Most cruise ships dock at the Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal (高雄港旅運中心), opened in 2023 on the harbor at Asia New Bay. The light rail stops right outside (Cruise Terminal, C9), so with a few hours ashore you can ride along the water to the Music Center, Pier-2 and the Cijin ferry without a taxi. Get an iPASS or keep some coins: the light rail takes cards or coins only.
- Terminal Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal, Piers 17 to 21, No. 5 Haibian Rd., Lingya
- Light rail Cruise Terminal (C9), next to the building
- Money Automatic currency exchange machines in the terminal
- Wi-Fi Free, with charging points
The terminal
The terminal opened on 6 March 2023: a 15-storey tower with immigration on the first two floors, duty-free shops, a food court, automatic currency exchange machines and free Wi-Fi. A promenade on the third floor is open 24 hours. Some ships use the older Peng Lai terminal at Piers 8 to 10, near Pier-2 and the Great Harbor Bridge.
A few hours ashore
- Two to three hours: the light rail along Asia New Bay: the Main Public Library (C8, closed Mondays), the Kaohsiung Music Center (C10 or C11), and Pier-2's warehouses and art (C12). → Pier-2
- Four hours: on to Hamasen (C14) and the ferry to Cijin island for seafood, the Tianhou Temple and the lighthouse. → Cijin
- Six hours: add the British Consulate at Takow on the hill above Hamasen (closed Wednesdays). → The consulate
The city's tourism site also suggests ready-made cruise routes, from a six-hour Asia New Bay loop by light rail to four-hour trips for Cijin or shopping. Allow plenty of time to get back to the ship.
Good to know: the light rail has no gates. Tap your card on the platform validator when you get on and again when you get off, or buy a paper ticket from the platform machine with coins. → Getting around
→ The harbor, stop by stop · The harbor in one day
Sources: the terminal and cruise routes: Kaohsiung Travel and its cruise page; opening: NOWnews; light rail and stops: Kaohsiung Travel and KRTC. Checked October 2026.