Region
Southern Taiwan
Base in Tainan or Kaohsiung; add Chiayi/Alishan or Kenting only with 2 extra nights.
More: share, save offline, report a correction
More
Key facts · Taiwan
- Best months
- Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov
- Currency
- New Taiwan dollar (TWD, NT$)
- Language
- Mandarin
- Plugs
- A · B · 110 V
- Time zone
- UTC+8 all year
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.
Southern Taiwan runs from the Yunlin coast down to the Kenting tip. Tainan is the old capital: temples, forts and food, walkable and cheap. Kaohsiung is the harbour city: MRT, arts district, easy airport. Chiayi is the gateway to Alishan and the highlands. Pingtung holds Kenting's beaches and reef. The high-speed rail (THSR) links Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung in under an hour, so you can sleep in one city and day-trip the rest. Pick Tainan for history and food, Kaohsiung for transport and nightlife.
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- KaohsiungCity guide
Harbour city, MRT, airport, arts district, night markets.
Best Nov–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Day trip
- Kenting National ParkGuide: planned
Beach and reef base; 2 nights if you want to swim.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 3 nights
- Tainan 2 + Kaohsiung 1
- 5 nights
- Tainan 2 + Kaohsiung 2 + Chiayi/Alishan 1
- 7 nights
- Tainan 2 + Kaohsiung 2 + Kenting 2 + Chiayi 1
- Tainan + Kaohsiung + Alishan + Kenting in 3 days is four half-days of transit.
- Kenting is a 2-hour bus from Kaohsiung; do not treat it as a half-day.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tainan | Kaohsiung | 40 min | check | TRA or THSR; last trains back are late evening — check the day's timetable. |
| Kaohsiung | Tainan | 40 min | check | THSR ~20 min, TRA ~35 min; evening trip works. |
| Chiayi | Tainan | 45 min | check | THSR ~25 min; Alishan forest railway from Chiayi is a separate booking. |
| Kenting | Kaohsiung | 150 min | check | Bus from Kaohsiung ~2 h; a day trip is rushed — stay 1–2 nights. |
Bags between cities
Luggage forwarding between Tainan and Kaohsiung is usually next-day (D+1); the receiving hotel must accept it.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tainan | go | go | go | ok | ok | × | × | × | × | ok | go | go |
| Kaohsiung | go | go | go | ok | ok | × | × | × | × | ok | go | go |
| Chiayi | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | × | × | × | go | go | go |
| Pingtung | go | go | go | go | ok | × | × | × | × | go | go | go |
| Taiwan (country-wide) | go | ok | go | go | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tainan / Kaohsiungsouthwest plain and harbour | ok | ok | best | best | wet | wet | hot | hot | storm | best | best | ok |
| Kenting / Pingtungsouthern tip | best | best | best | best | wet | wet | storm | storm | storm | best | best | best |
| Alishan / Chiayi highlandscentral mountains | cool | cool | ok | best | best | wet | wet | wet | ok | best | best | cool |
- Tainan / Kaohsiung
- Hot and humid May–Sep; typhoons Jul–Sep can shut ferries and flights for a day. Winters are mild and dry.
- Kenting / Pingtung
- Warm year-round; the wet season and typhoons run May–Sep. Best beach months are Mar–Jun and Oct–Nov.
- Alishan / Chiayi highlands
- Cooler than the plain; sunrise trips need a pre-dawn start and a jacket.
Best months are also the crowd peaks: Lunar New Year and summer weekends fill Kenting and Alishan beds weeks ahead.
Getting in and passes
Arrival times and regional passes
Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPE (Taoyuan International) | Tainan / Kaohsiung | Airport MRT to Taoyuan HSR, then THSR south | ~2 h to Tainan, ~2 h 30 to Kaohsiung | The standard route from far abroad; THSR runs until about 23:00.The standard route from far abroad; THSR runs until about 11:00 PM. |
| KHH (Kaohsiung International) | Kaohsiung city | MRT red line | ~20 min to city centre | Direct flights from many East and Southeast Asian cities. |
| TNN (Tainan) | Tainan city | Taxi or bus | ~20 min | Domestic and limited international flights only. |
| CYI (Chiayi) | Chiayi city | Taxi or bus | ~20 min | Domestic flights; the gateway for Alishan. |
| Taipei | Tainan / Kaohsiung | THSR | ~1 h 45 to Tainan, ~2 h to Kaohsiung | Reserve a seat; non-reserved cars exist on some trains. |
Regional passes
THSR standard ticket
buyPoint-to-point is usually cheaper than a pass for a 3–5 night south trip; book early for discounts.
TRA (regular rail)
checkCheaper than THSR but slower; useful for Kenting and small towns.
EasyCard / iPass
buyTap on MRT, TRA, buses and convenience stores; no pass maths needed.
Kenting shuttle bus
checkKaohsiung–Kenting buses run through the day; check the current timetable and fare.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Beef soup (niurou tang) | Tainan | Often a breakfast dish; shops sell out by late morning. |
| Milkfish (wuyu) dishes | Tainan | Grilled, in soup or as congee; a local specialty. |
| Coffin bread (guancai ban) | Tainan | Fried bread bowl with a savoury filling; sold at night markets. |
| Turkey rice (huoji rou fan) | Chiayi | Rice with shredded turkey and sauce; a Chiayi staple. |
| Oyster omelette | Kaohsiung night markets | Egg, oysters and starch; cooked to order. |
| Seafood at Cijin | Kaohsiung | Pick your fish and agree the price before cooking. |
Go next
Taipei
THSR ~1 h 45 from Tainan
Fly home from TPE if the ticket is open-jaw.
Taitung
TRA from Kaohsiung ~2 h
Gateway to the East Rift Valley and the east coast.
Penghu
Flight from Kaohsiung or Chiayi ~40 min
Island summer; ferries also run from Chiayi.
Alishan
plannedForest railway or bus from Chiayi, ~2 h 30
Sunrise and forest trails; book the railway ahead.
Guanzihling
plannedBus from Chiayi, ~1 h 30
Hot springs in the highlands; a quiet overnight.
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Going in… · Trips here
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 2 bases
- Day trips
- 4, 40 min to 2 h 30
- Nights suggested
- 3–7 nights
- Ways in
- 5 listed
- Best months
- Apr, Oct, Nov (all zones)
Going in…
Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.
Pick a month.
Trips that stop here
Taipei + Tainan + Kaohsiung, 10 nights
5 nights here
taipei → tainan → kaohsiung
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source
Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources
Sources
Ask about Southern Taiwan
Loading…
Was this useful?