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Voykit pocket guide · Taiwan

Kaohsiung

高雄

Go to Kaohsiung for a warm, relaxed port city with art zones, harbor views and night markets: 2 nights, about 1 h 40 min from Taipei by high-speed rail, and the best base for the far south.

Kaohsiung is southern Taiwan's largest city and its main port. Old harbor warehouses have been turned into art and design zones, and the city has a metro, a light rail loop and a long harbor promenade. It is less compact than Tainan, so plan by neighborhood. Add it to a west-coast rail trip after Tainan, or use it as the starting point for Kenting and the southern beaches.

TaipeiTaichungTainanKaohsiung100 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Taiwan
Local name
高雄
Best months
Nov–Mar (dry, warm)
Avoid
Jun–Sep (heat, humidity, typhoons)
Stay
2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
TWD
Money
Night markets, breakfast shops and many small restaurants take cash only; carry NT$1,000–2,000 in small notes.
Daily spend
Budget NT$700–1,100 excl. bed · Mid NT$1,100–2,200 excl. bed · High NT$2,200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at TPE and KHH arrivals; a passport plus a second photo ID is required (check).
Emergency
Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Taiwan Tourism Hotline (24 h, English) 0800-011-765
Plugs
Types A, B · 110 V · 60 Hz · US and Japanese plugs fit; European, UK and Australian plugs need an adapter, and 220 V-only appliances need a converter.
Tipping
Restaurants: No tip; a 10% service charge appears in many sit-down places and hotels.; Taxis: No tip; round up if you like.; Hotel porter: Not expected; NT$100 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not required; NT$200–500 a day or a meal is a thank-you.
Water
Treated at source, but locals boil or filter it. Filtered hot-and-cold dispensers are in stations, hotels and many public buildings; bottles cost NT$20–30.
Toilets
Free, clean toilets in every MRT station, convenience stores and department stores; paper goes in the toilet in most new buildings — follow the sign.

Get in

By air

KHH · Kaohsiung International
Red Line MRT runs from the airport to Kaohsiung Main Station and Formosa Boulevard in about 20–25 min; taxi about NT$250–400 (2026 estimate).

Get around

The MRT (Red and Orange lines) and the Circular Light Rail cover the main areas; single rides are about NT$20–60 (2026 estimate). Buy an EasyCard or iPASS to tap on the MRT, light rail, buses and the Cijin ferry. Taxis start around NT$85–100 (check) and ride-hailing works. Public YouBike bikes are common along the harbor.

See and do

Known for

  • Pier-2 Art Center
  • Lotus Pond temples (Dragon and Tiger Pagodas)
  • Liuhe and Ruifeng night markets
  • Fo Guang Shan monastery
  • Cijin Island ferry and beach
  • Metropolitan Park and Formosa Boulevard station dome
  • Love River and harbor promenade

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Fo Guang ShanBus from Kaohsiung Main Station or Zuoying, about 1 hAbout 1–1.25 h
Cijin IslandMRT to Sizihwan, then a short ferry (about 10 min)About 45 min
TainanHigh-speed rail from Zuoying to Tainan, about 15–20 min, then the Shalun trainAbout 1–1.25 h
KentingBus from Zuoying or Kaohsiung, about 2–2.5 h2.5–3 h

Sleep

Near Kaohsiung Main Station
Rail, MRT Red Line and the long-distance bus terminal; easiest if you arrive with bags or move on by train.
Sanduo Shopping District
Central and lively, with department stores, food streets and Orange Line and light rail access.
Yancheng / Pier-2
Walkable to the art zone, harbor promenade and cafes; quieter at night than Sanduo.
Zuoying (HSR station)
Only if you have an early train; the station is about 10 km from the main sights, connected by the Red Line.

Language

Mandarin is the common language, written in Traditional characters; Taiwanese Hokkien (Taiyu) is the everyday home and market language for many, especially in the south and among older people. English appears on MRT, rail and road signs and in hotels, less in speech. Taiwan uses Hanyu Pinyin on most signs, but older spellings (Wade-Giles and others) survive in place names: Kaohsiung, Keelung, Taipei.

  • Hello: nǐ hǎo (你好). Thank you: xièxie (謝謝). Sorry / excuse me: bù hǎo yìsi (不好意思).
  • How much? duōshǎo qián (多少錢). This one: zhège (這個). No thanks: bú yòng, xièxie (不用，謝謝).
  • Where is the toilet? cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ (廁所在哪裡). I don't understand: wǒ tīng bù dǒng (我聽不懂).
  • Takeaway: wài dài (外帶); eat here: nèi yòng (內用) — the first question at every counter.
  • Hokkien you will hear: lí-hó (hello), to-siā (thank you), hó-tsia̍h (tasty).
  • Show addresses in Chinese characters to taxi drivers; copy them from Google Maps.

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: A nod or light handshake; 'nǐ hǎo'; avoid: Hugs with new acquaintances
  • Handing things: Two hands for cards, gifts and money; avoid: Tossing money on the counter
  • Gifts: Fruit or a boxed sweet for hosts; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, pears and anything in fours — they sound like death or parting
  • MRT: Queue at the markings, give up priority seats; avoid: Eating, drinking or chewing gum past the gates
  • Temples: Enter right, exit left; one or three sticks of incense; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; pointing at deities
  • Home visit: Shoes off; slippers provided; avoid: Writing names in red ink
  • Sensitive topics: Follow your host's lead; many people hold a range of views on identity and cross-strait ties; avoid: Assuming everyone thinks the same about China or the ROC's status

Scams and watch-outs

  • Summer is hot and humid; typhoons can close transport and cancel flights, so allow slack in your schedule from July to October.
  • Scooters crowd crossings and park on pavements; use the crossing signals and do not step out between them.
  • Night-market food stalls may not take cards and prices are not always posted; carry small cash.
  • The MRT bans eating, drinking and chewing gum inside stations and carriages, with fines.
  • The Cijin ferry is busy on weekends and holidays; go early or use the light rail and MRT link.

Very safe by global standards. The real risks are summer heat, typhoons and scooters on pavements and at crossings.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Kaohsiung yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Pier-2 Art Center
  • Lotus Pond temples (Dragon and Tiger Pagodas)
  • Liuhe and Ruifeng night markets
  • Fo Guang Shan monastery
  • Cijin Island ferry and beach
  • Metropolitan Park and Formosa Boulevard station dome
  • Love River and harbor promenade

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Kaohsiung高雄

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/kaohsiung). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.