Kaohsiung is located southern part of Taiwan and is connected to many cities via highspeed rail, railways and flights. We love Kaohsiung for many reasons and one of which is the simplicity of getting around in this city. At the same time, the city is tranquil despite being a major international port and industrial city.
Here we have, a laidback 48-hour itinerary to fit this laidback city.
Overview
- Airport Transfer
- Getting around – should I get an iPass or EasyCard?
- Accommodation
- Classic Local Meal
- Dragon and Tiger Pagoda
- Rueifong Night Market
- Formosa Boulevard Station/Dome of Light
- Best Soup Dumplings
- Board a ferry to Cijin Island
- Seafood Restaurant
- Kaisyuan Night Market
Airport Transfer
The public transportation is simple in Kaohsiung and the city center is easily accessible by metro – it should take you there within 30 minutes or so and cost no more than 35 TWD (to Formosa Boulevard Station).
Getting around – should I get an iPass or EasyCard?
iPass is mainly used in Southern cities like Kaohsiung whereas EasyCard is used in Taipei. Nonetheless, both cards now serve the same purpose – you can use them on all public transportations (metro, bus or bicycle rental) as well as purchases in convenience stores across the country. So the biggest question now is which card design you decided to go for! The special design for iPass we bought was Crayon Shin-chan but of course, it’s seasonal – depends on your luck!
The price to purchase a card is 100 TWD and it’s non-refundable. You are also required to top-up 100 TWD value upon purchase – so that makes it 200 TWD for the card.
The card gives you a discount of 15-20% each trip plus more than 50% for the ferry to Cijin Island.
We highly recommend getting one of these cards if you are planning to stay in Taiwan for more than a week and they are valid for 20 years if you have plans on returning to the country. You may also check out the full scope of an iPass here.
Accommodation
We wanted to stay within the neighbourhood and we came across this simple and quirky place that is a walk away from love river, metro station and convenience stores. Perfect space for four. Click here to book.
If you don’t have an account yet, sign up with my link and get an SGD$45 off: https://abnb.me/e/j2fTm9eXfY
12:00 PM
Minced Pork Rice with Duck Egg 前金肉燥飯 (Qian Jin Rou Zao Fan)
Officially the bowl of rice I raved the most to my circle of friends. Top it off with an over-easy duck egg and you’re good to go.
The trick is you have to mix everything so you can taste the wonderful mess of ingredients in your mouth – a mouth full of meat, rice, cilantro and meat floss. Might be one of the best meal you’ll have in Taiwan!
Price: 30 TWD for rice, 15 TWD for an egg
Address
No. 26, Datong 2nd Road, Qianjin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 801
801高雄市前金區大同二路26號
Google Maps
3:00 PM
Dragon and Tiger Pagoda 龍虎塔
The most popular and photogenic attraction of Kaohsiung – can’t miss it when you’re here. The most basic rule here is to enter by the dragon’s mouth and exit by the tiger’s mouth and it’s believed to be able to change your luck for the better.
You can also climb the spiral stairs to the top of the pagodas but note that one if purely for ascending and one for descending – refer to above rule.
Price: Free entry
6:00 PM
Rueifong Night Market 瑞豐市場
One of the best night markets to visit in Kaohsiung and it is always packed! There are many stalls selling hot plate steak which is also one of the popular food in night markets.
We tried the giant tako balls and oyster omelette here which tasted better than expected. You can fill your tummies with different snacks here for dinner.
Day 2
8:00 AM
Formosa Boulevard Station/Dome of Light 美麗島站
Kill two birds with one stone – visit this metro station which is also a tourist destination, the largest glass work in the world.
Love River 愛河
As the love river stretches 12km across the city so there is a likelihood that you will be staying just a walking distance away from the river. It’s beautiful for a stroll morning or in the night for a nice view.
An alternative to walking, you can hop on a boat ride of about 20-30 minutes for 150 TWD, boarding available at Ambassador Hotel 高雄國賓大飯店.
10:00 AM
Yong He Soup Dumplings 永和小籠包
Everyone knows the giant chain restaurant – Din Tai Fung which is known for their amazing soup dumplings with paper-thin skin and flavourful soup that flows right out.
Yong He, on the other hand, serves a very authentic taste that locals like. Afterall, Taiwanese food is all about that QQ texture right? Like how the tapioca pearls in your bubble tea need to be, or the fish balls and the noodles should be – a chewy texture that they are looking for. Yong He delivers. Chewy texture of the dumpling skin with flavours of the meat as good as the World’s renowned restaurant.
Best thing? It’s served at ⅓ of the price.
Not to mention the dining atmosphere can’t get any more localised. It’s located in a little alley for decades with a kind boss who doesn’t speak much but is very attentive to his customers.
My favourite food in Kaohsiung for sure.
Price: 65 TWD per portion (9 dumplings), 25 TWD for a bowl of sour & spicy soup OR pig’s blood soup
Address
No. 33, Yancheng Street, Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 803
803高雄市鹽埕區鹽埕街33號
Google Maps
11:00 AM
Take a stroll through the neighbourhood
You’ll be surprised – the colours, the architectures, the businesses and way of life still remained as it was decades ago. I was surprised in a good way. Neighbourhoods always have that kind of charm and time just seemed to pass by slower here.
1:00 PM
Duck Zhen 鴨肉珍
We haven’t had much duck in Taiwan so we can’t say this is our absolute favourite but this sure kept us waiting in queue for the longest! You could order just the duck and rice to have a taste of it or if there’s a group of you, you can also order a sharing portion of the meat and have a bowl of rice/noodles separated.
If you are feeling a little more daring, they also sell all sorts of duck organs like the heart, stomach and blood pudding.
Price: 55 TWD for a small bowl of rice topped with duck meat
Address
No. 258號, Wufu 4th Road, Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 803
803高雄市鹽埕區五福四路258號
Google Maps
2:00 PM
Cafe Hifumi 書店喫茶 一二三亭
A Japanese setting tea house with friendly staff, delicious food and a great backdrop for Instagram photos! Rest your foot here before continuing your evening in Cijin Island!
3:00 PM
Board a ferry to Cijin Island 旗津島
Ferry operates at about 10 minutes interval daily at Gushan Ferry Pier Station 鼓山輪渡站. An adult pass cost 45 TWD if paid by cash and only 20 TWD if paid by iPass. Motorbikes are allowed on the ferry at additional charges.
Alternatively, on a weekend or public holiday, you can also purchase ferry tickets and board from the KW2 Pier 棧貳庫.
4:00 PM
Cijin Old Street 旗津老街
It’s not a famous street if it doesn’t involve food in Taiwan. Being so close to the sea, seafood is commonly found here. Take a stroll along this street and besides a couple of convenience stores, most of the stores are all seafood restaurants.
6:00 PM
Seafood Restaurant 万三小吃部
To get here, head to the bus stop near the pier you debark from. Wait for bus 紅9 (literal: red 9) and get off at 天鳳宮 Tianfon Temple.
The process of this restaurant is to purchase coupons first, which are refundable. So once you have your coupons, proceed to the appetiser counter where there are cold dishes such as salad prawns, crab sticks, squids, fried shishamo, fried scallops and so on.
Moving on, the next counter has a line up of cooked food waiting for you to pick it up. However, the chefs are also there to prepare your orders on the spot. The menu is in Chinese but you may ask the staff to recommend some dishes.
Price: Each dish is about 100-150 TWD. Rice, fruit platter and tea are free of charge!
Address
No. 162號, Zhongzhou 2nd Road, Qijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 805
805高雄市旗津區中洲二路162號
Google Maps
8:00 PM
Kaisyuan Night Market 凱旋青年觀光夜市
Board the same bus (紅9) at the same bus stop you got off for the seafood restaurant and continue the journey out of the island towards Kaisyuan Night Market – show the driver the Chinese name.
I strongly recommend the muah chee or glutinous rice balls 麻糬 sold by a young lad. He shaped it into balls using two spoons and looks different from the traditional muah chee but taste amazingly soft. Peanut and chocolate flavours are my personal favourite!
Address
No. 758號, Kaisyuan 4th Road, Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 80652
80652高雄市前鎮區凱旋四路758號
Google Maps
Bonus: Daytrip to Tainan
If you have an extra day, Tainan is only 15 minutes away from Kaohsiung by High-Speed Rail (HSR). We loved our day in Tainan and strongly recommend to spend some time there!
