The bus up to Alishan climbed right into the clouds, and we stayed at the Dafong Hotel. We were up at 5am to catch the historic Alishan Forest Railway to the Zhushan viewing deck for sunrise. The sunrise train’s departure time moves with the sun through the year.
The sea of clouds never showed, but the early light through the giant old trees and the stillness at the Sister Ponds more than made up for it. The two ponds have stumps of old cypress trees standing in the water, and the Giant Tree Trail starts beside them, a boardwalk of about 418 metres past 16 giant trees.
Good to know
- The sunrise train: its departure time moves with the sunrise and is announced at 4.30pm the day before. You can buy tickets online or at Alishan station, upstairs. Alishan Forest Railway
- Sister Ponds and the giant trees: the two ponds have stumps of old cypress trees standing in the water. The Giant Tree Trail starts beside them, a boardwalk of about 418 metres past 16 giant trees. Forest Recreation Taiwan
- What to wear: it’s much colder up here than on the coast, especially at sunrise. Our Taiwan packing list covers the mountains.
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.