Frecelynne Roman
Taipei is one of those cities that looks beautiful in photos and then somehow exceeds every expectation once you’re actually there. The temples, the night markets, the mountain views, the meticulously clean streets — it all comes together.
Family-Friendly Spots in Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei is the capital of Taiwan, a small island nation in East Asia, and it is one of the most underrated family-friendly destinations in the region. The city is easy to navigate, the public transport runs like clockwork, and almost everywhere we went, Audrey was welcome and entertained. For families with young children, Taiwan makes it even easier: kids under six years old, or under 115 cm in height, travel for free on public transport and enjoy free or heavily discounted admission to most top attractions and museums.
For Filipino travelers, Taipei is also one of the most accessible international destinations right now. Taiwan’s visa-free entry program allows Filipino passport holders to visit for up to 14 days without submitting a visa application. The program has been renewed annually since 2017 and is currently extended until July 31, 2026. It keeps getting extended, which is great news, but always check for updates before you book.
We visited Taipei as a family of three, and it remains one of our favorite international trips to date. If you are planning a family vacation to Taiwan, this list is a good place to start.
Taipei Zoo
Let’s start with the one that Audrey requested by name the moment we landed.
Taipei Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Asia, and it really earns that title. The grounds are spacious and well-maintained. Families can move through different sections without feeling rushed or overwhelmed
The giant pandas are the obvious highlight, but the children’s zoo area, the koala exhibit, and the tropical rainforest section kept Audrey engaged for hours.
TIP: Arrive early and head to the panda exhibit first. The lines build up quickly by mid-morning, and you want to give yourself enough time before the crowds arrive. Strollers are also available for rent, just in case your kids decide walking is no longer something they do.
The zoo also has a gondola connection to Maokong, which leads perfectly into the next stop on this list.
Maokong Gondola
Right after the zoo, we rode the Maokong Gondola, and it was one of those simple moments that stay with you.
The gondola travels from the zoo up into the hills of Maokong, a tea-growing area with sweeping views over Taipei. The ride takes about thirty minutes and passes over green hills and temple rooftops. Audrey pressed her face against the glass the entire way up.
At the top, you can visit a tea house and try Taiwanese oolong. It is a cool, welcome break from the busier parts of the city.
TIP: Book the Crystal Cabin if it is available. The glass floor panel makes the ride significantly more dramatic, and kids absolutely love it.
Taipei Children’s Amusement Park
This one was built specifically for families. The Taipei Children’s Amusement Park is a small but well-designed amusement park with rides, a small roller coaster, a carousel, and plenty of open space for younger kids to roam. Admission is very affordable, and the rides are priced reasonably per ticket.
It is not a massive theme park, so manage your expectations accordingly. But as a half-day activity for families with kids between four and twelve, it works really well. Audrey was thrilled from start to finish.
TIP: The Children’s Amusement Park sits right next to the National Taiwan Science Education Center and the Taipei Astronomical Museum. All three are within walking distance of each other in the Shilin area, so you can easily plan a full day around this cluster.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Children’s Art Education Center
The Taipei Fine Arts Museum, known as TFAM, is one of the best contemporary art museums in Asia. The building itself is architecturally striking, and the rotating exhibitions tend to include immersive, visually dynamic installations that hold children’s attention in ways that traditional galleries often do not.
What makes TFAM particularly special for families is the Children’s Art Education Center in the museum’s basement. It opened on Children’s Day in 2014 and was designed specifically to create a contemporary art space centered on shared experiences between parents and children. During our visit, the featured project was called “Seeking Form and Making Landscape,” which extended from artist Mei-Ling Hong’s “Looking for Tao” series. The space had building blocks of various sizes and shapes that children could stack and arrange to create their own paths and landscapes. Audrey spent a long time there, completely absorbed.
The concept of the center is to let children perceive the world from an artist’s perspective rather than simply looking at art from the outside. It works, and we stayed far longer than planned.
The museum sits beside a riverside park, so after your visit, you can walk along the water, grab a snack from a nearby vendor, and let the kids decompress with some open space.
TIP: Check the museum’s website before your visit to see what exhibitions and Children’s Art Education Center projects are currently running. The programming rotates, and some installations are more hands-on than others.
Taipei 101
No trip to Taipei is complete without at least seeing Taipei 101, and if your budget allows, going up is absolutely worth it.
The observation deck on the 89th floor offers a stunning 360-degree view of the city on a clear day. The building itself is an engineering landmark, and the indoor observatory is well-designed with interactive displays that older kids find genuinely interesting.
The mall at the base of the tower is also worth a visit, particularly for the food court and basement level, where you can find a wide range of local snacks and Taiwanese food at reasonable prices.
Ximending Night Market
Save this for the evening, and go hungry.
Ximending Night Market is the most famous night market in Taipei, and it earns its reputation not just for its scale but also for its variety. You will find stinky tofu, scallion pancakes, oyster vermicelli, grilled corn, fresh fruit juice, bubble tea, and a hundred other things you will want to try. It gets crowded and loud, and it is wonderful.
TIP: Carry cash. Many stalls do not accept cards, and ATMs around the market can have long lines later in the evening.
National Taiwan Science Education Center
If your child has any curiosity about how the world works, this place will hold their attention for hours.
The National Taiwan Science Education Center is loaded with high-tech facilities across multiple floors. Life science and natural science displays fill the third and fourth floors, while material science, math, and earth sciences are on the fifth and sixth floors, alongside the SkyCycle, where visitors can ride a bike twenty meters up in the air.
The center is a top pick for families with children roughly aged four to twelve, though honestly, adults get drawn in too.
TIP: Combining your visit with the adjacent Children’s Amusement Park makes for a full day of family fun. The Taipei Astronomical Museum is also right nearby, so you can plan all three in one go if you have the energy.
Taipei Astronomical Museum
This one surprised us. I expected a quiet, slightly dry museum about stars. What we got was something much more immersive.
The Taipei Astronomical Museum transforms complex astronomical knowledge into engaging and accessible experiences through interactive exhibits. From the planets of the solar system to the birth of stars, both children and adults can grasp astronomical principles through hands-on activities and observation. The most popular attractions are the Cosmic Theater and the 3D Planetarium shows, where visitors sit under a dome and feel as if they are immersed in an endless sea of stars.
There is also the Cosmic Adventure ride, which takes you through the solar system, the Milky Way, and distant galaxies in a ten-minute dark ride. Audrey came out of it wanting to be an astronaut. That feeling lasted approximately one hour before she went back to wanting to be a veterinarian, but still.
TIP: The exhibit hall entry fee is very affordable, and children below seven enter for free. Separate tickets are needed for the Cosmic Adventure ride, so factor this into your budget. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Taipei Travel Tour Packages You Should Try
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