Xiamen, located on the southeast coast of China, was one of the five most important business ports in ancient times. Today, it is still an influential port and an important tourist city in Fujian Province, enjoying speedy modern development and convenient transportation.
Due to the rapid progress Xiamen has made in transportation infrastructure construction in recent years, there is a great variety of transportation links, giving you a wide choice of ways to travel there. Now you can easily get to Xiamen by air, train, long-distance bus, or ship.
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, established in 1983, was expanded in 2000. The present airport has a high-level flying zone with a longer runway and taxiway, more communication ways, a larger tarmac and terminal building as well as better lighting. The advanced facilities benefit not only business and industrial flights but also air tourism. The increased number of domestic and international flights provides tourists with more choices so you can easily get to Xiamen by air.
The rail network in Xiamen is well designed. Xiamen has departing trains bound for many major cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and others. And special tourist trains are sometimes available between Xiamen and Guilin or Wuyishan.
Long-distance buses really bring you convenience when you travel to Xiamen. Various national and provincial highways crisscrossing the city will ease your trip from many cities in southern China.
The quantity of the goods moved in and out of Xiamen port ranks highly among the world's major ports. In addition, its passenger ships provide another option for travel to Xiamen. If you start your journey from Hong Kong or Jinmen in China, a passenger liner is a good choice.
The transportation network inside the city is excellent. Public buses, special tourist buses, and taxies in increasing numbers make your journey to various tourist attractions pleasant. You can also rent a car or bicycle to enjoy your free time in the city. Ferryboats are available between Xiamen Island and Gulangyu Island. However, only electric-powered vehicles are permitted on Gulangyu Island to protect the environment. You can choose one or just take a walk on the beautiful island.
 By Air
Having been in operation since October 22, 1983, Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN) is one of the busiest airports in China. It is located at the northeast end of Xiamen just 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles) from the city center. Over 50 domestic airline routes connect Xiamen to 58 cities in China including the major cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Guilin, Chengdu, Harbin, and others. In addition, a number of international flights leave from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport every week taking passengers to 17 cities in South Korea, Japan, America, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Transport between the airport and the city center is quite convenient. At the bus station about 100 meters (about 300 feet) west of the airport, shuttle buses regularly depart for the railway station in the city center. The charge is CNY 6 per person and the trip takes about 30 minutes.
Alternately, you can take a taxi from the airport to the city center. It takes a mere ten minutes and costs CNY 25-30.
Public bus service is also available outside the airport. The bus station is about 200 meters (about 600 feet) east of the airport. Several buses can take you to the city center. Among them, the No.27 Bus runs between the airport and the ferry dock. It leaves every half-hour and charges CNY 1 per person. The whole journey will take you about one hour. The No.37 Bus heads for the railway station. It takes about 40 minutes and costs CNY 1 per person.
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport Information Lines:
0592-5708369 (for flights arriving Xiamen)
0592-5708441 (for flights leaving from Xiamen)
0592-6028940 (24 hours)
 By Train
Xiamen Railway Station, located at the intersection of Xiahe Road and Hudong Road, can be easily reached by many buses such as the No.16, No.18, No.21, No.25, No.28 and No.37. Connected to the mainland by the transportation trunk line of the Ying-Xia (Yingtan-Xiamen) Railway Line across the Xiamen Bridge, Xiamen has direct trains to most of the main cities in Fujian Province including Fuzhou, Sanming and Zhangzhou. Trains also depart for most major cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Kunming. In the peak seasons, there are also special tourist trains between Xiamen and Wuyishan, a hot tourist destination featuring the famous Wuyishan Mountain. It's about 37 hours to Beijing, 26 hours to Shanghai, 14 hours to Guangzhou, and 30 hours to Xian. For more detailed information, please check our China Train Search.
Buying Train Tickets
1. The Ticket Office of Xiamen Railway Station
Tickets for trains departing from Xiamen go on sale two days before the departure day. Tickets for trains departing from other places go on sale 19 days before the departure day.
Xiamen Railway Station Information Line: 0592-2038888
2. Other Booking Offices around the City
Train tickets are also sold at many other places in Xiamen besides the train station. You can buy a seat ticket up to ten days before departure and a berth ticket up to nine days before departure in these booking offices:
Songbai Bus Station Ticket Center
Address: the exit of Songbai Bus Station, No.211, Lianyue Road
Bus Routes: 31, 33
Opening Hours: 8:00 – 11:30, 14:00 – 17:30
Heping Dock Ticket-Booking Office
Address: No.3, Lujiang Street
Bus Routes: 8, 12, 19, 27, 32, 51, 67, 71, 96
Opening Hours: 8:30 – 17:00
Haicang Ticket Office
Address: No.297, Canghong Road, Haicang District
Bus Routes: 71, 72, 803
Opening Hours: 8:20 – 18:00
 By Long-distance Bus
Going to Xiamen by long-distance bus is very convenient. There are mainly three long-distance bus stations in Xiamen and buses head for the major cities within Fujian Province as well as the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guilin, Nanning, Suzhou, Shanghai, Changsha, Wuhan, Ningbo, and many others in other provinces. Buses bound for the cities of Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Longyan and Shishi within the province generally depart every hour or so during operating time. Buses headed for cities in other provinces depart at longer intervals, and buses bound for Hong Kong regularly depart twice a day from Xiamen at around 8:00 and 21:30.
Xiamen Tourist Distribution Center, located in South Hubin Bus Station, started operation on May 26th, 2007. At present there are four direct bus lines leaving the center separately for four scenic spots near Xiamen City: Wild Valley Forest Park, Sanping, Qinglong Village, and Changtai Drift. In addition, the center offers individual travelers information about the scenic spots so that they can arrange their journey accordingly.
Following is the time schedule and price list for the tourist buses to the scenic spots:
| |
Leaving time |
Backing time |
Fare |
| Wild Valley Forest Park |
8:00/8:30 (Saturdays and Sundays) |
15:30/16:00 (Saturdays and Sundays) |
CNY70 (the admission fee and the round-way bus tickets are included) |
| Sanping |
7:00 (Saturdays and Sundays) |
11:00 (Saturdays and Sundays) |
CNY40 (the admission fee and the round-way bus tickets are included) |
| Qinglong Village |
9:00 (Saturdays and Sundays) |
16:00 (Saturdays and Sundays) |
CNY40 (the fare for Coins Museum, boating, Plank Road and the round-way bus tickets are included) |
| Changtai Drift |
7:30-19:30 (every one hour each day) |
CNY168 (the drift fare and one-way bus ticket are included) |
Here is information on the three main long-distance bus stations in Xiamen:
Songbai Bus Station
Address: No.211, Lianyue Road
Bus Routes: 24, 31, 86, 98, 201, 506, 530, 805, 812
South Hubin Bus Station
Address: No.59, South Hubin Road
Bus Routes: 10, 15, 23, 43, 45, 506, 810
Jimei Bus Station
Address: No.159, Yinjiang Road
Bus Routes: 18, 55, 56, 67, 79, 106, 616
 By Ship
As a southeast Chinese port with a very long history, Xiamen Port has a wide, peaceful sea area without freezing or silting, providing an excellent water transportation network. It has domestic sea routes to Hong Kong and the Taiwanese island of Jinmen. A passenger ship bound for Hong Kong departs every Wednesday at 17:00 and makes the return voyage from Hong Kong every Tuesday at 14:00. Ships between Xiamen and Jinmen depart from both sides about every hour during the operating time of 9:00 to 18:00 (Winter Schedule). The whole journey takes about one hour and costs CNY 150 (including CNY 1 for insurance) per person. Please be sure to come at least 20 minutes before the departure time to finish the boarding procedures.
Xiamen Port consists of several port areas such as Dongdu Port Area at the west side of Xiamen Island, and Haicang and Songyu Port Areas at the south coastal area. The Ferry Dock, the Heping Dock, and the Hulishan Dock are the main passenger ports and have convenient transportation to the city center. Buses No. 3, 4, 8, 12, 27, 32, 51, 71, 97 and 533 go to Heping Dock while No. 2, 8, 11, 19, 25, 27, 32, 44 and 67, etc. go to the Ferry Dock.
Address of Heping Dock: No.3, Lujiang Road, Siming District
Information Phone for the Heping Dock: 0592-2022516
 By Bus
Bus transport in Xiamen is well developed and is considered convenient by most tourists. Over 50 bus routes make nearly 300 stops around the city. The Ferry dock, Xiamen University and the railway station are the main starting stops. Buses operate from 6:00 to 23:00. There are ordinary public buses and double-decker buses with or without a conductor, and every line charges CNY 1 per person.
In addition, a special tourist bus route is also available. Starting from the Ferry Dock, the bus runs through Xiamen and covers many famous tourist attractions, and only charges CNY 1 per person. The specific route is:
Ferry Dock <-- --> Zhongshan Road <-- --> Culture Palace <-- --> Park <-- --> Ten Thousand Rock <-- --> Nanputuo Temple <-- --> West Village <-- --> Xiamen University Hospital <-- --> Baicheng <-- --> Hulishan <-- --> Pearl Bay <-- --> Zeng Cuo An <-- --> Zengshan <-- --> Haiyun Stage <-- --> Huangcuo Coast <-- --> Coconut Village <-- --> Huangcuo Shizhoutou
 By Taxi
A taxi is also a good choice when you tour Xiamen. The city's large numbers of taxies are more convenient and inexpensive than those of some other hot tourist destinations. A Xiamen taxi charges CNY 8 for the first three kilometers (about 1.9 miles), and CNY 2 for the next five kilometers (about 3.1 miles) plus a 50% surcharge for each extra kilometer.
Xiamen is not very large in area, so taking taxies around the city doesn't cost much. Here is some information for reference:
The Railway Station <-- --> Ferry Dock; about CNY 15
The Railway Station <-- --> Island Ring Road (near Baicheng and Hulishan Battery); about CNY 18
Gaoqi International Airport <-- --> the city center; CNY 25-30
The Railway Station <-- --> Jimei University; about CNY 100
By Ferry
Ferryboats run between Xiamen Island and Gulangyu Island. It takes only five minutes and costs CNY 8 per person for a round trip.
The first departure from Xiamen Island is at 5:45 a.m. Ferry service from Gulangyu Island begins at 5:30 a.m. The ferryboats leave every ten minutes between 7:00 – 8:30, 11:30 – 12:30, 13:30 – 14:30, 17:00 – 18:30 and every 15 minutes during other periods during the day. There are also liners at night every 20 minutes until midnight. Please note that rush-hour ferryboats between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and in the afternoon between 13:30 and 14:30 are not available on Sunday.
Rental Cars and Bicycles
There are some rental car agencies in Xiamen. Rental fare varies from CNY 120 to CNY 300 depending on the make of the car. Valid identification and a deposit are needed. Reservations are recommended.
Bicycle rental services are mainly offered on the Island Ring Road. The cost usually is CNY 20-30 per day plus a deposit of CNY 300-500. Moreover, CNY 5 is needed for a toll on the Island Ring Road. However, touring the city on a bicycle will certainly be an exciting experience. |
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