The Perfect 3 Day Kaohsiung Itinerary And Travel Guide (2023)

To be honest, I had never heard of Kaohsiung until I started planning our Taiwan itinerary. Turns out Kaohsiung is the third-largest city in Taiwan!

Almost 3 million people live in Kaohsiung and its port is the largest harbor in Taiwan. In my opinion, Kaohsiung is a very underrated destination.

While not as flashy as Taipei, there are lots of fun and interesting things to do in Kaohsiung. In this post, you can find many of the best Kaohsiung attractions that should be added to your Kaohsiung itinerary!

3 day Kaohsiung itinerary

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The best things to do in Kaohsiung

Wondering what to do in Kaohsiung Taiwan? So was I, Kaohsiung is not a very well-known destination but after 3 days in Kaohsiung, I can say from personal experience this lovely city in southern Taiwan has a lot to offer!

Hopefully, this post will help you decide where to go in Kaohsiung and make the most of your trip!

Plan your Taiwan trip like a pro with these tools:
? Pick up an EasyCard for cashless payments and to use public transport.
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? Plan your journey with the Taiwan Lonely Planet.
?️ Find your dream accommodation on Booking.com or Agoda.
? Book the best tours via Klook or Get Your Guide.
?️ Travel safely and get reliable travel insurance from Safety Wing.

Things to know when planning a trip to Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung 3 day itinerary: map and highlights

In the map below you find all the most popular attractions we visited during the 3 days we spent in the city.

I marked all Kaohsiung places to visit, where to stay, where to eat, and useful transport info (airport, MRT, bicycles, and more).

Click here for the interactive map.

Kaohsiung itinerary (3 days) summary

• Kaohsiung day 1: visit the Holy Rosary Cathedral, cycle along the Love River, explore the Pier-2 Art Center, check out the Gushan Daitian Temple, and watch the sunset.
• Kaohsiung day 2: cycle around the Lotus Pond, visit the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, and check out the Fongyi Gate.
• Kaohsiung day 3: take the ferry to Qijin Island, explore the Cijin Coast Park, and admire the view from the Cihou Lighthouse.

⏳ If you're short on time, check out this day trip to Kaohsiung's highlights.

Top places to visit in Kaohsiung: checklist

Kaohsiung itinerary: day 1

Admire the Holy Rosary Cathedral

One of Kaohsiung's places of interest is the Holy Rosary Cathedral. I was a little surprised to see a church in Taiwan, but this church happens to be the oldest Catholic church in Taiwan!

After a little online research, I learned that 4.5% of the Taiwanese are Christian, which comes down to 1 million Christians (Taiwan's total population is around 23 million).

So it's actually not surprising there are several churches in the country (besides the many Buddhist and Taoist temples).

Cycle along the Love River 

The Love River, also called the Ai River, is a 12-kilometer-long river through Kaohsiung city.

Along a large part of the river, there is a beautiful bicycle lane (originally named the Love River Bike Path) with excellent city views. This cycling trail is 24 kilometers long, it starts at the Love Pier and ends at Lotus Pond.

Along the way, you can stop at the Kaohsiung 228 Peace Memorial Park, Zhongdou Wetlands Park, Botanical Garden, and of course the Lotus Pond (read more below).

Visit the Pier-2 Art Center 

Since its opening in 2013, the Pier-2 Art Center has grown to become a regional hub of creativity and cultural exchange and it's one of the most visited places in Kaohsiung.

From its colorful architectural design to its vibrant outdoor events, the Pier-2 Art Center in Kaohsiung, Taiwan is an integral part of the city’s lively arts and culture scene.

Is Pier-2 Art Center hipster galore?

Maybe.

Okay, totally.

But it's the perfect spot to spend an afternoon. There are lots of stylish cafes and galleries in these abandoned warehouses turned art centers.

The Pier-2 Art Center is one of the most popular attractions in Kaohsiung attraction and a great place for an afternoon stroll. Plus, the view of the harbor is stunning!

Marvel at the colorful Gushan Daitian Temple 

The Gushan Daitian Temple Dai Tian Temple was built in 1951. It's a Taoist/Buddhist Temple (yes, interestingly it's a bit of both). I loved the colors and intricate details of the roof!

Hungry? There are usually lots of little street stalls in front of the temple where you can get some delicious local snacks.

Admire the sunset from the boulevard

We watched a beautiful sunset from the boulevard near the British Consulate. In the picture above, you can see Cijin Lighthouse, which we visited on day 3.

Kaohsiung itinerary: day 2

Cycle around the Lotus Pond

The Lotus Pond is about 5 kilometers from Kaohsiung city center. It's an artificial lake and considering the fact that it's one of the largest lakes in Taiwan, that's a pretty impressive right feat!

While it was originally created to irrigate the surrounding farms, Lotus Pond is now a popular recreation area for locals and travelers alike.

There are several trails suitable for hiking and/or cycling. We cycled along the bicycle trail around the man-made lake and came across lots of photogenic temples (such as the Kaohsiung Zuoying Confucius Temple and the Zuoying Yuandi Temple) and other interesting sites (such as the Autumn pavilion).

The trail is flat and easy and offers great views of Kaohsiung city.

Visit the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas 

The coolest temples at the Lotus Pond and one of the top places to go in Kaohsiung is without a doubt the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas.

These seven-story pagodas were constructed in 1976, you enter them through the mouth of a dragon and a tiger and can climb to the top via a spiral staircase.

Fun fact: entering through the Dragon’s mouth and exiting via the Tiger will help you avoid bad fortune and enjoy good luck. Worth a try right? 

Pass under the Fongyi Gate in the Zuoying district

This gate was part of the wall surrounding the old city of Zuoying, which was one of the first fortified cities in Taiwan.

Four gates (North, East, South, and West) were built, and the Fongyi Gate (East Gate, pictured above) is the best-preserved one.

Kaohsiung itinerary: day 3

Cycle the bicycle trail along Dahua 4th road 

We cycled to the Qian Zhen Ferry Station and crossed to Qijin Island.

We actually cycled all the way to the bridge connecting the island with Kaohsiung city but were informed by a kind police officer that bikes were not allowed on the bridge.

So we had to turn back and catch the ferry instead.

In the pictures, you can find the ferry schedule and information about the fares (50NT per person including the bike if you pay cash, 30NT if you pay with your EasyCard).

Cijin Coast Park

We cycled from the Jhonjhou Ferry Station on Cijin Island to the Cijin Coast Park where there are lots of sculptures and arty objects.

Cihou Lighthouse

From the park, we continued to the beautiful Cihou Lighthouse which was built by the British in 1883. Inside you can see some old pictures of the lighthouse.

From the Cihou Lighthouse, it's only a short bike ride to the ferry pier and an equally short ferry ride back to the Gushan ferry pier in central Kaohsiung.

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That completes our 3-day (cycle) itinerary in Kaohsiung! Below you can read more about our average daily travel budget, how to rent a bicycle, the best place to stay in Kaohsiung, and what to eat in Kaohsiung.

Kaohsiung travel budget

I didn't know what to expect about the travel costs in Taiwan, but I was pleasantly surprised by how affordable the country is!

During our 3-day trip to Kaohsiung, we spent approximately €59 per day, which I think is a very reasonable amount.

And as you can see in the Kaohsiung travel itinerary above, it's not like we didn't do anything!

Where to stay in Kaohsiung

I booked our accommodation in Kaohsiung via Airbnb. Our room was very big and had a little balcony.

There was air conditioning and a fan which made it easy to stay cool in hot and sunny Kaohsiung.

Our private (attached) bathroom was clean and stocked with shampoo, soap, and toothpaste. Large shared common room, hot & cold water dispenser, and laundry machine that can be used.

The location is great: it's next to the Sky Tower, the 7-11 & Family Mart are around the corner and there are many great local restaurants in the area.

It's also within easy walking distance of the MRT (Sanduo Shopping District Station).

Communication with our hostess Yichi was perfect, she replied to all my questions within minutes and speaks English very well.

* Unfortunately, this property is no longer available due to Covid-19. I’ll do my utmost to find a suitable alternative and add these to the blog.

How to get around Kaohsiung: transportation

How to get from Kaohsiung Airport to Kaohsiung City Center

Kaohsiung Airport is connected to Kaohsiung city by MRT, which makes getting to the city center super easy.

From the Airport metro station (the red line) it's only 4 stops to the Sanduo Shopping District MRT Station in the city center of Kaohsiung.

If you intend to travel primarily by MRT you can either use your EasyCard or purchase a Kaohsiung Unlimited MRT Pass.

The best way to get around Kaohsiung: YouBike

We cycled to pretty much all the places we visited in Kaohsiung because of the excellent public bicycle rental system.

Also, I was born and raised in the Netherlands, aka the country of bicycles. Generally speaking, Dutch people love cycling and we happily pedaled our way around town.

That is after we managed to figure out the slightly complex bike rental system…

It's actually not that complicated, but the software engineer made some mistakes with the translation of the registration process (from Chinese to English), which makes it really hard to register as a foreigner.

Let me walk you through the process.

Step 1: buy an EasyPass

Purchase an EasyPass (you can get one online, at 7-11 or Family Mart) and add credit to it (any amount you want).

Even if you don't want to rent a bicycle, I highly recommend getting an EasyCard, you can use it everywhere in Taiwan.

It also gives you a discount on public transport and saves you the hassle of paying with coins. You can even use it to pay for coffee in the 7-11 and Family Mart.

But I digress, bottom line: get an EasyPass and add credit.

Step 2: find a bike rental point

Go to a Kaohsiung Public Bike rental point and place your card on the sensor.

You can read more about the YouBike system here. Unfortunately, the official YouBike website is currently not available in English.

This website has a bike share map and is very useful to bookmark for your trip.

Step 3: register for the bike rental system

Choose English, then choose to register. This is where the fun starts… The problem was that our ID numbers were too short and the machine wouldn’t accept them.

When we put a zero behind our ID number it did accept them and we could continue to the next step.

Also, you need a Taiwanese cellphone number for the registration process, because you’ll receive a confirmation code via SMS.

For the bicycle system in Kaohsiung, you can use the same cellphone number to register multiple EasyPasses.

Step 4: Rent a bicycle

You have to set the machine to Chinese again as they forgot to program an enter button in the English version. Just press the number of your desired bike and click the orange button.

Go to your chosen bike and press the red (eject) button.

Money-saving tip: don’t rent the bike for longer than 90 minutes, it gets ‘expensive’ after that. You can just switch bikes at a station and continue on your way.

Where to eat in Kaohsiung

One of our favorite things about travel is trying the local cuisine. We ate a lot of good food in Kaohsiung, below you can find my favorites…

Dry beef noodle

Where to eat this: 802, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Lingya District.
Price: 80NT.

Ramen

Where to eat this: No. 79, Sanduo 4th Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 802 (in the shop with the blue sign, not the red one).
Price: 80NT.

Vietnamese Pho, Bánh mì and Bánh xèo

Where to eat this: 阿莲河粉, No. 105號, Ziqiang 3rd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 802.
Price: varies per item (between 80-140NT).

Wu Pao Chun Bakery

Where to eat this: No. 19, Siwei 3rd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 802.
Price: varies per item (between 20-300NT).

This bakery won a prize for its wheat bread with wine, rose petals, and dried lychees.

Kaohsiung travel guide: in conclusion

That’s everything about our 3-day Kaohsiung trip, I hope this article has given you an idea of what to see in Kaohsiung.

I highly recommend visiting this city as it's often overlooked, which is really too bad as Kaohsiung has lots to offer! If you've got more time to spend in Kaohsiung, be sure to add these places to your itinerary:

• Visit Formosa Boulevard Station to admire the Dome of Light
• Eat your way around Liuhe night market or Ruifeng night market
• Admire modern art at the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts

You can download the list of top things to do in Kaohsiung below.

Do you want to read more about traveling in Taiwan? Check out these posts as well:

• Budget for Taiwan
• Taiwan cheap accommodation
• Taiwan travel itinerary
• Hualien itinerary
• Kenting National Park itinerary
• Taichung itinerary
• Tainan itinerary
• Taitung itinerary
• Taipei itinerary
• Taipei day trips
• Best beaches in Taiwan

This post was updated in January 2023.