Kaohsiung for Solo Female Travellers: An Honest Local Answer
July 24, 2026 · 3 min read · Her Journey
We get this question more than any other, so here is a straight answer from two women who live in this city.
Is it safe?
Yes — genuinely, not politely. Taiwan is one of the safest countries in the world for women travelling alone, and Kaohsiung is calmer than Taipei. Walking back to your hotel at 11pm is normal here. Convenience stores are open all night on almost every block and are, in practice, a safe place to stop, sit, and use the wifi.
That does not mean nothing ever happens. It means the baseline is high and the usual precautions are enough rather than essential.
Where to stay
- Sizihwan / Yancheng (Orange Line, west end) — walkable, near the harbour, close to Pier-2 and the Cijin ferry. Our first choice for a short stay.
- Central Park / Formosa Boulevard (Red Line, city centre) — the best MRT access in the city and the Liuhe night market on your doorstep.
- Zuoying (north) — makes sense if you are arriving by high speed rail or leaving early, but it is quiet at night.
Anywhere on the Red or Orange line is fine. Kaohsiung does not really have a neighbourhood we would tell you to avoid.
Getting around at night
The MRT is clean, well lit and staffed, and the platforms have designated waiting areas covered by cameras. The last trains run around midnight.
Taxis are metered and generally honest. Uber works in Kaohsiung and is the easiest option if you do not speak Chinese, because you do not have to explain your destination.
Scooter taxis are not a thing here. Renting a scooter yourself requires a licence that most visitors will not have.
Night markets alone
Completely normal. Go and eat.
Ruifeng is the biggest and the most local; Liuhe is central and more used to visitors. Both are crowded in the good way. Bring cash, order by pointing, and expect people to be helpful when they notice you do not speak Chinese.
The small practical things
- Get an EasyCard or iPass at any convenience store. It works on the MRT, buses, the light rail, the Cijin ferry and in most shops.
- Public toilets are everywhere and are usually clean — MRT stations, department stores, convenience stores.
- Tap water is not usually drunk unboiled. Hot and cold filtered water dispensers are in every station, hotel and 7-Eleven.
- Pharmacies are common and staff often read some English. Look for the green cross.
- Period products are sold in every convenience store, though tampons are less common than pads outside larger supermarkets.
- Emergency numbers: 110 for police, 119 for ambulance and fire. The Taiwan travel hotline is 0800-011-765, free and answered in English 24 hours.
- Dress code: there is none, including at temples. Shoulders and knees are fine. Comfortable shoes matter far more.
Temples, alone, as a woman
There is no restriction on women entering temples in Taiwan, and no separate area. Step over the threshold rather than on it, use the right-hand door to enter and the left to leave, and do not photograph people mid-prayer. If someone hands you incense, they are being welcoming.
What we would tell a friend
Come in October to April if you can — summer here is 34°C and humid. Book a walking tour on your first morning, not your last: everything after it makes more sense, and you will have someone local to ask for the rest of your trip.
And say yes when someone offers you food. That is the whole culture in one gesture.
Her Journey is run by Lesley and Hsin, two local women guiding in English in Kaohsiung. Our tours are women-friendly by default — small groups, public transport, no pressure. See what we run.