Kaohsiung to Kenting Bus 9189 – Kenting Express Line Timetable

Kenting 墾丁in Taiwan is known for its blissful beaches, sublime surfing and night-life, not to mention its National Park. The Kenting Express buses from Kaohsiung / Zuoying HSR station depart regularly (every 15 to 30 minutes) and it is less than a 3 hour drive to this tropical paradise.

Given its location in southern Taiwan, trains don’t go all the way here so the Kenting Express bus / tourist shuttle is the best way to get here if you don’t fancy a Kenting tour or car hire.

We got the bus to Kenting from Zuoying HSR station (and back), spending a few days exploring Kenting and nearby Henchung.

From booking tickets to fares and luggage storage, here is our step-by-step guide to getting the Kenting bus from Kaohsiung.

This article was originally published on 23 March 2025.

How to get to Kenting from other Taiwan cities

The closest High Speed Rail train station to Kenting is Zuoying HSR (which is the Kaohsiung High Speed Railway station), and the closest TRA train station is Fangliao station.

From both stations you can catch the shuttle bus to Kenting, but you are best to board at Zuoying HSR station for a better chance of getting a seat.

To get to Zuoying HSR station you can take the high speed train from Taipei (and Taoyuan), Hsinchu, Maoli, Taichung, Tainan, Chiayi and a few other stops.

For instance, from Taipei to Kaohsiung on the HSR takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes. Buses from Kaohsiung to Kenting generally depart every 30 minutes from 8am to 7:30pm – check the official Taiwan iBus website for the latest timetable >

The Kenting Express Shuttle Bus 9189 from Kaohsiung HSR then takes around 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes to reach Kenting. Journeys during peak summer and weekends can be much longer due to traffic.

There is also a direct bus route from Kaohsiung Airport to Kenting (bus route 9117B), but there are only around 7 departures a day.

Book your Taiwan HSR fares with Klook here >

Some resorts in Kenting such as GLORIA MANOR offer a shuttle bus service you can pay for on certain days of the week. Always check with your hotel / resort in advance.

Below we will explain the different purchasing methods, and in the next section we will compare pricing.

The Kenting Express buses run along a highway so all passengers must be seated, so it is important to reserve your seat.

Purchasing a return ticket is cheaper than two one-way tickets.

However it must be used within 7 days of the departure date of the first outbound trip, and the return seat must be reserved when exchanging the ticket at the Kenting Express Counter at Zuoying HSR.

You can reserve seats for the return journey to Kaohsiung if boarding the bus between Xiaowan and Hengchun bus stops in Kenting.

Before you board the bus you must pick up a seat reservation card from Kenting Express Counter at Zuoying HSR entrance 2 on the day of the ride. You then head to the bus with your reservation card and your cash card ready to pay when boarding.

Remember to make sure your EasyCard balance is sufficient before boarding.

If you are boarding the bus from any of the stops after Kaohsiung Zuoying HSR station, or returning to Kaohsiung from Kenting, you won’t be able to reserve a seat and you can just board by tapping your EasyCard.

The return ticket must be used within 7 days of the departure date of the first outbound trip, and the return seat must be reserved when exchanging the ticket at the Kenting Express Counter. A maximum of 5 people can be booked per bus for the return Kenting to Kaohsiung trip.

You can reserve seats for the return journey to Kaohsiung if boarding the bus between Xiaowan and Hengchun bus stops in Kenting.

Head to fun2tw.com or maxa.chanjui.com within 30 days of your travel date and before 3pm the day before the ride.

Once you receive a QR code you can head straight to the bus to board (you do not need to pick up a seat reservation card from the Kenting Express Counter). The return ticket date must be within 8 days of the departure date of the first outbound trip.

The online booking system only sells one-way and return trip tickets between Zuoying and Kenting, no short distance tickets are sold.

Purchasing tickets using this method is recommended if travelling during busy times such as peak summer season, weekends and public holidays.

We have not used this option but we are guessing you cannot book a specific date or time, as Taiwan Tourism have stated you need to exchange your booking voucher for a seat reservation card at the Kenting Express Counter at Zuoying HSR.

Online payments at fun2tw.com and cash payments at the Kenting Express Counter at Zuoying HSR

Price adult one-way	Price concession* one-way	Price adult return	Price concession* return
NT$401	NT$200	NT$650	NT$400

EasyCard, icash 2.0 and iPass card payments

Price adult one-way	Price concession* one-way
NT$352	NT$176

*Concession = Senior citizens at the age of 65 or above, with ROC ID cards or Senior Citizen Cards, Holders of Disabled Cards (must ride with a guardian or a partner) and children below 12 years old at height below 145cm.

If you have a Taiwan EasyCard or other cash card, the journey price is slightly cheaper. So using a cash card is currently the cheapest way to pay.

If you don’t use EasyCard/cash cards it is NT$401 one way or you can save $NT201 by purchasing a NT$600 return ticket (NT$400 return for people who qualify concession). You must use the return journey within seven days.

Other fares are available like Kaohsiung to Hengchun for NT$317, Fangliao for NT$164 and Checheng for NT$288 (one way with an EasyCard or other cash card).

Kenting bus and shuttle fares are correct as of June 2026.

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Kaohsiung to Kenting Bus 9189 Timetable 2026

The buses to Kenting regularly depart Zuoying HSR station – there are around 28 buses to Kenting a day usually departing in 30 minute intervals (every 15 minutes during peak periods).

The first Kenting bus 9189 to depart Zuoying HSR to Kenting is 8:15am

The last Kenting bus 9189 to depart Zuoying HSR is 7:30pm

The first shuttle bus 9189 to leave Kenting for Kaohsiung departs at 8am

The last shuttle bus 9189 to leave Kenting for Kaohsiung is 7:30pm

The full timetable for bus 9189 can be seen below:

Kaohsiung Zuoying HSR to Kenting	Kenting to Kaohsiung Zuoying HSR
08.00	08.00
08.30	08.30
08.45	08.45
09.00	09.00
09.30	09.30
09.45	10.00
10.00	10.30
10.30	11.00
11.00	11.30
11.30	11.45
11.45	12.00
12.00	12.30
12.30	12.45
13.00	13.00
13.30	13.30
14.00	14.00
14.30	14.30
14.45	14.45
15.00	15.00
15.30	15.30
15.45	16.00
16.00	16.30
16.30	17.00
17.00	17.30
17.30	17.45
17.45	18.00
18.00	18.30
18.30	18.45
19.00	19.00
19.30	19.30

There are multiple bus stops in Kenting including Kending Arch, Kending Police Substation and the final stop Xiaowan.

There is another route called Kenting Airport Express Bus 9117B that departs from Kaohsiung Airport at 9:40am, 11am, 2pm, 3:20pm, 4:20pm, and 6pm, and returns from Kenting at 7.30am. 9.50am, 12.20pm, 3.20pm, 5pm and 6.40pm.

How to find the Kenting bus stop at Kaohsiung HSR

The bus stop for the Kenting shuttle from Kaohsiung can be found just outside Xinzuoying Kaohsiung Metro Station exit 1 (up the escalator to the outside level) and outside Zuoying HSR station.

There are around four bus stops and the Kenting shuttle / express bus usually departs from stand 2. However, the stand can sometimes change so double check the electronic destination signs by each bus stop which alternate between Mandarin and English.

Search for bus number 9189 that terminates at Xiaowan in Kenting.

Before you board the bus you must visit the ticket counter to pick up a seat reservation card which you will show to the driver (unless you booked a seat online on fun2tw.com or on maxa.chanjui.com).

Incidentally, from here you can also get the shuttle bus to the famous Fo Guang Shan temple, one of our top things to do in Kaohsiung.

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Kenting Express from Kaohsiung – bus luggage space & onboard experience

We joined a small queue outside and were able to put our luggage below the bus in a large compartment.

We used the bus on a weekday morning in February and the bus wasn’t too busy and was around half full when it left Kaohsiung.

As the bus stops at many towns and districts along the way, it soon fills up – on the way back from Kenting, a LOT of people got on at Hengchun bus station so the journey back to Kaohsiung was packed after that stop.

The Kenting Express buses we got were basic but comfy and on the way there, we were given free water and tissues branded with the Taiwan Tourism bear – however, we didn’t seem to get that on the way back a few days later.

The bus journey from Kaohsiung to Kenting can take anything from 2.5 hours to 3 hours one way and it isn’t too windy (very different from the Alishan bus journey)!

There are no toilets onboard the bus and there didn’t appear to be any official toilet stops on the way – so in an ‘emergency’, you may need to ask the driver or wait until Hengchun Bus Station to ask to alight there.

Always remember to use the buzzer if you are getting off at earlier stops otherwise the bus driver will likely just continue. Kenting beach has several stops to be sure to work out which one is closest to your hotel.

For instance, we once stayed at Chateau Beach Resort so got off the bus at Kending Arch bus stop, whilst the Caesars and Howard Beach Resorts are located near to the final bus stop.

From sunset pool sessions to balcony views overlooking Mt. Dajian and Big Bay, this fantastic forest retreat is a nice way to spend some time exploring Kenting National Park.

We stayed in a DELUXE ROOM (40 m²) which was spectacular – from the bath-tub looking out towards the ocean to the balcony where we spent both evenings watching the sun go down over Kenting or having coffee in the morning with a sea breeze.

Poolside breakfasts at the MU LOUNGE was a marvellous morning ritual and shuttles are provided by the hotel to get around Kenting. We also enjoyed their sublime swimming pool at sunset and relaxing in the poolside loungers – truly a relaxing way to end the day after a day of exploring Kenting.

This hotel is not located near a bus stop so you may need to contact the hotel in advance to discuss a potential pick up from the nearest bus stop.

Check rates and availability on booking.com | agoda.com | expedia.com | hotels.com

Kenting Chateau Beach Resort 墾丁夏都沙灘酒店

After much research, we stayed at Chateau Beach Resort for several days as it is one of the few Kenting hotels with direct beach access, plus it is about a 5 minute walk from the nearest Kenting shuttle bus stop.

The resort has several pools, sun loungers on the beach plus a beachside bar – it is about a 10 minute walk to the start of the famous Kenting Night Market.

Check rates and availability on booking.com | Agoda.com | Expedia.com | Hotels.com

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Caesar Park Kenting 墾丁凱撒大飯店

A 5* Kenting hotel, Caesars is a sprawling resort with many food and drink options including an even buffet which we highly rated (plus you can use your Lucky Land accommodation vouchers).

Caesar Park Resort also has its own section on the small beach in front exclusive to their guests.

Check rates and availability on booking.com | Agoda.com | Expedia.com | Hotels.com

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Howard Beach Resort Kenting 墾丁福華渡假飯店

This is another beachfront resort in Kenting next door to Caesar Park with its own shopping center, underground karaoke center plus swimming pool and a Starbucks outfront.

It is also a couple of minutes walk from the final Kenting shuttle stop (Xiaowan).

Check rates and availability on booking.com | Agoda.com | Expedia.com | Hotels.com

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