Tainan Travel Guide: THSR and Shalun Line, Buses, Historic Sites, Anping

SuperTools travel desk · facts checked 2026-10-15

Tainan is the old capital of Taiwan, and the city is organised around that history rather than around a rail network. There is no metro. The Dutch-era forts, the Qing temples, the Japanese-era department store and the lanes of the West Central District sit within walking or cycling distance of each other, while Anping, the old harbour town where the Dutch first built Fort Zeelandia, lies a few kilometres west by bus. Tainan's own tourism bureau describes the city as a place to see "at a slow pace", and that is how the logistics work out: you walk, take a city bus or ride a bike, and you plan around opening hours rather than train frequencies.

Two full days cover the central historic sites and Anping. Three days add the Taijiang wetlands and the salt mountain at Qigu, or a museum afternoon. Five days leave room for the hills of Guanziling or the old streets of Xinhua, both reached by holiday tourist shuttles. Every fare, opening time and rule in this guide links to the operator or government page it came from, checked on 2026-10-15. Prices, timetables and hours change, so confirm on those pages shortly before you go.

On timing: Taiwan's Tourism Administration describes March to May as a drizzly rainy season, June to August as the months when typhoons sometimes approach or hit, and September to November as cool and comfortable (Taiwan Tourism Administration). Tainan sits south of the Tropic of Cancer; the city's tourism bureau calls it suitable for travel all year but warns that summer is hot and advises sun protection and plenty of water (Travel Tainan). For a walking-heavy city, the autumn and winter months are the best time to plan around.

Entry and visa

Visa-exempt entry is set by the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA). The table summarises its visa-exempt page on the check date; read the page itself if your passport is not in the first row (BOCA visa-exempt entry).

Points from the same page that catch people out:

• The passport must have at least six months of validity left on the day you arrive; US and Japanese passports only need to be valid for the intended stay (BOCA).
• You need a confirmed return ticket, or an onward ticket with a visa for the next country (BOCA).
• The permitted stay starts counting the day after arrival and is not extendable, apart from the Canada and UK provision (BOCA).

For southern Taiwan specifically, BOCA lists both Tainan Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport among the ports of entry for visa-exempt visitors, alongside Taoyuan and Songshan in the north (BOCA). That means you can fly straight into the south and skip Taipei entirely.

BOCA also asks every visitor to fill in the online arrival card on the National Immigration Agency site in the seven days before arrival: Taiwan Arrival Card.

Getting to Tainan

How you arrive decides most of your first day, because Tainan has three different "stations" that matter: the High Speed Rail (THSR) station out in Guiren District, the Taiwan Railway (TR) station on the edge of the old city, and the bus stops for the airport express from Kaohsiung.

From Taipei or Taoyuan by High Speed Rail

THSR Tainan Station is not in the city centre. THSR's station page says that passengers can walk along the 2F corridor to TR Shalun Station and take the Shalun line to Tainan Station, Yongkang and other stops (THSR Tainan Station). The station itself is open 05:45 to 24:00 (THSR Tainan Station).

The figures below come from THSR's timetable and fare search, queried for Tuesday 20 October 2026 (THSR timetable and fare search).

On that date the first Taipei departure in the search left at 06:26 and the last at 22:16, arriving 23:47 (THSR timetable search). Most Taipei to Tainan trains in the search took 1 hr 45 min, 1 hr 46 min or 2 hr 00 min; only a few took under 1 hr 30 min. If you are coming straight from Taoyuan Airport, THSR Taoyuan Station is the boarding point, which the Tainan tourism bureau also suggests (Travel Tainan transportation).

THSR fare rules for children: those 115 cm or taller but under 12 pay a half-price child ticket, and children under 115 cm, or under six with ID, can ride free if they do not take a seat (THSR fares and types). THSR also sells a THSR Pass for foreign passengers, as a 3-Day Pass or a Flexible 2-Day Pass within a seven-day window; check its current price on the THSR page if you plan several long trips.

The Shalun line shuttle train

The Shalun line is the practical link between the THSR station and the city. A TR timetable search for Shalun to Tainan on 20 October 2026 returned 37 trains, the first at 06:25 and the last at 23:39 (TR timetable search).

Some trains in the Shalun search are marked "Shalun → Shanhua". They still pass through Tainan Station on their way north, so check the arrival time at Tainan rather than the train's terminus.

THSR also states that THSR passengers can use the free shuttle buses that run from its stations, and that you should keep your THSR ticket for the day because bus staff may inspect it (THSR transfer information). This is useful if your hotel is nearer a shuttle stop than Tainan Station.

THSR plus Shalun, or a direct train? A worked comparison

Assume one adult going from Taipei to Tainan Station on 20 October 2026, buying a reserved THSR seat.

• THSR + Shalun line: NT$1350 + NT$37 = NT$1387. Riding time is 1 hr 45 min on a typical train (1 hr 22 min on the fastest), plus 18 to 23 minutes on the Shalun line, plus the walk across the 2F corridor and a wait for the next train (THSR, TR).
• Direct TR express: NT$891, with no change of train. Riding time is 3 hr 16 min on the fastest Puyuma Express in that search, and between 3 hr 31 min and 4 hr 41 min on the Tze-Chiang services (TR).

The difference is NT$1387 − NT$891 = NT$496 for one adult, one way. For that, the THSR route saves roughly 1 hr to 2 hr 30 min, depending on which trains you compare and how long you wait at Shalun. Two travellers making the round trip would spend NT$496 × 4 = NT$1984 more by THSR (THSR, TR). The direct train ends in the city, near the old town, which partly offsets its slower ride. Early-bird THSR discounts, offered on trains booked from five days ahead (counting the booking day), would narrow the gap; THSR publishes them as up to 35% off, but availability varies by train, so this comparison uses full fares.

From Kaohsiung International Airport

If you fly into Kaohsiung (KHH), Tainan's tourism bureau describes two routes. The first is the 111 Airport Express bus, which runs directly into Tainan City with a quickest journey of about 70 minutes (Travel Tainan transportation). The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle page for route 111 lists its Tainan end as Siaosimen and says seats can be reserved in advance (Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 111). The second is the Kaohsiung MRT from R4 Kaohsiung International Airport to Kaohsiung Main Station or Zuoying, and then a train to Tainan Station, which the bureau puts at about 80 minutes (Travel Tainan, Kaohsiung MRT). The two official pages we checked did not agree on the route 111 fare, so this guide leaves it out; ask at the airport counter or check the shuttle page before you travel.

Tainan Airport

Tainan Airport is mostly domestic, with routes to Kinmen and Penghu. The city's tourism bureau notes that international links were resuming, with Tainan to Kumamoto and Tainan to Okinawa routes launched in December 2025 (Travel Tainan first-time visitors). Check the airport's own schedule for current flights.

Getting around Tainan without a metro

Inside the city you combine walking, city buses, the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle routes, YouBike and taxis. The tourism bureau's transport page lists all of these and adds that scooters and cars can be rented near THSR Tainan Station and Tainan Station (Travel Tainan transportation).

City buses and the e-ticket rule

Tainan's buses are run by several companies under the city government. The fare rule that matters to visitors is printed on the Tourism Administration's shuttle pages for Tainan routes: fares are charged by distance, but if you tap an electronic ticket such as EasyCard or iPASS you get the trip within 8 km without the basic fare, which saves NT$26, and a transfer within two hours saves a further NT$9 (Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, Tainan route). Pay in cash and you need exact coins, because no change is given (Taiwan Tourist Shuttle). In practice this means: get an EasyCard or iPASS before your first bus, and short hops around the old city cost you little or nothing.

Real-time arrivals and route maps are on the city's bus site, Tainan City Bus. The historic site office gives bus numbers for each major site from Tainan Station: routes 103 and 105 for Chihkan Tower, route 102 for Anping Fort and the Anping Tree House, and routes 14 and 88 for the Eternal Golden Castle (Tainan historic sites). The route 111 page also reminds passengers that in Taiwan you wave at the driver to make a bus stop for you (Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 111).

Taiwan Tourist Shuttle routes in and around Tainan

The national Taiwan Tourist Shuttle network runs several routes in Tainan. The bureau counts five tour routes (Travel Tainan transportation); the shuttle site lists these and the airport express:

Route 98 is the one most visitors will use. It strings the central historic sites and Anping together on a single line, so you can work through the old city in order and then ride out to the coast without changing buses.

Bikes, taxis and walking

The tourism bureau promotes YouBike as the public bike service, with kiosks at many attractions for one-way rentals (Travel Tainan cycling). Between Chihkan Tower, the Confucius Temple and Hayashi Department Store, walking is often quicker than waiting for a bus. For taxis, the bureau notes that they queue at the railway and THSR stations and at department store entrances, and that most drivers do not speak fluent English, Japanese or Korean, so have your destination written in Chinese (Travel Tainan transportation). At THSR Tainan Station the taxi rank is run by Taiwan Taxi (THSR transfer information).

Where to stay, by area

This guide does not recommend individual hotels. These notes are about how each area works with the transport above.

• Around Tainan Station and the West Central District. The Shalun line and the direct TR trains arrive here, the bus network radiates from the station area, and Chihkan Tower, the Confucius Temple, the Grand Mazu Temple and Hayashi Department Store are within walking or short bus distance. For a first stay without a car, this is the simplest base.
• Anping. Quieter in the evening once day visitors leave, and close to Anping Fort, the Tree House and the Eternal Golden Castle. You will be riding route 98 or a city bus back into the old town for most other sights.
• Near THSR Tainan Station (Guiren). Practical only if you have an early train, a hire car or a trip into the countryside. Everything in the old city needs the Shalun line or a bus first.

Sights at a glance

The Tainan City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau runs the main public historic sites and publishes a single fee standard for them. Its full ticket is NT$70. For foreign visitors, the standard sets a half ticket of NT$35 for students and free entry for children six and under and for people with disabilities plus one companion (Tainan historic site fees). Free entry for Tainan residents does not apply to visitors. Hours and prices below were checked on 2026-10-15 and can change; maintenance work sometimes closes part of a site.

The Dutch forts: Chihkan Tower and Anping Fort

The two forts make most sense as a pair. According to the historic sites office, the Dutch built Fort Provintia, now Chihkan Tower, in 1653 as an administrative and trading centre facing Fort Zeelandia across the old Taijiang lagoon at Anping (Chihkan Tower). What you see today at Chihkan Tower is mostly later: the Dutch buildings collapsed in an 1862 earthquake, and the Sea God Temple and Wenchang Pavilion were raised on the old foundations in the 1880s. The office's page notes repair work on the Sea God Temple and the stone tablets, so part of the grounds may be fenced off. Chihkan Tower stays open until 21:30, which makes it the one major historic site you can leave for the evening (Chihkan Tower).

At Anping Fort, the office is frank that the only genuinely Dutch remains are the brick wall of the outer fort's southern rampart in front of the site; the terrace and building on top date from the Japanese era, when part of the fort was levelled to build customs housing (Anping Fort). Knowing that before you arrive helps: the old wall overgrown by banyan roots is the part to look for.

Anping Tree House and the Eternal Golden Castle

The Tree House sits with the former Tait & Co. building; Tait was one of the five foreign trading houses that set up in Anping after the port opened in the 1860s. The merchant house holds a permanent exhibition on Anping's trade, renewed in 2025 (Anping Tree House). It is a short walk from Anping Fort, so the two fit into one morning.

The Eternal Golden Castle is a coastal battery completed in 1876, built after the 1874 Mudan Incident to defend Anping. The original guns were sold off in the early twentieth century; the replica cannon date from the restoration for the battery's centenary in 1975, and remains excavated in a later repair are displayed under glass (Eternal Golden Castle). It is further south than the other Anping sites, so use bus 14, 88 or route 98 rather than walking from the fort in summer heat.

Temples and the Confucius Temple

Tainan's tourism bureau describes the Confucius Temple as a national historic site built in 1665, the oldest Confucius temple in Taiwan and the island's place of formal education during the Qing dynasty (Travel Tainan first-time visitors). It describes the Grand Mazu Temple as Taiwan's first officially built Mazu temple, also a national historic site. We could not find opening hours or admission on an official page for either temple, so they are not in the table; ask at a visitor centre on the day.

The Koxinga Shrine, dedicated to the Ming loyalist who drove the Dutch from Taiwan in 1662, is free and open all year (Koxinga Shrine).

Hayashi Department Store and the museums

Hayashi opened in the Japanese era as the largest department store in the south and the first commercial building there with a lift; the historic sites office says it is now run by a private operator as a shop for local products, design goods and food, with a rooftop shrine and an observation floor (Hayashi Department Store). The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is free and closed on Mondays (NMTL). Tainan Art Museum also closes on Mondays unless the Monday is a national holiday, and closes on Lunar New Year's Eve (Tainan Art Museum).

Was the combined historic-sites ticket worth it?

The Cultural Affairs Bureau sold a "2026 Tainan Historic Sites Pass" for NT$150 that let you choose two of the four ticketed sites (Chihkan Tower, Anping Fort, Anping Tree House, Eternal Golden Castle), with no expiry date on the entries (Historic sites office pass news). Two single full tickets cost 2 × NT$70 = NT$140, so the pass cost NT$10 more than buying at the gate; its value lay in the partner discounts it came with. It was only sold until 31 August 2026 (pass announcement). For a visit now, buy single tickets: all four sites cost 4 × NT$70 = NT$280 for one adult (fee standard). If a new pass appears for 2027, run the same sum before buying.

Itineraries

These are example plans built from the official opening hours and transport above, not travel diaries. Adjust them for Mondays, when several museums close.

Two days.

• Day 1, old city: Koxinga Shrine when it opens at 08:30, then on foot to the Confucius Temple, the National Museum of Taiwan Literature and Hayashi Department Store after it opens at 11:00 (historic sites office). In the afternoon, the Grand Mazu Temple and the surrounding lanes, and Chihkan Tower in the evening before its last tickets at 21:00 (Chihkan Tower).
• Day 2, Anping: route 98 or bus 102 to Anping Fort at 08:30, the Tree House next door, lunch in Anping, then the Eternal Golden Castle before its 17:30 close (Anping Fort).

Three days. Add a coastal day on route 98's extended run to the Sicao area and Qigu Salt Mountain (Shuttle 98). The Taijiang National Park Visitor Center on Sicao Boulevard is open 09:00 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays (Travel Tainan visitor centres).

Five days. Add a weekend or holiday day trip on one of the countryside shuttles, and an afternoon at Tainan Art Museum, which stays open to 21:00 on Saturdays (Tainan Art Museum).

Day trips

• Guanziling hot springs. Route 33 runs on holidays only, and it starts from THSR Chiayi Station, not from Tainan. That makes it easier to fit in on the way into or out of Tainan than as a return day trip (Shuttle 33).
• Xinhua and Hutoupi. Take a TR train to Xinshi, then route 168 for Xinhua Old Street and the Hutoupi reservoir (Shuttle 168). The Hutoupi Scenic Area Service Center is listed as open 06:30 to 19:00 (visitor centres).
• Wushantou and Guantian. The Ling Po-Guantian Line leaves from Xinying Station on holidays, with one-day and two-day passes on sale (Ling Po-Guantian Line).
• Kaohsiung. THSR to Zuoying takes 11 to 15 minutes (THSR), useful if you are combining Tainan with a stay in Kaohsiung.

Local know-how

• Free walking tours. The tourism bureau runs free guided walks through the old city, on a Classic Tour route and a Local Life Tour route, with no payment or tipping, and reservations are required (Travel Tainan walking tour). Its first-timer page says the free English guiding is only offered on Saturdays and Sundays at present (Travel Tainan).
• Visitor centres. There are travel service centres at THSR Tainan Station and Tainan Station, both open 09:30 to 18:00, and at Anping (09:30 to 18:00, closed Mondays) (Travel Tainan visitor centres).
• Cash and coins. Buses that take cash give no change, so carry coins if you are not using an EasyCard or iPASS (Taiwan Tourist Shuttle).
• Breakfast culture. The tourism bureau notes that beef soup shops open in the early morning and close when the stock runs out, and that milkfish porridge is a local breakfast (Travel Tainan). If a particular dish is on your list, go early.
• Typhoons. The city closes its historic sites when a typhoon hits; in November 2025 the historic sites office announced a one-day closure for Typhoon Fung-wong (Tainan historic sites news). Tainan Art Museum also closes when the city government suspends work for a typhoon or earthquake (Tainan Art Museum). Follow forecasts from the Central Weather Administration.
• Electricity. Taiwan runs on 110 volts at 60 cycles (Taiwan Tourism useful tips).

Emergency and help numbers

The tourist shuttle pages describe 0800-011-765 as a line with Chinese, English and Japanese service that also helps in emergencies (Taiwan Tourist Shuttle).

Calendar and holidays

Taiwan's national holidays for the rest of 2026, from the Tourism Administration's list (Taiwan Tourism useful tips):

For a trip in 2027, the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration has already published the government office calendar for ROC year 116, which is 2027 (DGPA). Lunar New Year matters most in Tainan: several visitor centres close on Lunar New Year's Eve, and in 2026 the historic sites office published special opening and closing times for the whole holiday (visitor centres). Look for the equivalent notice on the historic sites office site before travelling over the new year.

Staying connected

The tourism bureau says most accommodation has Wi-Fi and many public areas offer the free iTaiwan network (Travel Tainan). Mobile coverage is a separate matter for calls: Taiwan switched off 3G on June 30, 2024, and a phone or SIM without 4G voice (VoLTE) cannot call anyone, including 110, 119 and 112 (Taiwan Tourism useful tips). If you rely on data for bus arrival times on the Tainan City Bus site, an eSIM set up before you land saves a stop at a phone counter; our Taiwan eSIM guide covers what to check on your phone.

Budget sketch

One adult, Taipei to Tainan and back, two days of sightseeing, using only the official prices above and leaving out food and lodging:

That comes to NT$2700 + NT$74 + NT$280 = NT$3054, plus city buses, which with an EasyCard cost nothing for trips within 8 km (Taiwan Tourist Shuttle). Swapping THSR for the direct TR express both ways (2 × NT$891 = NT$1782, and no Shalun fare) brings the same trip to NT$1782 + NT$280 = NT$2062 (Taiwan Railway).

FAQ

Is there a metro in Tainan?

No. You get around on foot, by city bus, on the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle routes, by YouBike or by taxi. Route 98 covers the central historic sites and Anping on one line.

How do I get from THSR Tainan Station to the city centre?

Walk through the 2F corridor to TR Shalun Station and take the Shalun line to Tainan Station. On the date we checked, trains took 18 to 23 minutes and there were 37 of them a day toward Tainan.

Is the High Speed Rail worth it from Taipei?

It saves roughly one to two and a half hours against a direct express train, and for one adult one way it costs NT$496 more once you add the Shalun fare, using the figures in the comparison above (THSR, TR). Whether that is worth it depends on how much your time in Tainan is worth to you.

Which historic sites are open in the evening?

Chihkan Tower is open until 21:30 with tickets sold until 21:00; Anping Fort, the Tree House and the Eternal Golden Castle close at 17:30 (historic sites office).

Can I fly directly to southern Taiwan?

Yes. BOCA lists Kaohsiung International Airport and Tainan Airport as ports of entry for visa-exempt visitors. From Kaohsiung, the 111 bus or the Kaohsiung MRT plus a train gets you to Tainan.

Do the historic sites close on Mondays?

The four ticketed sites run by the Cultural Affairs Bureau are listed as open Monday to Sunday, including national holidays. The National Museum of Taiwan Literature and Tainan Art Museum close on Mondays, and the Anping travel service centre is also closed on Mondays.

Sources

• BOCA, visa-exempt entry: visa-exempt stays, passport validity, ports of entry including Tainan and Kaohsiung, arrival card.
• National Immigration Agency, Taiwan Arrival Card: online arrival card.
• THSR, timetable and fare search: Taipei, Taoyuan and Zuoying to Tainan fares and travel times on 20 October 2026.
• THSR, Tainan Station: station hours and the 2F corridor to TR Shalun Station.
• THSR, fares and types: child fares, early-bird discount, THSR Pass.
• THSR, transfer information: free shuttle buses, Tainan taxi operator.
• Taiwan Railway, timetable search: Shalun to Tainan and Taipei to Tainan fares and times on 20 October 2026.
• Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, route 98: route and section fare.
• Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, route 111: Kaohsiung airport express to Tainan.
• Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, route 33: Tainan bus e-ticket rule, holiday-only route.
• Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, route 168: Xinhua and Hutoupi fare.
• Tainan historic sites office, fees and hours: NT$70 fee standard, foreign visitor concessions, opening hours.
• Tainan historic sites office, Chihkan Tower: hours, ticket sales, history, bus routes.
• Tainan historic sites office, Anping Fort: hours and the surviving Dutch wall.
• Tainan historic sites office, 2026 pass: two-of-four pass price and sales period.
• Travel Tainan, transportation: routes into Tainan, taxis, rentals.
• Travel Tainan, first-time visitors: climate, Confucius Temple, free English guiding, Wi-Fi.
• Travel Tainan, visitor centres: visitor centre hours.
• National Museum of Taiwan Literature: hours and free admission.
• Tainan Art Museum, hours and admission: hours, Monday rule, holiday openings.
• Taiwan Tourism Administration, useful tips: emergency numbers, holidays, VoLTE, voltage.
• Taiwan Tourism Administration, general information: seasons.
• Directorate-General of Personnel Administration: 2027 government calendar.
• Kaohsiung MRT: Kaohsiung International Airport station.