Ships dock at the modern Xiamen International Cruise Center; the terminal building is directly inside the port gate.
💡 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.
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) | Xiamen International Cruise Center, Dongdu, western Xiamen Island📍 | Docked |
| Mega-ships (rare overflow) | Haicang Port (across the bay) — shuttle buses provided by cruise line📍 | Docked |
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.
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.
Find Gulangyu Island tours →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.
Find Hulishan Fortress tours →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.
Find Nanputuo Temple tours →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.
Find Xiamen food tours →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.
Find Xiamen city tours →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.
Find Fujian Tulou day tours →Downtown Xiamen is best reached by metro — once there, the waterfront, Zhongshan Road, and the university area reward easy walks.
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).
🗺️ See full route in Maps →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)
Transport options from the pier — taxis, shuttles, transit passes, and whether ride-share apps work here.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Upcoming cruises that call at Xiamen, Fujian, China. Dates, prices, and ports of call change — always confirm with the cruise line before booking.
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.