Soon after moving to the Philippines, Taiwan became high on our list of places to visit. This small island has a big history and although the many national parks are a big draw, its awe-inspiring landscapes are not all it has to offer.
Taiwan has modern, vibrant cities, beaches, hot springs, amazing food and dozens of picture-perfect scenic areas. Being ruled by Japan from 1895 until 1945, Taiwan is organised and efficient and the Taiwanese are amazingly friendly, polite people.
Plus, as we found out, there are so many things to do in Taiwan with kids.
Guest post and photos by Laura Koebel
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We departed Manila the evening of December 25. Our plan was to spend the first two days in Taipei before taking the train to Taroko Park and return to Taipei to ring in the New Year before heading back to Manila.
The following is our Taiwan itinerary for families that we followed over nine days.
Taiwan itinerary for families
- Day 1 – Arrive in Taipei late in the day and headed straight for our hotel beds
- Day 2 – Taipei: visit the Taipei Zoo, Maokong Mountain, Dihua Street, Ningxia Tourist Night Market
- Day 3 – Taipei: visit the National Chaing Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Daan Park, the original Ding Tai Fung restaurant, Longhsan Temple, Bopiliao historical block, the Xichang Street, Huaxi Street, Wuzhou Street and Guangzhou Street Night Markets
- Day 4 – Travel by train to Xincheng (Taroko National Park), dinner in Hualien
- Day 5 – Taroko National Park: walk the Swallow Grotto, visit the Changchun Shrine and walk the Shakadang Trail
- Day 6 – Taroko National Park: Hike the Lüshui trail (Wenshan to Lüshui), visit Tianxiang and Xiangde Temple, Xincheng Friday Night Market
- Day 7 – Travel by train back to Taipei, check out Taipei 101 area, Raohe Night Market
- Day 8 – Taipei: Hike Elephant Mountain, Xiangshan station playground, Beitou Hot Springs, Raohe Night Market
- Day 9 – Depart Taipei
Taipei with kids
Taipei quickly became one of our favourite Asian cities. At around 300 years old, it is a very new city by Asian standards. From monuments to temples, funky cafes and dessert bars to the many night markets, its streets have something for everyone.
When travelling, we like to fill our days, which can be hard with two young kids so we were happy that there was lots to do in Taipei with kids. There were playgrounds seemingly at every turn and lots of other kid friendly attractions; far more than we had time to visit.
Getting around Taipei with kids
Public transport in Taipei is excellent and very family friendly. The city’s metro is extensive, orderly and easy to use (signs and announcements are also in English), not to mention fast and affordable. The streets are easy to navigate and traveling with a stroller was never an issue. Taiwan for toddlers is very doable.
There seems to be a park near every metro stop and finding a free public toilet was never difficult. In our first two days we explored a mix of attractions to appease both us and the kids and each night we ended at one of the fabulous night markets.
Things to do in Taipei with kids
Taipei is a beautiful fusion of Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian and American culture as well as its balance of modern day and old world. There are lots of things to do in Taipei with children and we pleased our kids on the first day by visiting the Taipei Zoo and riding the Maokong Mountain gondola.
Our second day we watched the changing of the guards at the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, let the kids run off some steam at the amazing Da’an Forest Park, and visited the original Din Tai Fung restaurant and Longshan Temple.
On our return to Taipei and the end of our nine day itinerary we explored the more modern Taipei 101 area, climbed the 154 stairs of Elephant Mountain, walked to the top of Beitou Hot Springs and bathed in a private hot springs room.
Where to eat in Taipei
Eating your way through the city is one of the best ways to experience Taipei. Its cultural diversity is reflected in the many cuisines it has on offer.
A trip to Taipei is not complete without visiting at least one night market. We didn’t just go to one, we went to six!
We ended our first full day at Dihua Street and the Ningxia Tourist Night Market. Dihua Street is known for its Chinese medicine and textile shops. We sampled and bought the famous Brown Sugar Ginger Tea, which is known for its many health benefits.
On our second night we were in the Longshan Temple area, home of four night markets. These markets were smaller and seemed to run into one another and were nowhere near as good at the Ningxia Night Market.
Coincidentally, we saved the best night market for last. The Raohe Night Market topped them all in terms of variety, selection and with an amazing vibrancy.
We enjoyed squid cooked so many different ways, the most amazing dumplings and kiln baked pepper pork buns, okonomiyaki (Japanese version of a cross between pizza and a pancake), and Chinese burritos to list a few of our favorites. But we couldn’t get enough of Dà Cháng Bāo Xiǎo Cháng (small sausage in a large sticky rice sausage) that was especially delicious at the Raoche Night Maket.
On the sweeter side we had to try the shaved ice and jelly desserts, tanghulu (sugar coated fruits), imagawayaki (disc shaped pancakes with red bean or custard filling) and we had our fair share of the popular Taiwan invented Bubble Tea.
We were adventurous enough to try stinky tofu soup (minus the duck blood), oyster omelets, smoking cookies but not quite ready to try the “frogs eggs” milk tea drink, chicken and pig feet.
Taipei family hotels
There are so many great areas in Taipei and a full range of accommodation for every budget. When we first arrived we stayed near the Taipei Main Station because of its proximity to many attractions. Hatago was affordable with either hostel or hotel rooms, offering a shared kitchen and complimentary breakfast.
When we returned to Taipei we stayed at an Airbnb in the City Hall / Taipei 101 area so we would be within walking distance to watch the fireworks.
If you do want to stay elsewhere then take a look at the map below, which will help you compare hotels and holiday rentals in Taipei. All you have to do is insert your travel dates and group size and they will show you the best deals available.
Hiking in Taroko National Park
After a few days in Taipei we departed for the Xincheng. The town of Xincheng sits on the east coast in Hualien county. With assistance from local colleagues, we booked the fastest train to the Taroko National Park.
In only two hours we were out of the city, sandwiched between the beautiful shoreline and the marble rocks of the Taroko Gorge. We allotted two days to explore the park. It was enough time to fall in love with the beautiful scenery but left some areas to explore for next time.
Taroko National Park is one of Taiwan’s top tourist destinations. It’s home to what many consider one of Asia’s scenic wonders, the Taroko Gorge, an 18km marble-walled canyon. Named by the local Truku aboriginal tribe, Taroko means “magnificent and splendid”.
We stayed in Xincheng. The town at the entrance to the park is Tianxiang and there are a couple of hotels nearby. The alternative is to stay in Hualien, which is approximately 40 minutes from the park. The one thing that we did find with staying in Xincheng is that transportation options are not always obvious, ask your hotel to help you out.
We went into Hualien for dinner on our first night. Without any bus schedule clarity we took a taxi the 20-30 minutes in and out, which ran us about $32 USD roundtrip. We weren’t overly impressed with the city and really wanted to be out in nature but we took advantage of the amazing dumpling restaurants. We didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find food and snacks for our mountain adventures so we got what we could while in Hualien.
There are not many restaurant options in Xincheng but we were lucky we were there for the Friday night market. It was definitely our most adventurous meal of the trip!
Taroko National Park Day 1
The next morning our first stop was the National Park Visitor Centre where we made our two-day plan. With Taiwan being prone to earthquakes and typhoons, many of the trails were closed.
Taking the bus is the most affordable option (you can join group tours or hire a taxi or private tour guide for the day) and it was convenient enough we took it both days.
Our first day in the park we bought a day pass for the 302 bus, which we hopped on in the Xincheng train station parking lot. We had no idea what we’d have time for so our three stops this day were in an odd order.
With the road splitting for part and us having to back track a little, I would recommend doing it in this order: First Shakadang Trail, second Swallow Grotto, and last the Changchun Shrine.
Most of these stops are considered scenic walks (not intrinsically defined, but generally wide and well maintained trails at low grade, or even portions of road) and easy to do with the kids (our two-year-old was in a hiking backpack).
The most difficult walk of the day was the small hill to the Changchun Temple and the stairs up to the bell tower. There is a steep road leading to a suspension bridge that had both kids being carried for a short period, but the stairs were an easy negotiation for our daughter with the allure of ringing the bell at the top.
Taroko National Park Day 2
On our second day we had a more ambitious plans for a proper hike through the forest. We were going further up the gorge to Tianxiang so we hopped on the 1141 bus just down the road from our hotel (on the main road from Hualien).
The staff at the visitor center recommended we hike the Lüshui Trail (registration required onsite at the headquarters) from Wenshan to Lüshui, which was by far the better direction. The trail didn’t have amazing views but it was a challenging trail in the beautiful, lush forest.
After the 3.5 hour hike we took whatever bus we could catch back up to Tianxiang where we ate (one of the only areas that we visited in the Park with food) and visited the Xiangle Temple.
Where to stay in Taroko National Park with kids
This area was a harder destination to book accommodation without a recommendation or already visiting. I chose the Taroko Aluwa Homestay because it was close to Xincheng train station (although not walking distance) and Taroko National Park.
What we did not know before going, however, was that there are limited transportation options in this quiet area. Our hotel was amazingly accommodating though, picking us up at the train station when we arrived and driving us to the train station to catch our bus.
Next time we will stay in walking distance to the train station, bus stops and main street at either the Starry Inn or the Taroko Liiko Hotel. While there isn’t a lot to the town, we would choose the proximity to the park as the priority for visiting the area.
For more ideas on where to stay, take a look at the map below, which will help you compare hotels and holiday rentals in Taroko National Park. All you have to do is insert your travel dates and group size and they will show you the best deals available.
The best time to visit Taiwan
Low season in Taiwan is November through March excluding Chinese New Year. It is cooler but as a Canadian, I wouldn’t consider it winter temperatures.
Shoulder season is September and October and April through June. July and August is high season and can be very hot. Rain is very common in Taiwan all year round. Typhoon season starts in June and could go until October, which can affect flights, traffic, sailing and access to remote areas.
Other places to go in Taiwan
We’ve bookmarked the following places to go in Taiwan when we next visit:
- Zhuili Old Trail in Taroko National Park (permit required, limited hikers per day)
- Shilin Night Market
- Explore the Town of Jiufen
- Nanya Rock
- Yamingshan National Park
- Yehliu Geopark
Travel to Taiwan
Fly to Taipei, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport with any international carrier. Some hotels will book your train tickets to Taroko.
Online train bookings are a bit of a challenge, and seats are only made available at midnight 14 days before the departure date. The reservation and payment are made online, but the tickets need to be picked up locally at any 7-11 (which are everywhere). Tickets can book up quickly on poplar routes, especially during holiday periods.
If you’re looking for more ideas on places to visit in Taiwan, including the best day trips from Taipei, take a look at this post.
This is so useful – a brilliant guide for anyone planning a trip, and somewhere that’s definitely on my list.
You had me at “panda bear cafe!” I haven’t made it to Taiwan yet, alone or with kids, but wow do I want to go!
Hi! We are limited to 4 days in Taiwan … so, if you could choose your top 5 things to do what would they be? Thanks so much. So helpful 🙂
Hi Sasha,
If you only have 4 days I would focus on Taipei and surrounding areas. Even with kids we pack in full days so this of course depends on your pace. I would suggest doing Day 2, 3 and 8 on the itinerary. For your 4th day, you could do the hot springs after a hike in the Yamingshan National Park or explore the Town of Jiufen. We didn’t make it to Jiufen or Yamingshab National Park but really wanted to.
To answer your questions more specifically, don’t miss:
1) the changing of the guards at the National Chaing Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
2) the Raohe Night Market
3) The Taipei Zoo and then the Maokong Mountain Gondola (access Gondola from zoo)
4) Daan Park
5) Elephant Mountain
Cheers,
Laura
Thank you for sharing, this is really helpful! My son is so excited to go Taiwan next month for his birthday! I’ve marked most of the highlights you shared 🙂