One of Taiwan’s top rail journeys and a scenic sightseeing train running between Chiayi and Alishan, we recently rode the Formosensis train 阿里山福森號觀光列車 and it was magical.
A luxury forest train in Taiwan with beautiful carriages, fun activities and memorable experiences, this is the best way to take the train along the Alishan Forest Railway line in style.
Operating since 2024 and running several services to and from Alishan, there are four different Formomensis themed experiences meaning you can go all the way from Beimen / North Gate station (Chiayi) to Alishan and back, with new things to see and do.
A luxury Taiwan train ride through the forest and up a steep mountain, Formensis offers incredible views and fantastic service. We took a ride in March 2026 so here is our guide to Taiwan’s Formosensis train.
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How to book the Formosensis Train 阿里山福森號觀光列車
Locals will most likely book their tickets on Lion Travel’s official website – however the website is not English friendly, so for foreign travellers, the best way to book the Formosensis train online is via KKDay. Note KKDay is a reputable Taiwan travel booking site, very similar to Klook.
Formosensis Train is also sometimes available to book on Klook but at the time of writing in March 2026, it is currently unavailable but do keep checking.
As the Formosensis train has only 6 carriages and only operates on certain days of the week, the train sells out quite quickly so do plan your trip well in advance.
Please note that the Formosensis train is different to the regular (and older) Alishan Forest Railway train that runs daily to and from Chiayi to Alishan. We will be writing a guide to the regular train very soon!
Taiwan Formosensis 2026 Prices
There are four different Formosensis 阿里山福森號觀光列車 experiences, each costing around NT$4,500 per journey ($140 USD / £105).
So to do the Formosensis train all the way from Chiayi to Alishan and then back would be four separate trips costing around NT$18,000 ($560 USD / £425) to do all four experiences.
The four Formensis themed journeys are:
- Forest Feast – Beimen/North Gate station to Shizilu/Crossroad station (Sunday morning at 9.30am)
- Forest Healing – Shizilu/Crossroad station to Alishan station (Sunday afternoon at 2.20pm)
- Forest Melody – Alishan station to Fenqihu station (Monday morning at 8.55am)
- Forest Tea Ritual – Fenqihu station to Beimen/North Gate station (Monday afternoon at 12.40pm, plus additional journeys on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2.20pm).
We did the Forest Feast route (Chiayi’s Beimen station to Shizilu station) in March 2026 and were hosted by Lion Travel. We took the Alishan Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus back to Chiayi after arriving at Shizilu station (map).
Check out the full Formosensis itineraries here on the Lion Travel website, however foreign travellers are best to book via KKDay >
Our Formosensis Experience
We rode the Formomensis Taiwan train from Beimen Station in Chiayi to Shizilu station on Sunday 1 March 2026, undertaking the Forest Feast route. It was an incredible Taiwanese rail journey with food, fun and fine forest views, in other words – magical!
Staying in Chiayi for a few nights before (we rate Orange Hotel in Chiayi, Yoyo Hotel in Chiayi is also very good value but basic), we walked over to Beimen Station / North Gate Station to start our Formensis adventure (the train departs at 9:30am).
Please note Beimen station (also known as North Gate station) is different to the main Chiayi TRA station, Beimen / North Gate station can be found here >
Please note the old hotel Lakeshore Hotel Chiayi Beimen煙波大飯店 嘉義北門館 next to the Formosensis starting station is set to reopen in the summer of 2026 and will be the most convenient hotel to take Formosensis when it reopens, as it overlooks the station.
We checked in at Beimen station – a member of staff walks around with a clipboard at 9.10am onwards and told us our allocated seat numbers.
We also got a cute souvenir stamp – everyone seemed really excited as the Formosensis carriages pulled into the station and there was jubilant rush to get aboard.
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All aboard the Formosensis
The first thing you notice as you get aboard is the beautiful wooden interiors – despite it only being in operation since 2023, there is a classic and vintage feel about the interiors. It is certainly a lot more comfortable and luxurious experience than say the Alishan Forest Railway carriages.
From a practical standpoint, please note there is very little Formosensis luggage space and no overhead storage space. Most guests were with coach tours and so had no luggage with them – we did see someone store their pram behind a counter though.
As we sat down in our window seats with a small table, we browsed the book on our table – ‘Echoes Along the 2421m Ascent’ by Wu Ming Han – we were given an English edition to browse which was a nice touch.
All of the commentary onboard is in Mandarin but we were given an accompanying leaflet in English – staff will also often tell you what time to get off and back on board too in English.
As you would expect from a mountain bound train to Alishan, the journey is quite wobbly so if you suffer from motion sickness, consider taking appropriate tablets (especially if you are doing all four Formosensis journeys).
Forest Feast – first stop at Lumachan Station
A little while after leaving Beimen / Chiayi, our first stop was at Lumachan Station, a historic hinoki wood station that was recently renovated by Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office.
Part of the Alishan Forest Railway line in Chiayi County, Lumachan was such a fun first Formosensis stop as it is home to a station master dog, an Akita called Boji or Pokichi (we aren’t quite sure!)
We’ve seen Kaohsiung’s Mikan Station Master cat before but we didn’t know about this Chiayi dog station master so it was pleasant surprise – the akita bounded out to meet travellers plus there were lots of cute dog souvenirs and canine keepsakes to buy. And some snacks too like tea-eggs.
This was such a fun photo-spot – and don’t forget to get your akita station dog stamp too!
Back into the Forest – Lumachan to Zhangnaoliao
Back aboard the Formosensis train, staff gave us each a wonderful wooden brooch featuring the train logo.
Around 10.15am, we were served the first of several snacks – an oolong black tea and blueberry cheese muffin accompanied with a flask of tea.
Your tea is refilled throughout the journey and you are allowed to take home your Formosensis flask as a souvenir at the end – we have shipped ours back to the UK as a nice reminder of this Taiwan train trip.
Our second stop was Zhangnaoliao Station, which was the most memorable stop of the whole journey as it featured a local musician who performed on the tracks.
The forest setting was sublime and the colorful canopy of trees was a blissful backdrop. For the best views, walk up the road next to the train line and look over the railway line as the musician plays.
We absolutely adored this stop because it was so unique with the performer on the railway tracks and the iconic Alishan Forest Railway red and white engine behind it – it was kind of a ‘pinch me’ moment, reminding us of how incredible a place Taiwan is to travel around.
This is a beautiful part of Chiayi county and there were lots of hikers in the area, plus the station has some food stalls. You could buy Taiwanese food like sausages, tea eggs, grilled vegetables or treat yourself to a cold beer – ganbae!
There is a toilet block here at the station should you need to go (or just wait and use the toilets back on board).
Third Formosensis Forest Feast stop – Mount Duli then food
Next up, a brief 5 minute stop at Mount Duli to look out from the ‘Third Observation Deck’ and see incredible panoramic views of Chiayi County and to look towards the mountains – the Chianan Plain is a beautiful spot to stop and soak up scenic views.
Back onboard, we enjoyed more forest vistas and mountainscapes before a quick stop at Fenqihu to pick up gourmet bento boxes (‘bian dang’) prepared by Hotel Indigo Alishan.
Incidentally, we had spent several blissful nights in Fenqihu a few days previously and absolutely loved it there. Sleepily sublime with wonderful forest walks, we actually kind of prefer it to Alishan as it is quieter and we had most of the hikes and trails here to ourselves – check out our Fenqihu guide (coming soon).
Bento Box bliss
We enjoyed our bento boxes which featured several different dishes, carefully curated and presented – and exquisite Taiwanese food like this is always best served with mountain views.
The Formosensis bento box included dishes like Jin Xuan tea-scented braised tofu, baked chicken with ginger and bitter tea oil, and wood-grilled salted pork.
Our final Formosensis stop
After being given our Formosensis gift certificate (a nice reminder of our trip), we passed several more Alishan Forest Railway stations including Duolin where locals were busy drying noodles next to the train tracks.
At 1.20pm our last stop was Shizilu Station (map), a scenic station which is where our particular Formosensis Forest Feast foray ended. Some passengers continued onto Alishan as part of the ‘Forest Healing Route’ which departs at 2.20pm.
As we exited the train, there was a wonderful welcome performance from the local Tsou indigenous tribe which many train travellers joined in with.
This was a fitting final stop for us as there is a viewing deck above the station offering stunning mountain views.
This was an entertaining end to our forest adventure and we jumped on a bus back to Chiayi.
The bus stop with buses to either Chiayi or Alishan is located just a few minutes walk away from Shizilu Station.
The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus to Chiayi is scheduled at 1.56pm, and to Alishan at 2.35pm.
We looked into getting the regular daily Alishan Forest Railway train back down to Chiayi but that train departs Shizulu station a minute before the Formosensis train arrives!
Formosensis review and summary
One of Taiwan’s top railway journeys, the Formosensis 阿里山福森號觀光列車 is the perfect way to start your Alishan adventure – featuring epic experiences and fabulous Formosan food and culture, this is a magical way to see one of Taiwan’s most beautiful regions.
Formosensis books up quickly so do plan your trip in advance and book here via KKDay.
In total, there are four Formosensis themed experiences, each costing around $140 USD as of March 2026 – we enjoyed our Forest Feast trip, truly a breathtaking bucket list Taiwan activity.
Formosensis Train – other things to know / practical information
- The train leaves promptly and on time from stations especially at the start in Chiayi / Beimen so make sure you are on time.
- There are toilets on board Formosensis plus at selected stops like Lumachan and Zhangnaoliao stations.
- Surprisingly, phone reception in the mountains is pretty good, should you need it for transport information or to get the bus back down.
- The journey is quite shaky – so if you suffer from motion sickness, you want to take some tablets before boarding the Formosensis.
- Most of the Formosensis announcements and signage is in Mandarin.
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