A family-friendly guide to Taipei, Taiwan
Not many parents think about Taiwan when planning for their next family getaway, but having grown up there myself as a kid, I can promise you that the beautiful island is the perfect destination for a holiday trip with your children.
For instance, the capital of Taiwan, Taipei, is a bustling city with never-ending things to do. It’s hip yet affordable, and incredibly family-friendly! If you’re looking for a trip full of fascinating culture, amazing food and a big blob of fun, this is the place to be.
SIGHT-SEEING: interesting cultural things to do with your kids
Taipei 101:
Nobody visits Taipei without seeing the legendary Taipei 101. Once the tallest building in the world, Taipei 101 is at an impressive 509m high. It still claims the record for the fastest elevators in the world, which can take you all the way up to the Observatory on the 91th floor: enjoy an amazing scenery of Taipei and learn more about this architectural phenomenon with your kids! Tip: buy the tickets online to skip the long queue. Kids under 115cm get a free entrance!
Taipei Zoo and Maokong Gondola:
Kids love the zoo and Taipei happens to have the largest one in Southeast Asia. Located on the edge of Taipei yet still easily reachable, Taipei Zoo (or what we call Muzha Zoo) is the perfect day trip for kids, with tickets costing as cheap as just 1USD per kid and 2USD per adult! The kids will especially love the two pandas that are the stars of the zoo, just make sure you check the schedule so that you won’t miss their visiting hours.
If you’re not too exhausted after the zoo, take the shuttle bus to one of the gondola stations nearby, where you can catch a gondola that brings you up to Maokong. It’s a small town hidden in the mountains well-known for its tea plantations, locals love going to the teahouses and drink tea while watching the sunset. Tip: if your kids are up for it, choose one of the glass-bottomed gondolas for an even better view!
Houtong cat village
This one is for the cat-lovers. At about an hour-long ride away from central Taipei, Houtong is an old mining village that somehow turned into a home to literally hundreds of cats. From the moment you arrive, you will see cats in all forms: cat paw prints to guide you to the train station, sculptures and paintings of cats… If your family loves cats, this is your chance to make their day.
Xinbeitou hot spring
While this may not be the best idea for the summer, hot spring is a must-try experience when visiting Taiwan. In Taipei, Xinbeitou is the most popular area to go and can be easily accessible by MRT (our metro system). There are a few public hot springs available at a very cheap price, but they are usually crowded with older locals. For a more private experience with your family, book a room at one of the hot spring hotels/resorts and enjoy your very own hot spring bath!
EATING: what and where to eat with your kids
Shilin Night Market:
THE activity that cannot be missed when visiting Taipei-- food-hunting at Shilin Night Market. It is a combination of delicious street food, all sorts of souvenirs and exciting carnival games, your family can easily spend the whole night there. Tip: take the MRT Red Line to Jiantan Station (instead of Shilin Station) and go out from Exit 1.
A few street foods that your kids will certainly love: mango shaved ice, douhua (soy bean curd in a sweet soup and several toppings), bubble tea and peanut ice-cream burrito.
And this is what the carnival games look like!
Themed restaurants:
Taiwan has quite a unique culture when it comes to themed restaurants. For instance, Taipei itself has more than 10 restaurants with fun themes that kids will adore.
If your kids are into big fluffy animals, take them to Oia Art Café to surprise them: it’s a cozy and adorable place that houses a few REAL alpacas that customers are allowed to pet and even feed! How crazy is that?
For the little boys, Brick Works Café is a Lego-themed restaurant with vibrant decorations and Lego games for kids to stay entertained, the perfect place for families! The meals even come with little Lego edibles just to keep it fun.
In Taiwan, little kids call their toy cars “bu bu”, thus the name of the quirky restaurant P.S Bu Bu Restaurant. It has a really cool retro feel to it, with vintage posters and vehicle license plates decorating the walls and old-school cars as a part of your table!
HAVING FUN: where to go to give your kids the best time
Amusement parks:
There are several amusement parks near Taipei where you can bring your family to spend the day, the most popular of them all being LeoFoo Village Theme Park. Other than its four themed areas, the park also owns the only ecological resort hotel in Asia: not only can your kids have up-close interactions with animals, they get to spend the night at the zoo sleeping right next to rhinos and zebras and wake up to the wildlife!
Flip out Taipei:
Originally from Australia, Flip Out is the only trampoline playground in Taipei, providing a fun and safe play space for kids to jump around. Other than the main trampoline area and foam cubes, it has a separate play area for the younger kids. The fare is slightly pricier though, costing around 9USD/hour for one person no matter the age.
National Taiwan Science Education Center
This museum takes science out of the labs and into the daily life, allowing parents and their kids to discover science together in the most enjoyable way. It consists mainly of permanent bilingual exhibitions about Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science etc., but also hosts special presentations on a regular basis. Tip: make sure your kids visit the Science Playground, the Sky Cycle and the 3D Earthquake Simulation Theater!
