Taipei is a great place to explore as a family. The subway is spotless and efficient, there are some lovely parks and there are bubble tea vendors on every street corner. Spend your time in Taipei in a way that gets you and your kids most excited. Whether that’s delicately scribing your own Chinese calligraphy, or making your version of Taiwan’s pineapple cake. With a guide, you’ll see Taipei from a different angle – heading up the gondola to Maokong (Cat Mountain).

Your family will take a trip to the small village of Shifen, where you’ll write your wishes on a sky lantern and watch that lantern rocket to the heavens, bearing your hopes and dreams with it.

Plus, there’s a bit of time to give back, helping out the volunteers of the Genesis Foundation, a charity who collect receipts that fall into Taiwan’s receipt lottery system. Any winnings go towards care and support for people with brain injuries. You’ll help prevent litter and make life a little brighter for someone and their family.

Everybody loves hot springs, and what’s better than having a hot spring bath on the roof, or in your hotel room? But don’t sit in those waters all day – there’s plenty to see and do on the northern tip of Taiwan. You’ll take a day trip with your guide down the coast to Taroko Gorge, one of only three natural marble valleys in the world. It’s a drive that’s sure to fill your camera reel, the gorge’s teal waters offset by the sheer white cliffs and hillsides.

As beautiful as the drive is, we know some families don’t do well sitting still for too long. So, you’ll stop at Xiangde Temple, a Buddhist monastery high up in the hills with sweeping views out over the gorge. Then, on the way home you’ll stop at Qixingtan beach.

The following day you and your family get more hands on – with traditional indigo dying. Create your own souvenirs, wrapping a handkerchief with rubber bands to create a brilliant blue indigo pattern. Next, hop into wellies and pick some spring onions before making your own spring onion pancakes. The Yilan region is famous for its spring onions and here, you’ll get to cook and taste one of Taiwan’s signature dishes.

Sun Moon Lake is all about fresh air, lake views, and getting out and about in the great outdoors. Once you arrive from Yilan, you’ll get right into it with a gentle cycle on the elevated bike path – an easy, scenic loop that’s very family friendly.

In the afternoon you’ll visit Wenwu Temple, a palatial temple complex that combines Chinese folk religion with Confucianism. Since Confucius is considered “the teacher of teachers”, Wenwu is especially popular with students hoping for a good grade on upcoming tests. You’ll take a boat trip across the lake and spend some time in the town of Ita Thao. And if you’re in need of a refuel snack, we suggest a stack of nine frog-shaped cakes to share, a local treat based on a statue that shows how deep the lake is. If all nine frogs are in view, the water levels are lower than they should be!

Wrap up your time in Sun Moon Lake with a visit to a tea factory. Here, you’ll try all sorts of tea flavoured snacks and make your own black tea bags to bring home with you. Your guide will then drive with you down out of the mountains to Miyahara Eye Hospital… but don’t worry it’s not time for your eye test just yet. Instead, you’ll be getting some of Taiwan’s most famous ice cream at a repurposed medical centre. In addition to the usual flavours, Miyahara has found flavour inspiration in local fruit and tea. Our favourites are Honey Grapefruit and Alishan Oolong. The last bit of the trip back to Taipei will be via the HSR, Taiwan’s swift and convenient High Speed Rail, based on the Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains.