By car it is two to three hours each way to the Nanjing county clusters, and you can see Tianluokeng, Yuchang Lou, Taxia and Yunshuiyao in one day. By public transport, take a morning train to Nanjing station and bus 6 to Yunshuiyao, and settle for one area.
First, which Tulou?
UNESCO listed 46 buildings in 2008, spread over more than 100 km. From Xiamen there are two areas people go to.
| Nanjing county | Yongding | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance from Xiamen | 140–160 km, 2–3 hours | 160–200 km, 2.5–3.5 hours |
| Known for | Tianluokeng (“four dishes and one soup”), Yuchang Lou, Taxia village, Yunshuiyao | Zhencheng Lou in Hongkeng, Chengqi Lou in Gaobei, the Chuxi cluster |
| Character | Hillside clusters and a riverside village under banyan trees | The largest and most ornate individual buildings |
| Railhead | Nanjing station | Longyan |
For a day trip, choose Nanjing. It is nearer, the sights sit along one valley road, and the view down onto the five buildings of Tianluokeng is the image most people have in mind. Yongding rewards a second day or an overnight stay.
One naming trap. Nanjing county is 南靖, in Fujian. It has nothing to do with the city of Nanjing (南京) in Jiangsu, and booking apps that work in English will happily sell you a ticket to the wrong one.
By private car
This is how most foreign visitors do it. You leave the hotel around 7:30, are at the first cluster by 10:00, and are back in Xiamen for dinner.
What the car buys you is the ability to link places that buses do not. A typical day in Nanjing county runs: the Tianluokeng viewpoint and the walk down into the cluster, Yuchang Lou with its leaning pillars, lunch in Taxia village, then Yunshuiyao for the riverside path and the two inscribed buildings there, Hegui Lou and Huaiyuan Lou. On public transport you would manage perhaps half of that.
If you drive yourself or hire a driver without a guide, there is a quieter option. The Hekeng cluster has thirteen inscribed buildings and few visitors. A Xiamen family who drove out in May 2026 described parking for free and climbing a hillside viewpoint of about 280 steps in fifteen minutes for a view over the whole group.
Leave Xiamen Island before the morning rush and return after it. The bridges and tunnels are the slowest part of the journey.
By train and bus
It works, and it is cheap. It needs an early start and some tolerance for waiting.
- Train to Nanjing station. Services run from both Xiamen and Xiamen North and take roughly 30 to 50 minutes. One traveller took a 7:37 departure from Xiamen station and arrived at 8:27.
- Bus 6 to Yunshuiyao. Since spring 2026, visitors report that the county's number 6 bus picks up beside the station, to the right as you exit, and runs directly to Yunshuiyao for ¥15. The scenic area is an hour to an hour and a half away.
- Or share a car. Drivers wait at the station exit offering seats at ¥30 to ¥40 a head. It is normal practice here. Agree the price and the destination before you get in.
- Coming back. Bus 6 returns to the county town, where you change to bus 1 for the station. Check the last departure when you arrive, and book your return train with a margin.
This gets you to Yunshuiyao comfortably. Tianluokeng is on a different road, served by a scenic-area bus from the visitor centre, and combining both in one day by bus is tight. Hekeng has no bus at all. People who went there ended up sharing a car back to the station for about ¥60.
For Yongding, take a train to Longyan, about an hour to an hour and a half, then a local bus to Hongkeng. We have not been able to confirm the 2026 bus timetable.
How long it really takes
| Plan | Leave Xiamen | Back | What you see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private car, Nanjing | 7:30 | 18:30 | Tianluokeng, Yuchang Lou, Taxia, Yunshuiyao |
| Train + bus, Yunshuiyao | 7:30 | 18:00–19:00 | Yunshuiyao village and its two tulou |
| Private car, Yongding | 7:00 | 19:30 | Hongkeng and Gaobei |
| Two days, one night | 8:00 | Next evening | Nanjing and Yongding, unhurried |
Tickets
Each cluster charges separately. In Yongding, a 2020 provincial price notice set Hongkeng at ¥90, Gaobei at ¥50 and a combined ticket at ¥98, and those figures were still quoted in 2026. In Nanjing county, the Yunshuiyao ticket was ¥90 in the listings we read, and the Tianluokeng route was quoted at both ¥90 and ¥100, so allow for either. Shuttle buses inside the scenic areas are extra.
Staying the night
Guesthouses operate in and beside the earth buildings in Yunshuiyao, Taxia and Hongkeng. Rooms inside an original tulou are simple, sometimes with shared bathrooms. What you get in exchange is the place to yourself after four o'clock, when the day visitors leave, and again at first light. If you have five days in the region, this is how we would spend one of the nights. Our 5-day route includes the Tulou.
Visa-free visitors
If you entered through Xiamen on the 240-hour visa-free transit, the Tulou are inside your permitted area. Since December 2024 the stay zone has covered the whole of Fujian Province, so both Nanjing county and Yongding are open to you.
Which way would we go?
With one day, a car to Nanjing county. With children under eight or travellers who tire easily, the same route with one night in Yunshuiyao. On a tight budget and travelling light, the train and bus 6 to Yunshuiyao, accepting that you will not see Tianluokeng. Our Tulou day trip page describes how the guided day runs.
Quick answers
How far are the Fujian Tulou from Xiamen?
The Nanjing county clusters, including Tianluokeng and Yunshuiyao, are about 140 to 160 km away, two to three hours by car. The Yongding clusters are about 160 to 200 km, up to three and a half hours.
Can you visit the Tulou from Xiamen by public transport?
Yes for Yunshuiyao: take a train to Nanjing station, then local bus number 6, which travellers reported cost ¥15 in 2026. Reaching several clusters in one day by bus is difficult.
Is there a train from Xiamen to the Tulou?
There is a train to Nanjing county station (南靖), which takes roughly 30 to 50 minutes. The earth buildings are about another hour by road from the station.
Which is better, Nanjing or Yongding tulou?
Nanjing is closer and has the famous Tianluokeng group and the riverside village of Yunshuiyao. Yongding has the largest and most elaborate single buildings. For a day trip from Xiamen, Nanjing.
Can I do the Tulou as a day trip from Xiamen?
Yes, with an early start. Expect 10 to 12 hours door to door. An overnight stay makes it far more relaxed.
Is 'Nanjing' the same as the city of Nanjing?
No. Nanjing county (南靖) is in Fujian. The former capital Nanjing (南京) is in Jiangsu, far to the north. Booking apps mix them up, so check the Chinese characters.
Keep planning
Sources we checked
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Fujian Tulou
- Fujian Development and Reform Commission: Yongding tulou ticket prices, 2020 (Chinese)
- Fujian Provincial Government: Fujian stay area under the 240-hour transit policy (Chinese)
Last checked: October 2026. Tickets, ferries, opening hours and entry rules change; we confirm the current arrangement for your dates before you travel.
Want the Tulou without the logistics?
We can arrange a private car, an English-speaking guide and a route that matches how much walking and driving you want.