Things to do in Xiamen
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Xiamen
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring, very good with fog. Warming weather and flowers, but rain and sea fog can grey out views.
Summer, hot, wet and typhoon exposed. Beach and sailing season, with afternoon storms and possible ferry closures.
Autumn, sunny, dry and clear after mid October. Ring Road and Gulangyu are at their best, November especially.
Winter, mild, quiet and underrated. Temples, markets, tulou and Quanzhou are emptiest and hotels cheapest outside holidays.
What's on
- Phoenix Flower Tourism Festival May-June
Held when the Delonix blooms, with beach parties, parades and cultural events in the years it runs.
- Mid-Autumn Festival Bo Bing 15th day of the 8th lunar month; 15 September in 2027
Xiamen signature mooncake dice game, played by families, companies and restaurants for the month around it.
- National Day Golden Week 1-7 October
Xiamen is one of China most visited domestic destinations then. Every crowd and price warning doubles.
- Xiamen Marathon early January
One of China two premier marathons, on the Ring Road course in winter. Book early for that weekend or avoid it.
- Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival 13th-17th of the first lunar month
Nanputuo and old city lanes fill with lanterns, dragon and lion dances and riddle guessing.
Best things to do in Xiamen
Gulangyu Island
Car free UNESCO island of historic villas, gardens and lanes that rewards a full day of walking off the main drag.
Nanputuo Temple
Working Buddhist temple by Wulao Peak with a free incense stick and a climb behind it for harbour views.
Wanshi Botanical Garden
Hillside garden where the misted rainforest and the succulent desert area are the two zones worth timing.
Xiamen University
Beautiful Jiageng style campus by the sea, but visitor entry is quota limited and reservation only.
Eighth Market
Oldest lived in food market and the city food heart, best for seafood bought and cooked nearby.
Shapowei Art West District
Working harbour turned art district with galleries, cafes and bars, best from late afternoon into evening.
Zhongshan Road
Historic qilou arcade street that becomes the city evening promenade, with snack lanes running off it.
Hulishan Fortress
Compact Qing coastal fort with a huge Krupp cannon, coast views and Kinmen visible across the water.
Where to stay in Xiamen
Western Siming, Zhongshan Road and Lujiang waterfront
first trip, all round base
Old city, Bashi, the Gulangyu ferry, Nanputuo and the Botanical Garden are all within a short ride.
Southern Siming, University, Nanputuo and Shapowei
character and evenings
University energy, Shapowei bars and cafes, Baicheng Beach and the start of the Ring Road cycle.
Gulangyu Island
one or two nights inside the trip
Sleeping in a converted villa with lanes empty after the last day ferry is a great Xiamen experience.
Eastern Siming, Convention Centre, Huangcuo and Guanyinshan
beach resort stays and families
Newer five star Ring Road strip with bigger pools and beach at the door, but far from the old city.
Hubin and Bailuzhou, around Yundang Lake
business, quiet and value luxury
Calm green local neighbourhood ten minutes from everything, with several good value five stars.
Wuyuan Bay
sailing, the airport run and a resort splurge
Home to the sailing harbour and handy for Gaoqi Airport, but far from Gulangyu.
Think twice about
- Zengcuo'an
Do not base or plan to eat here. It is a dense strip of similar snack stalls and souvenir shops with overpriced, least local food.
- Longtou Road, Gulangyu
The island main commercial drag carries daytime crowds, inflated seafood pricing and late noise. Stay in the lanes instead.
- Off island industrial and logistics districts
Huli airport industrial belt, Haicang and Tong'an are safe but strand you 45 to 90 minutes from Siming sights with little to walk to.
- Xiamen North Station area, Jimei
Safe but far from Siming sights for a leisure base. It only makes sense for a train catching overnight.
Best restaurants in Xiamen
YANYU FUJIAN
Headline modern Fujian fine dining under Master Wu Rong, the one special dinner of a trip.
HOKKLO
Refined Fujian banquet cooking in the Hilton by Lianhua Park, with private rooms and polished service.
Linjia Minnan Xiangtu Restaurant
Large beloved Minnan native flavour restaurant where local families take guests, with family sized portions.
Heiming Restaurant
Black Pearl listed Minnan seafood at an everyman price, around 90 yuan a head for a full dinner.
Ba Shi A Jie
Tiny market institution for five spice rolls, sea worm jelly, peanut soup and fish ball soup.
Lianhuan Oyster Omelette
One dish shopfront for hailijian oyster omelette with crisp edges, soft centre and house chilli sauce.
Sili
Old school shacha noodle bowl built to order from counter trays in a peanutty seafood satay broth.
1980 Shaorou Zong
Three generation zongzi shop that doubles as a one stop tasting of the old Xiamen snack canon.
Outdoor things to do in Xiamen
Huandao Road
Coastal ring road cycle from Baicheng toward the Convention Centre, with beaches and sunset views.
Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster
Full day to Hakka rammed earth clan houses at Tianluokeng, Yuchang and Taxia, best by car or tour.
Quanzhou
Maritime Silk Road day trip by fast train for Kaiyuan Temple, West Street, Qingjing Mosque and Xunpu.
Wuyuan Bay Sailing
Sheltered sailing harbour for a group keelboat hour or a private yacht charter toward the strait.
Orient (Xiamen) Golf & Country Club
Tournament pedigree 27 hole course in Haicang, memorable and challenging once fees and hire are counted.
Kai Kou Golf Club
Local alternative repeatedly named best in Xiamen by players, for a serious golf day outside the centre.
Baicheng Beach
Sunset and skyline beach under the university and Twin Towers, best as part of a Ring Road day.
Best hotels in Xiamen
Conrad Xiamen
Signature luxury in the Twin Towers, with high floor views over Gulangyu, the harbour and Ring Road.
Waldorf Astoria Xiamen
Quiet garden set luxury by Yundang Lake with an outdoor heated pool, popular with families.
Andaz Xiamen
Design led Hyatt in a Minnan courtyard concept at MixC, the fashionable younger luxury pick.
Lohkah Hotel & Spa
Resort scale spa hotel on the sailing harbour, the splurge if the trip leans sailing and resort.
Swiss Grand Xiamen
Classic waterfront five star facing Gulangyu, a short walk from Zhongshan Road and the ferry.
Pan Pacific Xiamen
Dependable hotel near Coffee Street and Yundang Lake, with a club lounge and outdoor pool.
Hotel Indigo Xiamen Harbour
Design led harbour hotel with a Gulangyu facing position on the southwest waterfront.
Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen
Classic international hotel formula on the harbour in the mid to upper tier.
Is Xiamen expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CN¥200 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CN¥500 a person |
| Splurge | CN¥1,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Gulangyu Island: a few days ahead
- Nanputuo Temple: a few days ahead
- Xiamen University: weeks ahead
- Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster: a few days ahead
- Quanzhou: a few days ahead
- Wuyuan Bay Sailing: a few days ahead
- Orient (Xiamen) Golf & Country Club: a few days ahead
- Kai Kou Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Gulangyu ferry 3 to 5 days ahead with passport details, via Trip.com or the official mini program.
- Xiamen University the moment dates are fixed. Entry is quota based, real name and gate specific.
- Nanputuo Temple is free but needs a reserved slot via its official account or mini program.
- Tulou and Quanzhou drivers or tours 2 to 3 days ahead, a week plus in holidays.
- Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card before arrival, plus a data eSIM.
Is Xiamen safe?
- Xiamen is very safe, clean and lit late, with no central district to avoid on personal safety grounds.
- Heat and sun May to September. Schedule exposed sights early.
- Watch scooter and e bike traffic in cycle lanes and on pavements, and currents at unguarded beaches.
- Drink bottled or boiled water. Air quality is among the best of China large cities, with spring sea fog.
Xiamen travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Seafood by weight near sights. Fix price per jin, scale zeroing and cooking fee in the open before weighing.
- Zengcuo'an as a food destination, and Longtou Road seafood and souvenir shops on Gulangyu.
- Ferry terminal and station touts selling tours, fast tickets or university entry.
- Taiwan Snack Street on Renhe Road is fine for a graze, well behind Bashi and the Zhongshan lanes.
- Twin Towers observation deck at full price on a hazy day. Check visibility from the street first.
Getting around Xiamen: public transport and more
- Stay on Xiamen Island for the sights. Metro Lines 1, 2 and 3 cover the island and link Xiamen Station.
- Xiamen North Station is in Jimei, 40 to 50 minutes away by Metro Line 1 or BRT.
- DiDi is the default. Have destinations in Chinese characters or a map pin screenshot.
- BRT, buses and Alipay shared bikes fill the gaps in flat Siming.
- Gaoqi Airport is on the island, 20 to 30 minutes from Siming. Check which airport your flight uses.
Who Xiamen suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Xiamen your trip
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