Transportation Between Cinjing, Sun Moon Lake, and Alisan

        For most foreign travelers, Cingjing, Sun Moon Lake, and Alisan are popular places of interest. Because the long distance and lower frequency of public transportation between these places, how to gather the information of public transportation and arrange a good itinerary becomes a big challenge for foreign travelers.

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<Transportation Line & Timetable>

• HSR Taichung Station <-> Cingjing
• Cingjing <->Sun Moon Lake
• HSR Taichung<->Sun Moon Lake
• Sun Moon Lake <-> Alisan

<Alisan>

• Chiayi <->Fenchuhu (Alisan Forest Railway Main Line)
• Chiayi <-> Alisan (Taiwan Trip Shuttle Bus)
• Fenchihu->(Taiwan Trip Bus )Alisan

<Further Information>

• Package Tickets
• Itinerary Examples
• Other Topics

        Let's have a look of the simplified map. You can get quick understanding of the public transportation between these places. For example, The blue line between HSR Taichung Station shows the name of the bus line and tells you that the shuttle bus does not go to Puli Station.of Nantou Bus. And black line between Cingjing and Sun Moon Lake shows that in additional to transfer at Puli Station, there is a direct bus you can take.
        Be noted that the timetable, transportation lines, package tickets, reservation methods and etc. in here may not be always updated, especially in the end of beginning of the year. Please confirm the details from the original website before you arrive Taiwan.

<Transportation Line & Timetable>
        The following is a brief introduction about the Transportation Line & Timetable.  You can read the following section Package Tickets before reading this section. The following itinerary is basing on the assumption that you start your trip from HSR Taichung Station(Taichung Train Station) or Chiayi Train Station(HSR Taichung Train Station). It is another topic that how to go to these terminal. You can take bus 156 or carpool, for example,to HSR Taichung Station if you arrive Taichung Airport.

Bus 156, Taichung Airport<－>HSR Taichung Station

• HSR Taichung Station <-> Cinjing

        Although the bus line start from Taichung Gancheng station, you need to walk about 15 minutes from Taichung Railway Station with your luggage in the heavy traffic area. It is better to take the bus from HSR Taichung Station.

        You can take the direct bus if you can meet the time in the following timetable. There are 5 runs (6 runs in weekend/holiday) of direct bus.You can also transfer at Puli Station (HSR Taichung<->Puli and Puli <->Cingjing ) if you cannot catch the direct bus. The bus interval for HSR Taichung Station<->Puli is about 20~30 minutes only.

Bus Between Taichung & Cingjing

• Cingjing <->Sun Moon Lake

        There are also 2 choices. You can take Nantou Bus for Cingjing<->Puli & Puli<->Sun Moon Lake You need to transfer at Puli by this alternative. The bus timetable of Cingjin<->Puli is mentioned above and the bus interval of Puli<-> Sun Moon Lake is about 30 minutes. It's a cheaper alternative with total cost of 127+62=NTD 179 and duration, not including waiting time in Puli, of  70+40=110 minutes.
        Another alternative is the direct bus provided by Cingjing Bus with duration of 70 minutes and NTD 450 per person. The brief information of Cingjing Bus is described as below. The brief information is for reference only. Please remember to confirm the exact time and meeting point before taking the bus:

     Cingjing -> Sun Moon Lake

      Meeting point: Front Porch of your accommodation at Cingjing
      Time of Departure: 09:00, 13:30 (11:00 is available only under certain circumstances)
     Sun Moon Lake -> Cingjing area 
      Meeting point: The dock of Sun moon lake, right next to Hotel Dellago.
      Time of Departure: 12:00-13:00, 16:30-17:30

• HSR Taichung<->Sun Moon Lake

      For detailed information, please refer to Taiwan Shuttle Bus Sun Moon Lake Route. The time table is as below: 

• Sun Moon Lake <-> Alisan

       YL(YuanLin) Bus 6739 provides the service (Line 6739) between SML & Alisan. YL(YuanLin) Bus 6739 goes along HWY 21, on which you can see Yusan Mountain in the east. The time table is as bellow:
       Southbound

       SML 08:00－>Sin Yi Farmers' Association   9:10－>Tataka 11:10-->Alisan 11:50
       SML 09:00－>Sin Yi Farmers' Association 10:10－>Tataka 12:10-->Alisan 12:50
       Booking Phone:《SML Office 049-2856428》
       Northbound
       Alisan 13:00-->Tataka 14:00－>Sin Yi Farmers' Association 15:50－>SML 16:30
       Alisan 14:00-->Tataka 15:00－>Sin Yi Farmers' Association 16:50－>SML 17:30

       Since 2015, you can book bus 6739  1 month~3 days in advance by e-mail. Fill the form(from SML to Alisan)/ form (from Alisan to SML) and mail to the mail address inside the form.  Be Noted:

1. The Link is checked on 19 Jan 2017. You should check the official website to check update. If you cannot read Chinese, write to yulinbus@gmail.com Carbon copy: yc707636@yahoo.com.tw
2.  Although the English note says "Please make the reservation at least three days before your departure day", The Chinese note say You should book at least one week before departure. Book ASAP!
3. Confirm,Confirm and Confirm ! Since the mini bus has only 19 seats. You should confirm no matter by e-mail, phone or prints. For the passengers depart from Alishan to Sun Moon Lake, please dial the number 049-2770041 before 18:00 on the day before departure day to reconfirm the reservation. If not, the reservation would be canceled.

Bus 6739 Booking Form

<Alisan>

        According to feedback from some traveling forums or my blog, it seems lots foreign visitor may be confused with transportation systems or the relative locations of Alisan Forest Park, Fehchihu, Alisan Forest Railway Main Line, Zuishan  Branch Line.  There are some important facts you should know before arrange your Alisan itinerary: 

➣ Alisan Forest Railway Main Lines is only open between Chiayi Railway Station and Fenchihu Railway Station. The part between Alisan and Fenchihu is under maintenance.

➣ It takes about 3 hours by bus between Alisan Forest Park and Chiayi Railway Station.

➣ The sunrise platform is at the end of Zhushan Branch Line.  The tickets of the branch line is sold on spot only one day in advance.

  

Official Website of Alisan Forest Railway

Chiayi <->Fenchuhu (Alisan Forest Railway Main Line)

         Alisan Forest Railway Main Line is not totally open to public. However, you can also take the forest railway between Chiayi & Fenchihu. That's also the most interesting part of Alisan Forest Railway since you can experience how engineer designed the railway mechanism to overcome the climbing challenge  100 year ago.

         You can book from  Official Website of Alisan Forest Railway  2 weeks in advance. For More details about booking Alisan Forest Railway, please refer to Booking Alisan Forest Train Tickets.
        Although you can not take Alisan Forest Railway from Chiayi to Alisan directly. but you can take the train to Fehchihu, arriving at 11:20, enjoy the famous Fenchihu lunchbox and then take shuttle bus to Alisan at 12:50pm. 

Alisan Forest Train Timetable of Main Line

• Chiayi <-> Alisan (Taiwan Trip Shuttle Bus)

      Taiwan Trip Shuttle Bus is the most popular transportation to Alisan.  The timetables of Taiwan Shuttle Bus Alisan Route A(HSR Chiayi Station) and Route B(Chiayi Railway Station) are listed as below:

Route A: HSR Chiayi Station＜－＞Alisan

Route B: Chiayi Train Station＜－＞Alisan

        A common question from some traveling forum is day trip to Alisan. It is doable. The day trip is much easier if you can stay overnight at Chiayi one day in advance of your Alisan day trip. It is doable as well if you cannot stay overnight at Chiayi. However, it is exhausting. The following itinerary is day trip example from Taipei. 

Transportation	HSR	BRT	Shuttle Bus	Zhaoping Branch Line
From	HSR Taipei Station	HSR Chiayi Station	Chiayi Train Station(Front)	Alisan Train Station
To	HSR Chiayi Station	Chiayi Train Station(Rear)	Alisan Train Station	Zhaoping Train Station
Departure	06:30	07:55	08:35	11:30
Arrival	07:43	08:25	11:10	11:36
Fare	1080	free with HSR ticket	230	100

Note:

➢There is direct shuttle bus from HSR Chiayi Station to Alisan Station. However, it departs HSR Chiayi Station at 9:30 and arrive Alisan Train Station at  12:00. You cannot catch the Zhaoping Branch Line if you take the direct bus to Alisan.

Zhaoping Branch Line Timetable

➢Alisan Train Station to Zhaoping Train Station is 1.5km slight uphill. Most Alisan attractions are here. Take the Zhaoping branch line to Zhaoping Train station and go downhill make your day trip easier. You must arrive Alisan Train Station before 11:30 to catch the train since the last run is 13:00.

Zhaoping Branch Line

➢BRT stop and Alisan Shuttle bus stop is at different side of Chiayi Train Station. There is a footbridge crossover the train station.30 minutes (7:35 am ~8:25) of BRT is a rough estimation.  It is pretty rush to catch the shuttle bus.

Booing Shuttle Bus ticket from Chiayi Station to Alisan Station at Familymart

➢In Alisan cherry blossom season, there would be Steam Locomotive between Alisan Train Station and Zhaoping Train Station in Wednesday morning.

Steam Locomotive in front of Alisan Police Station

➢The last shuttle to HSR Chiayi Station is 16:40.

• Fenchihu->Alisan

        As the timetable mentioned above. there are only 2 runs of bus for each way between Alisan and Fenchihu and takes 1 hour.

      Fenchihu-> Alisan        11:30  12:50

      Alisan    -> Fenchihu    10:10  14:10*

The following itinerary examples are 2 days itinerary for different situations:
➢Chiayi->Fenchihu(Forest Train)->Alisan(Overnight) ->Chiayi
Day1:
Chiayi(Forest Train, 9:00am)->(11:20am)Fenchihu(Taiwan Trip Bus,12:50pm)->(1:50pm)Alisan
**Buy Zhushan Branch Lines tickets when you arrive Alisan Train Station.
Day2: 
Alisan Train Station->(Zhushan Branch Line)Zhushan Train Station->Alisan Train Station->Chiayi Train Station
➢Chiayi->Alisan(Overnight)->Fenchihu(Forest Train) ->Chiayi
Another alternative is go to Alisan first and take Alisan Forest Train in Day 2
Day 1:
Chiayi Train Station->Alisan
** Please arrive Alisan Train Station before 1 pm in order to buy the tickets of Zhushan Branch Line
Day 2

Alisan Bus Stop(Taiwan Trip Bus,10:10) ->(11:10 )Fenchihu(Alisan Forest Railway,14:00)->(16:20)Chiayi Railway Station

       If you can book the train uphill and downhill, taking Taiwan trip bus  to Alisan first and take Alisan Forest Train from Fenchihu to Chiayi in Day 2 is a better choice since you have 3 hours a Fenchihu.

<Further Information>

• Package Tickets

       Since most visitors won't stay at only one places and needs tickets of ferry boat, cable car, and etc, there are some package tickets you can choose.  Follow the instruction on the package tickets and use the tickets one by one, the package tickets make your itinerary much easier.And most important , the discount for some package tickets may be up to 40%.

       Nantou Bus issues package tickets with discount and convenient guide for Sun Moon Lake, Alisan, Xitou. You can buy these package at Nantou Bus counter in HSR Taichung Station(Gate 5, Floor 1), Gancheng Station(closed to Taichung Train Station), Puli Station, Shuishe Station.

Sun Moon Lake, Alisan Package Tickets

Sun Moon Lake, Xitou  Package Tickets

       There are also package tickets for You can buy these package at Nantou Bus counter in HSR Taichung Station(Gate 5, Floor 1), Gancheng Station(closed to Taichung Train Station).

Cingjing Package Tickets

Note:

1. You can also choose Gangchen Bus Station, 15 minutes away from Taichung Railway Station by walking, instead of "HSR Taichung Station" in the summary table above.
2. The round-ticket of NTD 680 and NTD 990 between SML & HSR Taichung Station includes

 (1)HSR Taichung Statin<->SML 

 (2)HSR Taichung Statin<->Puli,  

 (3)Puli<->SML. 

        Puli means you can stopover at National Chi Nan University, Taomikeng (Paper Dome), Dayan or Antique Assam Tea Farm.

Paper Dome, Puli

1. 3.For how to arrange the itinerary of Alisan & SML, please visit another post.
2. 4.You can buy For NTD 360 & NTD 680 package at 7-11

NTD360 & NTD680 Package ticket sold at 7-11

• Itinerary Examples

Nantou Chiayi/Route	NC_1	NC_2	NC_3	NC_4
Cingjin			D1
Sun Moon Lake	3	D3	D2
Jiji Line
Jiji	1
Checheng	2
Alisan		D1-2	D3
Zhushan		D2	D4
Fenchihu		D1-1

       You can find more itinerary examples from the following list.  For more itinerary examples of other areas, including Taichung, Nantou & Chiayi, etc , please refer to Area Itinerary Examples.

Itinerary Example NC_2

• Other Toptics

➤Related Topics

    Transportation Between Sun Moon Lake & Alisan: 5-Day Ticket
    Booking Alisan Forest Train Tickets
    Taichung Attractions & Transportation
    Transportation to Taichung
    Booking Train Tickets
    Bus Trip Between Cinjing and Taroko
    Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
    Transportation of Yeliu, Pingxi, Shifen & Jiufen

➤Other Topics You May Be Interested In 

    Transportation of Yeliu, Pingxi, Shifen & Jiufen
    Transportation between Taipei and Hualien(Taroko)
    Taiwan Itinerary Examples
    Area Itinerary Examples
    Luggage Storage