Kaohsiung Light Rail: Fares, Payment and Getting to the Museum of Fine Arts
Coins or a transit card, and tap once on and once off — remember those two things and the loop line is easy.
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"I'll take the light rail from Pier-2 to the art museum — but how do I buy a ticket?" It's a question that comes up whenever you plan western Kaohsiung. The Kaohsiung Light Rail (高雄輕軌) is a circular line around the city that links Pier-2 (駁二), Hamasen (哈瑪星), the Museum of Fine Arts and the Love River (愛河). This guide is based on Kaohsiung Rapid Transit (KRTC)'s official fare, riding and timetable information and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA)'s official visitor information, as of October 2026.
01 · Kaohsiung Light Rail fares and journey times at a glance
| From (→ C21 Museum of Fine Arts) | Journey time | Fare (ticket or card) |
|---|---|---|
| C24 Heart of Love River (愛河之心) | about 7 min | NT$20 |
| C14 Hamasen (哈瑪星) | about 18 min | NT$20 |
| C12 Pier-2 Dayi (駁二大義) | about 22 min | NT$25 |
| C9 Cruise Terminal (旅運中心) | about 28 min | NT$30 |
| C5 Dream Mall (夢時代) | about 38 min | NT$35 |
These figures come from the fare and journey-time search on KRTC's official site (as of October 2026). Since 2024 the light rail has charged by distance: NT$20 up to 5 km, then NT$5 more every 2 km, capped at NT$35 beyond 9 km. So there are only four fares — NT$20, 25, 30 and 35 — and in the official search a single-journey ticket and a regular transit card cost the same.
02 · Paying for the Kaohsiung Light Rail: coin ticket vs transit card
Single tickets take coins only Station machines only sell single-journey tickets and don't accept notes, so carry coins. It's one ticket per person, valid for 120 minutes after purchase.
Transit cards: iPASS, EasyCard, icash iPASS (一卡通), EasyCard (悠遊卡) and icash (愛金卡) all work. Bring the EasyCard you used in Taipei and you won't need coins.
Top up before you ride Validators only auto top-up Taiwanese credit cards with a built-in transit-card function and auto-reload switched on. Top up a regular transit card in advance, for example at a convenience store.
Under-6s ride free According to the official guide, children under six ride free with a paying adult.
03 · Riding the loop: frequencies and when to tap
Pick your direction Trains leave C1 Lizihnei (籬仔內) in two directions, clockwise (順行) and counterclockwise (逆行). In the official search, Hamasen and Pier-2 use the 順行 platform towards the museum and Heart of Love River uses the 逆行 platform, so follow the signs at the stop.
Tap on and tap off With a transit card, tap the platform validator when you enter and again when you leave. Forget to tap off and the card is locked; next operating day you're charged the top fare of NT$35 plus a NT$20 overtime fee — NT$55.
Press the button to open the doors When the tram stops, passengers press the button by the door themselves. Eating and drinking are banned on board, so keep drinks packed away.
Every 10–15 minutes Service runs 06:30–22:30 from C1. Trains come every 10 minutes on weekdays 06:30–08:30 and 16:30–18:30 and weekends 14:00–18:00, and every 15 minutes otherwise (as of October 2026). Typhoons can change this — on 23 October 2026 trains ran every 20 minutes all day.
04 · Visiting the Museum of Fine Arts: closing days and tickets
| Item | Details (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Nearest stop | C21 Museum of Fine Arts (美術館), about 5–8 min on foot through the parking lot |
| Opening hours | Tue–Sun 09:30–17:30, ticket sales 09:30–17:00 |
| Closed | Every Monday and Lunar New Year's Eve (除夕) |
| Admission | NT$90 standard, NT$45 for university students with ID, special exhibitions ticketed separately |
| Address | 高雄市鼓山區美術館路80號 (exhibition entrance on 美術東二路) |
Avoid Mondays The museum is closed on Mondays, so put it on a Tuesday-to-Sunday light rail day.
Check in big bags Bags larger than A3 and suitcases must be checked. The information desk takes large luggage and there are free coin lockers in the basement. No food or drink, including water, in the galleries.
With kids, use C21A The Children's Art Museum (兒童美術館) is about 8–10 minutes on foot from the next stop, C21A Neiwei Arts Center (內惟藝術中心). Its hours differ from the main building, so check the official page again.
Planning more of Kaohsiung? See where to leave bags on your airport day in Formosa Boulevard Station lockers, and catch a boat near the Hamasen light rail stop with our Cijin Island ferry guide. The museum has its own Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts page, and the Neiwei Arts Center by the next stop is listed too. For stops along the line, browse Kaohsiung attractions and the Kaohsiung food map.
Find places along the light rail on the map
Pin spots near the museum and Pier-2 so your loop-line day is easy to plan.