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You can visit Kenting without renting a scooter, but plan by bus corridor. Hengchun, Nanwan and Kenting Street are the simplest spine. Route 102 serves the western side around Baisha and Maobitou; route 103 goes from Hengchun to Jialeshui. Choose your base and daily direction before buying a pass.
For the long-distance arrival, see Kaohsiung to Kenting. This guide covers local movement. The 9189 Kenting Express and local shuttles are different services, even when their tickets appear on the same sales page.
Licence & attribution
Licence & attribution
Where to stay without a car
| Area | Transport advantage | Plan ahead for |
|---|---|---|
| Hengchun town | Transfer hub for Jialeshui, the west coast and Sichongxi | Bus rides to Nanwan and Kenting Street |
| Nanwan | Beach access on the main Hengchun–Kenting corridor | The ride home after an evening on Kenting Street |
| Kenting Street/Xiaowan | Food, evening walks and nearby beaches | Transfers for Jialeshui and the west coast |
| Chuanfanshi, Eluanbi or an outlying guesthouse | A quieter stay focused on the immediate area | Branch-specific buses, meals and hotel pickup |
Compare the Kenting accommodation areas. A cheaper remote room can cost more overall if every meal requires a taxi.
Understand the local routes
101 variants: the main corridor and aquarium
Read the letter as well as 101. The main route connects Xiaowan and the aquarium; 101C is a Xiaowan–Hengchun short service, while other variants extend towards Eluanbi or Xiawanlitong (下萬里桐). The timetable’s destination columns and O/X markings show which places a particular departure actually serves.
Use the aquarium guide for the visit itself. PT Bus has a separate notice for 101-series changes during the aquarium’s Tuesday closures from September 1 to December 31, 2026. A normal route diagram does not establish operation on a closure day.
102: Baisha, Maobitou and Houbihu
Although 102 also links Hengchun and Xiaowan, it takes the western scenic route. Use it for that side of the peninsula, not as the quickest way between town and Kenting Street. Identical endpoints do not mean an identical route or fare.
The current weekday schedule leaves Hengchun hourly from 08:00 to 15:00, then at 16:45; Xiaowan returns are hourly from 09:00 to 16:00. The holiday chart differs and includes later Xiaowan departures at 16:50 and 18:10. Do not use the holiday return for a weekday sunset plan. At Maobitou, check the intermediate-stop estimate rather than the origin departure.
103: Hengchun–Jialeshui
Plan the return first. The current weekday list is 06:20, 12:30 and 17:35 from Hengchun, with 06:50, 13:00 and 18:05 back from Jialeshui. Holidays have more departures. A midday arrival can leave a long stay before the next useful return, which is awkward for a brief visit.
For a surf lesson, allow time to finish, shower, change and walk back to the stop. Do not assume you can hail a taxi immediately if you miss the last bus at an outlying beach. Arrange pickup in advance when needed.
201: Hengchun towards Sichongxi
201 serves the corridor towards Checheng and Sichongxi via the aquarium transfer stop. Treat it as a separate hot-spring outing, not a circle combining Maobitou, Eluanbi and every other peninsula attraction.
Single fares or a NT$150 day pass?
| Example | Regular adult one-way fare | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 101 Xiaowan–Nanwan | NT$23 | A simple return may not justify a pass |
| 101 Xiaowan–Hengchun | NT$28 | The more direct main corridor |
| 101 Xiaowan–aquarium | NT$54 | Check the branch and opening day |
| 102 Hengchun–Xiaowan | NT$84 | A long western route, unlike 101 |
| 103 Hengchun–Jialeshui | NT$46 | NT$92 return; the timetable matters more than a pass saving |
PT Bus’s local shuttle day pass costs NT$150 and uses a date stamp for unlimited travel that day. Ask at the Kenting Express counter at Zuoying HSR or the PT Bus counter at Hengchun Bus Station. It is a calendar-day product, not a rolling 24-hour ticket, and does not reserve seats.
Calculate your real rides. Xiaowan–Hengchun return is NT$56. Xiaowan–aquarium return is NT$108; add two NT$23 short rides and the total reaches NT$154, only NT$4 above a day pass. There is little reason to add unwanted stops simply to “get your money’s worth.” A day with several western-side rides is more promising, provided the buses actually connect.
Pay-as-you-go fares follow the operator’s zone table and concession rules. Tap as instructed on boarding and leaving, or bring exact cash. Do not assume an already discounted pass receives a further child or senior discount.
Distinguish the local pass, the long-distance express return and a combination that explicitly includes both. Check redemption locations, validity and cancellation for your exact option. A voucher requiring collection in Zuoying is inconvenient if you are already staying in Kenting.
One side of the peninsula per day
From Kenting Street or Nanwan, spend one day on the beach and Hengchun’s old town using the 101 corridor. Use another day for one or two 102 stops such as Baisha, Maobitou or Houbihu. Give Jialeshui its own timetable-led outing instead of trying to add Sichongxi on the same day.
A plan combining Longpan sunrise, Jialeshui, a west-coast sunset and a night market is a better candidate for a car. Confirm the stops, service hours, overtime, bags and child seats. The useful saving is in transfer waits, not merely a cheaper per-person vehicle price.
After dark, bad weather and luggage
Sunsets and evening markets can finish after useful local buses. Decide the ride home before leaving, especially for Nanwan, Chuanfanshi and rural accommodation. Avoid turning a missed bus into a long walk along a dark highway.
Wind, thunderstorms and typhoons affect activities as well as transport. A running bus does not establish that swimming is safe. Keep wet clothes and sand contained, and check surfboard or large-luggage carriage with the operator before travel. A local shuttle is not an unlimited baggage-transfer service.
Common questions
Does every 101 bus reach Eluanbi?
No. Check the full variant and destination columns for the chosen weekday or holiday departure.
Is 102 the fastest Hengchun–Kenting bus?
No. It travels around western attractions. For the direct corridor, compare 101-series services.
Does the NT$150 local pass include 9189 from Zuoying?
A standalone local day pass does not include the long-distance express. Buy that leg separately or select an explicit combination.
Is a scooter essential?
No. Stay on a useful corridor, group stops geographically and check the return. Use a prebooked car for the remote or cross-peninsula day.