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Itineraries · Taiwan

Southern Taiwan in 5 days: Tainan, Anping and Kaohsiung

Tainan asks you to linger over a courtyard or a breakfast bowl; Kaohsiung opens the next part of the trip toward the harbor. This route gives both cities their own room and full day, with Anping kept inside the Tainan stay and Cijin approached from the Kaohsiung side. The railway move is the hinge between them, not a day for collecting everything along the way.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 3 min read
Ta Cheng Palace at Tainan Confucius Temple
Ta Cheng Palace in the Tainan Confucius Temple complex.
Suggested time
5 days and 4 nights: 2 nights Tainan, 2 nights Kaohsiung
Where to stay
Central Tainan, then Formosa Boulevard or Yanchengpu in Kaohsiung
Season and timing
Choose dates around current weather and site access; keep the Cijin crossing flexible when conditions change.

The short answer

Spend four nights in southern Taiwan: two in Tainan for days 1–2, then two in Kaohsiung, using day 3 for the rail transfer and day 4 for Cijin. Keep day 5 for departure through Kaohsiung. In Tainan, settle into a central room and give Anping its own outing rather than treating it as the next courtyard on the same walk. The Kaohsiung room should suit the city transport and ferry approach you choose. Confirm the actual railway stations, crossing and return before booking; neither a city name nor a harbor photograph establishes the final connection.

Days 1–2: give Tainan a center and Anping a separate outing

On day 1, settle into the Tainan room before choosing a compact old-center walk around the Confucius Temple area. A meal belongs in the plan from the start: the city describes early-morning beef soup and several rice and noodle traditions. Keep day 2 for Anping, whose old street, fort and tree-house setting belong to a different district. Confirm the actual venues and local return, then come back to the same Tainan hotel rather than packing between neighboring sightseeing areas.

Day 3: let the railway change the base, not consume the evening

Use day 3 for the Tainan–Kaohsiung rail move, selecting TRA or high-speed rail against the actual station and hotel address. Kaohsiung’s high-speed arrival is Zuoying, integrated with Xinzuoying and the metro; downtown Kaohsiung Main Station is separate. Once the bags are settled, a modest city walk or meal gives the arrival its own rhythm. Formosa Boulevard is the Red and Orange Line interchange, while Yanchengpu suits the harbor side. Keep the same Kaohsiung room for both nights.

Historic walls and observation tower at Anping Fort
Walls and the observation tower at Anping Fort, also known as Fort Zeelandia.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

A bowl of Tainan beef soup with sliced beef
Tainan beef soup photographed with sliced beef and a bowl of ginger.
01

Tainan beef soup

The city food guide describes hot broth poured onto fresh beef, with queues beginning early in the morning.

Where to look
A current Tainan beef-soup menu near the chosen city route; check the actual service and ingredients.
Fit it into your day
Let breakfast anchor the Tainan morning before the separate Anping outing.

Contains beef; ask about the broth, seasoning, cooking and any ingredients relevant to your diet.

02

Anping shrimp rolls

Shrimp rolls are explicitly named among the district foods in the national Anping guide, without a complete vendor recipe.

Where to look
Anping old-street shops currently offering shrimp rolls.
Fit it into your day
Choose an order as part of the day 2 neighborhood lunch, leaving time for the heritage visit.

Contains shrimp in the named dish; check wrappers, sauces, other ingredients and shared frying oil.

03

Yancheng duck rice

Kaohsiung’s official regional guide recommends duck rice among the neighborhood foods around Yancheng Old Street.

Where to look
Yancheng’s food streets, looking for a shop whose current menu offers duck rice.
Fit it into your day
Use it as lunch between the warehouse areas rather than leaving the district for every meal.

Contains duck; check sauces, broth and shared preparation for ingredients relevant to your diet.

Day 4: cross to Cijin with the return already clear

Give Cijin day 4, approaching the Gushan ferry from the city rather than attaching an island visit to the railway transfer. The current metro map calls the nearby Orange Line station O1 Hamasen. Confirm boarding and the return with the municipal ferry operator, then let the old street and Tianhou Temple lead toward lunch. A chosen fort or lighthouse viewpoint can follow when access and weather suit you; it need not become a race around the island or a promised swim.

Kaohsiung light-rail tram at Dayi Pier-2 Station
A light-rail tram beside the Pier-2 warehouse district in Kaohsiung.

Day 5: leave from Kaohsiung without another distant detour

Day 5 belongs to the departure and the airport connection you have checked. The metro map places Kaohsiung International Airport at R4 on the Red Line; a Yanchengpu hotel needs the separate Orange Line connection through Formosa Boulevard. If the island outing changed, a little harbor time around Pier-2 may fit before departure, but only within the confirmed flight margin. Its reused warehouses offer a different view of the city from Tainan’s historic streets, without requiring another night or an outlying temple excursion.

Practical questions

How many hotels does this route need?

Use two bases: two nights in central Tainan and two in Kaohsiung. Anping and Cijin are outings from those rooms, with only the day 3 railway move changing the hotel.

Does Kaohsiung high-speed rail arrive downtown?

The city guide identifies Zuoying as the high-speed hub, integrated with Xinzuoying and the metro. Downtown Taiwan Railways Kaohsiung Main Station is separate; match the ticket and final connection to your hotel.

Is Cijin a guaranteed ferry day?

Confirm the municipal Gushan–Cijin route, boarding and return for your actual day. Follow current weather and access advice; a harbor walk on the mainland remains an alternative when the crossing or hill visit does not suit the conditions.

Can I begin at Kaohsiung Airport but stay first in Tainan?

Tainan’s official transport page lists Route 111 from Kaohsiung International Airport to Tainan Bus Station. Confirm the current departure and onward hotel journey before using it; this itinerary does not assign a fixed transfer time or fare.

Sources and checks before you travel

Reference sources for the version dated 8 October 2026. Confirm opening times, access, transport and conditions for your travel dates.

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Photo credits

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