Skip to main content
Visa-free transit 240h ✓CNY 7.15 ≈ $1HSR network 45,000 km
Visa CheckerContact
DestinationsToolsVisa GuideContact
DestinationsToolsVisa GuideContact
  1. Home
  2. Kaohsiung
  3. 5 days
Kaohsiung — China travel

5 Days in Kaohsiung

Five days layer Lotus Pond's pagodas and the Shoushan monkeys onto the port core, with a Qishan day among banana-town shophouses.

Browse all itineraries →

Best time: October to MarchBudget: mid-range

Quick Answer

Is 5 days enough for Kaohsiung?

5 days is the sweet spot for Kaohsiung: enough time for the must-sees plus one day trip or food/rest day.

Source: NihaoVisit Kaohsiung guide

5-day Kaohsiung itinerary at a glance

Use our full Kaohsiung travel guide as the base and adapt it to 5 days. Keep the city's three signature attractions as the backbone; fill the rest with neighborhood walks, food markets, and an easy day trip.

Dome of Light & Liouhe Night MarketCijin IslandDragon & Tiger Pagodas at Lotus PondShoushan's macaques and lookoutsQishan's baroque old street
1
Day 1

Arrival, Dome of Light & Night Market

The HSR ends at Zuoying, 10 minutes by the 2008-opened metro from Formosa Boulevard; look up for the Dome of Light, some 4,500 glass panes across 30 metres. Liouhe's 350-metre food street handles dinner.

Scenes from Kaohsiung, China
  1. kaohsiung formosa boulevard station
  2. kaohsiung liouhe night market
2
Day 2

Pier-2, Great Harbor Bridge & Love River

Warehouse galleries from 1973, then the 110-metre Great Harbor Bridge of 2022, which swings open for about 3 minutes when a boat passes. The 12-kilometre Love River is the nightcap.

Scenes from Kaohsiung, China
  1. kaohsiung pier2 art center
  2. kaohsiung great harbor bridge
  3. kaohsiung love river
3
Day 3

Cijin Island

About 5 minutes by ferry from Gushan pier; the 1883 lighthouse and 1875 fort stand over the seafood old street, with a black-sand beach at the far end.

Scenes from Kaohsiung, China
  1. kaohsiung cijin island
4
Day 4

Lotus Pond & Shoushan

On the 42-hectare pond the 1976 Dragon and Tiger Pagodas pair with the 1953 Spring and Autumn Pavilions and a 72-metre Dark Warrior statue. Afterwards climb part-way up 356-metre Shoushan — a national nature park since 2011 — and keep snacks zipped away from macaques.

Scenes from Kaohsiung, China
  1. kaohsiung lotus pond
  2. kaohsiung shoushan
5
Day 5

Qishan & Departure

A 50-minute bus northeast to the old banana town — baroque shophouses, a near-century-old wooden station and banana cake in every window — then back for the HSR from Zuoying.

  1. kaohsiung qishan old street

Budget for 5 days in Kaohsiung

TierPer day5 days total
BackpackerUSD $50–$80USD $250–$400
Mid-rangeUSD $100–$200USD $500–$1,000
LuxuryUSD $300+USD $1,500+

Useful tools

Calculate your trip budgetBuild your custom China itinerary

Book your Kaohsiung trip

TRIP.COMRecommended

Hotels, flights & tours

One-stop China trip booking · Foreign cards accepted

Hotels from $25/night

We may earn a commission when you book through these links. This does not affect our editorial recommendations.

Frequently asked questions

What is the daily budget for Kaohsiung?
Budget travelers: USD $50–$80/day. Mid-range: $100–$200/day. Luxury: $300+/day. These cover hotel, three meals, transit, and one paid attraction per day.
Do I need a visa to visit Kaohsiung?
It depends on your passport — see our <a href="/china-visa-2026/">China visa guide</a> for the latest country-by-country list. Most Western passport holders can enter visa-free for 30 days as of 2026.
How do I get from the airport to the center of Kaohsiung?
Kaohsiung's main airport connects to the city center via airport bus, taxi, or metro where available. See the airport transfer section of our Kaohsiung guide.
Can I use 5 days for both Kaohsiung and a side trip?
Tight. With only 5 days, focus on Kaohsiung proper; save side trips for a future trip.
Is Kaohsiung safe for tourists?
Yes. Kaohsiung has very low violent crime rates and is widely considered safe for foreign tourists. Standard petty-theft precautions apply. See our <a href="/is-china-safe-2026/">is China safe</a> page.

See also: Kaohsiung travel guide, China visa 2026, China trip cost.