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City guide · Xiamen, China · 2026

Xiamen in 3 days: itinerary and top spots

Updated · 23 spots · open in 2025–26

Xiamen, China. From 23 spots whose locations we've checked, we picked a full 3-day route (not counting arrival and departure days) and the top 8 in each category. The areas you'll keep coming back to: Siming · Gulangyu · Nanjing County.

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🗺️ A 3-day route

Each day: two sights, one meal, one hot spot and one evening stop, grouped by neighbourhood so you can walk from one to the next.

Day 1 about 8h at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Gulangyu IslandGulangyu🏛️ Sight

    Ferry tickets need ID and sell out on weekends; island is walk-only

  2. Lunch
    Longtou RoadGulangyu🍜 Food

    Snack street by the island pier; fish balls and mango desserts

  3. Afternoon
    ShapoweiSiming✨ Hot spot

    Old harbor warehouses turned cafes and indie shops

  4. Late afternoon
    Overseas Chinese MuseumSiming🏛️ Sight

    Overseas Chinese history; free, closed Mondays

  5. Evening
    Shimao Straits TowersSiming🌙 Night

    Sail-shaped twin towers' light show; watch from the ring road

Day 2 about 5h 15m at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Sunlight RockGulangyu🏛️ Sight

    Highest point on Gulangyu; go early to beat crowds

  2. Lunch
    Huang Zehe Peanut SoupZhongshan Rd🍜 Food

    Peanut soup shop since the 1940s; a sweet snack

  3. Afternoon
    Zhongshan Road Pedestrian StreetSiming✨ Hot spot

    Arcaded shopping and snack street; pretty lights at night

  4. Late afternoon
    Gulangyu Organ MuseumGulangyu🏛️ Sight

    Pipe organs in a colonial villa; along the island route

  5. Evening
    Lujiang Road WaterfrontSiming🌙 Night

    Waterfront facing Gulangyu; island lights at night

Day 3 about 5h 45m at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Shuzhuang GardenGulangyu🏛️ Sight

    Seaside garden bridges and a piano museum

  2. Lunch
    No. 8 Market (Bashi)Siming🍜 Food

    Local seafood market; buy and have it cooked nearby

  3. Afternoon
    Island Ring RoadSiming✨ Hot spot

    Seaside cycle path; tandem bike rentals are popular

  4. Late afternoon
    Hulishan FortressSiming🏛️ Sight

    Qing coastal fort and cannon; sea views toward Kinmen

  5. Evening
    Yanwu Bridge Observation DeckSiming🌙 Night

    Low sea-level bridge deck for sunset and night views

🍜 Where to eat in Xiamen: top 8

Specific restaurants, markets and food halls. Where there are queues, go right after opening.

  1. No. 8 Market (Bashi)SimingIn the route

    Local seafood market; buy and have it cooked nearby

  2. Huang Zehe Peanut SoupZhongshan RdIn the route

    Peanut soup shop since the 1940s; a sweet snack

  3. Longtou RoadGulangyuIn the route

    Snack street by the island pier; fish balls and mango desserts

  4. Zengcuo'an VillageSiming

    Fishing village turned snack and souvenir lanes; lively at night

  5. Sili Shacha NoodlesZhongshan Rd

    Popular satay noodle shop; pick your toppings

✨ Xiamen hot spots: top 8

Trendy neighbourhoods, cafés, photo spots and complexes for the daytime.

  1. Zhongshan Road Pedestrian StreetSimingIn the route

    Arcaded shopping and snack street; pretty lights at night

  2. ShapoweiSimingIn the route

    Old harbor warehouses turned cafes and indie shops

  3. Island Ring RoadSimingIn the route

    Seaside cycle path; tandem bike rentals are popular

🌙 Xiamen at night: top 8

Bars, izakaya and night views — one to end the evening.

  1. Yanwu Bridge Observation DeckSimingIn the route

    Low sea-level bridge deck for sunset and night views

  2. Shimao Straits TowersSimingIn the route

    Sail-shaped twin towers' light show; watch from the ring road

  3. Lujiang Road WaterfrontSimingIn the route

    Waterfront facing Gulangyu; island lights at night

🏛️ Top sights in Xiamen

The places most first-timers don’t want to miss. Add a day in the app for the ones not in the route.

  1. Gulangyu IslandGulangyuIn the route

    Ferry tickets need ID and sell out on weekends; island is walk-only

  2. Sunlight RockGulangyuIn the route

    Highest point on Gulangyu; go early to beat crowds

  3. Shuzhuang GardenGulangyuIn the route

    Seaside garden bridges and a piano museum

  4. Nanputuo TempleSiming

    Free temple with hill views behind; famous vegetarian food

  5. Xiamen UniversitySiming

    One of China's prettiest campuses; visits need advance booking

  6. Hulishan FortressSimingIn the route

    Qing coastal fort and cannon; sea views toward Kinmen

  7. Xiamen Botanical GardenSiming

    Photogenic succulent and rainforest zones; connects to Nanputuo

  8. Tan Kah Kee Memorial Museum (Ao Garden)Jimei

    Tan Kah Kee museum and the seaside Ao Garden carvings; closed Mon

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