Spend two or three days in Kaohsiung, then take the Kenting Express from Zuoying HSR for one or two nights at Taiwan's southern tip. We travel through Kaohsiung on the way to Kenting ourselves, and the two fit together naturally: the bus leaves from the same station as the High Speed Rail.
Days 1 and 2: Kaohsiung
Follow our two-day plan: the harbor and Cijin, then Lotus Pond and a night market. If you have an extra day, spend it on Fo Guang Shan or Meinong before heading south. → Day trips
Day 3: south to Kenting
Take the MRT to Zuoying (R16) and the Kenting Express (route 9189) from platform 2: buses every 30 minutes from 08:00, about 140 minutes, NT$401 one way or NT$650 return. Get off at the aquarium stop on the way, or ride to Kenting and spend the afternoon at South Bay.
Day 4: the southern tip
Eluanbi Park and its lighthouse at Taiwan's southernmost point, Kenting Forest Recreation Area in the morning, Longpan Park on the east coast, and Kenting Street in the evening. Take the local buses, YouBike, or a scooter if your licence allows. → Kenting
Day 5: back north
The last Kenting Express back to Zuoying leaves at 19:30. Holiday traffic can add a lot of time, so leave two to three hours before an HSR train. From Zuoying, the HSR runs north to Tainan in 11 to 13 minutes and to Taipei in about two hours. → On to Tainan
Good to know: November to April is Kenting's dry season, but from October to March the downslope wind blows hard; July to September is typhoon season, when the sea can close. Check the forecast before you book.
Sources: bus times and fares from the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle; the rest on each linked page. Checked October 2026.