TW · Kaohsiung · 22.62°N 120.30°E

kaohsiung

Harbour city with Pier-2 art, Lotus Pond pagodas and a relaxed southern pace.

Best time
October to April is dry and warm. Summer is very hot, with heavy afternoon rain and the chance of typhoons.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Some airlines fly direct from KL to Kaohsiung (about 4 hours). Otherwise fly into Taipei (about 5 hours) and take the High Speed Rail to Zuoying, about 1.5–2 hours.
Save postcard
TW · Kaohsiungkaohsiung22.62°N 120.30°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Harbour city with Pier-2 art, Lotus Pond pagodas and a relaxed southern pace.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingKaohsiungTW, Kaohsiung
KLkaohsiung
≈ 2,952 km from KL, as the crow flies
The northeast side of the Kaohsiung Music Center during the 2022 Taiwan Lantern Festival. The temporary floating bridge "Great Tiger Bridge" on the left side was specially built for the festival. This

Photo: Tiouraren (Y.-C. Tsai) · CC BY-SA 4.0

1 / 3

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Taiwan's biggest port and the main city of the south. It's warmer, sunnier and more relaxed than Taipei, with a harbourfront arts district, a temple-lined lake and ferries to Cijin Island. It's also the gateway to Kenting.

Makan

  1. Cijin seafoodPick your seafood from the displays along the main street and have it cooked on the spot.Map ↗
  2. Night market foodRuifeng is where locals go; Liuhe is the older, more touristy one.Map ↗
  3. Meinong ban tiaoFlat Hakka rice noodles from Meinong, a Hakka town about an hour out.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Pier-2 Art CenterOld harbour warehouses turned into galleries, shops and big outdoor art, with the light rail running past.Map ↗
  2. Lotus PondA lake lined with temples. Walk in through the dragon's mouth and out of the tiger's at the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas.Map ↗
  3. Cijin IslandA short ferry ride from Gushan, with a seafood street, a beach and an old lighthouse.Map ↗
  4. Fo Guang Shan Buddha MuseumA huge Buddhist complex with a giant seated Buddha, about an hour out of the city.Map ↗
  5. Formosa Boulevard stationAn MRT station under the Dome of Light, a huge stained-glass ceiling.Map ↗

Good to know

  • The MRT and light rail cover most sights. An EasyCard or iPASS works on both.
  • Buses to Kenting leave from Zuoying HSR station and take about 2–2.5 hours.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.