Taiwan's high-speed rail and domestic flights get most of the attention, but a handful of ferry routes are essential rather than optional: they are the only practical way to reach several of the country's most distinctive outlying islands. Some crossings are calm and short; others cross open Pacific or Taiwan Strait water and can be genuinely rough. Here is how the main routes work.
Kinmen: the short hop from Xiamen, or the long one from Taiwan
Kinmen, the island just off the coast of mainland China that remains part of Taiwan, is most easily reached by domestic flight from Taipei or Kaohsiung, but it also has a ferry connection worth knowing about: the "small three links" service across to Xiamen on the Chinese mainland, a crossing of well under an hour. This route is aimed mainly at cross-strait travellers with the appropriate permits rather than typical international tourists doing a Taiwan trip, so most visitors flying in from elsewhere in Taiwan will use domestic flights to reach Kinmen itself rather than a boat.
Penghu: the Taiwan Strait crossing
The Penghu archipelago, a cluster of low, wind-battered islands in the Taiwan Strait known for basalt cliffs and quiet beaches, is reached by ferry from Chiayi (Budai Port) on Taiwan's west coast, with a crossing time of around 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the vessel and sea conditions. Ferries run seasonally, more frequently in the warmer months from around April to October, and less often — sometimes not at all in poor weather — over winter, when the strait's winds pick up considerably. Most travellers instead fly to Penghu from Taipei, Kaohsiung or Chiayi, a journey of well under an hour, and use the ferry mainly for inter-island hopping once there, since Penghu's smaller islands are linked by short local boat services rather than one central ferry.
Green Island and Orchid Island: the rough-water routes
Green Island (Ludao) and Orchid Island (Lanyu), both off Taiwan's remote south-eastern coast, are reached by ferry from Taitung (Fugang Port), with crossings taking roughly 50 minutes to Green Island and 2 to 3 hours to Orchid Island depending on the route and conditions. These are open-ocean crossings on the edge of the Pacific, and they have a well-earned reputation among Taiwanese travellers for being rough — the boats are smaller than the ferries used on the calmer west-coast routes, and swells can make for an uncomfortable trip even in reasonable weather. Sailings are reduced or cancelled during typhoon season and rough winter weather, so build flexibility into any itinerary that depends on reaching either island. General guidance on coping with cancelled or delayed sailings is covered in our how to book ferries guide.
Booking and timing
Tickets for all these routes can generally be bought on the day at the ferry terminal, though booking a day or two ahead is sensible in peak summer season (July–August) when island-bound demand is highest, and essential if you are travelling with a specific onward connection to make. Schedules shift with the season and are genuinely weather-dependent on the outer-island routes, so check the current timetable close to your travel date rather than relying on an old one — cancellations for high winds or swell are routine rather than rare on the Green Island and Orchid Island crossings.
Ferry or flight?
For Penghu, Green Island and Orchid Island, a short domestic flight is usually available as an alternative to the ferry, generally costing more but taking a fraction of the time and avoiding the open-water crossing altogether. Many travellers use the ferry for one direction — as part of the experience, and often cheaper — and fly the other way, particularly if the return leg falls on a day with poor sea conditions. For a wider look at how Taiwan's transport network fits together, see our Taiwan by train guide, which covers the high-speed and regional rail lines that connect to these ferry ports, and our Hong Kong to Macau ferries guide for a comparable short crossing elsewhere in the region.
Taking a scooter or car across
Green Island and Orchid Island are both small enough to get around by hired scooter, which is how most visitors — Taiwanese and foreign alike — explore once ashore, since neither island has much in the way of public transport. Scooters are rented locally on arrival rather than brought across on the ferry, so there is no need to worry about vehicle space on these particular crossings. Penghu is larger and better suited to a hired car or scooter covering multiple islands connected by bridges, and here too, hire is generally arranged locally rather than bringing a vehicle from the Taiwan mainland.
Practical tips for the crossings
Terminal facilities on the outer-island routes are modest compared with Taiwan's mainland transport hubs — expect a simple ticket counter and waiting area rather than anything resembling an airport. Luggage storage is limited, so travelling light makes the transfer between train, terminal and boat considerably easier, particularly at Fugang Port in Taitung, where the walk from public transport to the pier is not always well signposted for first-time visitors. Life jackets are provided and typically required to be worn on the smaller vessels used for the Green Island and Orchid Island routes, a sign of how seriously operators treat the open-water conditions on these crossings.
How Taiwan's ferries compare with the region
Taiwan's outer-island ferries are smaller in scale and passenger numbers than the well-developed ferry systems in nearby Japan or South Korea, both of which run comparable island-hopping networks with generally larger, steadier vessels on their busier routes. Travellers coming from either country and expecting the same level of frequency and comfort should adjust expectations accordingly, particularly on the Green Island and Orchid Island crossings.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book Taiwan's island ferries in advance?
Not usually, though booking a day or two ahead is wise in peak summer (July–August) and for the less frequent outer-island routes, where a cancelled sailing can otherwise leave you stuck without a same-day alternative.
Which Taiwan ferry crossings are roughest?
The Taitung–Green Island and especially Taitung–Orchid Island routes cross open Pacific water and have a strong reputation for seasickness, even in normal conditions. The Penghu crossing from Chiayi can also be rough in windy weather but is generally calmer.
Is it faster to fly than take the ferry to these islands?
Yes, generally. Domestic flights to Penghu, Green Island and Orchid Island take well under an hour and skip the open-water crossing, usually at a higher price than the ferry.
Do the ferries run all year round?
Not reliably on every route. Services to Green Island, Orchid Island and Penghu are reduced in winter and can be cancelled at short notice during typhoon season or rough weather, so build flexibility into your plans.
Sources and further reading:
- Ferry operators and current schedules: Taiwan Tourism Administration.
- Rail connections to ferry ports: our Taiwan by train guide.