7 Day Tours from Xiamen: Heritage, Nature, and Tulou Adventures

Summary

Day1 Xiamen Arrival: Pick-up from the airport, train station, or hotel
Day2 Xiamen: Gulangyu Island, Shuzhuang Garden, Piano Museum, Huandao Road Seaview
Day3 Xiamen: Nanputuo Temple, Huli Mountain Fort, Huandao Road, Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street
Day4 Yongding: Chengqi Lou, Zhencheng Lou, Hongkeng Tulou Cluster, Yongding Tulou Homestay Experience
Day5 Quanzhou: Kaiyuan Temple, Qingyuan Mountain, East and West Street Old Town, Quanzhou Maritime Museum
Day6 Fuzhou: Sanfang Qixiang, Lin Zexu Memorial Hall, Drum Tower, Min River
Day7 Fuzhou: Pingtan Island Seaview, drop-off at the airport, train station, or hotel

Day1 Xiamen Arrival

Arriving in Xiamen

Your first day in Xiamen is easy. Your guide meets you at the airport, the train station, or your hotel with a Your Way Holiday sign and drives you to your accommodation in a private air-conditioned car. Once you have checked in, the rest of the day is yours at your own pace. If you feel like moving, an evening walk along the coastline or a quiet cafe near Siming is a good way to start; if you would rather rest after the trip, that works too. Your guide can suggest where to eat tonight and is on hand whenever you need tips for the days ahead.

Day2 Xiamen

Gulangyu Island

Your first stop is Gulangyu Island, a car-free island off Xiamen shore reached by a short ferry ride. Your guide walks the narrow lanes with you and explains how former consulates, trading houses, and villas built here in the early 1900s gave the island its mix of architectural styles. Once home to diplomats and merchants, Gulangyu later became known for its musicians and piano teachers, and several old residences now work as small museums. There is no traffic noise here, so the pace is quiet, with gardens, hillside viewpoints, and easy looks back across the water to Xiamen. Tell your guide what you want to focus on - history, photography, or just a relaxed wander - and the route adjusts to suit.

Shuzhuang Garden

Next you visit Shuzhuang Garden, a classical Chinese garden laid out along the coast in the 1930s. Your guide walks the rockeries, ponds, and pavilions with you and explains how the design borrows the sea and the sky as part of the view, so the garden seems to open straight into the water. Because it sits on the shore, several terraces look directly out toward Gulangyu across the inlet. The paths wind but stay gentle, with shaded benches where you can rest between sections, which makes it an easy stop on a warm morning.

The Piano Museum

Back on Gulangyu, the Piano Museum holds one of the few collections in China devoted entirely to the instrument. Your guide walks you through antique pianos, early European keyboard instruments, and examples of how the designs changed over the last century. It ties into the island story, because Gulangyu produced an unusually large number of musicians and piano teachers for its size, and is known locally as piano island. The exhibits are compact, so an unhurried look takes around half an hour, and your guide can point out the pieces worth a closer look if you are short on time.

Huandao Road Coastal Drive

To close the afternoon, your driver takes the coastal Huandao Road, the promenade strip that runs along Xiamen waterfront. From the car you pass beaches, headlands, and parkland, and your guide points out landmarks and explains how the shoreline was developed over recent decades. If you like, stop at one of the pull-off points to feel the sea breeze and take photos, since several spots look out over the water toward the island. Locals come here to cycle and walk in the early evening, so it is a good place to see how Xiamen spends its downtime rather than only its sights.

Back to Your Hotel

At the end of the day your driver meets you and drives you back to your hotel in Xiamen. On the way, ask your guide for last-minute tips on where to eat or browse that evening - he can point you to a casual spot for seafood or a quieter street for a walk, and you pay for what you order rather than a set menu. The car drops at your door, so you can rest before tomorrow travel. If anything from today needs a second look, tell your guide and he will suggest the best time to catch it.

Day3 Xiamen

Nanputuo Temple

Your day starts at Nanputuo Temple, set at the foot of Wulao Mountain on Xiamen south side. The temple was first built during the Tang Dynasty more than a thousand years ago and has been rebuilt several times since, yet it remains an active Buddhist monastery rather than a museum, so you may pass monks in the halls and hear chanting during services. Your guide walks you through the main halls, the courtyards, and the koi ponds and explains the layout and the figures you see, from the carved beams to the meditation statues. Because it is a working temple, your guide keeps the visit quiet and respectful and tells you which areas are open to visitors. Mornings are busiest, so an early start or a later afternoon makes for a calmer look.

Hulishan Coastal Fort

Next you head to Hulishan Fort on the southern tip of the island, a Qing Dynasty coastal battery built to guard the harbor. Its guns faced the sea, and the site saw action again in the twentieth century during the war with Japan. Your guide takes you along the granite ramparts and into the tunnels and gun emplacements, pointing out the cannons, the watchtowers, and the way the walls were angled to absorb fire. From the higher batteries you can look straight out over the water and back along the coastline, one of the best places on the island for a wide sea view. The ground is stone and steps, so wear shoes with grip; your guide sets an easy pace and waits while you take photos.

Zhongshan Road

The day ends on Zhongshan Road, the main pedestrian shopping street, lined with arcaded buildings that date from the early twentieth century. Your guide shows you the mix of old shopfronts and modern stores and points out how the street architecture reflects Xiamen trading history. It is also the easiest place to eat through local snacks, since the stalls here serve peanut soup, fried oysters, and the oyster omelette the city is known for. Lunch and dinner are left open on purpose, so you can stop at a stall or a small shop your guide recommends and pay for what you pick rather than sit to a fixed menu. It stays busy into the evening, and your driver brings you back to the hotel after.

Day4 Yongding

Chengqi Lou

Leaving Xiamen by car, today you drive into the Hakka tulou country around Yongding. First stop is Chengqi Lou in Gaobei, the largest of the round tulou and sometimes called the King of Tulou for its size. It was built more than four hundred years ago and once housed as many as sixty families at once. Your guide takes you through the gate and up the levels, explaining how the thick earth walls, a single entrance, and shared wells were designed to defend a whole clan and let families live together inside. The central courtyard, the ring of kitchens, and the ancestor hall show how daily life was organized. The surrounding hills are terraced with fields, and there is a viewpoint above the village if you want a photo of the whole building from the ridge.

Zhencheng Lou

Next you visit Zhencheng Lou at Hongkeng, a round tulou known for how well it has been kept. Your guide explains the layout, set out along a central axis with the ancestor hall facing the gate, and points out the carved wooden windows, the corridors that ring each floor, and the double row of rooms served by one staircase. Like other tulou here, it was built so that several branches of one family could live side by side behind a single wall, sharing a well and a courtyard. Your guide walks you through the rooms and shows how the design balanced everyday life with the need for defense, and tells you about the people who still live in and look after the building today.

Hongkeng Tulou Cluster

After that you explore the Hongkeng tulou cluster, a group of earthen houses spread through one valley that together give a fuller picture of how these villages worked. Your guide compares the round and square forms across the cluster and shows how each building was raised for both defense and community, with high windowless outer walls, a heavy timber inner frame, and rooms opening onto shared galleries. Because the houses sit close among rice paddies and streams, the walk between them is easy, and you can step inside more than one to see how the layouts differ. Your guide times the visit so you can look at the carpentry and the courtyards without being rushed.

A Night in a Tulou Homestay

In the evening you stay at a tulou homestay in Yongding, sleeping inside one of the old earthen buildings rather than a modern hotel. Rooms are simple and clean, and your host family serves home-cooked Hakka dishes made from local ingredients, which is often the best meal of the trip. This is the easiest part of the day to meet the people who live here, with breakfast in the courtyard and a walk around the village before you move on. Your guide arranges the check-in and is on hand if you want to add a cooking or farm activity with the family; tell us in advance if you would prefer a private room.

Day5 Quanzhou

Kaiyuan Temple

The drive from Yongding brings you to Quanzhou, and the first stop is Kaiyuan Temple, the oldest large Buddhist monastery in the city, founded in the Tang Dynasty. Your guide walks you through the side courtyards and the main halls, explaining how Quanzhou grew into a cosmopolitan port and how the temple took in influences from several traditions. Two stone pagodas rise in the forecourt, and the walls and pillars carry carved figures, including reliefs from the city medieval trading era. Because it is still an active temple, your guide keeps the visit quiet around the monks and tells you where photos are allowed. The halls and stone carvings are the highlights, and an unhurried look takes about an hour.

Qingyuan Mountain

Next you climb Qingyuan Mountain just west of the city, a low ridge that has held temples and hermitages for well over a thousand years. Your guide leads you up stone steps and old paths past shrines, cliff carvings, and quiet courtyards rather than rushing for the top. The walking is on uneven stone and some slopes are steeper, so your guide sets a steady pace with stops to rest, and the route can be shortened if you prefer. From the raised viewpoints you can look back over Quanzhou and the surrounding fields. The rock inscriptions and the small halls set among shade trees are what make the mountain worth the climb.

Quanzhou Maritime Museum

After the mountain you visit the Quanzhou Maritime Museum, which covers the city role on the old seagoing trade routes. Your guide takes you through exhibits on shipbuilding, the goods that moved in and out of the port, and the tools sailors used, along with models of historic vessels. Quanzhou was one of the main departure points of the Maritime Silk Road in the Tang and Song periods, and the museum shows how that trade brought merchants and ideas from across the South China Sea to this coast. The collections give context for what you saw at the temple and on the mountain.

East and West Street Old Town

The day ends on East and West Street, the restored old-town core where Quanzhou merchants, scholars, and craftsmen once lived and worked. Your guide walks the lane with you and points out the arcaded shopfronts, old wooden houses, and courtyard homes, along with the mix of faiths and trading cultures that settled here. It is a good place to taste through local snacks and pick up handcrafted goods, and lunch and dinner are left open so you can stop where your guide recommends and pay for what you order. The streets are flat and easy to wander, and your driver takes you back to the hotel in the evening.

Day6 Fuzhou

Sanfang Qixiang

Arriving by high-speed train from Quanzhou, you start in Fuzhou old town at Sanfang Qixiang, meaning Three Lanes and Seven Alleys. It is a grid of narrow lanes lined with whitewashed, black-tiled houses, teahouses, and shops selling local crafts, and many of the building lines go back to the Tang Dynasty. Your guide walks the lanes with you and points out the preserved courtyards, former residences of officials and scholars, and small temples off the main streets. The area is best taken slowly, since it is as much a lived-in neighborhood as a sight, with residents going about their day. Your guide can stop for a bowl of the peanut or sesame snacks Fuzhou is known for, and will tell you which lanes are quiet if you want photos without the crowds.

Gushan Mountain

Next you cross to Gushan Mountain, a wooded ridge on the north edge of the city that locals have climbed for temples and cool air for centuries. Your guide leads you up paved paths past shrines, pavilions, and rock inscriptions rather than driving you straight to the top, so you can see the old Buddhist halls set into the hillside. The trails are stone and can be steep in stretches, so your guide keeps a steady pace with places to rest, and the climb can be shortened if you prefer. From the higher ground you look back over the city and the Min River valley. Bring water and shoes with grip.

Wushan, the Green Mountain

Wushan, called the Green Mountain for its cover of trees, is a second, easier walk on the other side of the city. Your guide takes a gentler route up than the steep main steps, passing small temples and viewpoints where you can look across Fuzhou rooftops. Because the paths are shaded and the slopes are moderate, this is a comfortable stop if you would rather walk lightly, and the climb can be cut short at one of the mid-level pavilions. Along the way your guide points out the trees and the temples set among them and explains why the mountain has been a place to escape the summer heat.

Dongjiekou Shopping District

In the afternoon you finish the sightseeing at Dongjiekou, a busy shopping and dining hub where older streets and blocks of shops sit next to modern malls. Your guide shows you where to find local goods such as silk, tea, and handicrafts, and can point you to a teahouse if you want a break. This is a good spot for a last meal in the city, with markets and small restaurants alongside the shops; meals here are on your own, so you pay for what you pick. Your guide helps you read the mix of old and new before your driver takes you back.

Back to Your Hotel in Fuzhou

At the close of the day your guide drives you back to your hotel in Fuzhou, which is where the tour ends. Your hotel, the train station, or the airport all work as a drop-off, so tell your guide in advance how you are travelling next and he will time the transfer to suit. On the way he is happy to answer questions about the week, suggest anywhere you would like to revisit, or help you arrange a late dinner. Your bags stay in the car until you are ready.

Day7 Fuzhou

Pingtan Island Coast

For your last full day you drive out to Pingtan Island, the closest stretch of open coast to Fuzhou, a short drive east across the bridge. Your guide takes you along the shoreline to the headlands and sandy beaches that face the Pacific, explaining how the fishing villages here developed. Pingtan is known for wind, for its stone houses in the older villages, and for a coastline of cliffs and wide flats rather than resort building, so you can walk the shore without crowds. Your guide sets easy stops for photos at the viewpoints and can find a place for a simple seafood lunch, paid for what you order. If you would like a shorter coastal walk instead of the full loop, say so and he will adjust.

Transfers and Departure

Afterward your guide drives you back toward Fuzhou and takes you where you need to go for the end of the tour, your hotel, the train station, or the airport, whichever fits your plans. Tell him your departure time in the morning and he will pace the last day so you reach it without rushing, and your bags stay in the car until you are ready. If you have time before a flight or train, he can suggest somewhere near the station for a final meal. This is where your seven days across Xiamen, the tulou country, Quanzhou, and Fuzhou come to an end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which cities and sights does this seven-day Xiamen to Fuzhou tour cover?

You begin in Xiamen with Gulangyu Island, Shuzhuang Garden, and the coastal road, then spend a day in the old town at Nanputuo Temple and Hulishan Fort. From there the route goes into the Hakka tulou country around Yongding, including Chengqi Lou, before moving on to Quanzhou for its temple, mountain, and maritime museum, and finishing around Fuzhou with the old lanes, two hills, and the coast at Pingtan

Do I have to do the mountain hikes in Quanzhou and Fuzhou?

No. The Gushan and Wushan walks are optional, and your guide can shorten either to a mid-level viewpoint or drive you up if you prefer. The island and old-town days involve easy walking on flat ground, and the tulou visits have some steps inside the buildings. Tell us about your fitness or mobility in advance and we will set the pace to match

How are meals handled during this tour?

Breakfast follows your hotel, and lunches and most dinners are left open on purpose so you can eat where your guide recommends and pay for what you order rather than a fixed group menu. Fujian cooking is strong on seafood, and vegetarian or lighter dishes are easy to find; mention any dietary needs when you book

Where does the tour end, and can you drop me at the airport or station?

The tour ends in Fuzhou, and your guide drops you at your hotel, the train station, or the airport, based on what you need. Tell your guide your onward time and he will pace the last day, including Pingtan, so you reach your departure without rushing

Price Per Person in US Dollars