Taiwan with children

Itinerary & tips

Are you traveling to Taiwan with kids soon? Then definitely keep reading! In this blog, Julia shares everything you need to know about visiting this beautiful country.

One of the most remarkable countries we visited during our 6-month world trip was Taiwan. We spontaneously booked a trip to Taiwan because, unfortunately, something went wrong with our visa in Vietnam, forcing us to leave the country earlier than planned. We still had two weeks left before heading to Japan to spend December and the holidays with family.

Also read our blogs: tips for Japan with kids and the best travel itinerary through Vietnam with kids.

Our first impression

Taiwan quickly emerged as one of the most impressive destinations during our trip. Many travelers, especially families, skip this country. That’s a shame, because Taiwan truly has so much to offer and was, for us, the most child-friendly country in terms of facilities. Even the playgrounds were next level, the most imaginative we have seen so far. And all of it was free! The Taiwanese love children, and they are warmly welcomed everywhere without people being intrusive.

Taiwan is relatively small but truly has everything, from dream beaches to deep jungles, from Indigenous tribes to snorkeling spots, wildlife, amazing food, temples, high mountains, canyons, waterfalls, bustling and ultra-modern cities to small traditional villages. This is what makes the country so special. Additionally, the people are incredibly friendly, open, and helpful, even though English isn’t spoken everywhere (sufficiently) yet. But with gestures and Google Translate, you can get very far.

Several times during our trip, complete strangers approached us to thank us for coming to Taiwan and to wish us a pleasant journey and wonderful memories. Well, we certainly had that.

In this blog, I share our itinerary and my tips for a vacation in Taiwan with kids.

This blog is written by Julia.

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Our itinerary - Taiwan with kids

During our trip to Taiwan with kids, we traveled around the entire island once, but we would recommend allocating at least 2 to 3 weeks for this. Our itinerary lasted 2 weeks, but we would have liked to stay longer.

Our travel itinerary: Taipei – Yehliu Geopark – Jiufen – Shifen – Hualien (Taroko National Park) – Kenting – Kaohsiung – Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial – Tainan – Taichung – Taipei.

We wanted to visit Sun Moon Lake, Little Switzerland, and Alishan, but in the end, we had too little time.

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Our highlights in Taiwan with kids

Our personal highlights and things you really shouldn’t miss in Taiwan are listed below.

Taipei

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, Ximending, Dihua Street, and Fo Guang Shan Temple.

Yehliu Geopark

A beautiful hiking area with a landscape we have not seen anywhere else.

Shifen Waterfall

A super fun and easy walk to a beautiful waterfall. Definitely recommended, even with (young) children.

Kaohsiung

The most fun city for us. Discover Lotus Pond, walk through dragons (literally), here we found one of the most beautiful playgrounds of our trip, visit a shopping mall, and immerse yourself in all the impressions.

Driving along the east coast

A beautiful landscape, pure enjoyment. Stop by hot springs, unique temples, and with a bit of luck, you might even see whales. Taroko National Park was also truly a highlight for us.

Kenting

Beautiful beaches, wonderfully relaxing, take an easy walk to the southernmost point of Taiwan, go snorkeling, and explore the national park.

Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memoria

Very impressive.

Street food at the night markets

And perhaps most importantly: visit the night markets and try the delicious street food. Wow, it was so tasty and truly a culinary adventure. Bubble tea is especially delicious here.

Tips for Taiwan with kids

Rent a car, or even better: a camper!

Taiwan is a country that can be easily explored by train and bus, but if you want more freedom and really visit the most beautiful places, we strongly recommend renting a camper or car. Yes, you read that right; Taiwan is truly an outdoor and camping country. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a camper available at the last minute, so we rented a car through a rental company for 30 euros per day, including all insurances, child seats, and tolls, and we booked our accommodations separately. And that turned out to be a great choice. Navigation is easy because all the signs are in English. Taipei was quite busy for us, but once you’re out of the city, it’s relaxing. Every few kilometers, you’ll find a 7-Eleven or FamilyMart where you can stop, use the restroom for free, or grab a snack.

Book a themed room, fun for the kids.

We always booked our accommodations online one day in advance. Taiwan is full of themed rooms, which is super fun to do together with the kids. From Hello Kitty, princesses, and knights to cars, nothing was too crazy. We booked a princess room with its own little playground and slide as a surprise for the girls, featuring a high bed and a balcony. The kids didn’t want to leave.

Be mindful of parking fees

If you want to explore the island by car, make sure to rent accommodation with a parking space. Parking is quite expensive compared to the rest.

Is Taiwan expensive?

Taiwan is not the cheapest country in Asia, but certainly not the most expensive either. On average, we paid 20-40 euros per night for a room for the four of us, 2-4 euros for a delicious dish at a market, a single metro ride cost 0.60 euros, and the entrance fee for Taroko National Park was 3 euros per person. Children up to 6 years old pay nothing and travel for free on public transport or do not have to pay entrance fees.

Safety - Taiwan with kids

We always felt very safe everywhere. Due to the political tensions with China, we understand that people may be hesitant to travel to Taiwan. Of course, you should keep an eye on that, but Taiwan is fundamentally a very safe country.

The Tourism Board advertises with ‘Taiwan – the Heart of Asia.’ And yes, that’s how it felt for us. A remarkably beautiful country that deserves so much more attention and is absolutely worth exploring. We would do it again in a heartbeat: Taiwan with kids is highly recommended!

About Julia

We are Julia and Mario, and we live in the north of the Netherlands with our two little ones, Lotte (5) and Ellie (3). We love to travel and returned in April from a 6-month trip during which we visited Japan, Sri Lanka, Oman, Australia, and Cambodia, among other places. Despite having explored such beautiful countries and continuously being amazed by the beauty of our world, our favorite travel destination remains Iceland after all these years. We have been there 10 times, and it will certainly not be the last. We truly enjoy unspoiled nature and are fascinated by countries that are not typically considered ‘family destinations.’ We love a bit of adventure. Therefore, at the beginning of January, we will pack our bags again and this time travel for nearly two months. We are keeping all options open, but we will definitely explore Morocco, visit the United Arab Emirates, and return to Oman, as that country has stolen our hearts. Despite another beautiful trip ahead, we are already thinking about our next longer journey in the future. There is still so much to discover. High on our list are South American countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina, but we also want to explore Africa with our girls. Asian countries like Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and South Korea make our hearts race. Follow Julia and her family on Instagram @schlendernd_um_die_welt.