The village is located on Kerinci Seblat National Park's eastern slopes, at an altitude of 1,400–1,600 metres (4,600–5,200 ft), near Mount Talang.

Situated between Alahan Panjang and the other nearby major town of Muara Labuh are the subvillages of Air Dingin Barat, Alang Laweh, and Sungai Kalau II.

[1] It lies in the valley of the same name in northern Minangkabau Highlands, producing rubber, coffee, sugarcane, yams, maize, tobacco and bananas and using a high amount of pesticides.

[5] After 1848, the government constructed a secondary road between Alahan Panjang and Solok, West Sumatra, located to the east.

[7] Alahan Panjang, along with Padang, Pariaman, Silungkang, Sawah Lunto, Sijinjung and Suliki, has been cited as an area which had particularly active communists in local politics.