Spend three days. Give one to Gulangyu, one to Nanputuo Temple, the old harbour and the seafront, and one to the Fujian Tulou or Jimei. Come in October or November if you can. Fly into Xiamen Gaoqi airport or take a high-speed train to Xiamen North. Book the Gulangyu ferry ahead and bring your passport everywhere.
Xiamen at a glance
| Where | Fujian Province, south-east China, on the Taiwan Strait |
| Also known as | Amoy; nicknamed Egret Island |
| Population | About 5.4 million residents (end of 2025) |
| Layout | Six districts: Siming and Huli on Xiamen Island; Jimei, Haicang, Tong'an and Xiang'an on the mainland side |
| Language | Mandarin; local Minnan (Hokkien) |
| Time zone | UTC+8, no daylight saving |
| Airport | Xiamen Gaoqi International (XMN) |
| Main rail hub | Xiamen North |
| Electricity | 220 V, 50 Hz; bring an adapter |
| Emergency | Police 110, ambulance 120, fire 119 |
The guides
What to see
Xiamen's sights fall into three groups.
Gulangyu
A 1.8 km² island a 600-metre strait away from downtown, with no cars or bicycles. UNESCO inscribed it in 2017 as “Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement,” citing 931 historical buildings. The paid sights are Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden with the Piano Museum, Haoyue Garden and the Organ Museum. Allow half a day to a full day. More in our Gulangyu guide.
Xiamen Island
Nanputuo Temple, free to enter with a reservation. Xiamen University next door, founded in 1921, which admits visitors by reservation and lottery. Shapowei, the old typhoon-shelter harbour. The Huandao Road seafront, with about km of boardwalk. Zhongshan Road and the Eighth Market for food. See things to do in Xiamen for the full list.
Beyond the island
Jimei School Village, on Metro Line 1. The Fujian Tulou, 46 of which are UNESCO-listed, two to three hours away by road. Quanzhou, a World Heritage port city under half an hour away by high-speed train. Wuyishan, further north, for a longer trip.
How long to stay
Two days cover Gulangyu and the city. Three is the comfortable choice. Four or five lets you add the Tulou without a rushed day. Details in how many days in Xiamen, and a ready-made plan in our 2-day itinerary.
When to go
Xiamen has a subtropical maritime climate and is practically frost-free. The local weather bureau describes five seasons:
- October and November: dry, clear, 24 to 2 °C. The best time.
- December to February: cool and dry, highs 17 to 2 °C.
- March and April: mild with showers and morning fog.
- May and June: the plum rains. Warm and humid.
- July to September: hot, with typhoon risk.
Avoid 1 to 7 October, Spring Festival and early May, when the city is at its most crowded. See best time to visit Xiamen.
Entry and visas
Many visitors do not need a visa in advance.
- 240-hour visa-free transit. For passport holders of 57 countries travelling on to a third country or region. Xiamen's airport and passenger seaports are eligible, and you may travel anywhere in Fujian Province. See our visa-free transit guide.
- 30-day visa-free entry. A separate policy for ordinary passport holders of a list of countries, currently running to 31 December 2026 for most of them.
- Everyone else needs a visa before travel.
Rules change. Check the official sources for your nationality before booking.
Getting there and around
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport is about 1 km from the centre, 20 to 30 minutes by taxi. A new airport, Xiang'an, is officially scheduled to open around the end of 2026, so check which airport your ticket uses. By rail, direct high-speed trains from Hong Kong West Kowloon take about three and a half hours, and the fastest trains from Shanghai about five. Full detail in how to get to Xiamen.
In the city, taxis and ride-hailing are inexpensive and are the simplest way to move. Metro Line 1 is the useful line for visitors, linking the old town with Jimei and Xiamen North station. There is no metro station at the Gaoqi airport terminals.
Where to stay
For a first visit, stay on Xiamen Island.
- Zhongshan Road and the ferry area: the old town. Best for food and for the evening ferry to Gulangyu.
- The university and Huandao Road side: near the temple, Shapowei and the seafront. Quieter, with sea views.
- On Gulangyu: atmospheric after the day-trippers leave. Note that hotels cannot send a vehicle and luggage is moved by hand cart.
Food
Minnan cooking is light, fresh and slightly sweet, and generally not spicy. Try shacha noodles in a peanut and seafood broth, oyster omelette, fresh spring rolls (popiah), sweet peanut soup and ginger duck. The adventurous can try tusundong, a cold jelly made with a marine worm. Tieguanyin oolong tea comes from nearby Anxi and is served in small cups in many short infusions. Peanuts and shellfish are in many dishes, so state allergies clearly.
Money, language and connectivity
- Payment. Daily life runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay. Both let you link a foreign Visa or Mastercard after passport verification. A fee of about 3% may apply to payments over ¥200. Carry some cash.
- Language. English is limited outside larger hotels. Install a translation app that works offline.
- Bookings. The ferry, the temple and the university use Chinese booking systems tied to ID documents. Foreign passport holders report mixed results. Bring your physical passport to every sight.
- Tipping. Not expected.
- Water. Do not drink tap water. Bottled water is everywhere.
Staying safe
The practical risks in Xiamen are the sea and the weather. Local police advise visitors not to swim casually, because of tides and undercurrents, and rank Baicheng Beach first for incidents. In typhoon season, follow official warnings and expect ferries, and sometimes flights and trains, to stop for a day or two.
Five things first-time visitors get wrong
- Coming in the first week of October. It is the busiest week of the year.
- Leaving Gulangyu to the last day. If the ferry is suspended, there is no time to rebook.
- Not booking the ferry in advance. Weekend and holiday sailings sell out.
- Squeezing the Tulou into a two-day stay. It needs a day of its own.
- Leaving the passport at the hotel. It is your ticket for the ferry and your ID for reservations.
Who we are
Amoy Journeys is a Xiamen travel brand that plans private journeys with an English-speaking guide and car. Trips are contracted and operated by a cooperating licensed travel agency. If you would like the planning and the reservations handled for you, see our private routes or message us on WhatsApp.
Quick answers
Where is Xiamen?
On the south-east coast of China in Fujian Province, facing the Taiwan Strait. The historic centre is on Xiamen Island, linked to the mainland by bridges and tunnels.
Is Xiamen the same as Amoy?
Yes. Amoy is the older Western name for the city, from a Hokkien pronunciation of Xiamen.
How many days do I need in Xiamen?
Three days suits most first-time visitors. Two covers the city and Gulangyu; four or five adds the Fujian Tulou at a comfortable pace.
What is the best month to visit Xiamen?
October and November, after the National Day holiday week. They are the driest months, with highs of about 24 to 28 °C.
Do I need a visa for Xiamen?
It depends on your passport. Travellers from 57 countries can use the 240-hour visa-free transit when continuing to a third country or region, and a separate 30-day visa-free policy covers ordinary passport holders of a list of countries until 31 December 2026. Check the official lists for your nationality.
What language is spoken in Xiamen?
Mandarin is used everywhere. The local language is Minnan, also called Hokkien. English is limited outside larger hotels.
Can I use credit cards in Xiamen?
International cards are accepted at larger hotels, but day-to-day payment is by mobile app. Link your Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you travel, and carry some cash.
Keep planning
Sources we checked
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Fujian Tulou
- Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Statistics: 2025 statistical communique (Chinese)
- Xiamen Meteorological Bureau: Xiamen climate overview (Chinese)
- National Immigration Administration: 240-hour visa-free transit policy (Chinese)
- Xiamen Ferry Co.: official operator site (Chinese)
- Xiamen Municipal Government: city flower, tree and bird (Chinese)
Last checked: October 2026. Tickets, ferries, opening hours and entry rules change; we confirm the current arrangement for your dates before you travel.
Plan Xiamen at your own pace
Tell us your dates, group and pace. We will check the current ferry, ticket and timing arrangements and suggest a private route that fits.