Short answer
Two days is enough for Xiamen if you give Gulangyu one full day and the island's own coastline the other. Day 1 is the ferry across to the car-free island and the old town around Zhongshan Road in the evening. Day 2 is Nanputuo Temple, Xiamen University next door, and the seaside road past Shapowei, Zengcuoan and Huangcuo Beach.
The one thing that can wreck the plan is the ferry. Gulangyu has no bridge and no cars, and during the day tourists may only board from the Xiamen International Cruise Center (also called the Xiagu or Dongdu terminal). Tickets are real-name, the advance-sale window is 15 days, and the passport used for the booking is what gets you through the gate. Book before you fly, not on the morning.
Everything else is easy. The metro is cheap and signed in English — fares start at ¥2 and a long ride across the network is about ¥8 — and the two lines you need are Line 1, which ends at Zhenhai Road beside Zhongshan Road, and Line 2, whose Cruise Center station is a short walk from the ferry hall. Pay by scanning the Alipay or WeChat transit QR code at the gate.
The two days at a glance
This assumes you sleep somewhere central and have already booked the ferry.
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Ferry to Sanqiutian wharf, walk up to Sunlight Rock | Shuzhuang Garden and the museums, Longtou Road for food, the western lanes | Evening ferry back to Lundu, dinner on Zhongshan Road |
| Day 2 | Nanputuo Temple at opening | Xiamen University if your reservation lands, then Shapowei | Huandao Road at sunset, eat in Zengcuoan |
If you only have one full day, keep Day 1 — Gulangyu is the thing you cannot do anywhere else, and the ferry is the part that sells out.
Book the ferry before anything else
Gulangyu is free to enter — there is no island admission fee. The ferry is the only way across, so the ferry ticket is the real ticket, and it is the only booking in Xiamen that regularly turns people away.
- Advance sale is 15 days including the day of travel, with the last day's tickets released each morning at 9am. This is the ferry company's published rule, not a tour-agent convention.
- The standard round trip is ¥35. The ticket covers your return and stays valid for 20 days, so you do not have to name your return sailing.
- Daytime departures go from the cruise centre; after about 17:50 in winter and 18:50 in summer, tourist service moves to the Lundu terminal near Zhongshan Road.
- You arrive at Sanqiutian or Neicuo'ao. Sanqiutian is closest to Longtou Road and the main sights; Neicuo'ao is on the quieter west side.
- Bring the physical passport. Copies and phone photos are not accepted at the gate.
Day 1, Gulangyu, then the old town
- Take an early ferry from the cruise centreCheck-in closes ten minutes before departure, so be in the hall well before your sailing. Metro Line 2 to Cruise Center station, then a short walk.
- Go straight up to Sunlight RockThe island's high point, a 20-minute walk from Sanqiutian wharf. Go first, before the tour groups, and check the seasonal opening hours on the official channel; they shift between summer and winter.
- Shuzhuang Garden and the museumsShuzhuang Garden on the south shore holds the Piano Museum; the Organ Museum is a short walk away and runs short recitals. Both are inside the paid combined ticket rather than free sights.
- Eat on Longtou RoadFish balls, satay noodles, oyster omelette, peanut soup, the busiest street on the island, and the easiest place to eat six things in an hour.
- Walk west into the lanesBishan tunnel, colonial-era villas, the beach at Gangzaihou. The island is small and car-free, so this is all on foot.
- Ferry back in the eveningBefore 17:40 you return to the cruise centre; from 18:00 (19:00 June to September) sailings run to Lundu terminal, at the foot of Zhongshan Road.
- Zhongshan Road after darkThe pedestrian street and the lanes off it. Walk to Zhenhai Road station for Line 1 when you are done.
Day 2, temple, campus and the coast
- Nanputuo Temple at openingEntry is free but needs a timed reservation through the temple's official WeChat platform. Hours are commonly published as 8:00–18:00, with the rear mountain closing earlier. Enter east, exit west.
- Xiamen University next door, if you get inEntry is by advance reservation only, through the official campus mini program. Passports are accepted as the document type and the lead booker taps in with the physical passport. Slots are limited and released only a few days ahead, so treat the campus as a bonus.
- Shapowei in the late morningThe old fishing harbour turned café, studio and photo district, a short ride from the university's Baicheng side.
- Huandao Road in the afternoonThe coastal road runs roughly 31 km around the island; the stretch that matters starts near the university at Baicheng, passes Hulishan Fortress and Zengcuoan and runs on to Huangcuo Beach. Shared bikes unlock through Alipay or WeChat.
- Sunset, then dinner in ZengcuoanThe boardwalk and beaches east of Zengcuoan are where the light goes; the village itself is a food alley.
Skip Baicheng Beach at low tide; the mudflat is not the beach you came for.
Getting around
| Where you are going | Station | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Gulangyu ferry, daytime departures | Cruise Center — a five-minute walk from the ferry hall | Line 2 |
| Zhongshan Road, Lundu night ferry | Zhenhai Road | Line 1 |
| Xiamen North Railway Station (high-speed) | Xiamen North Railway Station | Line 1 |
| Downtown railway station | Xiamen Station | Line 3 |
| Zengcuoan, Huandao Road | No metro on the coast — bus or DiDi | — |
| Gaoqi Airport (XMN) | No metro in the terminal; shuttle to Gaoqi or Dianqian, then Line 1 | Line 1 via shuttle |
Trains run roughly 6:30am to 11pm and the three lines meet at Lücuo. DiDi works with a foreign card bound to Alipay, which is the simplest answer for the coastal road.
Arriving at Gaoqi Airport
The airport sits on the north side of the island, about 10–12 km from downtown, and there is no metro station inside the terminal. A shuttle or the BRT links it to Gaoqi or Dianqian station on Line 1, airport buses run to the ferry terminal, the railway stations and Zengcuoan for roughly ¥10–20, and a taxi to the centre takes 20–40 minutes. International flights generally use T3, domestic T4, with a free shuttle between them.
Where to stay
- Around Zhongshan Road and Lundu, the old town, the night ferry, Line 1 at Zhenhai Road. The most convenient base for a two-day trip.
- Around the cruise centre or Zhongshan Park, quieter, close to Line 2 and the daytime ferry.
- On Gulangyu itself, the island empties out in the evening and the mornings are the reason to stay. Ferry tickets are still yours to book.
Not every hotel in China can register foreign guests, so confirm that before you pay.
If you get a third day
- Fujian Tulou, the Hakka earth buildings in Nanjing and Yongding counties, a long day trip or an overnight.
- Jimei School Village, Line 1 north across the water, a walkable campus area with the Dragon Boat Pool.
- Hulishan Fortress, the Qing-era coastal battery beside the university, its Krupp guns still in place.
Frequently asked questions
Is two days enough for Xiamen?
Yes, for Gulangyu, the old town, the temple and the coast. Add a day for the Fujian Tulou; that is a full day of travel on its own.
Do I need to book the Gulangyu ferry in advance?
Yes. Tickets are real-name, the advance-sale window is 15 days including the day of travel, and the standard round trip is ¥35. Peak dates sell out days ahead, and the passport used for the booking is checked at the gate.
Do I need a separate reservation to enter Gulangyu island?
No, the island has no admission fee and no island-wide reservation. The ferry ticket is the constraint, and the paid sights on the island are sold as their own combined ticket.
Which ferry terminal do tourists use?
During the day, Xiamen International Cruise Center (the Xiagu or Dongdu terminal). From the early evening, about 17:50 in winter, 18:50 in summer, tourist service moves to the Lundu terminal near Zhongshan Road, and night sailings return you there.
Can I visit Xiamen University as a foreigner?
Yes, by advance reservation only, through the official campus reservation mini program. Choose passport as the document type, and the lead booker enters with the physical passport. Daily slots are limited and released only a few days ahead.
Does Nanputuo Temple need a reservation?
Entry is free but a timed reservation through the temple's official WeChat platform is required. Hours are commonly published as 8:00–18:00, with the rear mountain closing earlier.
How do I pay for the metro?
Scan the Alipay or WeChat transit QR code at the gate, drawing on the card bound to your wallet. Fares start at ¥2 and a long cross-network ride is around ¥8.
When is the best time to visit Xiamen?
Spring and autumn, with milder temperatures and less rain. Avoid National Day week and the May holiday if you can, and note that summer is typhoon season in Fujian, ferry and train services can be suspended in bad weather, so check before you travel.
Related reading
Ferry rules, the 15-day advance-sale window, the ¥35 standard round trip and the night-service terminals follow the Xiamen Ferry Company's published help pages. Metro fares, lines and stations follow Xiamen Metro's published information. Temple and campus reservation rules follow those operators' official reservation channels, and airport transfer options follow the airport's published guidance. Hours, prices, quotas and sailings are set by the operators and change, confirm them on the official channel before you travel.