Nanjing Tulou tour from Xiamen: Private guide to Hakka villages

Eight hours to walk inside the oldest tulou and sit with Hakka families in their earthen homes

A full-day private tulou tour from Xiamen to Nanjing includes hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and visits to Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster and Yuchang Earthen Building: the latter built in 1308 with pillars tilted up to 15 degrees. The tour ends at Hekeng Tulou Cluster, where you're invited into active Hakka homes to drink tea and hear family stories, away from the main tourist sites. Entrance fees and private vehicle transport are included. Meals and gratuities are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Nanjing Tulou Clusters from Xiamen

• Pick up from hotel in Xiamen
• Drive 3 hours to Nanjing
• Visit Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster
• Enjoy bird's-eye view of cluster
• Explore Yuchang Earthen Building
• Discover five highlights inside Yuchang
• Visit Hekeng Tulou Cluster
• See Mulan's home from the movie
• Meet Hakka people and drink local tea
• Drive back to hotel in Xiamen

The experience

Your guide and driver pick you up at your hotel in the morning for a three-hour drive to Nanjing. The first stop is Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, a fortress of four round earthen buildings and one square structure: one of the most preserved Hakka complexes in the region. Your guide explains how they were built and why the design worked as a defense, then takes you to a high vantage point to see the whole cluster from above. The scale and engineering become clear only when you step back and look down.

Yuchang Earthen Building, built in 1308, is the oldest tulou on the tour. What makes it unforgettable is the tilt: the most extreme pillar leans at a 15-degree angle, a visible reminder of centuries of settlement and shift. Your guide points out five specific features inside the five-story structure that reveal how the building adapted and survived. This is not a ruin. It is a working building that has stood longer than most cities have existed.

The final stop is Hekeng Tulou Cluster, one of six World Heritage sites in the Fujian Tulou group but far less visited than the others. Hakka families still live here in their earthen buildings, and they welcome visitors into their homes. You sit in their living room, climb to the upper floor, and drink local tea while they share stories about their families and daily life. This access (to an active home, not a museum display) is what sets this cluster apart. On the drive back to Xiamen, you carry the afternoon with you.

What’s included

• Entrance fees to Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, Yuchang Earthen Building, and Hekeng Tulou Cluster.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Xiamen.
• private vehicle transport for the full day.
• English-speaking guide with detailed information about the buildings, Hakka history, and local culture.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (3 to 80 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Trippest Travel

Is this one for you?The eight-hour commitment leaves your morning free and gets you back by evening, so you can fit this into a single day in Xiamen without sacrificing the rest of your itinerary. A private guide and vehicle mean you move at your own pace and spend as much time as you want inside each building or talking with the Hakka families: no group schedule, no waiting for others to catch up.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 3): free.

How long is the drive from Xiamen to Nanjing, and what's the total time I should plan for?

The drive takes about three hours each way. The full tour runs eight hours from pickup to drop-off, which includes the drive, three tulou stops, and time inside the buildings and Hakka homes.

What exactly is a tulou, and why are these buildings so unusual?

Tulou are large, fortress-like earthen buildings built by the Hakka people as communal homes and defensive structures. Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster is composed of four round buildings and one square one, designed to house entire families and protect against outside threats. Yuchang, built in 1308, is the oldest on the tour and famous for its tilted pillars, the most extreme leans 15 degrees, a result of centuries of settlement and natural shift.

Will I actually meet Hakka people, or is this just a walking tour of old buildings?

At Hekeng Tulou Cluster, Hakka families who live in the earthen buildings invite you into their homes. You sit in their living rooms, see the upper floors, drink local tea, and hear stories about their families and lifestyle. This is not available at the more heavily touristed clusters.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay extra for?

The tour includes entrance fees to all three tulou sites, hotel pickup and drop-off in Xiamen, private vehicle transport, and an English-speaking guide. Meals and gratuities are not included.

Is this tour suitable if I'm not in great physical shape?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You'll walk through the buildings and climb stairs inside the tulou, but there's no hiking or strenuous activity required.