Tainan has always been one of the top picks for travel in Taiwan, and the city has more attractions than you can count. But Tainan isn’t only about historic sites, it can be seriously romantic too! Here we’ve put together a two-day Tainan itinerary so you can eat well, play hard, and snap plenty of gorgeous photos along the way.
Getting around Tainan: renting a car is the best way to explore
Tainan doesn’t have an MRT system yet, so taking public transportation with a group of friends is a real hassle! You have to keep looking up routes and transfers, and some spots in Tainan simply can’t be reached by public transportation. Scooters aren’t allowed on the freeway either, and spending that much time just getting around really isn’t worth it. That’s why renting a car is such a great choice for a Tainan trip, and with gogoout it’s even faster, easier and more convenient!
Tainan attractions: a two-day itinerary
Two-day Tainan itinerary, Day 1
Tainan Railway Station → ㄌㄜˋ腳王 (Le Jiao Wang) → Guosheng Lighthouse → Taiwan Salt Museum → Qingkunshen → Guanhai Tower (Sea-Viewing Tower) → Zhongzhouliao Night Market
Tainan Railway Station Photo source: Tainan Travel
The area around Tainan Railway Station is a foodie paradise! After traveling all that way to Tainan, the first order of business is filling your stomach.
But don’t eat too much here! We’re about to take you out for some authentic local Tainan food.
ㄌㄜˋ腳王 (Le Jiao Wang) oyster fritters and oyster thin noodles Photo source/IG: @gu1iiiii
For a street food stall, ㄌㄜˋ腳王 (Le Jiao Wang) has a clean and comfortable dining area. Qigu is famous for its oysters, so every oyster here is plump and wonderfully sweet! The sweetness of the oysters paired with the aroma of sesame oil makes for a truly delicious bowl. Besides the oyster thin noodles, the oyster fritters come in a thin yet perfectly crispy coating packed with sweet, fresh oysters, so generous and satisfying! And food this tasty comes at a super friendly price, making it a budget-friendly must-eat on any Tainan trip.
Address: County Road 176, Qigu District, Tainan City
Hours: 10:00-19:00 (closed Tuesdays)
Dingtoue Sandbar / Guosheng Lighthouse Photo source/IG: @yawnbonbon
Dingtoue Sandbar is the Tainan attraction nicknamed “Taiwan’s Sahara Desert” and “Taiwan’s Silk Road,” so you can be a desert flower without leaving Taiwan! The sandbar is made of silt washed down by rivers in western Taiwan and carried by waves in the Taiwan Strait, piling up year after year until it finally emerged above the sea as a long, narrow strip of sand. A landscape this barren and sweeping is a rare sight in Taiwan, making it a must-visit, highly photogenic Tainan attraction!
Address: North Dike, Qigu District, Tainan City
Hours: Open all day
Taiwan Salt Museum / Qigu Salt Mountain Photo source/IG: @ni_keng
The Taiwan Salt Museum is the only museum in Taiwan dedicated to the salt industry, preserving several centuries of the island’s salt-making heritage. The building is designed in the shape of salt mountains, so from a distance it looks like two white pyramids standing in the middle of the fields, which is a lot of fun to see! Qigu Salt Mountain is another evergreen Tainan attraction. Beyond the many facilities in the park, the sweep of white looks just like fallen snow and adds a touch of romance to Tainan. Don’t miss the old-fashioned salty-flavored popsicles either, a simple sweet-and-salty treat that’s perfect for beating the heat!
| Full price $130 | General public |
| Discounted ticket $80 | Tainan City residents |
| Group ticket $100 | Groups of 20 or more Students, teachers, volunteers, military and police |
| Half price $50 | Children ages 4-12 Seniors age 65 and over One companion of a disability ID holder (must enter together) |
| Free | Children under 4; disability ID holders themselves
Qigu residents (ID required) |
Address: No. 69, Yancheng Li, Qigu District, Tainan City
Hours: 9:00-17:00 (closed Wednesdays)
Qingkunshen Qingshan Fishing Port Photo source/IG: @qinghuangchen
Qingshan Fishing Port keeps all the flavor of a traditional fishing village, especially in the afternoon when the boats come back in and the dock fills with food lovers eager for the freshest catch. Visitors can join the fish auction themselves, which makes for a really fun harbor experience. Even if you don’t win any seafood at auction, the shops around the port serve up hearty meals with the freshest catch of the day! Strolling through this small, warm-hearted fishing port and soaking up the laid-back village atmosphere is wonderfully relaxing.
Address: No. 101, District Road Nan 26, Jiangjun District, Tainan City
Hours: 14:00-15:30
Guanhai Tower Photo source/IG: @hebbe820
Guanhai Tower (Sea-Viewing Tower) is the perfect Tainan spot for watching the changing glow of the setting sun. In just one hour of sunset, the scenery transforms again and again. Add some cloud cover or refracted light and the view shifts into something completely different! Summer evenings are when the tower’s signature Z-shaped oyster racks photograph most beautifully, and the triangular benches are a photo hotspot of their own!
Address: No. 68, Yancheng Li, Qigu District, Tainan City
Hours: Open all day
Zhongzhouliao Night Market / 921 sweet potato balls Photo source/IG: @kenfan0127
Zhongzhouliao Night Market may not be as big as Tainan’s other night markets, but it packs a lot into a small space and locals happily recommend it for the food. The most famous stall of all is “921 Sweet Potato Balls,” which often has a long line! Their specialty is how big each ball is, and one bite fills your mouth with a rich, hearty sweet potato aroma. That crispy yet chewy texture turns a humble snack into the star of Zhongzhouliao Night Market!
Address: Lane 245, Section 2, Changhe Road, Annan District, Tainan City
Hours: (Tuesdays and Saturdays) 17:30-00:00
Two-day Tainan itinerary, Day 2
Tsao-Jiang Cultural Center → Sicao Green Tunnel → Sio House (Xiyou Salt Office) → A-Cai Beef Soup → Blessing of the Big Fish → Anping Dock of Love and Deyang Warship Park → Guanxi Platform → Tainan Railway Station
Tsao-Jiang Cultural Center Photo source/IG: @c.ning_______
The Tsao-Jiang Cultural Center is a beautifully planned Tainan attraction, with geometric architecture in mostly black-and-white tones that looks great in photos no matter what you’re wearing! Beyond the buildings, there are plenty of art installations nearby to pose with, and the center also has play facilities to keep kids entertained. Great for photos and great fun, too.
Address: No. 207, Section 1, Anji Road, Annan District, Tainan City
Hours: 09:00-17:00 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
Sicao Green Tunnel Photo source/ig: @ch12is__
The Sicao Green Tunnel is known as “Taiwan’s mini Amazon.” Drifting along at the slow pace of a bamboo raft, you glide through a green tunnel formed by mangroves reaching out from both banks, accompanied by the soft chirping of birds and insects, with the green canopy overhead mirrored in the water. It’s a quiet, leafy escape from the noise of the city.
Address: No. 360, Dazhong Rd., Annan Dist., Tainan City
Opening hours:
Summer season (from after the Qingming holiday to Bailu): 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Winter season (from after Bailu to the Qingming holiday): 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
| Tour | Sicao Green Tunnel ticket price |
| Mangrove tunnel | Full fare NT$200, child fare NT$100, concession fare NT$100, black-faced spoonbill fare NT$30 |
| Sicao Taijiang tour | Full fare NT$200, child fare NT$100, concession fare NT$100, black-faced spoonbill fare NT$30 |
Shiyou Chuchangsuo Photo source/ig: @corn_photo_life
Shiyou Chuchangsuo is a wonderfully simple, rustic Japanese-style building that still quietly tells the story of Anping’s once-booming salt industry. Its most famous offering is the “366 days of colorful birthday salt” — come find out what color your birthday is! Besides birthday salt, there are salt-baked eggs in many colors, each color carrying a different meaning. Give one a light tap with the wooden mallet and you can enjoy a piping-hot salt-baked egg with a taste of the salt fields!
Address: No. 196, Gubao St., Anping Dist., Tainan City
Hours: 10:00-18:00
A Cai Beef Soup Photo source/ig: @jing_19911125
Visiting Tainan without a bowl of beef soup is like never having been to Tainan at all! “A Cai Beef Soup” is a local favorite, and on weekends the line is always long. The beef is tender and the broth is rich and clean — isn’t that the taste of happiness? Word is that the locals’ hidden-menu pick, the “pork belly beef soup,” is the most delicious of all, so give it a try!
Address: No. 5, Gubao St., Anping Dist., Tainan City
Hours: 11:00-13:00
Blessing of the Big Fish Photo source/ig: @yabe_xx
“Taiwan is like an invisible whale watching over us at sea. No matter who we are or where we come from, she carries us all the same. And so we who ride on her should also be tolerant of and kind to one another. When we disagree, we can talk instead of quarreling; when we face problems, we can work together instead of tearing each other down.”
Blessing of the Big Fish has been one of the most popular new Tainan attractions this year. The flowing lines of the fish’s body are the installation’s biggest feature, and inside its belly sits a Taiwan made mainly of colored glass and stainless steel, symbolizing the island’s love and acceptance. Blessing of the Big Fish is an installation that is both beautiful and meaningful!
Address: Harbor History Park, Anping Dist., Tainan City (along Anyi Rd. next to Anyi Bridge)
Opening hours: Open around the clock; lighting hours: 18:00-22:00.
Sunset Platform Photo source/ig: @yuu.idaa
Right in front of the platform lies the open sea, and sunset is always when the crowds are biggest — but don’t rush off once the sun goes down! With its low-level lighting design, Sunset Platform is also a great spot for stargazing. Let your mind settle on this quiet stretch of coast and give your trip the perfect ending!
Address: Yubin Rd., Anping Dist., Tainan City
Opening hours: Open all day
[Tainan food] When you think of great food, you think of Tainan. Our editor’s picks in Anping and Annan districts!
Yuguang Island Doudou Garden Photo source/ig: @tiens_foodies
Dining at Yuguang Island feels wonderfully natural, with leaves drifting down now and then and a thoroughly laid-back atmosphere. The signature dish is the “seafood noodles” — just NT$80 a bowl, yet generously loaded with shrimp, clams, squid and oysters, all of it super fresh!
Location: Anyi Rd., Anping Dist., Tainan City
Hours: 11:00-19:00 (closed Tuesdays)
Shanghe Handmade Soup Dumplings Photo source/ig: @maysun_boy
The owner of Shanghe Handmade Soup Dumplings insists that everything be fully handmade, wrapped to order and steamed to order, so the food keeps all its flavor!! A box of seven costs just NT$60, and each one is packed solid with pork and chopped scallion filling — bite in and the soup comes flowing out. Paired with the owner’s special sauce, these really are the cream of the soup dumpling crop!
Location: No. 53, Guo’an St., Annan Dist., Tainan City
Hours: 11:00-21:00 (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Rizi Shizuo Bakery Photo source/ig: ＠s251992s
Rizi Shizuo Bakery sells all kinds of baked breads, desserts and coffee, and the biggest star is the “Danish baked pudding”! Its cute looks alone are eye-catching enough. Bite in and the silky pudding gives way to the crisp Danish pastry — so fragrant!
Location: No. 342, Tong’an Rd., Annan Dist., Tainan City
Hours: 08:00-20:00 (closed Fridays)
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[Tainan car rental] Recommended rental shops, prices and fees — everything you need in one guide!
How do you choose a car rental in Tainan?
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gogoout offers the most transparent car rental information, so you can book a car in three minutes!
This article was translated by AI from the original Chinese version.
