How to Plan a Southern Taiwan Loop by Private Car
Tainan and Kaohsiung sit 45 minutes apart by car in the southwest of Taiwan. Most travelers treat them as separate day trips from Taipei, bouncing back north after each. That works, but it is not the most efficient or satisfying way to see either city.
A southern loop treats both cities as a single itinerary: you travel down from Taipei once, move through Tainan and Kaohsiung at a proper pace, and return north or fly home from Kaohsiung at the end. The south becomes a destination rather than a transit exercise.
This guide covers the practical planning: which city to base in, what order makes geographic sense, how many days the south actually needs, and why a private car handles the logistics of a multi-city south loop better than building a schedule around train departures.
Tainan or Kaohsiung: Which City to Base In
Most travelers base in one city and day-trip to the other. The choice between them comes down to what your trip prioritizes.
Base in Tainan if:
- History and food are your primary interest. Tainan’s old city, temple lanes, and morning food culture are what make the south distinct from the rest of Taiwan. Basing here means waking up in the city rather than commuting into it.
- You are doing the south as a compact 2-day trip. Tainan’s attractions sit closer together and the city is more walkable.
- You want the coastal areas, Qigu Salt Mountain and the Sicao mangrove tunnel, within easy reach as a second-day extension.
Base in Kaohsiung if:
- You are flying out of southern Taiwan. Kaohsiung International Airport makes it a natural endpoint for the loop. A private car can take you directly from your hotel to the terminal with no station transfer.
- Your group prefers a larger city with more hotel and restaurant variety.
- Your itinerary runs 3 or more days in the south. Kaohsiung has more spread in its neighborhoods, the harbor area, Cijin Island, and Lotus Pond all require different areas of the city.
Basing in both cities across a 3 to 4 day loop is also practical. One or two nights in Tainan, then move south to Kaohsiung for the final nights. A private car handles the city transfer including your luggage.
How Many Days the South Actually Needs
Be direct about this because most guides underestimate it.
2 days: One full day in Tainan, one full day in Kaohsiung. This is the minimum for a loop that does not feel rushed. You will cover the main areas of each city without going deep. Tainan gets the old city and Anping. Kaohsiung gets Pier-2, the harbor walk, and one other area. It is satisfying but leaves both cities wanting a return trip.
3 days: The sweet spot for most travelers. Tainan gets 1.5 days: the old city in the morning, Anping in the afternoon, and the coastal areas (Sicao Green Tunnel, Qigu Salt Mountain) on a second morning before moving south. Kaohsiung gets 1.5 days covering the harbor, Lotus Pond, and Cijin Island by ferry with an evening on the waterfront.
4 days: A genuinely slow loop. Tainan gets two full days, which allows the old city, Anping, the outer coastal area, Xinhua if you have transport, and proper morning food time at market stalls. Kaohsiung gets two days including neighborhoods like Yancheng, the Pier-2 district after dark, and Shoushan if the views interest you. This pace is recommended for first-timers who do not want to rush Taiwan’s oldest and second-largest cities into a checklist.
If you are working with limited time, the 7-day Taiwan itinerary shows how the south fits as a segment within a full island route rather than a standalone loop.
The Route Order: Which Direction Makes Sense
Traveling from Taipei, the natural geographic order is Tainan first, then Kaohsiung. Tainan sits roughly 330 kilometers south of Taipei. Kaohsiung is a further 45 to 50 kilometers south of Tainan. Going south in sequence is cleaner than skipping to Kaohsiung and backtracking north to Tainan.
North to south (recommended for most travelers): Taipei departure, Tainan arrival, time in Tainan, private car transfer south to Kaohsiung, time in Kaohsiung, either return north or fly home from Kaohsiung Airport.
South to north (works if Alishan is part of your itinerary): If Alishan is in your plans, the mountain sits east of Chiayi which is north of Tainan. Travelers coming down from Alishan can continue south to Tainan, then Kaohsiung, and return to Taipei by HSR or private car. This is a natural route for a longer loop.
One-way transfer logic: A private car from Taipei to Tainan at the start of the loop means you arrive at your hotel rather than a train station, with luggage intact, at whatever time suits your itinerary. At the end, a private car from your Kaohsiung hotel directly to Kaohsiung Airport or back north to Taipei closes the loop without a taxi or MRT segment from the station.
What Each City Covers in a Southern Loop
Tainan
Tainan divides naturally into two zones for a loop itinerary: the old city center and the Anping coastal area, which together fill day one. The coastal outer zone (Sicao, Qigu, Jingzaijiao salt fields) works as a second-day morning before moving south.
The old city is dense with temples, Dutch-era history, and the food culture that the rest of Taiwan measures itself against. Beef soup before 9am. Turkey rice for lunch. Anping Fort and the Tree House in the afternoon. The Anping canal at dusk is the natural end to the first day.
The outer coastal area is worth a half-day and is only practical with your own transport. Sicao Green Tunnel runs boat tours through mangrove waterways. Qigu Salt Mountain is unusual enough to earn 45 minutes. Both sit west of the city in areas no public bus covers usefully.
For what to prioritize in Tainan by area and pacing, the things-to-do-in-tainan guide covers the decision in full. The Tainan private car service handles pickup from any hotel and drop-off anywhere in the city or onward to Kaohsiung.
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s second city and has more geographic spread than Tainan. Its attractions divide across three distinct areas: the harbor and Pier-2 district in the southwest, Lotus Pond in the north of the city, and the Cijin Island ferry crossing from the harbor terminal.
Pier-2 Art Center and the Dagang Bridge rotating show work best in the afternoon and evening. The waterfront from Pier-2 toward the Love River fills an easy few hours. Lotus Pond with its Dragon and Tiger Pagodas is a morning visit before the tour groups settle in. Cijin Island is a 5-minute ferry crossing and gives the trip a coastal half-day with a different energy from the city streets.
Kaohsiung also has the best nightlife access in the south, a larger night market circuit (Liuhe Night Market runs six nights a week), and the waterfront bars near Pier-2 for evenings after sightseeing. For the full breakdown of Kaohsiung neighborhoods and what each area covers, the Kaohsiung things-to-do guide covers the city as a first-timer destination. The Kaohsiung day trip service page handles transfers and bookings.
Sample Itineraries by Trip Length
2 Days in the South
Day 1 in Tainan Morning: Beef soup at a market stall before 9am. Chikan Tower and the old city streets mid-morning. Turkey rice for lunch in the central district. Afternoon: Anping Fort and the Tree House. Canal-side at dusk. Dinner at a night market if the Flower Night Market is running (Thursday, Saturday, Sunday).
Day 2 in Kaohsiung Private car transfer from Tainan hotel to Kaohsiung hotel (approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour). Morning: Lotus Pond early to avoid crowds. Afternoon: Pier-2 Art Center, Dagang Bridge at 3pm for the rotation show. Evening: Liuhe Night Market.
3 Days in the South
Day 1 in Tainan (old city) As above.
Day 2 in Tainan (coastal) Morning: Sicao Green Tunnel boat tour (departs regularly until early afternoon). Qigu Salt Mountain. Jingzaijiao salt fields in late afternoon. Return to Tainan city for evening.
Day 3 in Kaohsiung Private car transfer south after breakfast. Full Kaohsiung day: Lotus Pond, Pier-2, harbor walk, evening at Cijin Island or Liuhe Night Market.
4 Days in the South
Days 1 and 2 in Tainan Day 1: Old city and Anping as above. Day 2: Coastal route (Sicao, Qigu, salt fields). Optional Xinhua in the morning if you have transport (a side town with Japanese colonial architecture 20 minutes east of the city).
Days 3 and 4 in Kaohsiung Day 3: Lotus Pond, Cijin Island ferry, Pier-2 in the evening. Day 4: Shoushan Lovers Viewing Platform for the morning panorama. Yancheng District and the old wholesale area for a slower neighborhood walk. Xiziwan Bay for sunset before departure or an overnight.
Why Private Car Changes the Loop Logistics
The transit friction of a multi-city southern loop is real. Done by HSR and local transport, the loop looks like this: take the HSR to Tainan HSR Station (which is outside the city center), take a taxi or bus to your hotel, use Uber or taxis to move between Tainan’s spread-out areas across two days, take the local train or another Uber to Kaohsiung HSR Station, connect to Kaohsiung, taxi to hotel, manage local transport again for two more days.
Each leg is manageable individually. Accumulated across a 3 to 4 day loop with luggage, it adds up to logistics overhead that takes time and energy away from the actual trip.
A private car removes the entire layer. One vehicle picks you up from your Taipei hotel and takes you to Tainan. The same style of service picks you up from your Tainan hotel and moves you to Kaohsiung. At the end, you go directly to Kaohsiung Airport or back north without a station transfer. Luggage stays in the boot across every move.
There is also a timing advantage specific to the south. Tainan’s best food experiences are time-sensitive. Beef soup closes before 9am. The Flower Night Market runs three nights a week. Sicao boat tours have specific departure windows. A private car departs when you are ready rather than around a fixed train schedule, which means you can set your morning without watching a departure time.
Getting to the South and Getting Home
Arriving from Taipei
The HSR takes 1.5 to 2 hours to Tainan and deposits you at Tainan HSR Station, which is outside the city and requires an onward connection. A private car from Taipei takes roughly 3.5 to 4 hours door to door. For groups of 3 or more, the per-person cost comparison between HSR plus local transport and a private car transfer is closer than most travelers expect once you factor in taxis at both ends.
The Taipei to Tainan transit comparison covers the full breakdown including logistics, cost by group size, and when each option makes more sense.
Leaving from the south
Kaohsiung International Airport handles direct flights to many Asian cities and some domestic routes. If your trip ends in Kaohsiung rather than Taipei, a private car takes you directly from your hotel to the departure terminal. This is a clean finish to the loop with no station connection and no luggage management at the end of several days of travel.
If you are returning to Taipei, the HSR from Kaohsiung Zuoying Station is the standard option. A private car can also handle the return north, particularly if your group has substantial luggage or a non-standard departure time.
Book Your Southern Taiwan Transfer
Go Taiwan Transport covers both legs of the southern loop: Taipei to Tainan for the start, and Tainan to Kaohsiung for the city transfer. Pickups from any hotel in either city, drop-offs at your next hotel, airport, or any stop along the coastal route.
For the Tainan leg, see the Tainan private car service.
For the Kaohsiung leg or a combined south loop inquiry, see the Kaohsiung day trip and transfer service.
Vehicle options from sedans to 8-seat vans are available depending on group size. Pricing is per vehicle, not per person.