Short answer
Xiamen Gaoqi Airport (XMN) sits about 12 km northeast of downtown, so the transfer is short. A metered taxi to the Siming district side takes 20–30 minutes and is repeatedly quoted at ¥30–50, with a surcharge late at night and between about 03:00 and 05:00.
The metro is cheaper but not door-to-door. The nearest Line 1 stations on the airport side are Gaoqi and Dianqian, a short bus or taxi hop away, and some current listings credit Line 4 with airport service. Check the live map before relying on either.
Xiamen Railway Station in Siming District is the central station, right for Zhongshan Road, Nanputuo Temple and the ferry piers. Xiamen North Railway Station in Jimei handles most high-speed services, 23 km away, with a direct Line 1 connection of about an hour.
Your options at a glance
| Mode | Where it goes | Typical cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metered taxi | Anywhere, door to door | ¥30–50 to central districts | 20–30 minutes | Arrivals with luggage, two or more people |
| Ride-hailing | Same, to a designated pickup point | Similar to taxi, shown in the app first | 20–30 minutes plus wait | Price shown before you accept |
| Metro | The island and Jimei | Distance-based, low single yuan | Plus a hop to the station and a walk | One bag, daytime, no deadline |
| Airport shuttle bus | Railway stations and downtown | Check the counter | Varies with stops | Routes matching your hotel |
Arriving at Gaoqi Airport
Gaoqi runs two terminals, T3 and T4, and they are not a two-minute walk apart. A free inter-terminal shuttle runs through operating hours, reported at roughly every 20 to 30 minutes, so treat a move between them as a half-hour step.
Inside arrivals you find SIM counters, ATMs, currency exchange and a taxi rank outside. Sort three things before leaving the building: a data connection, a payment method and some cash.
Taxi from the airport
Use the official rank outside arrivals and ignore anyone who approaches you inside the hall offering a car. Meters run, and the quoted range to the central districts is ¥30–50. Morning and evening peaks (roughly 08:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00) can stretch the trip towards 40 minutes. Night trips carry a small surcharge, with an extra percentage reported between about 03:00 and 05:00.
Ride-hailing
Didi works as an Alipay mini program and as its own app. The price shows before you accept and there is no conversation about the fare. The catch is the pickup point: airports assign ride-hailing a specific level or kerb, and the signs are not always in English. Follow the app, not the crowd.
Metro from the airport
Fares are distance-based, from around ¥2 for a short hop into the middle single digits across the island. Machines take cash and Chinese mobile payment, and the Alipay QR works at the gates once your identity is verified. Bags are scanned at every entrance.
The terminal itself has no single obvious station entrance, so the airport leg is usually a short bus or taxi hop to a Line 1 station such as Gaoqi or Dianqian. Verify the line and exit in a mapping app on the day.
Xiamen Railway Station (Siming District)
This is the central station, and the one to pick when the hotel sits near Zhongshan Road, the university, Nanputuo Temple or the Gulangyu ferry piers. It is the terminus of metro Line 3, and the old town is a short taxi ride away.
Xiamen North Railway Station (Jimei)
Xiamen North is the main high-speed hub, roughly 23 km from Xiamen Railway Station and 13 km from Gaoqi Airport, with a taxi from the airport quoted around 25 minutes and ¥45.
Line 1 runs from the North Station to Zhenhai Road at the southern end of the island, next to Zhongshan Road, with no change of train. It is the full length of the line, so allow around an hour. Take the ride as the sightseeing you were going to pay for: between Gaoqi and Jimei School Village the train crosses the water on a bridge.
Getting to the Gulangyu ferry
Gulangyu has no cars, so every arrival ends at a pier: daytime ferries from the Xiamen International Cruise Center at Dongdu, on Line 2, and night sailings from Lundu Wharf, closest to Line 1's Zhenhai Road station. Piers and booking channels are in our Gulangyu Island guide; the day-by-day shape of a trip is in the Xiamen section.
The mistakes people make on day one
- Accepting a car inside the terminal. Unofficial drivers quote a flat rate and add to it. The official rank and the ride-hailing app are the safe versions.
- Assuming a foreign card works in a taxi. It usually does not. Cash or a Chinese mobile wallet, or you are the passenger hunting for an ATM.
- Booking a train out of Xiamen North when the hotel is in Siming. The stations are 23 km apart, and choosing wrong adds an hour.
- Landing after the metro closes. Service ends around 22:30–23:00 depending on the line, so a late arrival is a taxi trip.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Xiamen Gaoqi Airport from the city center?
About 12 kilometres northeast of the downtown area, which is why the transfer is short by Chinese airport standards. A taxi to the Siming district side of the island takes 20 to 30 minutes in normal traffic.
Is there a metro station at Xiamen Airport?
Not at the terminal door with a single obvious line. The nearest Line 1 stations on the airport side are Gaoqi and Dianqian, reached with a short bus or taxi hop, and some current listings credit Line 4 with airport service. Confirm the current line and exit on the station map or in a mapping app before you commit.
How much does a taxi from Xiamen Airport to downtown cost?
Repeatedly quoted at roughly ¥30 to ¥50 to the central districts, with the meter running and normal traffic. A small night surcharge applies late in the evening, and sources note an extra percentage between about 3:00 and 5:00 in the morning.
Which Xiamen railway station should I use?
Xiamen Railway Station in Siming District is the central one and the better choice if you are staying near Zhongshan Road, Gulangyu's ferry piers or Nanputuo Temple. Xiamen North Railway Station in Jimei handles most high-speed services and is about 23 kilometres from the central station.
Is the metro from Xiamen North Railway Station direct to the center?
Yes. Line 1 runs from Xiamen North Railway Station to Zhenhai Road at the southern end of the island, next to Zhongshan Road and the old town, with no change of train. It is a long ride across the full line, so allow around an hour.
What happens if I land after the metro closes?
Metro service on the Xiamen lines ends in the late evening, generally around 22:30 to 23:00 with small differences by line. After that, the airport taxi queue, a ride-hailing pickup or a pre-booked hotel transfer are the options. Night taxi surcharges apply.
Related reading
In the city, the two-day Xiamen itinerary is the shortest route through the main sights, and the Fujian tulou guide covers the long day trip if you leave the island again by road.
Compiled from Xiamen metro route, fare and operating-hour information, Gaoqi Airport terminal and transfer guidance, and railway station transport notes, cross-checked against two independent travel sources on 30 September 2026. Taxi ranges, surcharge hours, shuttle intervals and line assignments change without notice — the rank, the station map and the official app are authoritative.