How to Hike Highest Peak in Taiwan

I put hiking Jade Mountain on my list of things to do in Taiwan when I was there in 2025. Turns out that such a thing as Taiwanese Triathlon (台灣人三部曲) exists in Taiwan. And hiking Jade Mountain is one of them. I did some research into doing it, and it seemed that people complete the hike in two days, the total distance is about 26 km, and the elevation gain is 1733 meters (as measured by my Garmin Fenix 7x).

The information online seemed overwhelming to me, incomplete, or just too complex for what it is. Most information is about hiking it in 2 days. The primary motive behind hiking it in two days is to be able to see the sunrise from the peak. I hiked it in one day, so this guide will only cover that case.

I managed to do my hike on September 29, 2026. And here’s my write up on simple steps to get the permit, arrange accommodation, and make your way to the trail using public transportation only.

Note that if you have a car, you can skip the transportation section entirely.

Step 1: Apply for the Permit

You can only apply for the permit during a certain period of time. For the single day hike, you can apply up to 5 days before your intended date of entry.

Go to Hike Smart Taiwan Service website
Go to Online Application -> Apply for Park Permit and then pick Yushan National Park Headquarters in the hiking route selection window.
Now, you will see Yushan Trails Day Hike in the list of trails. Click Apply.
After reading (wink wink) the regulations, you’ll see the application form where it asks if you want to apply for Paiyun Lodge Advance Application or Standard Application. Pick Standard Application option. This is the option that will allow us to apply for a single day permit.
Now, fill out the form. The fields will be pretty self explanatory.
Once you finish the application, you will receive emails from Hike Smart Taiwan Service confirming your application. And subsequently, another email indicating whether your application was approved or not.
If your application was approved, you will receive an email from the National Police Agency to fill out information about your hiking group, the email will also contain sufficient information for you to be able to complete this with ease.
Once all of these steps are done, you are ready to enter the park!

You will eventually receive additional emails about extra information and also informing you that you need to check in at the trail head. You can check in at the National Police Agency, but since you’ll be doing the hike in one day, you will probably start your hike before 06:30 which is the opening time for the office.

However, on your hike, once you arrive at the Paiyun Lodge, you will be able to check in there. You can also take breath, enjoy the view, get some tea and rest before you continue on to the rest of the hike.

Step 2: Book Accommodation at Dongpu Lodge

If you don’t have a car, this step is crucial. You want to get a good rest before your hike, and you need to be close to where the trail head is if you don’t have a car. So, you need to go to their website, email them with your intended dates of stay and wait for a response.

They were pretty quick to respond in my case. I was able to book it in the same day, and later I needed to extend my stay and they responded pretty quickly to that as well.

You can see their contact information on their website: http://dongpusky.tw/

Step 3: Book Transportation

Taiwan’s high speed rail system is amazing! You can get to Chiayi from Taipei Main Station just by checking the train times (I used Google Maps for it) and just showing up. You go to a dedicated ticket counter to buy the ticket for your destination. You can get a ticket with a dedicated seat, or you can by a non-dedicated seat ticket which will be a bit cheaper. I always go for the non-dedicated seat options since I always found a place to sit.

Next, this part is crucial, you need to book the bus from Alishan Transport Station to Dongpu Lodge. The 6739 Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus will take you to a bus station that’s near Dongpu Lodge, but this buss strictly operates with reservations. Go to Yuanlin Bus website to book your seat from Alishan Transport Station to Dongpu Lodge. And as you are doing that, you need to ensure that you also book your return ticket from Dongpu Lodge to Alishan Transport Station.

You can also call Dongpu Lodge to arrange a pick up for you from Alishan Transport Station, but it is NTD$1500 (This was September 29th, 2026). You can alternatively get a taxi from there to Dongpu Lodge and that was NTD$1000 for me.

Sanity Check List

Get mountain entry permit
Book 6739 bus tickets (If you don’t have a car)
Book Dongpu Lodge accommodation (If you need it)

If you are driving, it is possible that you can just drive to the parking lot of the trail head, sleep a few hours in your car and start your hike.

To give you a frame of reference, here’s how my trip went. I went to Chiayi from Taipei Main Station. Then, I took 7329 Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus (I didn’t book a ticket) from Taiwan High Speed Rail Chiayi Station. That took me to Alishan Transport Station. And unfortunately for me, I hadn’t booked the bus ticket so I took a taxi from there to Dongpu Lodge.

If you have average level of fitness, you move one or twice a week, maybe you go on runs or bike, then this hike is very doable in a single day. The most difficult section of the hike is after Paiyun Lodge, that’s where you take most of the elevation gain. Until then, it’s a very pleasant and moderate hike.

As I was preparing for the hike, I was nervous but after having done it, I realize I brought way too much snacks for myself. I hiked in September, so the weather was not too bad. No ice or snow yet. The conditions of the trail are very good. There are rocky sections, so you have to watch your steps at times, and there are sections that have high risk of rock falls, but otherwise it’s an “easy” hike, given that you have some base fitness.