This is Draft v2 — flights ticketed, Kaohsiung hotel booked
Mum & Dad's return BR 315 on 21 Dec is confirmed (FZNN8D ✅); Ian's ticket (FY4W9Y) is currently dated 8 Feb 2027 and will be moved to 21 Dec. Kaohsiung 14–17 Dec is booked at the Luxury Collection ✅ — the southern loop is anchored around it; the free Taipei days can still shift around family catch-ups
Taipei hotel (first stay) · 3–10 Dec (7 nights) · TBC ⏳
Best around Taipei Main Station or Zhongshan — Airport MRT, High Speed Rail and metro all connect there; the 3 Dec night must be booked first
Taichung hotel · 10–12 Dec (2 nights) · TBC ⏳
Best near Taichung Station or the Calligraphy Greenway · Sun Moon Lake day trip starts easiest from Taichung
Tainan hotel · 12–14 Dec (2 nights) · TBC ⏳
Best in the West Central District (around Chihkan Tower / Shennong Street) — every temple and snack street is walkable
Kaohsiung · Ran Yi, a Luxury Collection Hotel · 14–17 Dec (3 nights) · Conf #72455458 ✅
Deluxe Suite × 1 (2 double beds · city view) · 3 adults · check-in 3 pm / check-out 12 pm · No. 199 Zhongshan 2nd Rd, Qianzhen District (near Dream Mall / light rail) · +886-7-9730189
Taipei hotel (second stay) · 17–21 Dec (4 nights) · TBC ⏳
This stretch is mostly family dinners + souvenir shopping — same hotel as the first stay means we can leave the big bags there
👨👩👦 Family Overview
Day
1
🛬 Arrive in Taipei
Thu 3 Dec 2026 · Arrival Day
Straight from Hokkaido
BR 115 lands at Taoyuan T2 at 19:05. Snow in the morning, night markets by evening — grab the bags, head into Taipei, and keep it to a late-night snack.
Today's Flight
BR 115 · CTS → TPE (Taoyuan T2) ✅ Confirmed
15:20–19:05
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
💺 Boeing 787 Business Class · 2 checked bags each · picks up from Hokkaido trip Day 11
Airport MRT express to Taipei Main Station takes ~39 min; with lots of bags a taxi (~NT$1,200) is easier
Grab a Taiwan SIM in the arrivals hall / set up an eSIM before leaving Australia; EasyCards are sold at any convenience store
From -5°C Hokkaido to 18°C Taipei in one flight — ski jackets go into the suitcase, light jackets come out
Day
2
🏙️ Taipei · Easy Day
Fri 4 Dec 2026 · Taipei Day 1
Chill Day
We just finished 11 straight days in Hokkaido — today has zero hard plans. Sleep in, message the relatives, then ease into night-market life at Ningxia.
Today's Plan
Ningxia Night Market · the locals' favourite
Evening
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🥟 Must-eats: Liu Yu Zi taro balls (Michelin-listed!), pork liver soup, oyster omelette
Ningxia is only 200 metres long but packed with decades-old stalls — way less crowded than Shilin, perfect first night market
Today we also lock in dinner dates with the relatives, so the southern loop can be planned around them
Day
3
🎄 Christmasland in New Taipei
Sat 5 Dec 2026 · Taipei Day 2
December Only
Ximending shopping in the afternoon, then Banqiao at night for Taiwan's biggest Christmas light show — a giant 3D-projection-mapped Christmas tree, mid-Nov to early Jan only.
Today's Plan
Ximending · Taipei's Harajuku
Afternoon
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
👟 Ian's zone — sneakers and streetwear everywhere · Ay-Chung flour-rice noodles are a must
Christmasland (Banqiao Civic Square)
Night
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
✨ The projection show on the mega-tree runs every 30 minutes, totally free
MRT Blue Line to Banqiao Station, Exit 2 — 15 min direct from Ximen
Saturday night = peak crowds — swap to Monday night (Day 5) if we'd rather dodge them
Christmas in Australia is summer — Christmas lights in cool 18°C weather actually feels like Christmas!
Day
4
🏮 Jiufen · Shifen
Sun 6 Dec 2026 · Taipei Day 3
Day Trip
The classic northeast-coast day trip — sky lanterns at Shifen in the morning, then Jiufen's red-lantern mountain town in the afternoon, night view before heading back.
Today's Plan
Shifen Old Street · Sky Lanterns + Shifen Waterfall
Morning
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🏮 Write wishes on a sky lantern and release it right on the train tracks · 4-colour lantern ~NT$200
Best with a private driver or day tour (KKday/Klook ~NT$800–1,000 pp) — public transport needs several changes
The train really does run straight through the middle of the street — full Spirited Away vibes
Jiufen Old Street · A-Mei Tea House · Night View
Afternoon–Evening
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🍡 Taro balls (A-Gan Yi), mugwort rice cakes, fish balls — snack as you climb
Around 5 pm the red lanterns light up — that's THE photo; stake out the A-Mei Tea House spot early
Sunday afternoons get packed and the stone steps are narrow + slippery when wet — proper shoes
Day
5
🏛️ Palace Museum · Shilin
Mon 7 Dec 2026 · Taipei Day 4
Culture Day
National Palace Museum in the morning (yes, the famous jade cabbage), Shilin Residence gardens after, then eat our way through Shilin Night Market.
Today's Plan
National Palace Museum
09:00–13:00
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🥬 The big three: Jadeite Cabbage, Meat-Shaped Stone, Mao Gong Ding bronze
NT$350 pp, FREE under 18 (Ian's in free — bring your passport as proof!)
Mondays are quietest — the museum owns ~700,000 treasures but shows under 1%, rotating every 3 months
Shilin Night Market · Taiwan's biggest
Night
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🍗 Hot-Star giant fried chicken (bigger than your face), cheese potatoes, sausage-in-a-sausage — Ian's arena
Day
6
♨️ Beitou · Tamsui
Tue 8 Dec 2026 · Taipei Day 5
Hot Spring Day
Fresh off Japanese onsen in Hokkaido — time to compare Taiwan's version. Beitou hot springs + the Hot Spring Museum, then Tamsui Old Street for sunset.
Today's Plan
Beitou · Thermal Valley + Hot Spring Museum + a soak
10:00–15:00
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
♨️ White sulphur spring vs Noboribetsu's — private family tub ~NT$1,500/90 min, and unlike Japan, no naked-bath rules
MRT Red Line to Xinbeitou Station — everything in the hot-spring area is a 5-min walk
Thermal Valley steams at 80–100°C in emerald green — in the Japanese era it was called "Hell Valley", same name as Noboribetsu!
Tamsui Old Street · Fisherman's Wharf sunset
16:00–19:00
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🦑 A-gei tofu, iron eggs, the famous super-tall ice cream · December sunset ~17:05
Day
7
🏙️ Taipei · Family Day
Wed 9 Dec 2026 · Taipei Day 6
Day Before Heading South
Buffer day before the southern loop — family dinners get priority, plus packing small bags for 7 days down south (the big suitcases stay at the Taipei hotel).
Today's Plan
Family catch-ups + pack the southern-loop bags
Flexible
💡 Spare-time backups: Huashan 1914, Songyan Eslite, Maokong Gondola tea
Day
8
🌇 South to Taichung
Thu 10 Dec 2026 · Taichung Day 1
Travel Day
High Speed Rail south to Taichung (48 minutes!) — afternoon ice cream at Miyahara, hipster lanes at Shenji New Village, then Fengjia Night Market.
Today's Plan
High Speed Rail · Taipei → Taichung
~48 min
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🎫 Early-bird tickets open 28 days ahead, up to 35% off — see Trip Prep
Leave the big suitcases at the Taipei hotel and take small bags for the 7-day southern loop (easiest if we rebook the same hotel)
Miyahara + Shenji New Village + Fengjia Night Market
Afternoon–Night
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🍦 Miyahara: a 1920s eye clinic reborn as a Hogwarts-library-looking ice cream palace
Fengjia is Taiwan's biggest night market — birthplace of sausage-in-a-sausage and the famous sweet potato balls
Day
9
🌊 Sun Moon Lake
Fri 11 Dec 2026 · Taichung Day 2
Day Trip
Taiwan's largest lake — boat across it, ropeway above it, cycle beside it. Back to Taichung by evening.
Today's Plan
Sun Moon Lake · Boat + Ropeway + Cycling
Full Day
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🥚 Grandma's mushroom tea eggs at Ita Thao pier — she sells thousands a day
Direct bus from Taichung Gancheng ~1.5 hr; the combo pass (bus + boat + ropeway, ~NT$800) is the best deal
The Xiangshan bikeway made CNN's "10 most beautiful cycling routes in the world" — Shuishe to the visitor centre is an easy 1-hr return
The name: the east side is round like the sun, the west curves like a moon — clearest from the ropeway
Day
10
🏯 South to Tainan · Anping
Sat 12 Dec 2026 · Tainan Day 1
Travel Day
High Speed Rail to Tainan (Taichung → Tainan, 40 min) — Anping Fort and Old Street in the afternoon, then Tainan's famous beef soup for dinner.
Today's Plan
Anping Fort + Anping Tree House + Old Street
Afternoon
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🦐 Shrimp crackers, candied fruit, tofu pudding — old-street grazing
Anping Fort was built by the Dutch in 1624 as "Fort Zeelandia" — 200 years older than Brisbane
The Tree House: banyan trees swallowed a whole warehouse — like a mini Ta Prohm from Angkor
Day
11
🏮 Old Tainan Walkabout
Sun 13 Dec 2026 · Tainan Day 2
Food Day
Tainan = Taiwan's street-food capital. Chihkan Tower and Shennong Street, all stitched together with Guohua Street snacks — today is basically an eating competition.
Today's Plan
Guohua Street + Chihkan Tower + Shennong Street
Full Day
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🥣 Hit list: beef soup (for BREAKFAST!), savoury rice pudding, danzai noodles, eel noodles, winter melon tea, Lily Fruit shaved ice
Tainan locals eat fresh beef soup at dawn — the famous shops open before sunrise and close when sold out
Shennong Street glows with red lanterns after dark — old shophouses turned into little bars and studios, super photogenic
Day
12
🌃 South to Kaohsiung · Check In ✅
Mon 14 Dec 2026 · Kaohsiung Day 1
Travel Day
Train down to Kaohsiung and check in to the Luxury Collection at 3 pm — Pier-2 Art Center and the harbourside light rail in the afternoon, Love River bay lights at night. ⚠️ Ruifeng Night Market is closed Mondays — that's tomorrow's dinner.
Today's Plan
Check in · Ran Yi, a Luxury Collection Hotel ✅
3:00 pm
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🛏️ Deluxe Suite · 2 double beds · city view · Conf #72455458 · No. 199 Zhongshan 2nd Rd, Qianzhen (near Dream Mall / light rail)
Pier-2 Art Center + Music Center + Light Rail
Afternoon
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🎨 Old port warehouses turned art district — giant Transformers, container art, endless photo material for Ian
The light rail runs right along the waterfront — hop off at Dayi Pier-2 Station; big lawns at the Hamasen railway park to chill on
Love River Bay · Music Center night lights
Night
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
⚠️ Ruifeng Night Market closes Mondays & Wednesdays — we hit it tomorrow (Tuesday)
Day
13
⛴️ Cijin Island
Tue 15 Dec 2026 · Kaohsiung Day 2
Seaside Day
10-minute ferry from Gushan to Cijin — rent bikes, ride the coast, eat just-caught seafood, see the lighthouse and old fort. Ruifeng Night Market for dinner (open Tuesdays ✅).
Today's Plan
Cijin · Ferry + Bikes + Seafood Street
Full Day
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🦞 Miaoqian Road seafood street — pick it, they wok it · grilled baby squid is a must · 22–25°C in December, perfect riding weather
Ferries every 10 min from Gushan, NT$40 with EasyCard — bikes and scooters ride along too
Cijin is where Kaohsiung began — the lighthouse was built by the British in 1883, same era as early Brisbane
Ruifeng Night Market · Kaohsiung's local favourite
Night
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🦑 Night-market steak, Angel fried chicken, grilled squid — the market with the most locals, fewest tourists
Day
14
🎭 Kaohsiung Free Day
Wed 16 Dec 2026 · Kaohsiung Day 3
Flexible
Three nights means no rush — pick from the wishlist around the hotel: Weiwuying and Dream Mall are both close by, then sunset over the Love River or Shoushan.
Wishlist
Weiwuying · National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
Half Day
🎭 The world's largest single-roof performing arts centre — the wave roof is free to wander, banyan plaza is super photogenic
Dream Mall + Ferris Wheel
Half Day
🎡 Right next to the hotel — rooftop Ferris wheel with harbour views
Backups: Shoushan Zoo / Yancheng old street + Hwa Da milk tea
Flexible
🧋 Hwa Da is THE original milk tea shop, in Yancheng — swing past Pier-2 for extra photos
Day
15
🚄 Back to Taipei
Thu 17 Dec 2026 · Travel Day
Northbound
Check out by 12 pm, then High Speed Rail from Zuoying back to Taipei (94 minutes at the fastest) — settle back in, then Raohe Night Market and the Rainbow Bridge at night.
Today's Plan
High Speed Rail · Zuoying → Taipei
~94 min
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🎫 Express trains (only stopping at Banqiao) are fastest — pick a 1XX train number when booking
Raohe Night Market + Rainbow Bridge
Night
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
🫓 Fuzhou black pepper buns (Michelin Bib Gourmand) — worth every minute of the queue
Day
16–17
🏙️ Taipei Free Days × 2
Fri 18 Dec – Sat 19 Dec 2026 · Family Time
Flexible
These 2 days are left open on purpose — family dinners and catch-ups get first pick, and we fill the gaps from the wishlist below.
Wishlist (pick around family plans)
Taipei 101 Observatory + Elephant Mountain Trail
Half Day
📸 The Six Giant Rocks on Elephant Mountain frame the free 101 panorama — ~20 min of stairs, best at dusk for the night-view shot
Xinyi District shopping (Ian) · Yongkang Street (Rose)
Half Day
🍚 Din Tai Fung Xinyi flagship / Yongkang beef noodles / Smoothie House mango ice
Dadaocheng · Dihua Street souvenir run
Half Day
🎁 Tea, pineapple cakes, dried goods — all the take-home gifts in one street (remember: NO meat products into Australia!)
Backups: Maokong Gondola tea houses / Huashan 1914 / Songyan Eslite
Flexible
☔ Rainy-day plan = creative parks and department stores
Day
18
🧳 Pack · Last Shopping Run
Sun 20 Dec 2026 · Prep Day
Day Before Home
The big repack — Hokkaido ski gear + Taiwan souvenirs is two trips' worth of stuff. Weigh everything (EVA Business = 2 checked bags each) and grab whatever's missing today.
Today's Plan
Packing + supermarket final sweep
Full Day
⚠️ Australian customs: tea OK, pineapple cakes OK (declare them), pork floss / jerky / sausage = NO WAY
PX Mart / Carrefour haul: Science Noodles, I-Mei puffs, hotpot soup base (the no-meat-chunk kind)
Online check-in for the flight home, double-check airport transfer timing
Day
19
🛫 Heading Home
Mon 21 Dec 2026 · Return Day
Return Day
BR 315 direct to Brisbane — a 09:30 morning flight. At Taoyuan T2 by 06:30, so packing finishes the night before; lands in Brisbane 20:20 the same evening.
Today's Flight
BR 315 · TPE → BNE (Brisbane) · Alex/Rose ✅ · Ian rebooking 🔁
09:30–20:20
Going:
A
R
I
All 3 of us
💺 Boeing 787 Business (J) · 2 checked bags each · Seats Rose 7A · Alex 8A
Alex & Rose are confirmed on this 21 Dec flight (booking ref FZNN8D)
Ian's ticket (FY4W9Y) is currently dated 8 Feb 2027 — needs moving onto this same flight · Christmas peak week, seats go fast, the earlier the better
Morning flight: departs 09:30, be at Taoyuan T2 by 06:30 (~40–50 min from central Taipei)
INFO
📋
Trip Prep
To-Dos · Transport · Weather · Contacts
Read Before We Go
Two things matter most for the Taiwan leg: move Ian's return ticket to 21 Dec (Christmas peak!) and book the 3 Dec Taipei hotel. Everything else can follow.
To-Do List
Rebook Ian's BR 315 return: 8 Feb 2027 → 21 Dec (ref FY4W9Y · Alex & Rose's FZNN8D is already 21 Dec ✅ · Christmas peak week, seats are limited — fare difference applies per ticket rules, XP/YR fees non-refundable)
Book the first Taipei hotel (3–9 Dec — landing night must be covered)
Book Taichung (10–12), Tainan (12–14), Taipei second stay (17–21) — Kaohsiung is booked ✅
HSR early-bird tickets open 28 days ahead (up to 35% off) — 10 Dec tickets open 12 Nov
Set up Taiwan eSIMs (or buy SIMs at the airport) · 3 EasyCards
Lock in family dinner dates → drop them into the Day 14–17 free days
Transport & Weather
HSR times: Taipei → Taichung 48 min → Tainan 40 min → Zuoying (Kaohsiung) 15 min · Tainan/Zuoying stations are out of town, allow transfer time
Taipei Metro + EasyCard covers everything; the NT$150 day pass = unlimited rides
December weather: Taipei 15–21°C, damp-cool (light jacket + fold-up umbrella) · Kaohsiung 19–25°C, lovely · a 25-degree jump from Hokkaido!
Night markets and snack shops are mostly cash-only — exchange plenty, or hit an airport ATM for NT$ on arrival
Contacts
EVA Air: evaair.com · Taiwan 0800-098-666 · Australia +61-7-3860-5388
Taiwan High Speed Rail: thsrc.com.tw · 4066-3000 · T Express app books tickets, no queues
Rides: Uber works in Taipei & Kaohsiung · Taiwan Taxi 55688
Emergency: 110 (police) / 119 (ambulance) · Australian Office Taipei +886-2-8725-4100