. Thanks Nick for such helpful tips on going to Alishan! I went there yesterday (Saturday, July 20, 2024). I went to Family Mart to purchase a round trip bus tickets! Oh boy, I felt so privileged when I arrived at Chiayi bus stop. An earlier bus was about to depart, and there were approximately 15-20 people who couldn’t get on that bus, for my 9:10 am bus, I was asked to wait in a “reserved seats” line, which had about ten passengers. We were escorted to the bus on time, and people who didn’t have reserved seats were let in until all the seats were taken. We arrived there in little over two hours. Purchased the park entry pass (thanks for the discount information, btw), and proceeded to the park. I gave myself three hours to hike around different trails and arrived back at the 7-eleven bus stop around 3:45 pm. I was the first passenger to be in the reserved seats line, whereas there were more than 25-30 waiting. We got on the bus, and the rest of the seats were filled up with passengers without advanced seating assignments. More than 30 people were left at the “unreserved seats” line. Without your logistics suggestion, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy throughly the beauty of Alisha. I plan to go back there, perhaps spend a few days on hiking trails. Keep writing! And all the best to you, Nick!!

33. I believe that the driver will give you a ticket.

34. So glad to hear how smoothly that worked out for you!

35. Hello Nick, how are you?
    Your blogs are so helpful, thank you again for sharing great advices.

    I have one question : as written on this page, there are no buses running between Chiayi and Alishan. Do you have any updates?

    Traveler from France

36. Sorry about the confusion. The buses are running again as normal. I will update the article.

37. This was very helpful! All my doubts running in my head had definitely been answered by this blog of yours!

38. Hi!
    Thank you so much for the information!!
    How can i order one-way ticket from Alishan to Chiayi?
    All I found here was the schedule

    Thank you!! 🙂

39. Check the article introduction for the link to my other article about how to reserve the bus.

40. Hi Nick, thank you so much for the detailed info. This is very helpful!
    I am planning to stay in a homestay in “Longtuo”. Went to the Shuttle bus online purchase website, it doesn’t show the ticket price for this station. Is this because it is just a small station? Example : the “Anding”, “Lincou” stop, I don’t see them in the ticket purchase page too.
    Thank you!

41. Hi Nick
    Note that there is no way of booking a bus ride from Fenqihu to Chiayi. Just wondering how is the crowd like on a Fri?

42. It varies a lot so I can’t say for sure. In December (high tourism season) and February to April (flower season) the buses are crazy full every day. Other months of the year, it’s impossible for me to say. Each day could be different and who knows how many people will get off the bus at Fenqihu each time. Usually everyone who wants to get on can get on, and if the bus is full, you’d have to stand in the aisle, which is not very comfortable on the winding road. If you are concerned about it, you can always book a private transfer on Tripool.

43. Yes, the booking page doesn’t show all the small stops. Just make sure you follow this guide to book the correct bus. And book a seat to Shizhuo (石棹), which is just shortly after where you get off, and just make sure to ring the bell on the bus when you approach Longtou.

44. The Famiticket is such a pain to use 🙁 Why am I having a hard to time clicking my chosen date 🙁

45. Yeah, it’s awful. You can try a different browser or different device. Some people say mobile works better.

46. Hi Nick,

    I am planning to take Chiayi Station Bus 7322C -> Alishan with your FamilyMart guide, however those bento boxes at Fenqihu look so unreal. Let say if i take the bus 7322D at 9:40, which stop at Fenqihu, how long the bus stop for ? 10 -15 minutes ? enough time to grab a couple ?

    Thank you for all the guides, they are my main source for planning the trip. We ditched the Luodong night market after reading your guide about the hot spring hotel in Jiaoxi.

47. The bus doesn’t stop long. Only enough time for some people to get off and new people to get on. You wouldn’t have time to buy a bento box. So you’d need to take a bus there, then look at the schedule for a later bus to leave. Or, if you can manage to get seats on the Alishan Forest Railway from Chiayi to ALishan, the train takes a break at Fenqihu long enough for people to buy bento boxes.

48. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Exactly what I was searching for 👌
    Also all your other Taiwan guides are very helpful and insightful. Thanks for sharing!

49. First of all, thank you so much Nick for the extensive breakdown of everything on Alishan.

    That being said, may I know if the morning busses that depart from Alishan to Chiayi is always full? I’m in sort of a predicament. I am staying in Fenqihu and as you mentioned, we aren’t able to book buses from Fenqihu to Chiayi. FYI, trains in that direction for that day have sold out and I feel I am in a bit of a pickle having to try my luck with the busses.

    Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

50. This is a very common situation faced by travelers and unfortunately there’s no great solution or way to know. I wish they would make it possible to book from Fenqihu or have more buses. Usually, some people will get off at Fenqihu, thus more people can get on. Also, even if all seats are full, you will still be able to squeeze on and stand in the aisle. It’s impossible for me or anyone to know how full the bus will be every day and how many people will get on/off at every stop. But, generally speaking, the early buses do tend to be full leaving Alishan, because everyone at Alishan gets up early for sunrise then leaves early. Still, I’ve never yet heard of anyone trying to get on at Fenqihu but was denied entry because it was too full (exception: cherry blossoms season, which is just super crazy). If you’re worried about it, it’s best to go to the bus stop early to get a good spot in line. And if you are super worried, then you can just book a Tripool private transfer to your next place.

51. Hello, is it easy to navigate around chiayi HSR station to the bus point? Do you think 20mins apart will be enough to transfer from the train to the bus?

52. It’s very easy and fast. 10 minutes is minimum, and 20 is definitely enough. Just go down the escalators to 1F and go out exit 2 to find the bus station.

53. Hi Nick,

    Thanks for your awesome blogs, they are very helpful!

    You mentioned that it’s not possible to book a confirmed ticket from Fenqihu to Chiayi.

    However, famiticket website did allow me to book a confirmed seat on this route for bus 7302 as it originates in Fenqihu. There are two departures (0900 and 1700) and I have booked for the evening bus tomorrow.

    I guess this option became available recently or maybe I missed this update on your blog. Just sharing FYI.

    Cheers!

54. This is an excellent point which I totally overlooked. I have added the info to my article. Thank you!

55. Hi Nick, I booked a reserved seat on bus 7302 starting from Daya station at 14.55 (Chiayi to Fengqihu) from the Familymart machine. Now, do I still get my reserved seat if I were to board the bus at Chiayi station at 15.10 instead ? Or I would need to go to Daya station to board the bus ?

56. Almost everyone boards at Chiayi station, so it’s fine to board from there.

57. Hi Nick,

    Amazing info, thank you so much! Do you believe it is possible to bring a bike on any of the bus connections from Chiayi to Alishan?

    Thanks so much in advance!

58. I’m not totally sure. There are luggage compartments under the bus. If I had to guess, I would say they would accept it if the bike is packed into a relatively small/compact bike bag, but they may not accept it if it’s just a full bicycle.

59. Thanks Nick for the very thorough guide you have made. This detailed bits of info will be very helpful not only to me but to all who are planning to visit Chiayi and Alishan.

60. Hey Nick, thank you for the info. I was wondering if Cherry Blossom would still be there around April 5th,2025.

    Also, do you think it’s a good idea to go then around April 4-5. Considering the public holidays

61. Yes, they should still be there. But it will be incredibly busy due to cherry blossom season AND long weekend. All hotels, trains, and buses will be sold out. By private car, due to so many cars going, they will close the road to Alishan from 6 to 11 AM, so drivers need to park and take a shuttle up. If you want to try, I suggest you reserve a spot on a bus (if any left) or drive but avoid driving in the morning.

62. nick, we are following your guide and need to go Alishan to Chiayi to Tainan. Is reserving the first bus of the day at 910 which doesn’t get to Chiayi till 1155 the best way? does that give us enough time to catch sunrise and get back to our hotel and eat and back to the bus station? is the bus reliable enough to buy our train ticket ahead of time or should we just buy it when we get to Chiayi?

63. Hi Nick, thank you so much for your detailed guides on navigating Alishan. Really appreciate them!

    I would like to check – if I book the 7322D bus ticket online, pay the Chiayi to Alishan fare, and get off at Fenqihu, will I be allowed to use the same ticket to board the 7329A bus at 12:38pm from Fenqihu to Alishan?

    Thank you in advance for your help! 🙂

64. Hi nick, your articles have been so helpful. I managed to get tickets for the Alishan Forest Railway, but only from Chiayi- Fenqihu. Just to clarify, I can take the the bus from Fenqihu to Alishan but I can’t prebook a ticket? I should just queue early for the buses that stop at Fenqihu? Could I also get a taxi if I miss the bus? Thanks so much for your help

65. It depends on the day you are going, as the sunrise time changes throughout the year. But let’s say you are going next week. Sunrise time from the lookout point is 6:20 AM. Whether you hike down or take the train back, you should be able to return to your hotel by 7 or 7:30. Grab your luggage, and for free breakfast, they usually give vouchers to somewhere in the tourist village, which would be on the way to the bus station. You should have no problem to make the 9:10 bus, and that will help you reach Tainan at a decent time. If you’re going later then next week, the sunrise gets earlier and earlier as we go into summer, so that gives you even more time.

66. Hi, no you would not. The time you book is only valid for that particular bus.

67. Yes, that is correct. And there are only a few buses per day from Fenqihu to Alishan, so check the times carefully. There are no taxis there. Another option is to pre-arrange a private vehicle via Tripool, which needs to be booked at least one day in advance before 6 PM.

68. Does the 7322 and 7329 (booked from famimart) stops at lincuo bus stop? Timetable from taiwan tourist shuttle service website does not show lincuo stop. Also, is it possible to go from lincuo stop to chiayi?

69. Hi, Thank you for all the information. I have registered with Famitickets and trying to book the 10.10 bus from Alisham to Chiayi high speed but I am having trouble working out which is the bus for the return direction. I can’t see that bus time and also the symbol you mentioned to look out for? Any help would be appreciated.

70. When I check right now, on the page before the one where you select the time, it has the words: 往阿里山:09:30、10:10、13:10 (去程)
    往高鐵站:13:10、14:40、16:40 (回程). These means the first three times mentioned are going up to Alishan, and the last three times mentioned are going back to Chiayi. And when I check, all the ones in the list going up still have the words 去程, and going back still have the words 回程. Another way to know is by checking the times on my Alishan bus timetable: https://www.taiwanobsessed.com/chiayi-to-alishan-bus-schedule/

71. Hey!

    Can’t explain how much this helped us navigate train / bus seat bookings – great article thank you thank you thank you!!!

72. The 7322 definitely yes. If you click the bus stop icon on GoogleMaps and scroll down, it shows all the buses that stop there, included 7322, 7302, and 7314 (the latter two are two other buses from Chiayi station but they don’t go to Alishan). You can also find it listed here on the official bus website page for 7322: https://www.taiwanbus.tw/eBUSPage/Query/QueryResult.aspx?rno=73220&rn=1602130637083&lan=E As for 7329, it doesn’t officially make a stop at Lincuo. The closest stop is Xiding, which is a short drive or 10 minute walk before Lincuo, or Longtouping, which is a similar distance but after. It’s possible you can ask the driver to stop at Lincuo and he may do it, as long as he can understand your question. Here’s the 7329 official stops: https://www.taiwanbus.tw/eBUSPage/Query/QueryResult.aspx?rno=73290&rn=1602140306418&lan=E

73. You’re welcome! 🙂

74. Not sure if this got mentioned in the comments yet, but just learned that buying tickets from the FamiPort won’t work on the day, only up to a day before. Lesson learned as we queue up for the bus with your Easycards 🙂
    Thanks for all your writeups Nick, they’ve been really helpful this trip!

75. With the closure of Toroko trails, seems like all Taiwan’s overtourism is concentrated in Alishan at the moment, making it extremely difficult, if not impossible to get there, at least on week-ends, without a car.
    I have just cancelled my guesthouse reservation in Shizhuo for this weekend. Trains from Taipei are sold out, train and buses from Chiayi (checked at a Family Mart) also, TRipool not available. A stressful mess. pass.

76. Thanks for sharing this info. You mean the FamiPort physical machine in FamilyMart (not the online version), right?

77. Hey Nick,

    If I’m heading out from Xiding > Chiayi Station. I plan to hop on the 10:25 bus with my luggage back to the MRT station. Would you recommend that I book seats for this 1.5hour trip back to the city? I’m carrying along me and my gf’s luggage hence worry about seat availability. Thank you!

78. You can’t reserve seats if you are boarding at a small stop like Xiding. The bus driver might come out open the luggage compartment below the bus, but if it’s full (which can happen), you’d have to carry the luggage onto the bus. If you are concerned about this situation, you can arrange a private transfer – you can check the price on Tripool.

79. Hi Nick! I just wanted to express my gratitude for working on such an extensive guide. After careful planning, we were able to visit Alishan/Shizhuo early this March just in time for the cheery blosson season and it was so beautiful, we literally became “Taiwan Obsessed”.
    Cheers from Argentina,

80. Glad to hear that!

81. Hi Nick,

    Great website! It has assisted me in planning my 2 week Taiwan trip. We are staying at Fenchihu Hotel for 2 nights and plan on doing a day trip to Alishan. Based upon your bus schedules above, it seems to be best to go to Shizhuo to catch the bus to Alishan and back. However, I am unable to find a (1) bus schedule for travels between Fenqihu and Alishan; and (2) are the bus stops for this travel the same as the bus stop you mention above? We like to take Bus 7322C at 9:15am from Shizhuo to Alishan and Bus 7322C at 17:10 from Alishan to Shizhuo.

    Thanks!!!!

82. 1. Catch bus 7302 from Fenqihu to Shizhuo (this bus is going downhill, from Alishan to Chiayi, so you can see it in my second timetable). Depart 9 AM, arrive Shizhuo bus stop 9:10 to 9:12.
    2. Get off the bus and cross the street to catch the next (uphill) bus. Bus station is in front of the two convenience stores.
    3. Catch 7322C at 9:15 AM to Alishan.

    If youy catch bus 7322C at 17:10 from Alishan, it arrives at Shozhuo at 17:50. There are no more buses from Shizhuo to Fenqihu at that time. You could walk, but it will take about 1 hour, walking uphill along the highway, and it may be dark by the time you reach Fenqihu.

    The last bus from Shizhuo to Fenqihu is 7302 at 16:38, arrive 16:49, bus stop in front of convenience stores in Shizhuo. To catch that one, you’d have to take the 15:40 bus departing Alishan, arriving in Shizhuo at 16:20 (and again, after you get off, cross the road to the bus stop in front of convenience stores).

    Hope this helps!

83. Hi Nick, thanks for such a wealth of info! We are going next month, Sunday to Monday with one night stay at Alishan. We plan to take the 6am hsr from Taipei to chiayi, then bus up.
    You mentioned that it is walkable from fengqihu to shizhuo (about 6 km, downhill). I’m wondering if it is safe to walk? I’m thinking of stopping at fqh, eat bento, do a short hike and then walking to shizhuo to take a bus.
    I’m also thinking if I should do this detour on the way down since it’s Monday so more chances of getting on the bus!
    (I’m also tempted to do a short trail at shizhuo but they don’t have lockers!)
    What do you advise? Thanks so much!

84. If you walk from Fenqihu to Shizhuo, you would be walking along the side of the car road with no dedicated walking path. So the main concern here is you just have to watch out for cars. If you walked from Fenqihu to Shizhuo bus stop, that takes just over one hour. However, if you want to do some of Shizhuo’s hikes, it makes sense to do them on the way. Enter “Sunset Trail” as your destination. That should take about 1 hr from Fenqihu. There are nice views from the entrance of Sunset Trail (you don’t even need to walk up the trail). Then you can walk further east down that small car road to the point where Mist Trail and Tea Trail meet and walk Mist trail down to the highway and bus stop. In total this might take 2 hrs from Fenqihu to Shizhuo bus stop. However, luggage is definitely a consideration here. You would need to carry your luggage down the highway and on the trails.

85. Hi! We’re planning to visit late Nov. We want to explore Alishan, Fenqihu and the tea plantations. Would you recommend we stay in the Alishan Forest area or in Chiayi?
    P.S. I love all your blogs abt Alishan they are very helpful and well-thought out! more power

86. My most recommended way is: Day 1 travel from Chiayi to Shizhiuo for the tea plantations, sleep there. Day 2 travel from Shizhuo to Alishan and sleep there. And Day 3 travel from Alishan back to Chiayi, with short stop in Fenqihu for lunch (and optional hike in bamboo forest, put luggage in lockers there if needed).

87. Hi, Nick! Your blog has been really helpful with my concerns.

    I want to ask because I’ll be staying somewhere in Fenqihu for one night and my accommodation has a bus stop nearby. Can I ride the “7302 daya stop-fenqihu line bus” from this bus stop near my accommodation instead (with a reserved ticket from Fenqihu Station to Chiayi Daya Bus Stop)? It’ll be better to wait near my hotel instead of going to Fenqihu Station to ride the 7302.

    Thank you so much!

88. I have replied to your question in my Facebook group.

89. Hi Nick, I’m hoping to stop in Fenqihu on the way from Chiayi to Alishan. Looks like I can take the 7322D at 9:40 to arrive in Fenqihu at 11:17 and then take the 7322D that arrives in Fenqihu at 13:53 to arrive in Alishan at 14:47. How can I reserve seats for these two buses? Can I purchase tickets ahead of time or will I have to use the EasyCard and hope there’s room aboard? It looks like I can reserve a seat from Chiayi to Fenqihu, right? I’m just concerned about Fenqihu to Alishan.

90. For the first leg (Chiayi to Fenqihu), so you can reserve the seat in advance. You can do it online, which is a little complicated, then pick up the ticket at any FamilyMart in Taiwan. Here’s how: https://www.taiwanobsessed.com/alishan-bus-ticket-online/ Or you can just buy the bus ticket directly at any FamilyMart, which is easier. Here’s how: https://www.taiwanobsessed.com/alishan-bus-ticket-family-mart/

    For the second like, Fenqihu to Alishan, you can’t reserve the seat. Your only option is to line up and swipe EasyCard. Usually some people get off at Fenqihu, so it frees up some seats for more people to get on. I suggest lining up a little early to get a spot at the front of the line.

91. 阿里山線復康車次，普通人可以購票嗎

92. Do you reckon it’ll be easy to get a ticket from FamilyMart on the December 13, 2025, for travel from Chiayi bus station to Alishan on December 15, 2025?

93. That’s a bit of a gamble. No one could say for sure. December in general is a popular month for foreign tourism in Taiwan, so you might luck out, especially if you are flexible with times, but if you want a specific time, there’s a chance it could be sold out.

94. 是的，普通人可以搭乘這輛巴士。這輛巴士方便輪椅使用者通行，但每個人都可以搭乘。

95. If i book the bus going is it easy enough to get the return at the 7 11 when suits without booking…going at end Oct

96. The 711 at Alishan Bus Station closed, so you can’t buy tickets there anymore. If you don’t reserve online, the only option is to line up and swipe EasyCard for going back. The Bus Station has two lines for every bus – those who booked online, and those who want to swipe EasyCard. If you plan to swipe, it’s best to go there early to get a good spot in line.

97. Hello. Good morning. I would like to ask if you happen to know if the bus ticket discount to Alishan entrance would be valid if I claim it the next day? For example, I will be traveling in the afternoon to Alishan and book an overnight stay, the do the Alishan forest tour the next day, would my ticket from my travel the day before would grant me the 50% discount? Thank youuuuuu.

98. When you take the bus to Alishan Station, as soon as you walk into the park (just a few steps from the bus station), then you’ll buy the Alishan park entrance ticket, with discount if you show your bus ticket. Then I assume you’ll stay in the park overnight and continue exploring it the next day.

    If, for example, you only took a bus to Shizhuo or Fenqihu (Alishan region, but NOT in the park), then you took a taxi the remainder of the way to Alishan park, then your bus ticket to those small villages wouldn’t count.

99. Hi Nick,
    I have a dilemna here, I want to visit Fenqihu after checking out from Alishan one of the hotel. Problem is I can’t seem to accomodate the bus timing as after Fenqihu, I need to travel back to chiayi HSR, seems like the bus schedule only have limited time slot at Fenqihu though :X.

100. Hi Nick, this is such a comprehensive guide, thank you! Quick question from me: if I buy a ticket in advance from Chiayi Station to Alishan, get off halfway at Shizhuo to look around, would I be able to re-board another later bus going up to Alishan using the same ticket? For instance if I got off at Shizhuo at 8:40am and wanted to take the 10:45am bus back up to Alishan? Or would I need to tap the Easycard as a separate journey? Thanks!

101. This is a very complete and useful guide, thanks for this. Definitely helps with finishing planning my escape to Alishan next week.
     Have you ever tried the Formosensis Train? Is it worth it?

     Cheers.

102. Hi Nick, thank you for the helpful guide!

     I was hoping to get your advice for upcoming travel:
     We’re thinking of staying in Shizhuo for a weekday night late March (likely Monday Mar 23). We’re excited to check out the tea farms and hike around the town, maybe if we’re lucky see cherry blossoms on the Sakura Trail.

     We’re contemplating spending the next day checking out either Fenqihu (potentially for the Fenrui Historic Trail) or Alishan, but we don’t love crowds, and given the cherry blossom season, we’re concerned about not being able to get on:
     1) Bus from Shizhuo to Fenqihu
     2) Bus from Fenqihu to Chiayi
     OR
     3) Bus from Shizhou to Alishan (is this okay given the frequency of buses?)
     4) Bus from Alishan to Chiayi (sounds like this one should be easier given we can reserve seats ahead of time?)

     Would love your thoughts on:
     – If we should be concerned about getting on those buses / if there are any good alternatives besides Tripool
     – If you’d recommend avoiding Fenqihu / Alishan during this peak season

     Thanks so much for your help!

103. I haven’t tried it yet due to the difficulty of getting tickets. But I would like to someday!

104. After sunrise, t1ry taking the 10:10 bus from Alishan to Fenqihu (arrives 11:10), then the 15:10 bus from Fenqihu to Chiayi. That gives you four hours in Fenqihu, which is plenty. If that doesn’t work for you, then consider to order a private transfer (like Tripool) from Fenqihu to Chiayi.

105. No, you won’t. You can’t get a reserved seat ticket, get off the bus, and then use the same ticket to board again. You can reserve your seat for Chiayi to Shizhuo only (see my guide above for how to do this), then you’ll need to swipe EasyCard for the remaining journey from Shizhuo to Alishan.

106. Even though March is the busy season in the area, there’s a lot of space, so it still won’t actually feel crowded. It’s only really the transportation that gets tighter. It’s quite rare that buses are so packed that the driver won’t even let new people on, even in the busiest seas. They’ll even let people stand in the aisle when boarding at small stops (it’s only a the starting stations of Chiayi or Alishan where they seem to limit people to seats only). What’s more, a few people often get off at Shizhuo and Fenqihu, making room for more to get on.

     Between the two options, Fenqihu is much closer to Shizhuo, which is a plus, but the downside is that there are so few buses from Shizhuo to Fenqihu per day. You can actually walk from Shizhuo to Fenqihu, about one hour, but it will be uphill. If you’re staying in one of the guesthouses that are up the hill in Shizhuo, that will already get you a bit closer. Several guesthouses in Shizhuo will also be willing to drive you to Fenqihu, as it’s only a 5-10 minute drive.

     Alishan is further away. But on the plus side, there are more buses from Shizhuo to Alishan every day, as every bus from Chiayi to Alishan passes by Shizhuo. I hope this info helps you decide!

107. Hi Nick, thanks for the guide! If I have a reserved seat on a bus from Chiayi TRA station to Alishan, how early should I arrive before the scheduled departure time? ie will they start giving away reserved seats before the departure time?

108. If you have a reserved seat, then 5-10 minutes early is fine. When the bus pulls up, the driver will come out and ask everyone with reserved seat to get on first. Then he’ll let the others lined up get on. There *should* be two lines, one for reserved and one for non-reserved, but people may not always follow it well. It’s the same at Alishan station, and there they really have signs for the two lines so people follow it well.

109. Here is my experience re standing room on the bus (perhaps useful for others; as of Nov 2025): I tried boarding the 7329A at XiDing, going down to Chiayi HSR. The bus arrived completely full. The bus driver did not let us board and stand, saying that he is not allowed to take standing-room passengers because the bus uses the freeway to get to Chiayi HSR.
     We were then able to board the 7322C to Chiayi train station (i.e. not HSR, not using the freeway) an hour later, where we were able to stand in the aisle (we had seen a previous 7322 bus with passengers standing also).
     There is a free shuttle bus from Chiayi train station to Chiayi HSR: The shuttle departs from the back of Chiayi train station: You need to approach the main station entrance, tell them you need to go to Chiayi HSR and they will give you a ticket in order to cross the train departure area of the station to get to the opposite side.

110. Thanks for sharing all these details!

111. Hi and thank you. Is there a bus from Chiayi to Fushan? (our homestay is in Fushan). Or do we have to transfer in Shizhou?

112. Bus 7322 from Chiayi Station to Alishan stops at Fushan bus stop. You can see it on the bus page’s list of stops here: https://www.taiwanbus.tw/eBUSPage/Query/QueryResult.aspx?rno=73220&rn=1602130637083&lan=E And the bus stop is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HcbTMpbe3pKh44QN8 You should also be able to see it if you search on GoogleMaps too. When taking the bus from Chiayi, Fushan stop will be shortly after Shizhuo. If you take a 7322 bus which includes a stop at Fenqihu, then it will reach Shizhuo, then do a 20-minute detour to Fenqihu, then back to Shizhuo, then to Fushan.

113. Thanks for the instructions, Nick! I just booked online, and another thing to note this time of year is that there are two listings for each bus route – one for now until 12/31 and another from 1/1. At first I thought that buses were sold out for the rest of the year!

     Question: Suppose I am staying in Fenqihu. Is it possible to prebook and pay for a bus from Alishan to Chiayi, but get on in Fenqihu? Or do they give your seat away if you don’t get on in Alishan?

114. Thanks for pointing that out! And no, you can’t book seats if you’re boarding somewhere in the middle, like Fenqihu. Locals are getting on and off the bus all the time, so any empty seats will be taken, not to mention the buses are often so full that people are standing in the aisles. However, bus 7302 (from Fenqihu to Chiayi only) can be booked by following the steps in my Alishan bus online booking guide. It only has two departures per day, though.