高雄市政府, Source

Kaohsiung

Harbor Lights, Art and Night Markets

Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s second-largest city, located on the southwest coast along the warm waters of the Taiwan Strait. Known for its harbor and industrial history, it has grown into a modern urban center with parks, museums and cultural spaces. The city features a lively night market scene where street food and local crafts are easy to find. Kaohsiung’s mix of coastal breezes, historic neighborhoods and contemporary art venues creates an accessible environment for visitors seeking both relaxation and discovery without traveling far from home.

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City in Taiwan

$$$

$	Cheap
$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

See price details

Safety: 7.2

General Safety:	7
Health & medical:	8
Accessibility:	6
Tap water:	7

Read details

3/5

English is spoken in most hotels, tourist attractions, and some restaurants, especially by younger staff. In night markets and local shops, English is less common, but basic communication is usually possible with gestures or translation apps.

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Last update: 12 Oct 2026

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Kaohsiung Summary

These place ratings give you a quick overview of how well a destination matches different types of trips.

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Great for harbor views and urban culture. Explore night markets, visit modern museums, walk waterfront parks and enjoy temples and lively street food scenes.

Place score

7.3

Best at:

Sea

Walkable

Spotless

Local cuisine

Street food

Personal score

Suited for

👶 7

Families

🧓 6

Seniors

❤️ 8

Couples

🛡️ 7

Travel Beginners

Taiwan – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	110 V, 60 Hz Plug: Type A , Type B Type A: Type B: Read about power adapters
Currency:	New Taiwan Dollar (TWD) £1 ≈ NT$43.15
Cashless info:	Rating 5/5 Cashless payments are widely accepted in Taiwan, especially in major cities. The EasyCard (a stored-value card for public transport and convenience stores) and mobile payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are common. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is not expected in Taiwan, and it is not common to leave tips in restaurants, taxis, or hotels.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is allowed in Taiwan, but alcohol is typically consumed in licensed venues such as bars and restaurants.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited in indoor public spaces, but there are designated smoking areas outdoors.

Lunar New Year (date varies)	Celebrated with family gatherings and feasts
National Day (10 October)	Taiwan’s National Day

Emergency contact:	Emergency Numbers: 110 (Police), 119 (Fire, Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, Taiwan Taxi
Other:	Taiwan is known for its night markets, beautiful mountains, and vibrant cities. It is a popular destination for food lovers and nature enthusiasts.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Kaohsiung, Taiwan

🌤️

Jan

🌤️

Feb

🌤️

Mar

🔥

Apr

🌦️

May

⛈️

Jun

⛈️

Jul

⛈️

Aug

🌦️

Sep

🔥

Oct

🌤️

Nov

🌤️

Dec

High season:	Jan. - Feb., Nov. - Dec.
Shoulder season:	March - May, Oct.
Crowdedness:	7 (Many tourists)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

Typhoon season July to October, heavy rain can disrupt flights, ferries and rail

Lunar New Year (late January to mid February): many local shops and restaurants close for several days, trains and roads are packed

Rainy season May to September, dry sunny weather November to March

Don't miss

🌈 Visit the stunning Dome of Light at Formosa Boulevard MRT
🐉 Explore Lotus Pond and its iconic Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
🎨 Stroll the vibrant Pier-2 Art Center waterfront
❤️ Relax along Love River and enjoy riverside cafes
🌄 Climb Shoushan Love Lookout for panoramic city views
🌮 Sample street food at Liuhe Night Market

You've been here?

Why travel to Kaohsiung?

Kaohsiung is a fantastic blend of modern city life and natural beauty. You can stroll along the Love River, marvel at the world’s largest glass artwork in the Dome of Light or hop a ferry to Cijin Island for sandy beaches and unbeatable seafood. The city’s Lotus Pond is ringed with whimsical temples and the iconic Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, while the Pier-2 Art Center is a must for anyone who loves creative spaces and murals. Kaohsiung is also a paradise for foodies, with night markets like Liuhe and Ruifeng offering everything from bubble tea to grilled seafood. It’s a very friendly, spacious city, less crowded than Taipei and easy to get around by metro, light rail or bike. Just be prepared for hot, humid weather most of the year and summer typhoons or heavy rain. Some attractions are spread out, so plan your days to avoid too much back-and-forth. English is spoken in many tourist areas, but less so in smaller shops or street stalls.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 Central Park
2 Pier-2 Art Center
3 Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
4 Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
5 Dome of Light
6 Love River
7 #3 (Bus to Fo Guang Shan Monastery)
8 Former British Consulate at Takao

🎡Places for activities

1 Formosa Boulevard
2 Takao Railway Park
3 Cijin Ferry Terminal

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Cijin Beach
2 Tianliao Moon World
3 Lotus Pond
4 Chengcing Lake

🛍️Shopping

1 Dream Mall
2 Sanduo Shopping District
3 Liuhe Night Market
4 Rui Feng Night Market
5 Houyi Shopping District

🎈Events

Kaohsiung Lantern Festival
Dragon Boat Festival
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Birthday Festival
Kaohsiung Film Festival
Pier-2 Art Festival
Cijin Black Sand Festival
Kaohsiung International Marathon
Yanchengpu Street Art Festival
Lotus Pond Temple Festivals
Moon Festival at Lotus Pond

Explore on map

Open map view

Knowledge before you go

Use the MRT; it’s fast, clean and intuitive.
Plan evenings around night markets; Liuhe is central, Ruifeng feels more local and lively.
Add a half-day for Cijin Island by ferry; beaches, seafood and easy cycling.
Combine Pier-2 Art Center with Love River after dark; cooler air and better city lights.

How to travel to Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung International Airport is just 20 minutes from downtown by metro or taxi, with flights across Asia. High-speed rail (HSR) connects Kaohsiung (Zuoying Station) with Taipei in under 2 hours. Intercity trains and buses serve all of Taiwan. Ferries run to Cijin Island and other local ports.

Access summary

From Kaohsiung Airport (KHH): MRT red line or taxi, about 15–25 min.
From Taipei: High-speed rail to Zuoying, then MRT, roughly 2–3 h.
From Taoyuan Airport (TPE): Shuttle to HSR, then train south, around 3–4 h.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung has a wide range of accommodation, from stylish hotels and boutique guesthouses to budget hostels. Most visitors stay near the Sanduo Shopping District, Central Park or around Formosa Boulevard for easy metro access. For a beach vibe, try Cijin Island. Book ahead for major festivals.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

Silks Place Tainan

9.3

LakeShore Hotel Tainan

9.3

E-Da Royal Hotel

8.7

Caesar Park Hotel Kenting

8.9

U.I.J Hotel&Hostel (UIJ)

FX Hotel Tainan Minsheng Rd

8.6

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is easy to explore by metro (KMRT), light rail (LRT) and city buses, with most major sights accessible by public transport. The city is bike-friendly, with rental stations and dedicated lanes. Ferries connect the harbor to Cijin Island. Taxis are affordable, but traffic can be heavy at rush hour. Some attractions are spread out, so grouping them by area saves time.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-61 %

Daily expenses in Kaohsiung are around 61% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend a lot less on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-11 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to TWD) is 11% better than in recent years. That means travelling now is cheaper compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£31	£76	£202
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£11	£45	£113
🍝 Food per day	£17	£27	£77
🚕 Transportation per day	£3	£4	£13

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£12
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£2.90
🍟 Fast food combo	£3.90
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£7
☕ Cappuccino	£2.20
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£1.20

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£0.60
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£7.50
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£0.75

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£7
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£50
🤧 Cold medication	£9.50
💇 Basic haircut	£6.50

Safety information overview

General safety

Kaohsiung is very safe, with low crime rates. Usual precautions apply: keep valuables secure in crowded night markets and on public transport. Watch for scooters when crossing streets and avoid swimming during typhoon warnings.

Health & Medical

Medical care is excellent, with hospitals and clinics throughout the city. Tap water is technically potable but most locals drink filtered or bottled water. Mosquitoes can be a nuisance in parks and wetlands — bring repellent.

Accessibility

Most main attractions, metro stations and shopping malls are accessible, but some older temples and night markets can be crowded or have uneven ground. Public transport is generally accessible, but check ahead for specifics if needed.

Tap water

Tap water is officially safe but most visitors and locals use filtered or bottled water for drinking. Public fountains are rare, so carry a refillable bottle, especially in the heat.