Private Xiamen & Gulangyu tour: Ferry, temple, fortress, lunch

Ferry to an island, climb its peak, walk a fortress built in 1891, end at the beach

A private 8-hour guided tour of Xiamen starting with hotel pickup and a 20-minute ferry to Gulangyu Island, where you climb Sunlight Rock, visit the Piano Museum and stroll colonial architecture. Then return to the mainland for lunch, South Putuo Temple (over 1,000 years old) and Hulishan Fortress with its preserved Ming and Qing military structures, ending with a walk along the Island Ring Road. The guide is English-speaking, all entry fees and lunch are included, and the itinerary is flexible to suit your pace.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Gulangyu Island3h · entry included
2. South Putuo Temple1h

Explore Xiamen and Gulangyu Island

• Hotel pickup and transfer to ferry terminal
• Take 20-minute ferry to Gulangyu Island
• Stroll alleys and admire colonial architecture
• Climb Sunlight Rock for island views
• Visit Shuzhuang Garden and Piano Museum
• Ferry back to Xiamen and have seafood lunch
• Rest in private vehicle to South Putuo Temple
• Visit South Putuo Temple and see relics
• Explore Hulishan Fortress and military facilities
• Leisure walk along Island Ring Road beach
• Transfer back to hotel or chosen location

The experience

Your guide picks you up at the hotel and takes you to the ferry terminal for the crossing to Gulangyu Island. The 20-minute deluxe ferry ride itself is part of the tour. You'll photograph Xiamen city and the Lujiang Channel from the water before stepping onto the island. Once there, you walk through the elegant alleys and colonial buildings (churches, consulates, European villas) that earned Gulangyu its UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2017. The architecture alone justifies the stop. It reads like a museum of global styles compressed into one tranquil island.

From the alleys you climb to Sunlight Rock, the island's highest peak, for a bird's-eye view of the water and the city beyond. After descending, you visit Shuzhuang Garden, a seaside park that houses the only piano museum in China. An unusual pairing that makes the stop memorable. Then the ferry carries you back to Xiamen island for an authentic seafood lunch at a popular local restaurant where residents eat, not tourists. You rest in the air-conditioned vehicle for 30 minutes on the drive to South Putuo Temple, built during the Tang Dynasty over 1,000 years ago, where you see the Buddhist cultural relics collection.

The afternoon's second major stop is Hulishan Fortress, built in 1891 and blending Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture. You can walk on and touch the preserved military structures (gates, walls, emplacements, barracks, trenches and fortifications) that survive from the 19th century. The tour ends with a leisure walk along the Island Ring Road at the beach, where you take in the sea view and breeze before the driver returns you to your hotel, airport, train station or anywhere else in downtown Xiamen you choose.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return transfer within Xiamen main island.
• 20-minute deluxe round-trip ferry tickets to Gulangyu Island.
• entrance fees to Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden, Piano Museum, South Putuo Temple and Hulishan Fortress.
• authentic seafood lunch at a local restaurant.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• professional English-speaking guide.
• China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance.
• government taxes and fees.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day14 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 12:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (3 to 70 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French, Chinese, Japanese and Korean

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 33 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effort

Operated by Tulou Travel

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English fluently, so if you're arriving for the first time and want to understand the history and architecture as you move through the sites, this private tour delivers the context without the pace of a group. The flexible itinerary means you can linger at Sunlight Rock or the fortress if something catches your interest, and the guide will adjust the rest of the day around you.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French, Chinese, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.

Can children come?

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

What is Gulangyu Island like when you arrive on the ferry?

Gulangyu is a tranquil island filled with distinctive colonial architecture (churches, consulates and European villas) that earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 2017. You walk through elegant alleys admiring the buildings, then climb Sunlight Rock for a panoramic view of the island and the water surrounding it.

How long is the ferry ride to Gulangyu, and what can you see from the boat?

The deluxe ferry takes 20 minutes. During the crossing you photograph Xiamen city and the Lujiang Channel from the water, so the ride itself is a scenic part of the tour, not just transport.

What is the Piano Museum, and why is it unusual?

The Piano Museum sits inside Shuzhuang Garden, a seaside park on Gulangyu Island. It is the only piano museum in China, making it a distinctive stop that combines a world-class collection with a garden setting.

How old is South Putuo Temple, and what can you see there?

South Putuo Temple was first built during the Tang Dynasty, giving it over 1,000 years of history. You visit to admire the famous Buddhist cultural relics collection housed inside the temple.

Can you actually touch the structures at Hulishan Fortress?

Yes. Hulishan Fortress, built in 1891, preserves military facilities from the Ming and Qing Dynasties (gates, walls, emplacements, barracks, trenches and fortifications) that you can walk on and touch during your visit.

What happens at the end of the tour?

After Hulishan Fortress you have a leisure walk along the Island Ring Road at the beach to enjoy the sea view and breeze. Then your guide transfers you back to your hotel, airport, train station or any other location in downtown Xiamen you prefer.