Gulangyu, the car-free islet
A 20-minute ferry from the city lands you on a 1.87 km² island of colonial villas, tropical gardens and no cars at all. You must book the ferry ahead with your passport; the island caps how many people can land each day.
Xiamen · Fujian
Xiamen Tours & Private Tour Packages 2026 | Gulangyu, Tulou | JoyoTour
Xiamen pairs the colonial islet of Gulangyu with a palm-lined coastal road and Fujian's best street food. Private Xiamen tours and tulou day trips, guided, from US$149 a day.
The short version
Xiamen is China's breeziest seaside city — a subtropical island of 5.3 million where the car-free colonial islet of Gulangyu, a palm-lined coastal road and the country's best oyster omelettes sit within a 30-minute drive of one another. Three days covers the city and Gulangyu; add a fourth for the UNESCO tulou roundhouses out in the hills. Fujian's capital Fuzhou is 2 hours north by high-speed rail if you want to combine the two.
- Fly into Xiamen Gaoqi (XMN), 10 km northeast of the city centre and one metro ride from the coast.
- Gulangyu is reached by a 20-minute ferry that must be booked ahead with your passport — it caps daily visitors.
- The Island Ring Road (Huandao Lu) is flat, coastal and best done by rented bike, not taxi.
- The Fujian tulou — the round earthen clan houses — are a 3-hour drive inland; a day trip or an overnight.
- Best months are March–May and October–November; July–September is typhoon season.
The place itself
What Xiamen is actually like
Xiamen sits on its own island off the Fujian coast, and it behaves like one: everything you came for is a short hop away. The old foreign-concession islet of Gulangyu floats just offshore, the leafy campus of Xiamen University backs onto a temple and a beach, and a coastal boulevard runs the whole southern edge of the city past fishing villages turned coffee districts.
It is a working port and one of China's first Special Economic Zones, but it wears that lightly. The pace is slow, the food is a genuine draw rather than an afterthought, and the subtropical climate means there is green and blossom almost all year. Xiamen is the capital of Fujian's Minnan (southern Fujian) heartland, and it eats, drinks and talks Minnan rather than Mandarin.
Most people use Xiamen as a base and day-trip out of it. Gulangyu is a ferry ride to the southwest, the tulou roundhouses are a drive into the mountains to the west, and Fujian's other big city, Fuzhou, is a high-speed-rail ride north. Give the city three days of its own before you start adding side trips.
Come in spring or autumn. Summer is hot, humid and cut through by typhoons from July to September; winter is mild and dry, with the lowest temperatures around 8°C and almost no real cold.
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What not to miss — Xiamen
Xiamen University and Nanputuo Temple
One of China's prettiest campuses, ringed by hills and the coast, with the working Buddhist temple of Nanputuo next door. Visitors enter the university through a reserved quota, so register ahead.
The Island Ring Road
A coastal boulevard along the south shore, from the university out to the exhibition centre. Rent a bike and ride it — the sea is on one side the whole way, with sculpture parks and beaches to stop at.
Zengcuo'an, the fishermen's village
A former fishing hamlet behind the ring road that has become the city's hipster guesthouse quarter — lanes of cafés, B&Bs and street food, all within walking distance of the beach.
The Eighth Market (Ba Shi)
Xiamen's oldest wet market, a block from the ferry pier. Come early for the seafood, the dried scallops and the stall food that locals actually eat.
The Fujian tulou
The round earthen clan houses of the Hakka and Minnan highlands, ringed in a UNESCO-listed cluster a three-hour drive inland. The Tianluokeng group — 'four dishes and a soup' — is the postcard one.
Getting there and away
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN) sits on the northeast corner of the island, 10 km from the centre, with dense domestic service and international routes across East and Southeast Asia. Airport buses and metro line 1 run to the centre; a taxi to Zhongshan Road is about ¥40–50. High-speed rail reaches Xiamen North and Xiamen Station from Shanghai, Hangzhou and Shenzhen in a few hours.
Within the city, metro lines 1–3 plus buses and the elevated BRT cover everything on the island cheaply; taxis start at ¥8. The one mode you cannot use to leave is a car onto Gulangyu — the island is pedestrian-only, so you cross the strait by ferry and walk.
Best time to visit — Xiamen
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°C / 4°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
| February | 14°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Very busy | Good |
| March | 18°C / 10°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| April | 24°C / 16°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| May | 28°C / 21°C · cool, damp | Busy | OK |
| June | 32°C / 25°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| July | 35°C / 28°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| August | 34°C / 27°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| September | 29°C / 23°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| October | 24°C / 17°C · clear and mild | Very busy | Best |
| November | 18°C / 11°C · clear and mild | Quiet | Best |
| December | 13°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
How many days do you need?
Three days is the honest minimum: one for Gulangyu, one for the university–Nanputuo–ring-road axis, one for the old town around Zhongshan Road, Shapowei and the Eighth Market. A fourth day buys the tulou roundhouses as a long day trip, or a relaxed day on Jimei and the garden suburbs. If you are combining Gulangyu properly, give the island its own overnight and add a day.
Plan these days properlyCombine it with
Gulangyu
Fujian · 4 tours
Gulangyu is a 1.87 km² car-free island twenty minutes by ferry off Xiamen, and the single most-visited sight in Fujian — colonial villas, China's only
Fuzhou
Fujian · 4 tours
Fuzhou is the 2,200-year-old capital of Fujian, and the quieter, greener counterweight to Xiamen — a city of banyan trees and mountains-within-the-cit
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need in Xiamen?
Three days for the city and Gulangyu, four if you want the tulou roundhouses as well. Day one is Gulangyu, day two the university, Nanputuo and the Island Ring Road, day three the old town and the markets. An overnight on Gulangyu instead of a day trip is worth rearranging for.
Do I need to book the ferry to Gulangyu in advance?
Yes. Gulangyu is a capped scenic area and the ferry is booked online in real name with your passport, often selling out days ahead in peak season. Day crossings leave from the Xiagu Pier at the International Cruise Centre; after about 5:30pm the service shifts to the downtown Lundu Pier for the night crossing.
What is the best time to visit Xiamen?
March to May and October to November. Spring is mild and blooming, autumn is clear and dry. July to September is peak typhoon season — watch the forecast, and note that flights and coastal sights can close during a storm. Winter stays around 8–18°C and is never really cold.
Is Xiamen worth visiting on its own, or just for Gulangyu?
Both. Gulangyu is the headline, but Xiamen itself earns two or three days — the university campus and Nanputuo, the ring road, and an old town of markets, temples and street food that most day-trippers skip. The Fujian tulou, three hours inland, are a genuine reason to stay longer.
What should I eat in Xiamen?
Satay noodles (shacha mian), oyster omelette (ha li jian), the gelatinous 'bamboo shoot jelly' (tu sun dong), peanut soup and ginger duck. The Minnan kitchen runs light and seafood-led, quite different from the heavier cooking further north. Start at the stalls off Zhongshan Road and the Eighth Market.
How do I get around Xiamen without Chinese?
Easily enough. Metro line 1 links the airport, the station and the old town, signs are bilingual, and taxis are cheap and metered. English is thin at ticket desks, so keep a translation app ready. For the tulou, a driver-guide for the day is the difference between a smooth trip and a slow one.
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