Planning a trip to Taiwan and Taipei with kids? Taipei is a safe, family-friendly city with lots of theme parks, colorful attractions, cute character stores and fun things to do.
From city parks to Pokémon, capybara cafes to cat villages, a Moon Bus (no, really!) to fantastic flavored ice-creams, there is something to suit all tastes when visiting Taipei with kids (including a toilet themed restaurant).
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And Taipei children’s activities don’t have to be expensive for families – many child friendly and kids attractions are free or inexpensive like stamp trails or popcorn factories!
Here is our guide to the best things to with kids in Taipei, Taiwan in 2024:
You might like – Our 1 day Taipei itinerary or how to spend 3 days in Taipei
Things to do in Taipei with kids
1. Modern Toilet Restaurant
We start our Taipei with kids list with certainly one of the most fun things to do (slightly weird but wonderful). Taipei’s Modern Toilet themed restaurant is so popular, they are ‘flushed’ with success and children will love the crazy menu and sitting down on a toilet at the table.
There are two toilet themed restaurants in Taipei, with a Modern Toilet branch near Shilin Night Market, plus Modern Toilet Ximending which reopened in 2024 after a lengthy closure (and everyone hates it when toilets are closed).
A meal at Modern Toilet is like no other, with food and drinks served in toilets. The poo shaped ice-cream (chocolate of course) is loved by kids and particularly memorable.
This is very much a fun thing to do in Taipei at night with kids.
Read our guide to Taiwan’s Modern Toilet restaurant (with more photos) here >
Try this – Top Taipei kid-friendly activities with Viator >
2. Pokémon Center Taipei
Take your children to the new Pokémen Center in Xinyi, located in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi Place A11.
Opened in December 2023, Taiwan’s biggest Pokémon Center in Taipei ( 寶可夢中心台北) is packed full of all your favorite Pokémon characters including exclusive Taiwan merchandise, trading card games, Pokémon Ga Ole machines plus Pokédex, Pokémon App Gallery and more.
We joined the crowds and visited the new Pokémon Center Taipei in early 2024. You may sometimes need to queue for an entry ticket at weekends or when there is a limited edition release but on our last visit on a weekday in spring 2024, we got in straight away; it was busy with families but OK to navigate and get on the Pokémon Ga Ole arcade.
From all the cute merchandise to the awesome arcade machines, here is our guide to visiting the Pokémon Center Taipei in Xinyi >
3. Taipei themed 7-Elevens
The world is never short of 7-Eleven convenience stores but did you know there are over 100 themed 7-Elevens all over Taiwan, most of which are in Taipei?
Kids will love the cute cartoon themed 7-Eleven stores from Taiwan’s most famous blue cat; Bugcat Capoo or go (Pea)-nuts about the Snoopy 7-Eleven stores (one even has a super cool Snoopy themed seating area complete with a school bus and huge Snoopy plushies).
Check out all our themed 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan guides:
- Coca-Cola
- Hello Kitty
- Mofusand
- Bugcat Capoo
- Snoopy / Peanuts
- Pokémon (Kaohsiung)
- Ultraman
- STARLUX
- Sumikko Gurashi
You might like – Our guide to Bugcat Capoo House and Foam Cat Cafe in Taichung >
4. Jimmy’s Moon Bus
From Taipei to the moon! A fun thing to do in Xinyi Taipei with kids, Jimmy’s Moon Bus is a fun art installation in the shadow of Taipei 101 on Xinyi Road.
It has been created and designed based on local author Jimmy Liao’s children’s book ‘When the Moon Forgot’.
Unlike a lot of ‘art installations’, you can actually jump aboard Jimmy’s Moon Bus and pose with characters and artwork from the book.
Outside the bus, there is also a water feature with many moons plus the bus lights up at night. Jimmy’s Moon Bus is ‘out of this world’ (ahem) and free to visit.
You might like – Our guide to Yongkang Street, Taipei’s tastiest neighborhood >
5. Huashan 1914 Creative Park
Taiwan’s best creative park (and most bustling), Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei is packed full of permanent and pop-up shops and cartoon character exhibitions, street performers plus cafes and restaurants.
It is easy to spend half a day here with the family going to pop-ups then grabbing a bite to eat.
A former wine factory, Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei’s Zhongzheng district, is also rather distinctive, with red brick buildings and warehouses all transformed into thriving business, a reminder of the previous industrial use.
The banyan trees and their long roots encased in the walls and old plum brewery buildings also make for very picturesque backdrops.
With a huge play area and outdoor space at the rear, it is one of the best free things to do in Taipei with kids. As far as we are aware, Huashan 1914 Creative Park has the highest number of temporary exhibitions and pop up shops in Taipei.
We’ve been about a dozen times over the last 10 years and literally every time we go, there will be some new cartoon pop-up; we’ve seen everything from Moomins to Snoopy, Hello Kitty to Rilakkuma temporary exhibitions and stores.
Check out our full guide to Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei here >
6. Houtong Cat Village
Houtong Cat Village is an easy day trip from Taipei with kids and a ‘paw-some’ adventure. If you’re ‘feline’ like a kid-friendly journey along the Pingxi Line in Taiwan and a stop-off in a cute mountainside village, Houtong Cat Village is for mew…sorry…you.
Home to dozens of cats and kitties, Houtong Cat Village is a riverside town in the Ruifang valley that has direct trains from Taipei Main Station (and also easily accessible from Jiufen). Even the train station has resident cats and cat-shaped foot-bridge.
Houtong has quite the history – a former coal mining town that once had riches galore, it was most famous for having a cave full of monkeys about 100 years ago (‘Houtong’ translates as ‘monkey cave’).
Now it is best known for its feline residents which outnumber humans hence the name ‘Houtong Cat Village. There are lots of cat-themed shops or take your children to the Hide & Seek cafe for cat-themed treats plus meet their huge kitty-cat who is super friendly.
Check out our Houtong Cat Village guide including how to get the train from Taipei >
7. Donguri Republic (Taipei Studio Ghibli Store)
Donguri Republic is the official Studio Ghibli store chain, comprising around 10 stores in Taiwan, with mountains of Princess Mononoke merchandise, shedloads of Spirited Away souvenirs and tonnes of Totoro gifts.
Xinyi’s Donguri Republic / Studio Ghibli Taipei store is located on the top floor of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi Place A8. This Xinyi Donguri Republic store even has a huge recreation of the My Neighbour Totoro cat bus which kids can pose with and even go inside!
Thankfully, there is something to suit all budgets from glorious Studio Ghibli gachapon to huge plushies – so if you want to buy your kids something small, there are pin badges and coloring books. There are often free in-store activities too for children at Donguri Republic.
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8. Hello Kitty trains, planes and airport
Hello Kitty in Taiwan is big business and loved by children and adults world-wide! Sanrio’s cutest cat and cartoon character, Hello Kitty in Taipei is everywhere – and we aren’t just talking about merchandise or shops.
As Hello Kitty is celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2024, there are a heck of a lot of Hello Kitty Taiwan things to do.
There is a Hello Kitty train station in Taipei (Nanjing Fuxing) where all the gates are branded Hello Kitty Friends, plus families can pose in a super-cute selfie spot or buy Sanrio shizz in the onsite gift-shop complete with unique Taipei Metro Sanrio souvenirs.
Bigger and better, there are even Hello Kitty branded trains that run along the Tamsui-Xinyi Line until December 2024 – who needs the cat bus?
Or fly in the Hello Kitty Eva Air plane or check in at Taipei Taoyuan Airport via the Hello Kitty Lounge.
You might like our top 10 Hello Kitty things to do in Taiwan >
9. FUFU CatCafe
‘Feline’ like a fun thing to do with teenagers in Taipei’s Ximending area?
Taipei has a few cat cafes and other various animal cafes (we’ll mention a capybara cafe later too) – the best known cat cafe to visit in Ximending is the FUFU Cat Cafe, which opened in 2017 and allows children 12 years and over.
Pretty reasonable value compared to other cat cafes, FUFU Cat Cafe charges $50 NTD per 10 minutes or $500 NTD for 100 minutes which includes a drink.
Unlike some other Taiwan cat cafes, you don’t have to purchase a drink if you’d rather just play with the kitties.
Other snacks (human and cat treats) can be bought additionally and this is a fun family thing to do in Taipei with older kids.
You might like – Our Guide to Simple Kaffa Sola, Taiwan’s highest coffee shop atop Taipei 101 >
10. Pop Mart Ximen, Taiwan’s flagship Pop Mart
Pop Mart Ximen’s flagship store is now open and one of Taipei’s top toy-stores (and possibly more of interest to teenagers).
One of Ximending’s newest attractions for 2024 and a cool collectible toy shop in Taipei, Pop Mart Ximen spans four floors and even has an exhibition space, VIP lounge and recording studio (not to mention thousands of blind boxes and collectibles).
When Pop Mart Ximen first opened in late December 2023, people queued around the block to get in and check out all the exclusive merchandise and opening offers plus see the magnificent MEGA SPACE MOLLY showcase.
There are also cute collaborations with the likes of Disney and Harry Potter.
Even the Pop Mart Ximen building looks the part, with vintage movie theater vibes inside and out. Check out ultimate guide to Pop Mart flagship store in Taipei >
Try this – Family friendly activities in Taipei with Get Your Guide >
11. Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place
There are lots of shopping malls in Taipei and taking kids shopping isn’t always the most fun experience
However one of the most fun shopping centers in Taipei is Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place, split into four massive malls.
It has a free outdoor playground and kid’s park on the rooftop of A8 Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place. Handily, it is right next door to the Studio Ghibli store and its huge cat-bus.
Given Xinyi is so built up, the outdoor rooftop and fountain at A8 Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place is a good way to tire out the kids before or after some retail therapy.
You might like – Our guide to Taipei’s 15+ best shopping malls and districts >
12. Hire a family bicycle or children’s car in Bali
Bali is very popular with local Taipei families at the weekends, as they can hire all manner of bicycles, trishaws, tandems and even childrens remote controlled cars (like pandas and dinosaurs).
This means you can see the whole of the coast along Bali and look out to Tamsui from the comfort of a shared bicycle (one idea might be to get the kids to cycle whilst you relax in the back – you’re welcome).
As soon as you get off the ferry at Bali Wharf / Left Bank Pier, the first thing you see is numerous bicycles plus bicycle hire shops.
Prices are low and you can either head northwest along the coastal trail towards Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology or (and much quieter), eastwards towards Micang Park.
You might like our guide to more things to do in Bali, Taipei >
13. Get up close to a capybara
Located a little way out of downtown Taipei, Capybara Knight is one of the more unusual pet cafes in Taipei – who needs Taipei cat cafes when you can visit a capybara cafe?
The world’s largest rodent, capybaras are now popping up in cafes all over Asia. Capybara Knight is home to Ba La (girl) and Ga Ba (boy) capybaras plus ducks, rabbits, a cat and dog – quite the menagerie.
It costs NT$100 to get access to the cafe where there are lots of themed Mochi capybara cakes and treats (like waffles) plus an additional fee to then spend time in the capybara enclosure.
The activity is suitable for families but there may be restrictions for younger children.
You might like – Our travelers guide to the ‘free’ Taiwan receipt lottery >
14. Taipei children’s stamps trails
Pretty much every attraction in Taipei (and across Taiwan) has their own stamp and ink set, often as part of a family trail (although these stamps are popular with ‘big kids’ like us too)!
Grab a leaflet (or take your own book) and ink up the stamp, before pressing it down in your book – some attractions also offer free gifts if you find the full set of stamps.
The other great thing about collecting Taiwan ink stamps is that they are very light to carry so make a cool souvenir to take home that doesn’t take up too much luggage space.
Try this – From Taipei: Yilan funny animal & natural day tour – includes Zhangmei Grandma’s Farm >
15. Wooderful Life Taiwan toy shops
A quick mention of one of the most beautiful toy shops in Taiwan, Wooderful Life – they have branches across Taipei (and Taiwan) including a store at the famous Red House in Ximending.
Wooderful Life is a Taiwanese chain of wooden toy shops that produce the most incredible and intricate gifts such as music boxes, wooden puppets and traditional toys.
The biggest Wooderful Life in Taipei for kids can be found at Huashan 1914 Creative Park. As well as a free to visit shop, there is also a playhouse and Wooderful Life activity park where kids can jump around and tinker with trinkets of all types, across themed zones.
You might like – Our guides to Raohe Night Market or Ningxia Night Market (both have kid’s games)
16. Miramar Mall Taipei & Entertainment Park
One other Taipei mall that is more family-friendly than others, Miramar Mall has 12 floors of fun and shopping including a massive ferris wheel and kids theme park on the top floor.
Located a short walk from Jiannan Road Station on the brown Wenhu Line (which goes via Taipei Zoo and the Maokong Gondola), Taipei’s Miramar Mall is split across two main sections – ‘Youth’ and ‘Family’.
The Miramar Mall’s focus is on providing a fun family shopping and entertainment experience, where you can buy clothes or goods, eat some food then head to the amusement park on the roof.
You might like – Our guide to Wulai in New Taipei: 10 things to do including hot springs >
17. Maokong and Maokong Gondola
If your kids are comfortable with heights and you fancy a real Taipei family adventure with ‘altitude’, take the Maokong Gondola high up into Taipei’s hills.
Maokong is a cute mountainside village with hillside tea plantations plus lots of nice cafes that serve matcha tea ice-creams (often with cute wafers) – the area also offers remarkable views of Taipei City.
Starting from Taipei Zoo, the cable cars offer a unique vantage point (especially the crystal / glass bottom ones) of the city and hillside temples.
Upon arrival, head to the left to find lots of street-food vendors and cute hillside cafes – free tea is available at the Maokong Tea Museum.
Book your Maokong Gondola ticket or a Maokong Cable Car & Taipei Zoo combo.
18. Taipei Zoo
A good one to combine with Maokong Gondola, Taipei Zoo is located just a short walk from the station of the same name plus so cheap to visit with the family (around NTD$100 – approx £2.40 or $3 USD), plus home to pandas big and small!
It is a ‘paw-some’ thing to do in Taipei with kids and there are lots of animals to see, from polar bears to elephants, tigers to monkeys but obviously the star of the zoo is the pandas, who are kept in an enclosure (plus have a huge outdoor area).
Skip the queue and book your Taipei Zoo entry here >
19. Taipei 101
OK, so it isn’t cheap but one of the best family activities in Taipei is to go up to the Taipei 101 observatory and look down on the city.
Looking out across Taipei, the observation deck runs between floors 88 and 91, whilst there are two floors of high-up restaurants on floors 85 and 86.
Taiwan’s fastest elevator soars up incredibly quick at a speed of up to 1,010m per minute (warn your kids their ears might pop).
To assist with earthquake resistance, Taipei 101 also has the world’s biggest mass damper which is on display, like a huge ball. And in true Taiwan style, they’ve even created a cartoon character out of it, Damper Baby, to appeal to kids (which has merchandise across the several gift shops).
Book your Taipei 101 observation deck ticket in advance on Klook >
Taiwanderers Tip: Taiwan’s tallest cafe – Simple Kaffa Sola is located on the 88th floor of Taipei. If you don’t want to pay the Taipei 101 admission fee, go here instead >
You might like – Our guide to Somebody Feed Phil’s Netflix Taipei & Keelung eating locations >
20. PopSmile Popcorn Tourism Factory
Pop (pop) along to Bali’s PopSmile Popcorn Tourism Factory, one of Taiwan’s most famous popcorn brands (you’ll see it in 7-Eleven and other convenience stores in Taipei).
Fun for all the family, you get to go along on a guided tour of the factory watching how popcorn is made before getting to make your own popcorn with flavors of your choosing (including kimchi and corn soup)!
Billed as Asia’s ‘first popcorn factory’, admission to PopSmile Popcorn Tourism Factory starts from NT$250 which includes a tour, DIY popcorn session plus a NT$50 voucher to spend in the shop.
Book your Taipei kids Popcorn Tourist Factory ticket here with Klook >
21. Beitou Thermal Valley
An easy train ride from Taipei, Beitou, famous for its natural hot springs.
Beitou is a nice way to escape the hustle and bustle of Taipei city with the kids, complete with a beautiful backdrop of mountains, forest and natural hot springs and streams.
Remember to bring the family swimming costumes / trunks and a towel if you are planning to join the locals in one of the pools.
Be sure to start your day exploring Beitou’s Thermal Valley, a free to visit natural wonder that bubbles with steam and smells very sulphuric – there are boardwalks all around and it is amazing to see the bubbling water in what locals refer to as Hell Valley.
Try this – Taipei Leofoo Village family theme park ticket with nonstop shuttle from Taipei >
22. Daan Forest Park
A green oasis in a very busy city, Daan Forest Park in Taipei is a sprawling open space popular with families and walkers.
Given its inner city location, you’d be surprised by the sheer number of wildlife and birds that live in Daan Forest Park.
Sprawling over 60 acres, it has an outdoor auditorium, numerous fitness facilities and running tracks plus lots of flora and fauna including an eco-pond. Daan Park is also one of the best free things to do in Taipei with kids.
From its annual Azalea Festival to its musical auditorium, read our guide to Daan Forest Park >
23. Aniverse VR Amusement Park Keelung
A fun thing to do in Keelung with kids (especially on a rainy day), Aniverse Park is a VR theme park located in the old Keelung train station (just across the road from the new one).
Billed as the world’s first Metaverse experience (yep, we aren’t sure either), Aniverse has an array of 3D games and immersive experiences and starts with a ride about the steampunk-esque Delta Airship.
Get up close with the Little Prince wearing VR goggles or soar above some of the world’s most famous landmarks in the ‘Delta Cabin’.
Book your Aniverse Keelung tickets here with Klook >
24. Big ice-creams
A n-’ice’ family activity, you can head to the famous Bali Jumbo Ice-Cream stall (there are similar stalls in Maokong, Ximending and across Taipei).
These super-cold sweet treats ‘tower’ above any other desserts you’ll find here (literally – they are massive).
Taipei is famous for these big ice creams and these are no different, but they are much more enjoyable with the port views here.
Various combinations of flavors are available like vanilla, matcha and chocolate but remember to eat them quickly on hot days.
Try this – Top 10 food tours in Taipei >
25. Gachapons galore / claw machines and amusements
Taiwan (and Taipei in particular) love their amusement machines and arcades.
Their current favorite craze is the claw machines, where you can win both practical (iPhones) and novelty gifts. We even once saw a dedicated Ferrero Rocher arcade machine in Ximending!
In most cases, these arcades are open 24 hours a day, and many are unstaffed hence why they can always stay open.
You might like Plan My Japan’s guide to the 30 coolest gachapon capsule toys from Japan >
26. Taipei Children’s Amusement Park
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year in 2024, Taipei Children’s Amusement Park is one of Taiwan’s top theme parks and is a pay as you go style affair (each ride can be paid for using a Taiwan EasyCard).
It has a mixture of old school fairground rides like pirate ships and carousels, indoor parks plus an array of arcades and carnival style games.
Whilst fun for the family, it is a little outdated, mainly for younger children in Taipei and nowhere near the scale of other theme parks like Universal Studios or Harry Potter.
Book your Taipei Children’s Amusement Park ticket in advance with Klook >
27. Korean Photo Booths
A fun family souvenir from Taipei…one of the newest things to do in Ximending which seems to have cropped up a lot in the last few years are Korean photo booths.
These are often brightly painted small shops where you or your children can borrow clothes and props and then pose for selfies or take photos in booths for a small fee.
Often the photo booths in these Korean selfie booths allow you to print out stickers as a lasting reminder – one to keep on the fridge back-home.
The biggest Korean photo booths open in Ximending include Plan B Studio and Joy & Ray Perfect Photobooth.
You might like – Our guide to Zhongshan, Taipei’s trendiest neighborhood >
28. Snow King Ice Cream
A n-’ice’-st thing to do in Taipei with kids, Snow King near Ximending is a family run ice-cream shop that has been creating Willy Wonka style flavors since 1947.
A tasty Taiwan treat for all the family, Snow King has produced hundreds of different ice-cream since it opened and some of them are quite quirky.
On our visit to Snow King, you could try unusual ice cream flavors such as pork floss, kidney bean, wasabi or chicken. We opted for basil ice cream and passion fruit ice creams – delicious!
29. Release a lantern in Shifen
Located along the Pingxi Line, Shifen is one of the most popular places to visit on a day-trip from Taiwan as it is famous for families releasing their own decorated, brightly-coloured lanterns on the railway tracks.
This is especially true of our very first trip to Shifen, as it coincided with Chinese New Year which takes place every February in Taiwan.
Shifen is worth visiting any time of the year as the lantern releasing takes place all year around plus nearby Shifen Falls are free to visit and spectacular.
You might like our guide to the Pingxi Railway Line including Shifen Old Town >
30. Keelung Tower
Keelung’s newest tourist attraction and top thing to do, Keelung Tower is a new addition to the iconic harbor skyline of Keelung offering up panoramic views of Keelung city plus the nearby hillside temples – there is even a children’s library at the top
Built as a nod to Keelung’s maritime past and significance as a trading port, Keelung Tower is a must visit when in the area and a great way to access nearby Zhongzheng Park without the hike (your kids will thank you for saving them the hike – probably)!
From the views at the top to the fourth floor bookshop and library, here is our guide to visiting Keelung Tower >
You might also like – things to do in Keelung including Keelung Night Market and Heping Island Geopark
31. Yehliu GeoPark
Taiwan on the rocks! Yahoo for Yehliu Geopark, home to a number of unique geological formations (‘rock stars?) formed over thousands of years.
A 30 minute drive or 50 minute bus ride from Keelung, Yehliu GeoPark is more famous than Heping Island Geopark and as such, can be a lot busier (it is very popular as a day tour, often combined with Shifen and Jiufen).
Popular with families and located on a beautiful part of the North Taiwan coast, the peninsula stretches around 1,700 meters, formed by geological movement that forced the Datun Mountains to change their shape, jutting into the ocean.
Book your Yehliu Geopark tickets in advance with Klook >
Check out these Yehliu GeoPark tours with Viator or Klook.
Our final Taipei with kids activity
32. Get your children a cute Taipei EasyCard
If you are planning to use public transport in Taipei with your family (from Taipei Airport or on the Taipei MRT train or the buses and Metro), make sure you buy an EasyCard and read this simple guide about how to use them and top it up >
Best of all, there are lots of cute and cartoon Easy Card designs that kids will love – we got Doraemon EasyCards at Taoyuan airport when we last arrived in Taipei but there are so many different colorful designs, including some 3D miniatures.
Note that children under 6 can ride for free on the Taiwan MRT and public transport system.
Check out our guide to the 30 cutest EasyCard designs in Taiwan here >
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