We spent the Christmas and New Year vacation with two kids (6 and 8 years old) in Taipei. Initially, I thought it would be boring for the kids, 14 days in the same city, but it turned out super fun! Here I listed the most recommended and least recommended places for family trip with kids travel in Taipei. If you are also interested in traveling here one day, I hope it helps!
Related Reading:
- 9 Best Places for Family Trip with Schoolers in the Philippines
- 12 Family Hiking Tips – Make Hiking Easier and Fun with Kids
- Live in a RV and Travel with 3 Kids
- 11 Tips for a Meaningful Summer Holiday for Both Kids and Teens
Table of Contents
Why did We Travel to Taipei?
We have close family in Taipei, but that is not the main reason. Before we decide, we have seriously thought about meeting them in Thailand or Philippines. But in the end, we decided to go to Taipei for the following reasons:
Weather in Winter
It is in a tropical area with an average winter temperature of 20 degrees C (69 F). Although it rains now and then, most of the time, it is sunny and comfortable walking around.
Safety and Convenience for Kids and Disabled
International database firm Numbeo ranked Taiwan as the third-safest country in the World by a 2022 mid-year crime index among 142 countries worldwide. Its safety index is 83.85 points, following Qatar (85.85) and United Arab Emirates (85.13). Taipei, as a city, is also identified as one of the safest cities, with a safety index of 84.91.
Moreover, Taipei is super convenient for family trip with kids and disabled people, with priority seats and passes. As the birth rate declined in Taiwan, they are extremely friendly to kids and never too crowded in museums and amusement parks.
Multicultural and Cuisine
Taiwan blends with many cultures for historical reasons, traditional Confucianist beliefs, aboriginal cultures, Morden Chinese, Japanese, and Western values. Taiwanese culinary history is murky and intricately tied to migration and colonization patterns. Famous Taiwanese dishes include beef noodles, Gua bao, Chelun Bing, Taiwanese fried chicken, oyster vermicelli, Sanbeiji, and, popular globally, bubble tea, etc.
How We Traveled?
We usually use public transportation, the metro (MRT) and the bus. Every trip is less than $1 and around 10 min waiting time. Uber and taxis are also popular, and you can wave on the street side or use the Uber app.
It is worth buying an “easy card” to scan every time instead of purchasing ticket every time at machines in the metro station. Kids under 6 or lower than 115cm are free. People are very friendly to kids and we are always offered seats on metro and bus. There are many facilities for disabled people, mothers and babies, “accessible ramp”, “breastfeeding stations” and very clean parents toilet.
If there is one thing I could complain about the transportation, that is the bus! The bus drivers are the city worriers. They drive fast in terms of public transit, and you have to hold the handles!
Where Do We Live?
We planned four hotels for the two weeks, Grant Hyatt Taipei (modern style), The Grant Hotel (traditional Chinese style), Hotel Metropolitan (Japanese style), and the amusement park Leofou (theme park resort). I like every hotel with different highlights. They are kids friendly, with a swimming pool and a fantastic breakfast. Additional points to Metropolitan, they even have breakfast steaks!
Best Places to Visit with Kids in Taipei
There are many temples and memorial halls in Taipei. However, our kids are too young to understand the historical and political legacy. Therefore, we have escaped several famous attractions in Taipei, such as the national palace museum, Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall, and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, only focusing on the kids’ interest and learning. Taipei is also famous for hot springs, but we also escape as they are unsuitable for kids.
1. National Taiwan Museum – To Get an overview of Taiwan
The museum was established in 1908, the oldest museum in Taiwan, by the colonial government of Japan. It witnessed the natural and humanitarian development of Taiwan. The collection “people of Taiwan” and “Nature of Taiwan” tells the story of the area’s past, culture, and environment.
2. Taipei 101 – To Get a landscape of Taipei
The skyscraper Taipei 101 is the most famous landmark in Taipei, surrounded by shopping centers. You can go up to the 89th and 101st – floors for a fantastic city view and visit the giant stabilizer ball to keep the building from falling over in an earthquake. The official website is so difficult to use, and I highly recommend using the app “klook” to buy tickets. On new year’s eve, fireworks from Taipei 101 are worth watching if they fit kids’ schedules.
3. Four Four South Village Museum
The historical museum locates nearby Taipei 101, previously a residential area for military personnel and their families. The museum displays their home, letters, and photos.
4. Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)
In good weather, you can also climb Elephant mountain to get the best view of Taipei (accessible with strollers). It is one metro stop away from Taipei 101, and there is also a popular playground for kids at the hiking trail entrance (Xiangshan Park).
5. National Taiwan Science Education Center and Taipei Astronomical Museum
The two museums are within walking distance to each other. The science education center focuses on the “mystery of life,” “mystery of the body,” “biodiversity,” and “people and environment.” There is an exploration center on the 5th and 6th floors for interactive activities; kids typically stay here longer to play.
There are also simple restaurants on the ground floor, e.g., Starbucks and Mosburger. You can have quick lunch there for a short break.
Afterward, you can enjoy the Taipei astronomical museum. I have to say I am a bit disappointed with both museums as the equipment is pretty outdated and the technologies are not new anymore. However, young kids find it exciting and interactive, and I will not recommend it to teens but only to young schoolers—good places to go on a rainy day in Taipei.
6. Huashan 1914 Art Park
It is the art center of Taipei, with many restaurants, bars, an art cinema, designer shops, and a playground. The playground is more suitable for toddlers, with swings and sand ground. We have found our favorite indoor playground, “wooderful life,” with beautiful wooden toys and musical boxes. Moreover, kids also got their favorite street food, “egg cake” (Ji dan gao) with a dinosaur shape and watched a fantastic street performance.
7. Land Bank Exhibition Hall
The dinosaurs at the Land Bank exhibition hall are the weirdest combination I have ever seen. The museum has two sides; one has a complete skeleton of an enormous brachiosaurus while the other shows the wooden treasury from the land bank.
Nevertheless, our kids love the interaction of the dino exhibition that you can call a dino by phone to appear on the screen.
8. Xpark – Ocean park
The Japanese brand ocean park is the best park we have ever been to, with significant interaction by computer or animal performance. You can see the penguins swimming through a glass pipe through the canteen and jellyfish floating with music. Moreover, it offers a memorable trip to go up and down the aqua park for the behind stories. For example, we learned the place to prepare food for sharks, the water cleaning process, and how to feed the jellyfish. Lastly, the third floor allows kids to draw their fish and clean up the ocean on a screen, we spend more than 2 hours here.
9. Taipei Zoo and Maokong Gondola
Taipei zoo and Maokong Gondola are located on the east edge of Taipei. As one of the largest zoos in Asia, Taipei Zoon has more than 300 different animals and two sections connected by a mini train. You can find animals worldwide, particularly three pandas, and an indoor dinosaur museum.
Surrounding the zoo, Maokong is a hilly region known for its tea production and tasting. You can go up to the hill with a gondola ride, along with the beautiful views. On top of the mountain are three hiking trails for people to walk around. If you are tired, there are plenty of restaurant options for lunch or snacks. You can taste the different green tea, tea cookies, or even green tea ice creams!
10. Taipei Fine Arts Museum
The museum was built for contemporary art exhibitions, with a kid’s section on the ground floor. There are some interactive shows and art activities.
11. I-Ride Taipei
An immersive adventure in a shopping mall to flying over Taiwan, America, or even flying into an ancient Chinese painting. We have participated in the “Along the River During the Qingming Festival.” Kids said it is like they are in the movie of Gongku Panda!
12. Honhui Plaza VR Zone Ticket
We went there to play VR games. Kids must be seven years old and 120cm to play certain games. But both of my kids found their favorite game. Yojan loves the Mario kart while Minghe plays drums with music. The Plaza is a bit far from the city and metro station, so we took a taxi.
13. Ximen Ding
Ximending in Wanhua is also Taipei’s hippest neighborhood, certainly more appealing to teens, e.g., k-pop shops, teenager fashions, etc. quirky cafes, and more. There are also many street performances in the evening. We love the show a lot!
14. National University Taiwan
If you have some time left, Taiwan’s national university is also an excellent place to walk around with kids. We saw kids practicing bikes and playing basketball.
15. Night Markets
My favorite place in Taipei is the night markets – the best places for delicious street food. It almost brings me tears to return to the “hustle and bustle” life after three years away from Asia. However, my two kids cannot understand this, and they only see the crowd, narrow seats, and unpleasant smells. They had no interest in the night market and asked me if they could go to a decent restaurant like Mcdonald’s. So we enjoyed the food after they fell asleep, and thank god the night market opens till 1 or 2 am.
Some Useful Tips
Ubike – if you want to travel around by bike, you need to have a Taiwan phone number or a credit car to pay.
Most museums are open at 9 am and close around 6 pm, while the shops open around 11 am and close at 10 pm.
If you want to check the address of each place, here is a nice map with all attractions.
Not Very Recommend for Kids – my personal experience
1. Taipei Children’s Amusement Park
It is a nice amusement park but nothing more special than a traditional one, featuring indoor and outdoor areas such as roller coasters, tea cups, etc. If you already have a similar one in your city, I would not try to spend half a day here.
2. Taipei Water Park
The splash park is relatively small and suitable for younger kids; it often gets too crowded when the weather is hot. The good side is it is also an educational facility with information of knowledge of water treatment.
3. Miramar Ferris Wheel
Another bird’s view of the city is good but nothing surprising.
Final Thoughts from Pragmatic Lifestyle
Taipei really surprised me as such a suitable city for family trip with two energetic kids, we cannot wait for the next time to explore other cities in Taiwan. Now the trip has been finished and we are back to normal and busy life. Hope you all have a good vacation and if you plan to go to Taipei as well, do not forget to tell me or ask any questions! Hope you like the recommended places.
About Me
Hi, there. I am Lin. Together with my husband and two kids, we live in the beautiful Netherlands in Europe. I am dedicated to self-development, creating quality time for the whole family, and fully supporting kids with their potentials and possibilities with all I have learned from engineering, MBA, and 10+ years of working experience in the energy sector.
3 Comments
Comments are closed.