Taipei with kids

Best things to do with kids

Zoo · Wenshan

1.Taipei Zoo

One of the largest zoos in Asia, set on green hillsides at the end of the brown MRT line, with giant pandas, a Formosan animal area showcasing Taiwan's native species, and indoor pavilions for koalas, penguins and nocturnal animals.

Use the zoo's internal shuttle to reach the far end, then walk downhill; combine with the Maokong Gondola next to the entrance.

Time needed

Half a day

Cost

Low cost

• Kids
• Nature
• Outdoors

Experience · Wenshan

2.Maokong Gondola

A cable car rising about 4 km from the Taipei Zoo station over forested hills to Maokong, an area of tea plantations and tea houses with views back over the city. Some cabins have glass floors.

Ride up in the late afternoon, drink oolong at a tea house through sunset, and come down after dark; the gondola closes in bad weather.

Time needed

Half a day

Cost

Low cost

• Views
• Kids
• Couples
• Nature

Viewpoint · Xinyi

3.Taipei 101 Observatory

The 508-metre tower was the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010. High-speed lifts climb to the indoor observatory on the 89th floor in well under a minute, and inside you can see the giant tuned mass damper, a steel sphere that steadies the tower in typhoons and earthquakes. An outdoor deck higher up opens when the weather allows.

Go on a clear afternoon and stay through sunset; check visibility before buying tickets, as low cloud often hides the view.

Time needed

1.5 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Iconic
• Views
• Rainy day
• Kids
• After dark

Market · Shilin

4.Shilin Night Market

Taipei's largest night market sprawls through the streets near Jiantan MRT station, with snack stalls, games, clothing and an underground food court. Classic bites include giant fried chicken cutlets, oyster omelettes and stinky tofu.

Arrive around 6–7pm before the biggest crowds, and explore the lanes beyond the main food court.

Time needed

2 hours

Cost

Low cost

• Food
• After dark
• Iconic
• Kids
• Shopping

Museum · Taipei Main Station (Zhongzheng)

5.National Taiwan Museum

Taiwan's oldest museum, founded in 1908, occupies a domed neoclassical building in 228 Peace Memorial Park and covers the island's natural history and Indigenous peoples. A converted bank building across the road houses its dinosaur and natural-history displays.

Combine it with a walk through 228 Peace Memorial Park and the memorial to the 1947 incident.

Time needed

1.5 hours

Cost

Low cost

• History
• Rainy day
• Kids
• Architecture

Nature · Beitou

6.Yangmingshan National Park

A volcanic national park on Taipei's northern edge with trails up Qixing Mountain, the steaming sulphur vents of Xiaoyoukeng, grassland at Qingtiangang where water buffalo graze, cherry blossom in late winter and calla lily fields at Zhuzihu in spring.

Take a bus from Jiantan or Shilin MRT on a clear weekday, and bring layers; it is noticeably cooler and often misty at altitude.

Time needed

Half to full day

Cost

Free

• Nature
• Active
• Outdoors
• Views
• Free

Rainy-day ideas

• Taipei 101 Observatory — Go on a clear afternoon and stay through sunset; check visibility before buying tickets, as low cloud often hides the view.
• National Taiwan Museum — Combine it with a walk through 228 Peace Memorial Park and the memorial to the 1947 incident.

Where families should stay

Family travel tips

• Strollers work well on the MRT, which has lifts and wide gates; use priority queues on platforms.
• The Taipei Children's Amusement Park near Jiantan MRT has simple rides at low prices.
• Keep typhoon days flexible with indoor options such as Taipei 101, museums and malls.
• Da'an Forest Park has big playgrounds and lawns close to family-friendly hotels.
• Convenience stores stock nappies, snacks and drinks around the clock.

Day trips for families

• Shifen and the Pingxi line (About 1.5–2 hours by train) — A small branch railway runs through a forested valley to Shifen, where visitors write wishes on paper sky lanterns and release them beside the tracks, and a short walk leads to the broad Shifen Waterfall.
• Yehliu Geopark (About 1–1.5 hours by bus) — A cape on the north coast with wind- and sea-sculpted sandstone formations, including mushroom rocks and the Queen's Head, a rock shaped like a profile with a long neck.
• Tamsui (About 40 minutes by MRT) — A riverside town at the mouth of the Tamsui River with an Old Street of snacks, Fort San Domingo, built by the Spanish and later used as the British consulate, and sunset views across to Guanyin Mountain.
• Jiaoxi (About 1 hour by bus) — A hot-spring town in Yilan County with free public foot baths in a park, spa hotels and nearby waterfalls, reached through one of Asia's longest road tunnels.
• Keelung (About 45 minutes by train) — A port city known for the Miaokou night market's seafood stalls around a temple, with coastal rock formations at Heping Island Park on the edge of town.

When to go with children

The best months overall are March–April and October–December. Weather by month.

Questions travellers ask