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Major city · Taiwan

Kinmen金門

Give Kinmen 2–3 nights: fly into KNH, base in Jincheng, rent a scooter (NT$550/day) and split one day for Greater Kinmen, one for Lieyu.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
TWD
Best months
Oct–Dec, Mar–Apr
avoid Jul–Sep (heat, typhoons), Chinese New Year
Airport
KNH
Nights
2–3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • Taiwan ↗Check visa-exemption length, passport validity and the online arrival card (TWAC) on the official sites before you fly.
  • Taiwan ↗An EasyCard (or iPASS) covers MRT, buses, local trains and many convenience-store purchases; buy one at the airport or a station.
  • Taiwan ↗When a local government declares a typhoon day, transport and sights can close for the day; follow the official notice, not the forecast alone.

Kinmen is a Taiwan-controlled island group about 10 km off Xiamen, reached only by air from Taiwan proper. It trades on three things: Cold War military sites, southern Fujian architecture, and kaoliang liquor. Sights are spread across a rural island, so a scooter or the tourist bus matters more than a hotel choice.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Kinmen, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a caféNT$60–120 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Street or quick mealBowl of noodles or a bentoNT$80–150 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Beerconvenience store / barNT$35–60 (≈ US$2)NT$120–200 (≈ US$4–7)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, Shuitou pier to JinchengNT$250 (≈ US$9) flat
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (most military sites)Free
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personNT$700 (≈ US$25)
  • Mid-range bedTraditional minsu double room, a night, per roomNT$2,600 (≈ US$90)
  • High-end bedTraditional minsu double room, a night, per roomNT$4,500 (≈ US$150)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget NT$1,200 (≈ US$40) · Mid NT$2,400 (≈ US$80) · High NT$4,500 (≈ US$150)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Cold War military tunnels and museumsWind Lion God statuesSouthern Fujian and overseas-returnee housesKinmen kaoliang liquor
Airports
KNH Kinmen Airport (Shangyi) (Mandarin Airlines and Uni Air from Taipei, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Penghu; one-way from a little over NT$2,000)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Kinmen: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

17°C

10°C

6 rd

Feb

17°C

10°C

9 rd

Mar

20°C

12°C

11 rd

Apr

24°C

16°C

11 rd

May

27°C

20°C

11 rd

Jun

30°C

24°C

12 rd

Jul

33°C

26°C

8 rd

Aug

33°C

26°C

9 rd

Sep

31°C

24°C

7 rd

Oct

27°C

20°C

4 rd

Nov

23°C

16°C

4 rd

Dec

19°C

12°C

5 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Rent a 150 cc scooter (about NT$550 per 24 h; a licence is required) or use the tourist bus (NT$200 day ticket, Chinese-language guiding, 08:30 and 13:30 from Jincheng). Public buses are cheap (NT$12–24) but infrequent and stop early. Taxis are concentrated in town; Shuitou pier to Jincheng is a NT$250 flat rate. Ferries link Shuitou and Lieyu every 30 min in daytime, about 10–15 min, NT$60 per person plus NT$100 per scooter.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Lieyu (Little Kinmen)

go

Door to door: About 30 min plus sightseeing

Ferry from Shuitou Pier every 30 min in daytime, 10–15 min

Siwei and Jiugong tunnels, quieter than Zhaishan; a bike path rings much of the island.

Zhaishan Tunnel and Shuitou

go

Door to door: About 20–30 min

Scooter or Line A tourist bus from Jincheng

Underground navy pier, free entry; pair with the Deyue Gun Tower and Shuitou houses.

Guningtou and Triangle Fortress

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Scooter or Line B tourist bus / bus 9

1949 battlefield museums and a beach view of the Xiamen skyline.

Xiamen (mainland China)

caution

Door to door: About 1 h plus border formalities

Ferry from Shuitou Pier, about 30 min, several daily 09:00–17:30

Counts as an exit from China; check your visa before booking.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Jincheng (Kincheng)

The main town: bus station, tourist office, food, and the easiest base without a car.

Shuitou

Near the ferry pier and the Zhaishan tunnels; quieter, good for one night before an early boat.

Shanwai / Jinhu

Eastern half; closer to Lion Mountain and Shanhou, but you need your own wheels.

Lieyu (Little Kinmen)

A handful of minsu; only worth it if you want the island after the last ferry.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
NT$1,200–2,000 (≈ US$40–70) excl. bed
Mid
NT$2,000–3,500 (≈ US$70–120) excl. bed
High
NT$3,500 (≈ US$120)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Traditional minsu double room1 × 2 nights × NT$2,600NT$5,200
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × NT$2,400NT$9,600
Scooter rental, 24 h1 × NT$550NT$550
Tourist bus day ticket2 × NT$200NT$400
Shuitou–Lieyu ferry, each way2 × NT$60NT$120
eSIM, about a week of data2 × NT$400NT$800
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeNT$1,670
Trip total≈ NT$4,590 per person per day, bed includedNT$18,340≈ US$650

2026 estimate in New Taiwan dollars; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Bowl of noodles or a bentoNT$80–150 (≈ US$3–5)
Coffee or tea in a caféNT$60–120 (≈ US$2–4)
Beer: convenience store / barNT$35–60 (≈ US$2) / NT$120–200 (≈ US$4–7)
Scooter rental, 24 hNT$500–600 (≈ US$17–20)
Taxi, Shuitou pier to JinchengNT$250 (≈ US$9) flat
Kaoliang liquor, 0.6 L bottleNT$400–1,200 (≈ US$14–40)
Museum entry (most military sites)Free

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very low street crime. The real risks are scooters on unfamiliar roads, high wind, summer heat, and straying near military sites with a camera.
  • Do not photograph military installations, posts or infrastructure that could be a military target.
  • Scooters need a valid motorcycle licence; riding without one is illegal.
  • High winds hit any time of year — expect delays on ferries and exposed roads.
  • Buses skip stops with nobody waiting; press the button to get off.
  • A trip from mainland China to Kinmen counts as an exit from China — single-entry visas will not work for a return.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire and ambulance
119

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Kinmen金門

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

請到這個地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance119

Embassy

No embassies on Kinmen; foreign missions are in Taipei. US citizens: American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Taxi Shuitou Pier → Jincheng: NT$250 (≈ US$9) flat
  • Shuitou → Lieyu ferry: NT$60 (≈ US$2) per person, about 10–15 min
  • Tourist bus day ticket: NT$200 (≈ US$7), departs 08:30 and 13:30

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 謝謝 — Thank you (xièxiè)
  • 多少錢？ — How much is it? (duōshǎo qián)
  • 廁所在哪裡？ — Where is the toilet? (cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ)
  • 我想租機車 — I want to rent a scooter (wǒ xiǎng zū jīchē)
  • 請載我到這個地址 — Please take me to this address (qǐng zài wǒ dào zhège dìzhǐ)

Kinmen is administered by Taiwan (ROC). Carry your passport; the ferry to Xiamen crosses into mainland China.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Kinmen. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Dec, Mar–Apr · avoid Jul–Sep (heat, typhoons), Chinese New Year · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for KNH: last flights from Taipei and Kaohsiung, taxi fallback, first-night rung.
  2. Four scooter clusters with rescue anchors: Jincheng, Shuitou and Zhaishan, Guningtou, Shanwai and Lion Mountain.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (8-2-3 museum, Zhaishan, Juguang Tower, Qing military headquarters) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Wind and ferry-cancellation fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Taiwan

Sources