We left the mountains on the historic narrow-gauge forest railway, clicking slowly down through thick forest to Chiayi. It was a lovely, old-fashioned way to travel. The track is just 762mm wide, and the full line between Chiayi and Alishan only reopened in July 2024, after 15 years of repairs to typhoon damage. Having gone up by bus, we came down by train, with two days up the mountain in between.
From there we carried on to Taichung, where we ended the day. After the quiet of the forest, the busy, modern city was a real contrast.
Good to know
- The forest railway: the full line between Chiayi and Alishan reopened in July 2024, after 15 years of repairs to typhoon damage. The track is just 762mm wide. Alishan Forest Railway
- The train down: only one train a day runs all the way. Under the current timetable it leaves Alishan at 11.50am and reaches Chiayi at 3.45pm, so book a seat. Timetable
- Bus up, train down: that’s how we did Alishan, with two days up the mountain in between.
We checked these times and prices in October 2026. They do change, so it's worth a quick look at the official sites before you go.