Updated: 2026-07-10 (includes fares, opening hours, gondola maintenance and other details that change often; for real-time information, always defer to the official announcements)

The first time you bring kids to Taiwan, the hardest part usually isn't finding things to do — it's 'how to get around' and a pile of small parenting logistics. This piece pulls together how to choose spots, the rules for taking kids on the metro and high speed rail, and the EasyCard and stroller questions, all in one place.

After showing a few families of foreign friends around Taiwan, I've noticed people get stuck at the same points: not on finding fun places, but on whether kids need a ticket, whether a stroller will fit, and how many stops to plan before everyone melts down. Taiwan is actually quite family-friendly — almost every metro station has a lift, most malls and major attractions have nursing rooms, and convenience stores are dense enough to restock anytime — but this information is usually scattered, and it's hard to piece together on a first visit. If you're still planning the trip as a whole, I'd suggest first reading through theTaiwan Travel Guide, then coming back to this piece for the details of traveling with kids.

Let's start with the most practical thing, and the one families mix up most: how tickets work for kids. Public transport in Taiwan is fairly generous toward children, but each system has slightly different rules.

Taking kids on transport: get these few rules straight first

Taipei MRT: children under 115 cm, or under 6, ride free when accompanied by a ticket-holding passenger, and one paying passenger may bring up to four; over 115 cm you'll need ID. EasyCard works on the metro, buses and at convenience stores, and is the easiest way to pay when you have kids — for card types and topping up, pair this with theEasyCard guide. To move between cities and save time, the high speed rail is the first choice: children under 115 cm (or 115 cm and over but under 6, with ID) who don't take a seat ride free, accompanied by a paying adult, up to two per adult; those 115–150 cm or under 12 buy a child ticket (half price). Note that the high speed rail doesn't take EasyCard, so you buy a separate ticket — for booking and how to ride, first read theTaiwan High Speed Rail guide. Fares and eligibility change often, so check the official announcements before you set off.

For getting around town the metro is still the workhorse: frequent, air-conditioned, with lifts and step-free routes inside stations, so a stroller is easier than you'd expect. To get familiar with the lines and transfers first, see theTaipei MRT guide; a fuller comparison of transport options is collected in theTransport Guide. One thing to be ready for with strollers: pavement quality in Taiwan varies a lot, and the covered arcades in older districts are often taken up by scooters or stalls, so a big stroller isn't always easy to push. For families traveling with kids, I usually suggest a light folding one — it's far more nimble through metro gates, restaurants and night markets.

Choosing spots: start with your child's age and the day's weather

Taiwan has plenty of family attractions, but you really don't need to cram them in. One or two fixed stops a day, plus a wander nearby, is usually more fun than rushing five. When choosing, I look at two things first: the child's age, and whether it'll rain that day. These are a few I've actually taken friends to, each with official information you can check:

When it rains, head for the indoor aquarium or science museum; when the weather's good and the kids have the energy, the zoo plus the Maokong Gondola can fill a whole day. To book tickets for these venues or family activities ahead of time, KKday has plenty of local Taiwan passes:

Find Taiwan family passes on KKday
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So who is this trip really for? If your kids are 3 or older and happy to ride the metro and short high speed rail hops, Taiwan is a very easy family destination: cities are close together, there's plenty of choice for food, restocking is convenient, and adults won't get too worn out. If you're traveling with an infant who still naps often and is sensitive to crowds, I'd suggest slowing the pace and basing yourself in a single city (say, just Taipei or Taichung), taking fewer long-distance trips and leaving more downtime. Taiwan's family-friendly facilities are genuinely good enough; what really decides how smoothly a trip goes is usually whether you've built 'moving' and 'resting' into it too. For a fuller itinerary, read on with theTaipei Travel Guide, to slot the family spots in alongside the places the grown-ups want to see.

Sources: Tourism Administration, MOTC (taiwan.net.tw), the official ticketing information of the Taipei City Government and Taipei Metro, the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) website, and the official sites of Taipei Zoo, Taipei Children's Amusement Park, Xpark and the National Museum of Natural Science. Cover photo: Maokong Gondola, Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC BY-SA 3.0. Fares, opening hours and other details that change often are subject to each official announcement.