We’ve compiled a list of family-friendly activities that you can explore with your young ones in the great outdoors of Taipei!
On a fine day when the sun is shining brilliantly and the wind is blowing freely, it would be a shame to be stuck indoors. Gather your little humans and head out where you can feel the sun and wind against your skin, and make more memories with your family!
Don’t worry about what to do, we’ve got you covered; here are the top 6 outdoor activities you can explore with your kids in Taipei!
1. Taipei Children’s Amusement Park
Source: Taipei Children’s Amusement Park
Location: No. 55, Section 5, Chengde Road, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111
Operating hours: Daily/9 am – 5 pm
Admission: From NT$ 15
Put the Taipei Children’s Amusement Park at the top of your list if letting loose and having fun with your kids is your agenda for the day. Though not as big as Disneyland Parks, the amusement park’s 13 rides will charm the kids.
Aside from thrill rides like the Drop Tower, which simulates a free-fall, rollercoaster, pirate ship, spinning teacups, and Dancing Fly, which can rotate 360-degrees, there are also gentler rides like the Ocean Carousel, monorail and Ferris Wheel.
The park has also made sure that there’s something fun for the younger ones who do not meet the height or age requirements for the rides. There are small rides, coin-operated game machines scattered around the park and two free playgrounds, one with a sandpit and an inclusive playground, and another with a ball pit, which requires prior reservation.
If that was not enough running around, located nearby is the Meilun Park, where you’re free to play catch in the wide field, explore the playgrounds, splash around at the water attraction, or take a leisurely stroll.
2. Taipei Zoo
Source: Taipei Zoo
Location: No. 30號, Section 2, Xinguang Road, Wenshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 11656
Operating hours: Daily/9 am – 5 pm
Admission: From NT$ 30
If you’ve got a day to spare, consider taking a family excursion to the Taipei Zoo. With over hundreds of animals housed within, you will have plenty to see and experience.
The stars of the place are the giant pandas and if you picked the right time to visit, you will be able to catch them in action! Situated next to the Giant Panda House is a Dinosaur Museum where you will find displays of dinosaur fossils and taxidermy specimens. Aside from the giant pandas, there are also penguins, koalas, pangolins, insects, and snakes in the indoor display areas.
The outdoor display areas are divided according to the animals’ natural habitat. There’s the Formosan Area, Tropical Rainforest, Temperate Zone, Australian Animal, Desert Animal, and African Animal Area. The exhibits feature animals such as the Formosan sika deer, Asian elephants, kangaroos, red pandas, camels, and gorillas. There’s also a Children’s Zone where little ones can learn more about domestic animals like ducks, goats, donkeys, mini horses, and pigs.
3. Zhishanyan Cultural and Ecological Garden
Source: Zhishanyan Cultural and Ecological Garden
Location: No. 120, Yusheng Street, Shilin District, Taipei City 111, Taiwan
Operating hours: Tue – Sun/9 am – 5 pm (last entry: 4.30 pm)
Admission: Free and Paid (From NT$20)
Located across the Yangming Hospital, Zhishanyan Cultural and Ecological Garden was formerly an ammunition depot for the Military Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of National Defense that underwent renovations to transform into a place for education and recreation. This is Taiwan’s first cultural and ecological park.
If you love venturing out on little escapades, this treasure trove of cultural and natural resources will please you. The park is home to flourishing greeneries, towering trees, critters, a pond, a greenhouse, a wild bird rehab centre, as well as archaeological exhibition rooms that provide a glimpse into the bygone years.
4. Lin An Tai Historical House and Museum
Source: Taipei Film Commission, Taiwan
Location: No. 5號, Binjiang Street, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 10491
Operating hours: Tue – Sun/9 am – 5 pm
Admission: Free
Built two centuries ago by an immigrant with a flourishing trade, the Lin An Tai Historical House and Museum is one of the few traditional houses remaining in Taipei today. The historical house with its intricate carvings, arches, gardens with footpaths and ponds, makes for a fun place to explore even for little kids. Though the house was moved from its original location, most of its features have been preserved, providing an insight into the past and the lifestyle of the people who lived then. Did you know that the crescent-shaped pond in the front was apparently used not only for defence but also for raising fish, keeping a moderate temperature and as a water supply?
5. Raohe Night Market
Source: Vernon Raineil Cenzon/Unsplash
Location: Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105
Operating hours: Daily/4 pm – 12 am
Admission: Free
While the Shilin Night Market is a popular choice amongst both locals and visitors from around the world, it is not the only choice you have when it comes to night markets in Taipei. Though smaller in scale, the Raohe Street Night Market is no less impressive than the Shilin Night Market. Along the 600 metres stretch, you will be able to find vendors offering mini carnival games, clothes, jewellery, food, and a variety of other goods. And if old temples and elaborate carvings are your cups of tea, you can also make a detour to the Ciyou Temple. Dedicated to the goddess Mazu, the old temple is located on the eastern end of the market.
Most night markets tend to attract more people as the night progresses. Hence, make your trip early in the evening if you would like to avoid a hustling crowd.
6. Taipei Water Park
Source: Taipei Water
Location: No. 1號, Siyuan St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, 100
Operating hours: Daily/9 am – 5 pm
Admission: From NT$ 25
More than just a recreational facility, the Taipei Water Park educates just as well as it entertains. Aside from the outdoor water park that opens in the summer, the site houses an Aqua-Friendly Experiencing Education Area featuring a Friction Experiencing Channel, Spiral Centrifuge Experiencing Channel, and a swimming pool, among others, if you’re looking for some splish-splash action.
A walk around the spacious park will bring you across pipe sculptures, ponds, a fountain garden, as well as several historical buildings that provide a lesson on Taiwan’s water resources as well as the correct water usage.
Source: Taipei Water
One of the historical sites is the Baroque-style Museum of Drinking Water that was originally built in the early 1900s. Later the building underwent restoration works and was opened to the public as a museum showcasing old photos and equipment relevant to Taiwan’s water supply history.
There’s also a small night market located close by—the Gongguan Night Market, which is popular with the students from the university nearby. A combination of established stores and night market stalls, the Gongguan Night Market offers an assortment of books, clothing, jewellery, accessories, and food.
While we do work hard to maintain the accuracy of the information in this list, we advise you to check with the respective merchant/establishment before any decision to avoid any disappointment.
