Kaohsiung to Kenting Transit Guide 2026: Bus vs Taxi
Heading from Kaohsiung to Kenting? Compare express buses, private taxis, and car rentals to find the best way to reach Taiwan's premier surf paradise.
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Heading from Kaohsiung to Kenting? Compare express buses, private taxis, and car rentals to find the best way to reach Taiwan's premier surf paradise.
Hey there! It's Bamkki! 👋
For my recent trip to Taiwan, the most important thing to plan was
TRANSPORTATION!!!!!
Kenting, the ultimate surfing paradise in Taiwan,
is about a 2-hour drive from Kaohsiung,
but it can take up to 4 hours by bus.
When I traveled there with my dad back in 2018,
we just took the bus back and forth.
But this time, I really wanted to save time,
so I weighed a few different options.
For those of you who are short on time,
here is a quick comparison of how to get
from Kaohsiung to Kenting and Hengchun!
1. Express Bus
This photo is from 2018, haha
This is the exact method I used
when I traveled with my dad in 2018.
There are two main ways to go about this:
1. Take Bus 9117B from Kaohsiung Airport
(Takes 3 hours 44 mins, ~$10 one-way)
*Avoid Route A as it's a local bus with too many stops!
*There's currently a 50% discount if you pay with an electronic transit card
(runs through August 2025)
2. Take Bus 9189 from Zuoying Station
(Takes 3 hours 2 mins, ~$11 one-way)
Even though you have to take the MRT
from Kaohsiung Airport to Zuoying Station first,
this bus has fewer stops,
so it actually gets you there faster.
Just check your flight arrival details
and choose the option that fits your schedule best! 👍
On KKday,
they sell package deals that bundle the express bus ticket
with the Kenting Shuttle Bus pass (an absolute must for sightseeing),
so if you're interested, check out the link below! ⬇️⬇️
Kenting Express Bus Ticket (Round-trip Ticket & 1/2-Day Unlimited Pass)
*Kaohsiung is connected to the High-Speed Rail (HSR),
but Kenting is not,
so taking the train all the way there isn't an option!
2. Car Rental in Taiwan
Well, this...
wasn't really an option for me,
since my driver's license is just for show lol
HAHAHA 😂
But public transport in Kenting is so sparse,
if you can drive,
I highly recommend renting a car
to get around! It's definitely on my wishlist. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)
If you're heading there to surf,
this is a fantastic option to consider,
especially for hauling your surfboard around!
Budget Car Rental is one of the top 3 global rental chains,
so you're guaranteed great service!
In Kaohsiung, you can easily pick up your car
at the Zuoying HSR Station.
While it's obviously pricier
than taking a bus or a shared taxi,
the sheer convenience and freedom of movement
make it totally worth considering.
P.S. Alternatively, you can head to Kenting or Hengchun first
and rent a scooter there!
Here is the link for the Hengchun Bike Shop where you can rent a Kenting scooter.
Cruising along the Kenting coast
on a scooter...
I wonder when I'll get to do that! haha 😂
3. Private Pick-up / Drop-off Taxi Service
Finally, this is the option I chose!
I joined the surf shop's group chat beforehand,
connected with someone on a matching schedule,
and we decided to split a private transfer service.
Time is money for busy professionals,
so going straight from the airport to Hengchun was the way to go! ✌️
While searching online,
I found some amazing info from another blogger,
so I reached out directly to a driver known as "Boss Wang"
via WeChat!
Leave a comment below if you'd like his ID! 😉
(He recently set up KakaoTalk too, hehe)
Even if you use a translator to message him in Korean,
he understands perfectly!
Though sometimes the machine translation is a bit off,
so you have to use your intuition to understand him! lol
By the way, "rent" in his message means hiring Boss Wang and his car.
Our amazing Boss Wang can even handle
same-day bookings...!!!
Once I shared my flight details,
he perfectly coordinated the pickup time for us.
However, Uncle Wang doesn't personally drive every single car.
On this day, for our trip from Kaohsiung to Hengchun,
we were actually sharing a ride with others.
But "sharing" didn't necessarily mean we were squeezed in with strangers.
It was more like the driver was already heading to Hengchun,
so they pick up passengers along the way to cover their costs.
Carpooling = Ride-sharing
From Kaohsiung Airport → Hengchun, it was about ~$16 per person.
If you want to charter the entire car,
it would be about ~$80.
Since this wasn't an official agency
and we went solely based on a personal recommendation,
I was a bit skeptical at first and kept asking questions lol.
Anyway, we met up with the driver he recommended
and made it from the airport to Hengchun
safely and smoothly.
And on the day we were heading back to Kaohsiung
from Jialeshui where we were surfing,
we shared a ride with some other surfers whose schedules matched ours.
Normally, Hengchun or Kenting → Kaohsiung is about ~$16,
but we just asked him to pick us up directly from Jialeshui! 🤣🤣
And guess what? Uncle Wang came himself!!!!!
He has an official taxi registration card,
which immediately boosted his reliability index to 100%!
Now I can confidently recommend him to all of you.
We chatted in my broken Chinese,
and out of nowhere, he gave us some Taiwanese onion crackers.
Then he introduced us to a local fruit called wax apple (lianwu),
and when we stopped by a convenience store/rest area,
he actually bought some wax apples for us from a nearby stall! ㅇ_ㅇ
He was so, so kind...
This is exactly why I'm writing this
heartfelt recommendation for Uncle Wang! ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
While waiting for another carpool passenger along the way,
he asked me how to say 'goodbye' (Zaijian) in Korean,
so I gave him a mini-lesson and coached him through it.
Before we parted ways, he asked me to record the pronunciation,
so I sent it to him via WeChat lol.
First of all, his WeChat ID literally translates to
'Uncle Wang Boss's Happy Everyday~'—he is just such a positive vibe!
He's incredibly optimistic,
always eager to learn Korean, and above all,
he is friendly, budget-friendly, and makes the ride so comfortable!
That's why I highly recommend him.
I believe he also offers half-day or full-day tours
if you request them...!
If I ever visit Kaohsiung and head to Kenting again,
Uncle Wang will definitely be my first contact.
(That's why I can't bring myself to delete him on WeChat haha.)
Leave a comment below if you want his WeChat or KakaoTalk ID,
and I'll happily share it with you!
He said he even created a KakaoTalk account
because he's getting so many Korean guests now lol.
Taiwan Travel: Kaohsiung Airport to Kenting & Hengchun
Express Bus vs. Carpooling Pickup/Drop-off Price Comparison & Review — End!
Read about my surfing experience in Kenting here ⬇️
[Taiwan Surfing Camp] December/January Surfing in Kenting Jialeshui - Surf Only Review
Taking the 9117B bus from Kaohsiung Airport to Kenting takes about 3 hours and 44 minutes, and the one-way fare is ~$0. If you use a transportation pass until August 2025, you can get a 50% discount.
Taking the 9189 bus from Zuoying Station to Kenting takes 3 hours and 2 minutes. Because it has fewer stops than the 9117B bus departing from Kaohsiung Airport, you can arrive about 42 minutes faster.
If you use a carpool method sharing a car with others, you can travel from Kaohsiung Airport to Hengchun for ~$0 per person. If you charter the entire vehicle exclusively, the fare will be ~$2.
If you use Budget Rent a Car, you can pick up the vehicle at Zuoying High Speed Rail Station in Kaohsiung. Besides renting a car, there is also the option of traveling to Hengchun and then renting a scooter at a local bike shop.
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