Tainan Travel Guide: Discover Taiwan’s Oldest City & Ultimate Foodie Paradise – 臺南懶人包

When to visit?

Tainan is great year-round, but it can get a little hot in the summer, and Typhoon season and heavy rain season last from about May to October. If you are afraid of the heat and rain then you can visit during winter when the temperatures are mild and the climate is dryer. 

Where to stay?

Most of the accommodation you will find is near the city center.  If you only want to visit old Tainan, you can book a hotel near the west part of downtown and consider walking or cycling around the city. 
We have stayed at and recommend Liho Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, or Hotels.com here), a quality hotel right next to Chikan Tower, and Famouse Hotel (you can book on Agoda here or Klook here), which is another great hotel also within walking distance of Chikan Tower in old Tainan. 
You can find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

How to get to Tainan?

You can book tickets to travel to Tainan via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
You can book tickets to Tainan via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here. 
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.

How to get around in Tainan:

As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. However, you can also a great deal of Tainan by taking the train, inter-city bus, local bus, Youbike, or just walking. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county. 
Scooter Rental: Looking for scooter rental in Tainan? You can search KKday here or Klook here to look for options.
You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
Car Rental: If you are looking for car rentals in Tainan, you can also search Klook here or KKDay here. 
You can also check out our car rental guide here. 
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. ​

Tours:

You can find more tours and activities in Tainan such as SUPing / Paddle Boarding, Oyster Harvesting, Wind Surfing, Glamping, Life Sciences Museum, Zuojhen Fossil Park, National Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology, Astronomical Education Area, Arphology Museum, Tainan Art Museum, Ten Drum Cultural Village, Shuei Jiao She Cultural Park, Yukids Island, Container Park, Austin Land, Tsou Ma Lai Farm, Reality Game Experience, Thai Massage, Great Wall Exhibition, Wanpi World Wildlife Park, Zengwen Reservoir Yacht Tour, Anping Canal Cruise, Zoumase Farm and more on Klook here or KKday here. 

Map:

You can see a map of all the places that we will visit in this blog below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival around June, Tainan hosts an international dragon boat race in Anping’s canals. Racers come from all over the world, usually, they are rowing teams from universities. If you are not sure when to go, Dragon Boat Festival is a great choice…(read more).

Guanziling Water and Fire Cave 關仔嶺的水火同源

 

 

 

 

 

The Chimei Museum in Rende District of Tainan is one of the largest museums in Taiwan. It sits in the middle of Tainan Metropolitan Park, and features Western-style architecture and a wonderful collection of art that would be the envy of any European city, including fine art, fossils, musical instruments, weapons, antiques, and other artifacts…(read more)

​You can buy discount tickets to the Chimei Museum on Klook here or KKday here. 

Guosheng Lighthouse 國聖燈塔

Guosheng Lighthouse is the westernmost point on the main island of Taiwan. It looks like an electricity transmission tower and is surrounded by sand dunes. It’s deep in rural Tainan’s Taijiang National Park, but it’s worth the trip…(read more) ​

Ten Drum Cultural Village 十鼓文化村

Ten Drum Cultural Village is a former sugar factory near the ​Chimei Museum in Rende District which has been converted into a kind of theme park that includes a zipline, ball pit park, drum museum, theater, restaurants, and more.
You can book tickets to Ten Drum Cultural Village for a discount on Klook here.

Baihe’s Great Wall of China 白河萬里長城

Baihe’s Great Wall Exhibition is a scaled-down mock version of the Great Wall of China. If you love taking selfie photos and pretending like you’ve left the country on the cheap, this is the place for you.
You can book tickets to the Great Wall Exhibition for a discount on Klook here.

Wanpi World Wildlife Park 頑皮世界

Wanpi World Wildlife Park is a private farm, zoo, and children’s water park in Tainan. It is lots of fun for the whole family and is great for cooling off on a hot day. Animals here include giraffes, hippos, zebras, capybaras, peacocks, flamingos, alligators, snakes, and more.
You can buy tickets to Wanpi World Wildlife Park for a discount on Klook here or KKday here.

Tsengwen Reservoir 曾文水庫

Tsengwen Reservoir is the largest reservoir in Taiwan. It provides flood control, hydroelectric power, and water supply to the Chianan Plain. You can drive around it and enjoy the views, and also take a boat tour around the reservoir through KKday here.

Beimen Salt Fields 北門鹽田

Beimen salt fields in Tainan are a tourist-centric salt harvesting area. Salt harvesting used to be a major industry in the Tainan, but nowadays the salt fields are mainly tourist attractions. Here you can make your own salt mound!

Fan-shaped Salt Fields 扇形鹽田

The Fan-shaped salt fields in Beimen, Tainan are abandoned salt fields that are open to the public and provide an amazing view of the sunset. They built a white “tree of life” here which looks awesome at sunset and is great for selfies.

Beimen Crystal Church 北門水晶教堂

Beimen Crystal Church in Tainan is one of the most blatant tourist traps in Taiwan, but still beautiful. It is not a real church, but it is still a popular place for Instagrammers and selfie lovers in Tainan.

Yuguangdao Beach 漁光島沙灘

Yuguang Island Beach in Tainan features beautiful round piers. This is one of the best beaches in Tainan, and even though swimming is officially banned there were tons of surfers and sailers in the water.

Golden Coast 黃金海岸

The Golden Coast is another great beach area in Tainan. Recently the seaside has undergone some renovations. It is one of the best places to swim and sunbathe near the city center.

Xinhua Old Street 新化老街

Xinhua Old Street is one of the best-preserved old streets in Taiwan, with many buildings still covered in Japanese era-baroque-style facades. There are also many great places to eat and shop in the area. There is also a well-preserved Japanese-era martial arts hall at the end of the street.

Madou Old Street 麻豆老街

Madou, a rural area known for its Pomelos and Mangoes, also has a historic Old Street with shops and restaurants that is worth checking out if you are in the area. The old street area also includes an old movie theater.

Yujing Old Street 玉井老街

Yujing Old Street in Tainan has about five or six Mango ice restaurants. Mangoes are the town’s main agricultural product and are famous throughout Taiwan. This is a popular tourist old street, with the main delicacy being Mango Ice, so come in the summer during Mango season.

Shennong Old Street 神農老街

Shennong Old Street in Tainan is a great place to take a stroll and enjoy the shops, restaurants, and history here. It is like walking back in time to ancient Tainan. Usually, you will find lots of people here taking selfies.

Snail Alley 蝸牛巷

Snail Alley in Tainan is full of shops and restaurants and is a hipster’s paradise. You will also find lots of paintings and statues of snails which are popular places to take photos.

Koxinga’s Shrine 鄭成功文物館

The Koxinga Shrine in Tainan honors the former Ming Loyalist general who defeated the Dutch in Taiwan and established the Kingdom of Tungning on the island. Come here if you care to learn more about this revered historical figure.

Zhongshan Old Street 中山老街

Zhongshan Old Street in Jiali District of Tainan is one of the best-preserved and busy old streets in rural Tainan. You will notice many bare-chested mannequins placed here, it is not an exotic shop but sells support bands for elderly people.

Shanhua Old Street 善化老街

Shanhua Old Street is another large and well-preserved old street in Tainan. Here you can find lots of good places to snack and take in the old-time vibes.

Jingliao Old Street 菁寮老街

Jingliao Old Street is perhaps the best-preserved old street in former Tainan County. Almost nothing has changed here since the Qing Dynasty and Japanese era. Most of the buildings here are well preserved and there are also many shops here to explore.

Dongshan Old Street 東山老街

Dongshan Old Street in Tainan is famous for the Taiwan delicacy Dongshan Duck Head. If you are a duck head fan, this is the place for you.

Yanshui Qiaonan Old Street 鹽水橋南老街

Yanshui Old Street is another historical town in rural Tainan. The whole town is a historical relic and includes an old theater and multiple temples. It is also home to the Yanshui Fireworks Festival, where people shoot fireworks at each other during Lantern Festival.

Xinying Sugar Factory 新營糖廠

Xinying Sugar Factory railway in rural Tainan is a great place to visit for tourists in Tainan. This sugar factory and railway are still in operation, and local residents and tourists can still ride the sugar train like in the olden days.

Yujing Sugar Factory 玉井糖廠

Yujing Sugar Factory in Tainan was the location of the Taipani Incident, in which thousands of Han Chinese and Aborigines rose up against Japanese rule. In the end, thousands were arrested and hundreds executed. Now there is a memorial to the incident, as well as a museum and restaurant.

Shanhua Sugar Factory 善化糖廠

Shanhua Sugar factory in rural Tainan is still in operation, but the older employee dormitories (built during the Japanese era) have been converted into a tourist destination with shops and restaurants. It is a great place to enjoy the history and culture of the area.

Wushantou Reservoir 烏山頭水庫

Wushantou Reservior is another spot for summer fun in Taiwan. Next to the reservoir is a water park suitable for kids of all ages. There is a discount if you are a Tainan resident.

Funong Street – Biandang Alley

I like to call Funong Street in Tainan “Biandang Alley,” because it has the highest concentrations of help-yourself bento places (自助餐) in Taiwan. Here you can fully enjoy why Tainan is called the food capital of Taiwan. You can also have the best lunch for the money anywhere in Taiwan.

Tainan Garden Night Market 花園夜市

Huayuan Night Market is the biggest and best night market in Tainan. You will find plenty of stalls and food options to choose from.

Coffin Bread 棺材板

This is delicious coffin bread, a Tainan delicacy, which is just fried Texas toast cut open and filled with stew. It is Taiwan’s version of a bread bowl.

Shrimp Rolls 蝦卷

Any Tainan resident can tell you that you need to try out shrimp rolls which are a Tainan delicacy. Don’t miss out on this snack.

Places we missed…​

• Nanhua Reservior 南化水庫
• Dongyuan Old Street 東原老街
• SUPing / Paddle Boarding
• Oyster Harvesting 
• Wind Surfing
• Glamping
• Life Sciences Museum
• Zuojhen Fossil Park
• National Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology 
• Astronomical Education Area
• Arphology Museum
• Tainan Art Museum 
• Shuei Jiao She Cultural Park
• Yukids Island 
• Container Park
• Austin Land
• Tsou Ma Lai Farm
• Reality Game Experience 
• Thai Massage
• Anping Canal Cruise 
• Zoumase Farm
• And many more for you to explore.

You can book more tours and activities on Klook here or KKday here. 
​
You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.