Taiwan

Kaohsiung

A port city in southern Taiwan. The light rail circles the city centre, and the MRT runs straight to the airport.

Kaohsiung Ferry (Gushan-Cijin)

Pay at the pier before you board - coins in the slot, or a tap of an IC card such as iPASS; the metro's bank-card tap doesn't work here. You and your vehicle pay separately, so a bicycle or scooter changes the total.

Updated on August 20, 2026

How to ride

1
Pay at the pier before boarding

At the Gushan, Cijin, Qianzhen and Zhongzhou ferry stations, drop coins into the slot or tap your card.
2
Bring coins if you pay cash

Neither the counter nor the staff give change or break notes, so have coins ready before you board.
3
Pay the vehicle's fare for a bike or scooter

The vehicle is charged on top of your own fare - both bicycles and scooters can come aboard.
4
One card per person

An IC card covers one person only - you cannot tap it a second time for a companion.
5
The KW2 sea bus is a separate service

The sea bus between KW2 and Cijin has its own fare and is not covered by the monthly or hourly passes.

Fares

Single fares4

Foot passenger (full fare)

The same by coin, IC card or ride code - the electronic-ticket discount was dropped in November 2024.

30 TWD ≈ $0.9

With a scooter (rider plus vehicle)

The total, with the vehicle charged on top of your own fare. Daytime restrictions apply on long weekends.

60 TWD ≈ $2

With a bicycle (rider plus vehicle)

The total, with the bicycle charged on top of your own fare; not covered by the long-weekend restriction.

40 TWD ≈ $1

Sea bus, KW2 to Cijin (full fare)

Concession 40; pay by cash or IC card. Neither the monthly nor the hourly pass covers it.

80 TWD ≈ $2

Passes & multi-ride1

MeN Go 24-hour pass (QR)

A promotional price against a list price of 300. Two ferry rides only; metro, tram and bus unlimited.

199 TWD ≈ $6

Children & discounts3

Concession fare (ages 6-12, 65 and over)

Also for disability card holders and one companion; show the document before you pay.

15 TWD ≈ $0.5

Child (age 6 and under, or under 115 cm)

Free, but tell the staff how many children you have before boarding.

0 TWD

Student fare

Show a student ID before you pay; without it you are charged the full fare.

25 TWD ≈ $0.8

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride

Absent from the official list of payment methods - unlike the metro gates

IC card

At the gates: iPASS, EasyCard and icash all work - one card covers one person only

App tickets

At the gates: MeN Go hourly and monthly pass QR codes work here; mind the ride limits

QR ticketing

At the gates: An iPASS MONEY ride code. Easy Wallet and icash Pay unconfirmed

Cash

At the gates: Drop coins into the slot to board; no change and no note-breaking

Quick facts

Hours

05:00-02:00

Frequency

Every 5-15 min (about 30 min after midnight)

Fares from

30 TWD+

Heads-up

Petrol scooters face a time-window ban on long holidays

On public holiday weekends of three days or more, tourists' petrol scooters cannot board between 11:00 and 19:00. Electric scooters, bicycles and Cijin residents are exempt.
E-scooters board switched off and folded

Electric scooters must be switched off and folded, and boarded via the foot-passenger waiting room.
The metro bars vehicles it has not approved

The rules change once you switch to the metro. Kaohsiung's metro does not allow you to carry or ride any vehicle, mobility scooter or electric vehicle inside stations and trains unless the operator has approved it; disability card holders may move through stations on a seated wheelchair or mobility scooter at up to 5 km/h.