Exploring Taiwan with kids is the perfect mixture of adventure, challenge, taste and culture. For a (relatively) small island nation Taiwan has a lot to offer and is home to vibrant culture, modern cities, sandy beaches, temples, FOOD and dramatic mountain terrain.
And in case you are wondering where on earth to start with planning your trip to Taiwan…
We went all around Taiwan with kids!
We headed for Taiwan with a fascination for taking the old logging train up into the Alishan Mountains. There wasn’t a lot of information available to explain exactly how to go about that; but we were determined and loved the idea of hiking up in the high forests and tea country hills.
And from there we quite literally completed a loop around the entire island.
Travel in Taiwan with kids makes for a interesting, fun and safe family destination. We would go back in a heartbeat!
So start here to find out where we went, some tips for your trip and what we would recommend to plan…
- About Taiwan
- Best time to visit
- ATM’s and money
- Language
- Our itinerary in Taiwan
- Where to go
– Taipei
– Taichung
– Chiayi
– Alishan
– Kaohsiung
– Kenting
– Hualein - Travel in Taiwan with kids
- Taiwanese food
- Getting around
- Budget
- Connectivity and wifi
- Accommodation options
- Where we stayed in Taiwan
About Taiwan, quickly
- Capital: Taipei
- Language: Mandarin
- Currency: New Taiwan dollar (NT$) (TWD)
- Population: 23,500,000
- Time Zone: National Standard Time (UTC+8)
- Calling Code: +886
- Drives On: Right
- Credit Cards: Visa/MC widely accepted
- Emergency Number: Ambulance/Fire 119, Police 110
- Outlets: Plug Type A, B (110-120 V / 60 Hz)
Best time to visit Taiwan (with kids)
September to November is considered the best time weather-wise to visit Taiwan.
There aren’t technically four easily divisible seasons to Taiwan due to it’s geographical location near-ish to the equator, though this time of year most closely resembles autumn.
It is fair to say that summer in Taiwan is both hot and humid with temperatures routinely sitting around 30°C.
Winters in Taiwan are pretty mild and temperatures rarely drop below 10°C unless you are up in the mountain regions.
We visited in June and found the temperature pleasant in the cities and coastal areas and not too cold for us to handle up in the mountains of Alishan.
Regardless however, no matter when you visit this beautiful island you are guaranteed an exciting and memorable trip.
Money in Taiwan
ATMs are widely available around Taiwan at banks and convenience stores. Credit cards are accepted at most midrange and top-end hotels and at top-end restaurants.
Taiwan’s currency is the New Taiwan dollar (NT$).
- Bills come in denominations of NT$100, NT$200, NT$500 and NT$1000.
- Coins come in units of NT$1, NT$5, NT$10, NT$20 and NT$50.
Taiwan uses the NT dollar exclusively.
Language
The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese. Standard Chinese Mandarin and Taiwanese Mandarin are mostly mutually intelligible. But Hakka and Formosan languages are also recognized national languages of Taiwan.
And no (sorry!), from now-personal experience Mandarin is not an easy language to pick up on an adventure around the country.
But it is a good idea to focus on and learn the basics (hello: ni hao; thank you: xie xie at the very least).
Without any claims to fluency during our adventures in Taiwan with kids; here are some very basic Mandarin phrases you might find helpful…
- Hello: ni hao
- How are you: ni hao ma?
- Thank you: xie xie
- Thank you very much: fei chang gan xie xie
- You’re welcome: bu yung shie
- Please: ching
- Yes: shi
- No: bu shi
The good news as a traveller in Taiwan is that English is reasonably widely spoken in the cities (this is not the case up in the hill country and mountains of Alishan. More about that later).
But street signs are written in Chinese characters with English translations. And on the trains, the stops are announced in Mandarin, English, Taiwanese Hokkien and Hakka.
Otherwise, it’s easy to have a translation app on your phone or ask hotel staff to write destinations for you on a piece of paper to show your driver that day.
Our itinerary for Taiwan with kids
Our itinerary in Taiwan with the kids took us right around the entire island.
We had an inland detour to visit the beautiful Alishan National Scenic Area up into the mountains of the Chiayi Region.
- Taipei > [HSR > Taichung]
- Taichung > [HSR > Chiayi]
- Chiayi > [old forest railway to Fenchihu]
- Fenchihu > [picked up by guesthouse]
- Shizhuo > [local bus to Alishan]
- Alishan > [bus down the mountain to Chiayi]
- Chiayi > [rental car > Kaohsiung]
- Kaohsiung [rental car]
- Kenting [rental car]
- Taimali [rental car]
- Hualein [train > Taipei]
Places to visit in Taiwan
See below for the highlights of each stop on our loop around Taiwan with kids and recommendations for the best things to do in each place.
Taipei – Taiwan with kids
Taiwan’s capital city of Taipei is a fantastic destination for families!
It is easy to navigate, safe to get around and there is plenty to do if you are visiting Taiwan with kids or are in East Asia for the first time.
There are beautiful temples, markets full of Taiwanese street food, playgrounds, culture and history…
Things to do in Taipei
- Taipei 101 Tower: This is Taipei’s main tourist attraction and what was once the fastest elevator in the world. The ride to the viewing deck takes 37 seconds and offers incredible views of the city.
- Shilin Night Market: There’s street food galore at Taipei’s main market (try as much as you can!). But it is also a fun place to try Taiwan’s iconic arcade games and claw machines…
- Maokong Cable Car: Maokong is a tea-growing district on the outskirts of the city. It’s easy to get to on the MRT and is a fun family activity in Taipei.
- Visit Longshan Temple: An icon of Taiwan and the most visited temple in the region. Longshan is a beautiful temple to explore.
- Elephant Mountain: Aside from the Taipei 101, Elephant Mountain has our favourite views of Taipei city. It’s a steep but short walk to the top so ideal for an easy outing in Taiwan with kids.
Taichung – Taiwan with kids
Taichung is Taiwan’s second largest city and a colourful and vibrant place to explore.
It’s easy to reach Taichung from Taipei by high speed rail which for us, added to the adventure!
Things to do in Taichung
- Visit Rainbow Village: A small settlement in Nantun District famous for it’s brightly painted houses and streets.
- Taichung Science Museum: A huge museum with many different exhibits and displays and an especially large palaeontology section. Highly recommend in Taichung with kids.
- Feng Chia Night Market: One of the biggest and best night markets in Taiwan packed with amazing food and Taiwanese specialties.
- Try Taichung bubble tea: Taiwan is known as the country that introduced bubble tea to the world and Taichung is heralded as the city where it all began.
Chiayi
The city of Chiayi is usually a jumping-off point for getting up into the fabled mountains of Alishan but it is worth a day or two to explore on its own.
Things to do in Chiayi
- See the old trains at the Forest Railway Park: Exactly as it sounds and a perfect lead up to making the journey up into the mountains of Alishan.
- Cheng Huang Temple: With stunning colours and ornate designs, Cheng Huang is an interesting and busy place to people watch. It is the oldest surviving county level temple surviving from the Qing Dynasty (built in 1715).
- Watch the fountain ‘water dances’: The Central Fountain is right in the heart of the city and easy to find in Chiayi. There are water dances created with the fountain every fifteen minutes. It’s worth checking out and a cool detour en route from the night markets.
- Wenhua Night Market: We tried the night markets in each of the main cities on our loop around Taiwan with kids and our vote was that Chiayi had one of the best!
Alishan and the Hill Country of Chiayi
Getting up into the Alishan Mountains was our most sought after destination for our time in Taiwan. We wanted the full experience of taking the old Forest Railway up into the hills.
Alishan is a beautiful mountainous area in Taiwan. It’s a region renowned for breathtaking sunrises, lush forests and landscapes with centuries old towering cypress trees.
That, and the fact that the Alishan National Scenic area is packed full of great hikes through misty forests and is most commonly reached by taking the historical forest railway that winds slowly like it has done for generations, high up into rolling tea plantations and further up into the mountains.
Things to do in Alishan
- Take the Alishan Forest Railway: This was the big drawcard for us; riding the historic logging train from Chiayi up through the scenic and lush misty forests to Alishan.
- Watch sunrise at Alishan: The sunrise over the mountains is magical and makes the region famous. (See our full post about Alishan to find out if the mission to see sunrise was all it’s cracked out to be!).
- Hike in the Scenic Area: There are all kinds of hiking trails within the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area! We stayed for two nights within the park and covered most of the trails. I would highly recommend this region for travel in Taiwan with kids. The walks are all interconnected, beautiful and hands down family friendly.
- Ride the old logging trains within the park: There are short train rides within the park that take you to the ends of hiking trails and to see other sites within the Alishan area (like the Sacred Tree that is over 3000 years old).
- Explore Fenchihu: The first stop and main logging station of the historic railroad. It’s beautiful and a fascinating place to explore!
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung city is located in southern Taiwan at the very tip of the island, although it can be reached easily by train from Taipei.
Things to do in Kaohsiung
- Kaohsiung Central Park: A bit of an oasis of greenery in the middle of a busy urban city! There is an impressive (automated) water show on the scenic lake 5 times a day and nearby water square to play in.
- Dragon and Tiger pagodas: The Lotus Pond is the most famous of things to see in Kaohsiung and includes the beautiful dragon and tier pagodas which are said to give you good luck.
- Go shrimp fishing: Shrimp fishing in Taiwan is an interesting way to join in with the locals! The shrimp are in man-made pools surrounded by tables and chairs to sit at while you fish. Pay per hour and parents can enjoy a beer while the kids try fishing.
Kenting
Kenting National Park encompasses the southern tip of Taiwan and is popular among travellers looking for a relaxed experience.
The coastline is rugged and beautiful with a slew of outdoor activities to keep you occupied.
Things to do in Kenting
- Visit the Southernmost point of Taiwan: Best timed for sunset it would be rude not to make it out here when you have come so far!
- Eluanbi Lighthouse: There are several short walking trails in Eluanbi Park that will take you to a stunning viewpoint by the lighthouse.
- Kenting Night Market: This starts from 6pm every night and in located along the side of the main road through Kenting Town. There is LOTS to choose from.
- Try go-karting: In the surfie town of Kenting!
East Coast Taiwan
Driving up the East Coast of Taiwan well and truly shattered any last pre-conceived ideas of how industrialised I had imagined Taiwan to be.
There were not enough hours in the day to stop at every sight, beach or little cove that caught our eye.
The scale of infrastructure on the last stretch north of the coastal highway is probably the only reminder of those huge links with China.
And, perhaps only more so in comparison with day ones narrow rural roads in Taitung, where I literally left fingernail marks in my thighs gripping on as Gavin drove so carefully up roads that should surely have been made to cater one-way only…
Things to do in East Coast Taiwan
- Sanxiantai Bridge: Sanxiantai is a rock island north of Chenggong Township. The island has beautiful walking trails right around and is connected with the mainland in an impressive structure designed like the shape of a sea dragon on the waves.
- Taiwanese fishing villages: The bright colours, murals and the turquoise waters of Taiwan’s east coast fishing communities are truly picturesque. Try Xinlan in Taitung County; chat to the locals and get a look at Taiwan’s iconic ‘pipe boats’.
- Taroko Gorge: The most famous of Taiwan’s National Parks and the most recognisable, known for the grandeur of its natural marble landscape. Read our complete guide to Taroko Gorge here.
- Dongdamen Night Market: This is Hualein’s energetic and sprawling marketplace (Hualein is the only major city on the East Coast). There are food stalls lining the promenades and a huge strip of iconic Asian carnival games. (Try the jian bing and fishball soup!).
- East Coast beaches: The east coast of the island has spectacular beaches that line the coast and provide plenty of different spots to stop, swim, picnic and admire. Start looking on the map in Kenting National Park and take your pick!
Travel in Taiwan with kids
Taiwan is renowned as one of the safest countries in the world.
Geographically speaking, it’s not enormous and so making a loop around the country sounds manageable with kids even before looking any deeper.
As well as being safe, it is also up there with Japan as a land of convenience – it quite seriously has the highest concentration of 7-Eleven stores in the world!
Food in Taiwan is cheap, easy (convenience stores and street markets) and there’s something that even the fussiest of kids will pick.
It’s easy to get around Taiwan by train and especially if you come from a train-riding country (read: New Zealand is not one of those but we managed it with no worries!).
You will find navigating Taiwan with kids an easy destination.
Taiwanese food
If it was based on the number of dumplings consumed since we landed, we would officially now be ‘experts’ on Taiwanese food (especially dumplings).
We loved trying it ALL!
I have dedicated an entire seperate post to the dumplings, tapioca bubbles, fish ball soup and more…
One challenge from Taiwan?
“Taiwanese people are very conscious about disturbing other people, and so young children are generally taught to be quiet and well-behaved in public”.
It’s funny, because it was only once we got to Alishan that we read the section about ‘Travelling with Children’ in the Taiwan Lonely Planet Guide…
A lovely description; just rather less lovely and more anxiety causing as I read this aloud over the cries of another brotherly scuffle… If you know, you’ll know what I mean!
However, the mountains and beaches and space of Taiwan was perfect for traveling with kids.
We walked and climbed for miles; slid down a few too many steps; and uncovered all kinds of mountain life that walks, grows, flies and crawls up in the beautiful mountains and right around the coasts.
Accommodation options for travel in Taiwan with kids
Within the major cities of Taiwan there is plenty of accommodation available that can easily be booked online. Options range from high end hotels and resorts to budget friendly hostels.
In the rural and scenic areas of Taiwan, homestays are becoming more popular (called minus). Families have set up bed-and-breakfast style accommodation to take advantage of increasing tourism.
We stayed in these kind of homestays in Alishan and Taimali with varying standards of furnishings and breakfasts included.
In the bigger cities (Taipei and Kaohsiung) I’d recommend to pick somewhere to stay within walking distance of an MRT station so you can easily use that to get around town and to the intercity train stations.
Where we stayed in Taiwan
- Taipei: Chair Man Hotel [central location; 5 min walk from main train station. Taiwanese breakfast].
- Taichung: KIWI-Taichung Station Branch 1 [great hotel; close to train station. Coin laundry].
- Chiayi: Prince Hotel [5 min walk from train station; walking distance to night markets].
- Fenchihu: Qun Feng Hotel [ok-ish; very basic; tricky to find, but close to train station; ‘unique’ breakfast!]
- Shizhao: Cuiti BnB [great family AirBnB; picked us up from Fenchihu. Beautiful location though not near shops].
- Alishan: Dafong Hotel [big spacious room; great location right in centre of Recreation Area; electric jug].
- Kaohsiung: Centre Hotel [big room; close to markets and metro; dated; basic, big buffet breakfast].
- Kenting: Ivan Garden BnB [basic but fine. Cheap; empty when we were there. Only ok with own car].
- Taimali: Amy Walker BnB [very friendly AirBnb host called Amy! Amazing breakfast].
- Hualein: Cullinan Hotel [great breakfast; easy to find; nice clean and spacious room].
Getting around Taiwan with kids
Taiwan has a pretty awesome transportation system. We used bullet trains (HSR), over-rail, the subway, old forest trains, taxis, Uber, buses and shuttles. But the best time we had travelling Taiwan was the legs we did in our rental car.
Gavin smashed the driving (and loved it) winding so carefully up roads that I hope never to drive again…
But that were so worth it.
Train travel in Taiwan
Traveling by train in Taiwan is a great option for the west coast. There is regular over rail and an amazing high speed rail (HSR) system connecting the major cities of the west coast from top to almost bottom.
The single line has 12 stops between Taipei in the north and Kaohsiung (Zuoying Station) in the south.
Train tickets do sell out fast so it is worth booking in advance to ensure you get a seat. We went to the Central Train Station on day one in Taipei and booked all of our tickets for each Taiwan destination from there.
Tickets for the HSR are more expensive than the regular train but the speed of arriving at your desired destination is more than twice as fast.
- Note: With Taipei as the exception, the HSR station is located outside the city centre of each stop.
However it is easy to connect from the HSR to the centre by metro or regular over rail.
Budget for Taiwan
We had just under a month in Taiwan and found it to be very affordable for budget-mid-range accommodation.
Street food is still cheap and each city has designated night markets and street food markets which are well worth tracking down!
This is the what we spent as a daily budget for travel in Taiwan with kids:
- Average daily accommodation spend: $66 USD $100 NZD) per night
- Average daily spend: $59 USD ($90 NZD) per day
Connectivity and wifi
Buying a prepaid SIM card in Taiwan is very affordable.
It’s not quite as cheap as Southeast Asia but bear in mind that most accommodation has wifi included.
The three biggest telecommunications companies in Taiwan are:
- Chunghwa Telecom
- Far EasTone and
- Taiwan Mobile.
All three have similar prepaid phone plans and affordable prices.
It’s easy to get a SIM card on arrival at Taipei International Airport.
Chunghwa Telecom has the following tourist prepaid SIM plans:
- 10 Day Pass for NT$500 (with NT$100 voice/text credit)
- 15 Day Pass for NT$700 (with NT$100 voice/text credit)
- 30 Day Pass for NT$1,000 (with NT$430 voice/text credit)
There are more options available with Chunghwa and likewise with the other providers.
One thing we’d do differently if we went again?
Taiwan was everything we hoped it would be. The boys attract a different kind of attention here than they did in SE Asia (where people were all over them, squishing cheeks and taking photos!).
Here people are so pleased when the boys say hello or thank you in Chinese, and have a more gentle approach to meeting us (which in itself is quite a worry as we bowl on in with two raucous boys!).
We would love to come back and could easily spend longer – to work on our Chinese AND our knowledge of Taiwanese food!
For one last glimpse of Taiwan; here’s us getting all Feng Shui building Zen towers beside the beach… (maybe travel has changed us?!).
*Hopeful laugh…
Seriously though, Taiwan is amazing. If anyone is considering Taiwan for a holiday; do.
And if you aren’t considering it; also do! It’s beautiful and it’s friendly. It’s full of surprises. And it’s tasty!
More useful links for your travel in Taiwan with kids and beyond
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally. (We love their flexible cancellation policy!).
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home).
2 thoughts on “Taiwan with kids: A complete travel guide (mountains, beaches and dumplings).”
curious to know how old your kids were when they went to taiwan? they look to be the ages of mine currently – looking for inspiration and courage!
Hi Jamie,
Our boys were just turned 4 and just turned 6 when we went to Taiwan. This is still one of their favourite places in Asia! The country is so diverse. Sending much inspiration and much courage! 🙂