Alishan is farther away than it looks, especially if you see a map of Taiwan and assume that everything is close. The roads leading to its are winding and narrow, and they head there from Chiayi, which is itself one of Taiwan’s most remote large cities.
Now, I know personal experience that you can see Alishan on a day trip—if you’re starting in Chiayi. But in travel as in life in general, just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should.
Over the next few paragraphs, I’ll explain why I now prefer to stay overnight at Alishan, even in cases where it isn’t necessary. I’ll also provide you with tips to smooth out your trip, no matter how long you stay.
Alishan is Far—from Taipei, At Least
Look, I guess that if you were the most motivated traveler in the world, you could visit Alishan from Taipei, and come back the same day. You’d first need to take a very early HSR train from Taipei to Chiayi, where you would need to pick up a rental car and drive immediately to Alishan. Presuming you reached the tea fields of Shizhao by 10 AM, you could conceivably visit both Fengqihu Old Street and the main forest area in time to return your car by the agency’s closing time.
Now, the prospect of a day trip is much easier from Chiayi—or, absent that, from elsewhere in southern Taiwan. Ideally only from Tainan, though you could technically do it from Kaohsiung. Here too, however, you’re having to contend with the fact that Alishan is extremely spread out, its attractions separated by some of the slowest-going roads in all of Taiwan. As a result, staying overnight is always preferable, if at all possible.
5 Tips About Staying Overnight at Alishan
Book a B&B the Taiwanese way
The first time I stayed overnight in Alishan, the “homestay” I chose grossly disappointed me, in spite of having been one of the top-rated options on Booking.com. I only learned after the fact that most Taiwanese book Alishan accommodation directly with the properties, and that most located above and within the tea fields are discoverable not via an online travel agency, but via Google Maps.
Choose a place near the tea fields
In case you haven’t already realized it, I vastly prefer the tea area around the town of Shizhao when I sleep at Alishan, both in terms of the quality of places available, as well as because of the scenic views. So, when you search for Alishan guest houses on Google Maps, use the Sunset Trail or the Mist Trail as landmarks.
Attempt to watch sunset (and sunrise the next morning)
The bad news? Alishan is misty, which isn’t actually all bad news—without this perpetual mist, it would be very difficult for its famous tea to grow. The good news? If you can’t watch sunset over the tea fields, then riding the Alishan Forest Railway to Zhushan Station early the next morning should enable you to see an incredible sunrise.
Stay two nights, if you can
Of course, as you can probably tell via my photos (at least as of mid-2026), I have yet to see a sunrise or sunset atop Alishan, neither from my Alishan guest house nor from Zhushan. You can minimize the chance that you’ll suffer the same fate by staying two nights, which gives you two potential sunsets and two potential sunrises.
Continue onward to Sun Moon Lake or Yushan
Staying in Alishan for a night represents a commitment to a lesser-visited part of Taiwan, something that I never never regretted, and always resulted in a better trip and in my travel personality becoming richer. Double-down on this strategy by continuing deeper into central Taiwan, be that northward to Sun Moon Lake, or southeaastward to Yushan mountain.
An Alishan Day Trip from Chiayi, Tainan or Kaohsiung
As I highlighted earlier in this piece, it is conceivable that you could decide to do an Alishan day trip from somewhere in southern Taiwan, depending on how much time you have in your trip. Here’s how I’d go about it:
- If you aren’t staying in Chiayi, get there. Most of the direct buses to Alishan leave from Chiayi Main Station; this is also the best place to rent a car.
- Decide whether you want to rent a car in the the first place. This isn’t necessary, but will allow you to explore Alishan more quickly, which is key on a day trip.
- Be methodical about your sightseeing. With only a short amount of time to play with, you won’t have much room for improvisation, let alone to make mistakes. Here, structure beats spontaneity.
Other FAQ About Overnight Stays in Alishan
Is Alishan worth staying overnight?
Alishan is definitely worth an overnight stay, particularly if you do the work of finding an accommodation with a great location and view. Even if you stay in an unremarkable hotel or guest house, however, simply having more time to explore Alishan’s attractions (which are pretty spread out from one another) is worth the trouble.
Where to stay overnight in Alishan?
Unlike most places in Taiwan (and around the world, if we’re being honest), Alishan doesn’t have a lot of good accommodations bookable via online travel agencies. Rather, I recommend using Google Maps to find small guesthouses located high up in the tea fields, then contacting them directly to book.
Can you do a day trip to Alishan from Sun Moon Lake?
You can do a day trip to Alishan from Sun Moon Lake if you have a car—the driving distance is only about 90 minutes each way. However, if you don’t have your own vehicle (or absent that, can’t hire a car and driver), it’s effectively impossible to do a Sun Moon Lake to Alishan day trip.
The Bottom Line
Should you stay overnight at Alishan? In most cases you should, though if you can absolutely only take a day trip, it is doable. With this being said, having a longer amount of top atop Alishan unlocks a lot of possibilities for your trip. First among them? You don’t need to rush through sightseeing, which is good: The area is bigger than it looks, and attractions are spread out. Moreover, although neither are guaranteed thanks to Alishan’s famous mist, even the possibility of watch sunset over the tea fields or sunrise from Zhushan is worth rolling the dice on an overnight stay. Need personalized help planning your Taiwan trip? Commission a custom Taiwan itinerary today!
