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Major city · China

Xiamen厦门

Give Xiamen 2–3 nights: one full day on Gulangyu, one on the island's beaches and Yundang Lake, and a half-day for Jimei or a Fujian tulou run.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Oct–Dec, Mar–May
avoid Jul–Sep (heat, humidity, typhoon risk)
Airport
XMN
Nights
2–3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
  • China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
  • China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
  • China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
  • China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Xiamen is a subtropical port city on Fujian's coast, one degree north of the Tropic of Cancer, warm enough to visit year-round. The core sits on Xiamen Island, with Gulangyu a five-minute ferry offshore and four mainland districts — Jimei, Haicang, Tong'an and Xiang'an — linked by bridge, tunnel, metro and BRT. It is a Special Economic Zone since 1980, so it is modern, green and easy to move around, and it works as a base for the Minnan coast: Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and Chongwu are all day-trip distance.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Xiamen, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or milk tea¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Sit-down mealSeafood dinner, per person¥60–150 (≈ US$9–25)
  • Street or quick mealBowl of shacha noodles or seafood noodles¥15–40 (≈ US$3–6)
  • Beerdraught in a bar / can at a convenience store¥25–45 (≈ US$4–7)¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi or ride-hail¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Metro or bus rideMetro or BRT ride¥2–7 (≈ under US$1) (check)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum or temple entry¥0–60 (≈ US$0–9)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCN¥60 (≈ US$9)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per roomCN¥400 (≈ US$60)
  • High-end bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per roomCN¥900 (≈ US$130)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥300 (≈ US$45) · Mid CN¥600 (≈ US$85) · High CN¥1,200 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Gulangyu (UNESCO World Heritage Site)Colonial treaty-port architectureNanputuo Temple and Xiamen UniversityMinnan seafood and shacha noodlesYundang Lake and island beaches
Airports
XMN Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (On Xiamen Island, about 20 min and ¥30–40 by taxi to downtown; bus 18 or 27, or BRT via the T4 station. A new airport at Xiang'an is due to replace it in late 2026: check which one your flight uses.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Xiamen: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

18°C

11°C

7 rd

Feb

18°C

11°C

9 rd

Mar

20°C

13°C

12 rd

Apr

24°C

17°C

13 rd

May

28°C

21°C

14 rd

Jun

30°C

24°C

15 rd

Jul

33°C

26°C

11 rd

Aug

32°C

25°C

13 rd

Sep

31°C

24°C

10 rd

Oct

28°C

21°C

6 rd

Nov

24°C

17°C

5 rd

Dec

20°C

13°C

6 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The metro and BRT cover the island and reach Jimei, Tong'an and Xiang'an; buses fill the gaps and cost a couple of yuan. Taxis and ride-hailing are cheap for short hops. Gulangyu is car-free and reached only by ferry from the Zhongshan Road pier — book the ferry slot ahead in peak season. Bridges and a tunnel link the island to the mainland districts.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Gulangyu

go

Door to door: About 1 h with boarding

Ferry from the Zhongshan Road pier, about 5–20 min depending on the pier

Car-free UNESCO island; go early, book the dated ferry slot, and walk the quiet lanes away from the main drag.

Jimei

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Metro or BRT across the bridge, about 30 min

Tan Kah Kee's school complex and the Jimei schools village; half a day.

Quanzhou

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

High-speed rail from Xiamen North or Xiamen station, about 30–45 min

Old port city with temples and Minnan food; a full day or an overnight.

Zhangzhou

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

High-speed rail or bus, about 30–60 min

Old town lanes and the Nanjing tulou cluster further inland.

Chongwu

caution

Door to door: About 2.5 h

Bus or car up the coast, about 1.5–2 h

Stone-walled old town and beach; long for a return day, better with a car or overnight.

Liu'ao

overnight

Door to door: About 3 h

Bus or car south along the coast, about 2–2.5 h

Volcanic peninsula and quiet beaches; too far for a comfortable day return.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Zhongshan Road and the old town (Siming)

Walk to the Gulangyu ferry, Nanputuo and the university; the densest eating and the most convenient first base.

Yundang Lake and Haiwan Park

Cafés, bars and Western food around the lake and seafront; quieter evenings, 10–15 min by taxi from the ferry.

Xiamen University and Zengcuoan

Student district with hostels and cheap eats; beach access at Baicheng and Hulishan.

Jimei

Mainland suburb across the bridge; cheaper beds near the university town and metro into the island.

Gulangyu

Sleep on the island for car-free mornings, but beds cost more and you still need the ferry for everything else.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥250–450 (≈ US$35–65) excl. bed
Mid
¥450–900 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed
High
¥900 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, mid-range hotel1 × 3 nights × CN¥400CN¥1,200
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × CN¥600CN¥3,600
Gulangyu ferry, return2 × CN¥35 · checkCN¥70
Metro or BRT day of hops2 × CN¥20 · checkCN¥40
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥100CN¥200
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥511
Trip total≈ CN¥937 per person per day, bed includedCN¥5,621≈ US$800

2026 estimate in yuan; flights and rail excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or milk tea¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
Bowl of shacha noodles or seafood noodles¥15–40 (≈ US$3–6)
Seafood dinner, per person¥60–150 (≈ US$9–25)
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store¥25–45 (≈ US$4–7) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
5 km taxi or ride-hail¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
Metro or BRT ride¥2–7 (≈ under US$1) (check)
Gulangyu ferry, returnabout ¥35 (≈ US$5) (check)
Museum or temple entry¥0–60 (≈ US$0–9)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Xiamen is a low-crime city and comfortable to walk by day and evening. The real risks are summer heat and typhoons, ferry and ticket touts at the Gulangyu pier, and traffic when you cross without a signal.
  • Gulangyu ferry tickets are dated and capped: book on the official channel, and expect queues at the pier in summer and on holidays.
  • Typhoon season runs Jul–Sep; check forecasts and ferry or flight cancellations before committing to a coastal day.
  • Summer is hot and humid (July highs around 32 °C) — plan indoor or shaded blocks midday.
  • Buy Gulangyu ferry and attraction tickets from official counters or apps; ignore touts at the pier selling 'fast' boats.
  • Mobile payment (Alipay or WeChat Pay) is near-universal; set it up before you fly, as some stalls take no cash.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire
119
Ambulance
120

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Xiamen厦门

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请到这个地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

The US and most other countries run embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Shanghai or Guangzhou; Xiamen has no full consulate for most nationalities — check your own country's list before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Gaoqi Airport → downtown, taxi: ¥30–40 (≈ US$5–6), about 20 min (check)
  • Gulangyu ferry, return: about ¥35 (≈ US$5), 5–20 min crossing (check)
  • Xiamen → Quanzhou, high-speed rail: about ¥30–50 (≈ US$5–7), 30–45 min (check)

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xiè xie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duō shao qián)
  • 可以刷卡吗？ — Can I pay by card? (kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma)
  • 洗手间在哪里？ — Where is the toilet? (xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ)
  • 不要辣 — Not spicy, please (bú yào là)

Ferry and attraction tickets change by season: confirm on the official channels the day before.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Xiamen. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Dec, Mar–May · avoid Jul–Sep (heat, humidity, typhoon risk) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 5 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for XMN: last metro and bus times, taxi band, and the late-2026 Xiang'an switch.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: Zhongshan Road and the ferry, Nanputuo and the university, Yundang Lake and Haiwan Park, and Gulangyu's lanes.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Gulangyu ferry slots, Nanputuo, Hulishan Fortress, Jimei schools) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Typhoon and holiday fixtures so the coastal day-trip gates can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources