Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Back to Tainan

In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.

Voykit pocket guide · Taiwan

Tainan

臺南

Choose Tainan for temples, old forts and Taiwan's best-known street food: 2 nights, walkable by bike or taxi, about 1 h 45 min from Taipei by high-speed rail plus a 30-minute shuttle.

Tainan is Taiwan's oldest city and was its capital under Dutch and Qing rule. It has dense clusters of temples, forts and old lanes, and it is known for small-plate snacks eaten in many short stops. The high-speed rail station is outside the centre and connects by a shuttle train. It rewards slow days and early starts, and it is the best food stop on a west-coast trip.

TaipeiChanghuaChiayiGuangfuHsinchuHualienJiufenKeelungKinmenPuliTaitungTamsuiTaoyuanTouchengTainan100 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
臺南
Best months
Nov–Mar (dry, mild)
Avoid
Jun–Sep (heat, 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$600–1,000 excl. bed · Mid NT$1,000–2,000 excl. bed · High NT$2,000+ 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

TNN · Tainan Airport
Domestic flights only; taxi to the center in about 15 min, roughly NT$200–300 (2026 estimate). International visitors usually arrive via Taipei or Kaohsiung.

Get around

The old town is walkable in cool months but hot from May to Sept; rent a bike or scooter (check license rules first: a license recognized in Taiwan is required), use buses, or take taxis and ride-hailing that are cheap (about NT$100–200 for short trips, 2026 estimate). From the HSR station take the Shalun line train to Tainan station in about 30 min. Buy an EasyCard or iPASS.

See and do

Known for

  • Anping Fort and Anping Old Street
  • Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)
  • Shennong Street
  • Beef soup and danzai noodles
  • Confucius Temple
  • Hayashi Department Store
  • Chimei Museum
  • Tainan Flower Night Market (Thursday, Saturday, Sunday)

Day trips

WhereHowTime
KaohsiungShalun train to the HSR station, then high-speed rail to Zuoying, about 15–20 minAbout 1–1.25 h
Chimei MuseumTaxi or bus from Tainan Station, about 30 minAbout 45 min
Guanziling hot springsBus from Xinying or taxi, about 1–1.5 hAbout 1.5 h
AlishanTrain to Chiayi, then a bus up the mountainAbout 3–4 h

Sleep

West Central District
Old-town temples and food within walking distance; best for a first visit.
Near Tainan Station
Rail access, buses and the Shalun line; less character than the old town but easy with bags.
Anping
Near the fort and old street; quiet at night, 15 min by taxi from the center.
Shennong Street area
Old lane with small hotels and cafes; nearby food stalls and bars.

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 heat is intense; plan indoor midday breaks and drink water often.
  • Some food stalls close early or on set days, especially Mondays; check hours before crossing town.
  • Scooters ignore red lights at times; cross with locals.
  • Typhoons and heavy rain flood some streets; check the weather bureau before day trips.
  • Temple lanes can be crowded during festivals; keep bags in front.

Very safe by global standards. Watch summer heat and scooters, and drink water.

One and two days

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

  • Anping Fort and Anping Old Street
  • Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)
  • Shennong Street
  • Beef soup and danzai noodles
  • Confucius Temple
  • Hayashi Department Store
  • Chimei Museum
  • Tainan Flower Night Market (Thursday, Saturday, Sunday)

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.

Tainan臺南

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

Voykit · checked 2026-09

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