One of China's most livable cities, Xiamen blends colonial-era European architecture on car-free Gulangyu Island with vibrant street food lanes, Buddhist temples, and sweeping views across the strait toward Taiwan.
⚓ Pier (Dongdu Terminal)🕒 Typical call: 8-10 hrs💵 Chinese Yuan (RMB) — cashless via Alipay/WeChat🗣️ Mandarin/Minnan dialect🇨🇳 Visa or 144-hr transit waiver
Docking
Pier — Xiamen International Cruise Center (Dongdu Terminal), western Xiamen Island
Walk to center
Not walkable — metro Line 2 from Cruise Center Station reaches downtown in 20 min
Best For
UNESCO island day-trip, street food, Buddhist temples, Taiwan strait views
Don't Miss
Gulangyu Island ferry (book early!), satay noodles on Zhongshan Road
📄 Take this port with you
A printable port guide — key info, things to do & tips. Includes an editable “My Day in Port” box for your ship times & booked excursions.
Ships dock at the modern Xiamen International Cruise Center; the terminal building is directly inside the port gate.
Getting Ashore in Xiamen
1
Disembark at Dongdu TerminalYou walk off via gangway onto the Xiamen International Cruise Center — a large multi-story terminal with ATMs, currency exchange, and a tourist info desk inside.
2
Catch the Metro (easiest option)Metro Line 2 has a station inside (or adjacent to) the Cruise Center. Ride to Zhongshan Road Station or transfer at Lianban to Line 1 for the university/beach area. Single rides cost 2–6 RMB.
3
Get Gulangyu ferry tickets earlyThe tourist ferry to Gulangyu departs from the Cruise Center terminal building. Tickets (approx. 35–50 RMB round-trip) sell out; book online via WeChat in advance or join a ship excursion to guarantee access.
4
Taxis & DidiTaxis are metered and cheap. You can also use the Didi mini-program inside Alipay. Have destinations written in Chinese characters on your phone.
💡 Pro move: Alipay or WeChat Pay are essential — cash and international cards are not widely accepted at restaurants, taxis, or street stalls. Set up Alipay with your international credit card before sailing.
Piers & Tendering by Cruise Line
Xiamen operates a modern pier terminal purpose-built for large cruise ships; tendering is not used here.
Cruise Line
Typical Berth / Arrival
Dock or Tender
Most cruise lines (MSC, Holland America, NCL, Seabourn, PONANT, Star Cruises, Adora)
From a half-day stroll on car-free Gulangyu to an all-day mountain drive to the Hakka Tulou earth castles, Xiamen punches well above its port-city weight.
Iconic
Gulangyu Island Day-Trip
UNESCO World Heritage island just a short ferry hop from the cruise terminal. Walk colonial-era consulate mansions, visit the Piano Museum, climb Sunlight Rock for panoramic views, and browse narrow alleys packed with cafés and art shops.
Qing Dynasty coastal fort (1894) with thick granite battlements and the world's largest preserved 19th-century German Krupp cannon. Great views of the southern shoreline from the ramparts.
⏱ 1.5-2 hrs🚕 Taxi 15 min from port🎟 ~25 RMB🏰 History
Active Tang Dynasty Buddhist temple at the foot of Wulao Mountain — colorful roofs, lotus ponds, and resident monks. Hike the mountain trails behind the temple for sweeping views over Xiamen University and the harbor.
⏱ 2-3 hrs🚇 Metro accessible🎟 Free (reservation via WeChat)🥾 Moderate hike
Xiamen's famous pedestrian boulevard lined with white colonial arcade buildings. Duck into side alleys for satay noodles (shacha mian), oyster omelets, and peanut soup — the holy trinity of Minnan cuisine.
⏱ 2-3 hrs🚇 Metro Line 2 direct💰 Very affordable🍜 Foodie
China's most beautiful university campus mixes Western and Chinese architecture around a scenic lakeside. Walk out the south gate to Baicheng Beach for views of Hulishan Fortress and the Taiwan Strait.
⏱ 2-3 hrs⚠️ Pre-register on WeChat for campus access🏖 Easy coastal walk
Full-day excursion into the mountains to see massive circular Hakka communal homes built from rammed earth — UNESCO listed and unlike anything else on earth. Best for long port days of 10+ hours.
⏱ Full day (2.5 hrs each way)🚌 Guided tour required🏔 UNESCO Heritage📷 Spectacular
Downtown Xiamen is best reached by metro — once there, the waterfront, Zhongshan Road, and the university area reward easy walks.
Zhongshan Road to the Waterfront
1.5 km · 25 min · Easy · Metro start
Exit Metro Line 2 at Zhongshan Road Station and walk the full pedestrian boulevard of colonial arcade shophouses, then continue to the ferry quay for water views and Gulangyu Island photo ops.
Start at Nanputuo Temple, walk through the temple grounds, then follow the path past Xiamen University's southern wall to Baicheng Beach — sandy waterfront with views across to Kinmen (Taiwan-controlled islands).
Climate normals for Xiamen, Fujian, China (2014–2023 averages). Pack for the month you sail — highs, lows, and how many rainy days to expect.
Month
Avg High
Avg Low
Rainy Days
Sunrise
Sunset
Jan
65°F / 18°C
51°F / 11°C
6
6:53 AM
5:40 PM
Feb
65°F / 18°C
52°F / 11°C
8
6:41 AM
6:02 PM
Mar
70°F / 21°C
57°F / 14°C
12
6:17 AM
6:16 PM
Apr
77°F / 25°C
64°F / 18°C
10
5:46 AM
6:29 PM
May
82°F / 28°C
71°F / 22°C
17
5:24 AM
6:43 PM
Jun
86°F / 30°C
77°F / 25°C
20
5:19 AM
6:57 PM
Jul
91°F / 33°C
80°F / 27°C
15
5:28 AM
6:58 PM
Aug
89°F / 32°C
79°F / 26°C
19
5:42 AM
6:41 PM
Sep
89°F / 32°C
77°F / 25°C
13
5:54 AM
6:11 PM
Oct
84°F / 29°C
71°F / 22°C
5
6:05 AM
5:40 PM
Nov
77°F / 25°C
64°F / 18°C
6
6:23 AM
5:20 PM
Dec
68°F / 20°C
55°F / 13°C
6
6:43 AM
5:21 PM
Source: Open-Meteo ERA5 (10-yr daily averages)
Insider Tips
💳
Set up Alipay before you arrive. International credit cards and cash are rejected almost everywhere. Download Alipay, link your Visa/Mastercard, and use QR-code payments for everything — taxis, food stalls, ferry tickets.
🌐
Buy an international eSIM for China. Google, Maps, WhatsApp, and Instagram are blocked by the Great Firewall. A roaming eSIM (Airalo, Nomad) bypasses it automatically. Apple Maps works without a VPN.
⛴
Book Gulangyu ferry tickets early. The tourist ferry to Gulangyu sells out, especially on weekends. Book via WeChat (official Gulangyu ticketing mini-program) or join a ship excursion to guarantee access.
🛂
Check your visa status. Xiamen offers 144-hour visa-free transit for citizens of 54 countries — but only if your itinerary transits to a third country (e.g., Japan → Xiamen → Hong Kong). Pure domestic China roundtrips require a visa.
🍜
Order shacha mian (satay noodles) — Xiamen's signature dish, found at small noodle shops on side streets off Zhongshan Road. Point at the toppings you want; budget about 15–25 RMB.
🏖
Taiwan is visible from the beach. Stand on Huangcuo Beach on the eastern coast on a clear day and you can see the Kinmen Islands (Taiwan) across the strait — a surprisingly moving sight.
Getting Around
Transport options from the pier — taxis, shuttles, transit passes, and whether ride-share apps work here.
🚗 Ride-share: ✅ DidiDidi (DiDi Chuxing) is the dominant ride-hailing app in mainland China. Uber, Lyft, and Grab do not operate here. Didi supports international phone numbers and has an English interface.
🚍 Hop-on Hop-off Bus
Xiamen Island Tour Bus (double-decker hop-on hop-off) covers ~58 km and stops at the International Cruise Terminal. A separate non-stop shuttle runs from the terminal every 20 min.
🚕 Taxi
CNY 10–15 (~USD 1.50–2)
Metered taxis are plentiful outside the terminal. The city center is only ~3 km away, keeping fares near the base rate; have your destination written in Chinese.
📱 Didi (Ride-Hailing)
CNY 10–20 (~USD 1.50–3)
Didi is the Chinese equivalent of Uber and works throughout Xiamen. The app supports English and international credit cards, making it a convenient option for tourists.
🚌 Terminal Shuttle Bus
CNY 10 (~USD 1.50)
A non-stop shuttle departs the cruise terminal every 20 minutes from 08:00–18:00, dropping passengers near the city center. Cheapest and most straightforward option.
⛴️ Ferry to Gulangyu Island
CNY 35–50 (~USD 5–7) round-trip
The UNESCO-listed pedestrian island of Gulangyu is a must-see from Xiamen. Ferry tickets can be purchased at the Dongdu terminal, with round trips taking around 10 minutes each way.
Cruises Calling Here
Upcoming cruises that call at Xiamen, Fujian, China. Dates, prices, and ports of call change — always confirm with the cruise line before booking.
Star Voyager
StarDream Cruises
Round-trip from Hong Kong
⚓ Calls 03 Oct 20262 nights3 portsDeparts 2026 Oct 02
Itineraries and prices change — always confirm with the cruise line before booking. Some links are affiliate links that may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
