In a rather unexpected place - at the waste incinerator in the Beitu district - you will find a perfect viewpoint at 116 metres and free of charge. Public transport to the observation tower is not very good, but why not rent a U-bike from Zhishan Station and combine a visit to the tower with a pleasant bike ride along the bike path winding around the Keelung River? Just one floor higher than the observation deck is an unusual restaurant that gradually rotates around the tower's perimeter over the course of an hour! But of course, the food prices here are quite high. And just for the record, just a few dozen metres from the tower you can also jump right into the indoor public pool. Use google maps to search "Beitu refuce incineration plant observartion deck".
A new skate park with a perfect surface created from a former street hockey field can be found in Meiti Riverside Park. Weekday mornings are pretty free and kids can get out and about on skates, skateboards and scooters. No bikes are allowed but the truth is that occasionally someone on a bike will show up. Parking is right next door, toilets nearby, but you'd better bring your own snacks.
Exhibition spaces, design shops, cafes, Not Just Library, and the headquarters of The Taiwan Design Museum are all housed in a former tobacco factory just down the road from Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall on the MRT Blue Line. As you wander around, you can enjoy the cute and unexpected nooks and crannies as well as the architecture that is no longer seen much in Taipei. You can park in the garage of the adjacent department store.
A nice one-hour easy hike with the destination at Yuanjue Waterfall starts at Dagouxi Waterfront Park in Neihu District. Throughout the walk, you'll be walking upstream of the river, which has plenty of places for kids to get messy in the hot weather. However, take snacks and water in your backpack, there is no opportunity to buy snacks along the way. As there are limited parking options at the park, we rather recommend taking the road from Dahu Park MRT station, which will take you an additional 15 minutes.
Nice views, extensive exhibitions and a pair of historic buildings rise majestically above the Tamsui River just off the popular promenade. The original fort was built by the Spanish in 1628, only to be destroyed a few years later. The current form of Fort San Domingo was imprinted on the ruins of the original structure by the Dutch for a change. The name, however, has remained original. The interior still hides the ancient prison cells and outside you can see the set of cannons protecting the river. A little further on you move to the more modern former British Consulate building from 1891, with an equally fine display inside. There is an entrance fee, and you can buy souvenirs and refreshments on site. There are several car parks in the area or use the Tamsui MRT station, which is within walking distance.
The best-kept ( ... and relocated) historical building complex in Taipei can't be missed on Binjiang Street in Zhongshan District. Over 160 years old, the mansion of the wealthy Lin merchant family is a festival of traditional Chinese architecture. Admission is free and the site is easily accessible by public transport. The ponds, the viewpoints, the historic interior - if you like it, you'll be satisfied. Kids will also love running around on the artificial rock paths. But you won't spend more than two hours here. Refreshments are not sold on site. Very close to Dajia Riverside Park is a nice playground with a giant sandpit covered from direct sunlight.
Shrimping in an artificial indoor pool is quite obscure, but you should try it at least once during your stay in Taiwan. There are several places to do this activity in Taipei, we have tried and tested establishments on Zhishan Road in Shilin District, which is easily accessible by car and bus. At the entrance, you pay for the number of rods and you also get some bait (if you want to be more successful, find the ideal composition online and prepare your own bait). Then all you have to do is sit in the pool amongst the mostly middle-aged men and wait to see how many shrimp you can pull in. You then fry your catch on the spot and have a snack. If your kids are more sensitive to the food chain, they probably won't be pleased.
Quite a nice activity to do in the months of January and February around Bishan Road in Neihu District. The road is lined with countless strawberry farms. At the entrance, you take a basket and a pair of scissors and then you can pick at your own discretion. You pay according to the amount you pick. But don't expect the price to be lower than in the big supermarket chains, it's more about having fun. You should also take into account that many people before you have tested the ripeness of strawberries by touch. It is therefore preferable to process the strawberries quickly after washing them thoroughly. If you go by car, try to find a spot in the Bi Shan Yan parking lot and take a nice walk to the farms over the Baishihu Suspension bridge. You can also take the S2 bus service.
A unique place where you can watch the constant leakage of sulphur gases from the rock massif and the hot springs. A hiking trail leads around the most interesting zone, where experienced hikers cook eggs on the boiling gas. There are three parkings nearby, and refreshments and toilet facilities can be found in the Visitor Centre.
A relatively small park that is especially popular with feathered fans. For those interested in watching or photographing birds, there are even two buildings with a number of places to sit at small windows. A pair of water buffalo roam the grounds every now and then - but we had no luck with them. In the central building, where you'll find refreshments, a small exhibit, and a gift shop, you'll have several good quality large binoculars on the second floor to use for free to observe the life in the wetlands. There is an entrance fee and a small paid parking lot at the entrance. Allow about two hours for your visit.
The fact that Treasure Hill was originally an illegal settlement built by soldiers, you certainly don't have to worry when you visit it. Today, this built-up hill is one of the top spots in Taipei after a thoughtful restoration. Cute streets, small houses with designer shops, cafes, a hotel but also maybe a DIY workshop where you can make a robot out of old electronic parts (and so far the only place in Taiwan where we found old tin advertising signs for sale). Good accessibility by public transport or bike. Exploring Treasure Hill will take you half a day at most. It is also suitable in bad weather.
If you really don't know where to go in Taipei, try this place - watching airplanes landing from a vantage point at Lane 180, Binjiang St, Zhongshan District. Especially some of the guys are really into this. And given the frequency of planes landing at Songshan Airport, you can spend quite a bit of time doing it. There are always plenty of air travel lovers and droopy ears here. Connoisseurs say it's the best place to watch planes in all of Taiwan. You can't park your car here, so you'd better walk from Minzu East road.
