How to get to Kinmen
How to get to Kinmen
From the main island of Taiwan, the only way to get here is by airplane.
If you're coming from Mainland China, there are ferries from Xiamen and Quanzhou.
All the airlines and ferry companies require showing ID such as a passport or Taiwan residency card before boarding.
A word to the wise: If you're traveling in spring (end of Mar-mid May), fog may cause the cancellation of flights and ferries for a day or, more rarely, two. It's best to have a flexible schedule, with one extra day up your sleeve on either end of your trip if you're coming in the spring.
FERRIES from MAINLAND CHINA Xiamen & Quanzhou
From Xiamen (Wutong Ferry Terminal): takes 30 mins, costs 160 RMB. Return trip from Kinmen to Xiamen costs NT$650.
From Quanzhou (Shijing Port): takes 1 hr, costs 160 RMB. Return trip from Kinmen to Quanzhou costs NT$650.
Buying Tickets
Buy your ticket at the ferry terminal. Tickets go on sale one hour before each departure. You can also book tickets online. But as the ferries are large and frequent, aside from public holidays, it's unlikely the seats will be sold out.
Online ticket purchase
Xiamen:
10 different companies run the service, and ferries depart Wutong Ferry Terminal between 09:00 and 17:30, and depart Kinmen between 09:00 and 17:30. The times change slightly every month.
Quanzhou:
One company run this route, with ferries departing Shijing Port 9:20, and setting off from Kinmen 15:20 every day.
The ferry terminal in Kinmen is about a 20-min walk from the village of Shuitou, and about a 10-min bus ride from the town of Jincheng. See “How to Get Around Kinmen” for transportation options from the ferry terminal.
FLYING from the MAIN ISLAND of TAIWAN
Buying Tickets
A round-trip ticket roughly costs between NT$2,500-4,000. A round-trip ticket is not any more economical than two one-way tickets. The cheapest way to buy tickets is directly through the airlines (listed below) on their websites, where they all offer a certain number of “promotional tickets” for each flight. These are only valid for the date and time of the ticket. If you decide to fly on a different date or time, you'll have to buy a new ticket. You can get a refund on the promotional ticket, but there's a penalty charge.
- Taipei: Mandarin Airlines, UNI Air
- Kaohsiung: UNI Air
- Taichung: Mandarin Airlines, UNI Air
- Tainan: UNI Air
- Chiayi: UNI Air
If you're coming during the following national holiday periods, you definitely need to book your seat in advance. Tickets go on sale online around two months in advance for:
- New Year's Day
- Chinese New Year
- 228 Peace Memorial Day
- Tomb Sweeping Day
- Dragon Boat Festival
- Moon Festival
- National Day
If you're making a spontaneous decision to come, on most non-holiday weekdays there are seats available to buy online or at the airport.
Airport Check-in Arrival Time
You need to have completed check-in a half-hour before your flight departure time.
In the Case of a Typhoon
Although typhoons rarely hit Kinmen, if there's a typhoon on the main island of Taiwan, flights to and from Kinmen will be cancelled. The typhoon season is mainly July through Sept.
If you've bought a ticket and your flight gets cancelled due to fog or typhoon, you will get a full refund for that flight, but you'll need to rebook (and pay for) a new ticket on another flight. Ask for the refund at the airline ticket counter, and about available seats on upcoming flights. Note if you booked your ticket online, your refund will be processed online as well.
The airlines don't give priority to the passengers whose flight has been cancelled due to bad weather conditions. If you're lucky, you could get a seat on a flight leaving soon after the weather clears—it depends how many seats are available on those flights, and how many other passengers have rebooked ahead of you. If there are no seats available for upcoming flights, you'll be put on a waiting list.
The Kinmen Airport website provides useful information such as luggage restrictions and daily flight departures, arrivals and delays: Kinmen Airport
The airport is close to the center of the island, a 25-min bus ride from the town of Jincheng and a 10-min ride from the town of Shanwai. See “How to Get Around” for transportation options from the airport.
From Hong Kong and Macau to Kinmen
Airports for direct flights from Hong Kong and Macao to Taiwan all provide connecting flights to Kinmen; it is very convenient. In addition, with the opening of China's Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the opening of the Hong Kong section of the Xiamen-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail, travelling through Xiamen to Kinmen is also very fast and affordable.
Departing from Hong Kong/Macau via Taiwan
Departing from Hong Kong/Macau via Xiamen
A - Flight + Mini Three Links
B - Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail (G-series trains) + Mini Three Links
Xiamen Gaoqi Airport
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport is located at Huli District, Xiamen City (northeast of Xiamen Island), and 10 kilometers from downtown Xiamen. It was opened in October 1983. It is an important international airport and regional airline hub along the southeast coast. It is also the home base of Xiamen Airlines Co., Ltd..
Xiamen North Station
Located in Houxi Town, Jimei District, Xiamen City, it is about 10 kilometers from Gaoqi International Airport. The distances to Xiamen Island, Haicang, Tong'an and Xiang'an Central District are all about 20 kilometers.
From Macau to Hong Kong
Take a ferry from Macau or take a Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge shuttle bus between Hong Kong and Macau to Hong Kong, and then transfer to the MTR to the West Kowloon Station.
Documents required for Hong Kong
and Macao tourists when entering Kinmen
Documents required when travelling to Kinmen via Taiwan
People who were born in Hong Kong and Macao
You can apply for the Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China online. Upon arrival, you need to bring your Hong Kong or Macao passport (with a validity period of more than three months) and the Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China.
People who were not born in Hong Kong and Macao
You can apply for the Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China online (i.e., E-permit) through the "Online Application System for Foreigners". The single-entry permit is NT$600. Upon arrival, you need to bring your Hong Kong or Macao passport (with a validity period of more than three months) and the Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China (i.e., E-permit).
Documents required when travelling to Kinmen via Xiamen:
People who were born in Hong Kong and Macao
From mainland China to Kinmen, you need to bring your Hong Kong or Macao passport (with a validity period of more than three months), Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China and Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents. There is a permit upon arrival service at Shuitou Pier in Kinmen, which is about NT$300.
People who were not born in Hong Kong and Macao
From mainland China to Kinmen, you need to bring your Hong Kong or Macao passport (with a validity period of more than three months), Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China and Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents.