24 Hours Hotline: +86 137-3541-1378
Email:info@tripstoshanghai.com
24 Hours Hotline: +86 137-3541-1378
Email:info@tripstoshanghai.com
Tour Style:
Two days that pair Xiamen with the Fujian tulou, with your own English-speaking guide and private car throughout. Day one stays in the city: a ferry to car-free Gulangyu Island for its villas, Shuzhuang Garden, and Sunlight Rock, then Nanputuo Temple and the food stalls of Zhongshan Road. Day two moves inland to the Hakka tulou of Hongkeng and Tianluokeng, where your guide walks you through the round and square buildings. Your guide and driver meet you at your Xiamen hotel, the train station, or the airport, and the private car carries you between stops with bottled water on hand. Ferry and tulou entry tickets are arranged for you, and the overnight stay is the hotel named in your booking. Lunch is left open on both days so your guide can take you to a real local eatery instead of a tour-bus canteen; you pay only for what you eat, and vegetarian, halal, and lighter requests are easy to arrange. It is a relaxed island and earth-building introduction to southern Fujian.
Duration: 2 Days, 1 Night
Attractions(Cities):
Gulangyu Island, Nanputuo Temple, Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street, Chengqi Lou, Zhencheng Lou, Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster
Pick-up point:
Your hotel in Xiamen, the train station or airport (based on your requirement)
Finishing point:
Your hotel in Xiamen, the train station or airport (based on your requirement)
Tour Customizable:
Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry)
Payment Types:
Cash, Wire, Paypal, WesternUnion, Wechat, Alipay, PayPal
Available: Daily
When you arrive in Xiamen, your guide meets you at your hotel, the train station, or the airport, holding a Your Way Holiday sign. They help with your bags, set the pace with you, and the private car with bottled water waits between stops. At the end of the day you are driven back to your hotel.
The day opens on Gulangyu, the car-free island a short ferry across from Xiamen and part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing. Its lanes hold old consulates, churches, and merchant villas under spreading banyan trees, and with no cars it is quiet enough to notice the mix of Chinese and European architecture. Your guide tells how foreign settlements and, later, piano schools gave the island its nickname, the Island of Music.
Shuzhuang Garden is a seaside garden built on the slopes facing the water, in two parts named Canglang and Zangwan pavilions. You cross zigzag bridges and pause where the garden frames the sea, and your guide reads the layout as a balance of rock, water, and planting. Right beside it, the Piano Museum keeps more than a hundred old instruments, from European grands to century-old uprights, and explains the musical tradition behind the island's name.
Sunlight Rock is the highest point on the island. A climb of stone steps through trees passes carved inscriptions along the way, and from the top you can see the red rooftops, the lanes, and the sea out to the horizon. Your guide covers the legend of Zheng Chenggong, the commander who used Gulangyu strategically in the seventeenth century, and why the rock became a symbol of Xiamen. There is time at the summit for photos.
Back on the main island, Nanputuo Temple sits at the foot of Wulao Mountain and dates to the Tang dynasty. Its halls, courtyards, and stone paths hold gilded statues and burning incense, and monks chant through the day. Your guide explains the layout and the Buddhist customs, and can suggest the path up the hill behind the temple, where you look down over Xiamen University and the coast.
The day finishes on Zhongshan Road, a pedestrian shopping street of arcaded old buildings lit up in the evening. It is a good place to taste Xiamen snacks such as oyster omelets, peanut soup, and fish balls and to pick up souvenirs. Your guide points out the stalls locals actually use rather than the ones aimed at tour groups.
From Zhongshan Road your guide drives you back to your hotel, and you can arrange dinner on your own nearby.
Day two moves inland to the tulou. Chengqi Lou is the largest round tulou in Fujian, part of the Hongkeng cluster in the UNESCO-listed area. Built in the Ming dynasty, it stands four stories high with a single gate and thick rammed-earth outer walls, and held many families of one clan under one roof. Inside, ring upon ring of rooms face a central courtyard with a well and an ancestral hall. Your guide walks you along the wooden corridors and up to the balconies to show how the structure handled defense, drainage, and shared life.
Zhencheng Lou is a square tulou, a useful contrast to the round plan of Chengqi. Its inner ring rises in stories around a courtyard with a small garden and a central hall, and carved wooden galleries run the full height. Your guide explains why round and square layouts were chosen and how the rooms, stairways, and shared spaces served both protection and everyday family life. You can look at old furniture and the motifs carved on doors and beams.
Tianluokeng sets five tulou in a layout locals joke looks like four dishes and a soup: one round building in the middle, three square and one oval around it. From the terrace above the symmetry is clearest, and your guide covers how each structure was built for defense and shared living. You can step into the courtyards and see the earthen walls and timber frames that have stood for centuries.
In the evening your guide drives you back to your Xiamen hotel, or to the point you agree for the end of the tour.
Your guide and driver meet you at your Xiamen hotel, the train station, or the airport at the start, and return you to a point you agree at the end. Tell us the pickup when you book.
Day one covers Xiamen and Gulangyu Island in the city; day two moves inland to the Hongkeng and Tianluokeng tulou clusters. Your guide drives between them and can adjust the order around weather and crowds.
The price includes the nights named in your booking, with a Xiamen hotel between the city day and the tulou day. Tell us early if you want a different hotel grade.
Ferry tickets to Gulangyu and entry to the tulou sites named in the itinerary are arranged and included; your guide handles the boarding and tickets.
No. Lunch is left open on both days so you eat locally and pay only for what you try. Vegetarian, halal, and lighter requests can be arranged in advance.
Price Per Person in US Dollars
Personalized Travel Consultant
Experience the best of China with our expert travel consultants by your side. With years of local tourism experience, they are not only professional and knowledgeable but also deeply committed to making your trip unforgettable. Your dedicated consultant will craft a bespoke tour plan tailored to your unique interests, schedule, and budget, offering you the utmost flexibility. From the moment you start planning until the end of your journey, they will be in touch, ensuring every detail is perfect and that your trip runs smoothly.
Exceptional Local Guides
Discover it through the eyes of our exceptional local guides. All certified and experienced, they are passionate about sharing their deep knowledge of attractions, history, and culture. Whether you're interested in hidden gems or popular sites, they know the best places to visit. They can recommend top local restaurants, unique shopping spots, and must-see shows. Beyond just guiding, they provide enriching insights into the history, customs, and authentic daily life, making your experience truly immersive.
Premium Private Transportation
Travel in comfort and style with our premium private transportation. We offer a fleet of air-conditioned, non-smoking, clean, and meticulously maintained vehicles, all less than four years old. Our professional drivers, all locals with over a decade of driving experience, are friendly, courteous, and dedicated to your safety and comfort. Depending on your group's size, we provide a range of vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, business vans (MPVs), and spacious buses, all with ample luggage space.
Authentic Dining Experiences
We prioritize genuine local culinary experiences over pre-arranged tourist restaurants. Our local guides will recommend the best local restaurants where you can savor authentic flavors. This approach ensures you enjoy the freshest, most authentic meals, tailored to your preferences, and experience the true essence of the local cuisine. Whether your dietary needs are vegetarian, Muslim, Chinese, Western, Jewish, or Indian, we have excellent options to make every meal a delightful part of your journey.
Duration：6-8 Hours
Attractions(Cities)：Gulangyu Island, Shuzhuang Garden, Piano Museum, South Putuo Temple, Hulishan Fortress, Island Ring Road
Tour Style：A full day on Gulangyu Island and the nearby Xiamen coast with your own English-speaking guide and private car. The route pairs the island lanes and villas with Shuzhuang Garden, the Piano Museum, and South Putuo Temple, then adds Hulishan Fortress and a drive along Island Ring Road. Your guide and driver meet you at your Xiamen hotel, the train station, or the airport, and stay with you until you are back at the point you choose. You cross to Gulangyu by ferry and walk the car-free lanes at your own pace, with your guide handling tickets and timing. Between stops you travel in an air-conditioned private car with bottled water on hand. Lunch is left open on purpose so your guide can take you to a real local eatery instead of a tour-bus canteen; you pay only for what you eat, and vegetarian, halal, and lighter requests are easy to arrange. It is a relaxed day built around Gulangyu gardens, museums, temples, and sea views.
Duration：2 Days, 1 Night
Attractions(Cities)：Gulangyu Island, Shuzhuang Garden, Piano Museum, Island Ring Road, Xiamen University, Zeng Cuo An, Shapowei Art District, Hulishan Fortress
Tour Style：Two unhurried days in Xiamen built around Gulangyu Island and the coast, with your own English-speaking guide and private car. The route centers on car-free Gulangyu, its villas and lanes, Shuzhuang Garden, and the Piano Museum, with a slow drive along Island Ring Road, split over two days so you can set your own pace and linger where you like. Your guide and driver meet you at your Xiamen hotel, the train station, or the airport, and return you to the point you choose each evening. Ferry tickets to the island are arranged for you, and the private car with bottled water covers the coast road. Lunch is left open on purpose so your guide can take you to a real local eatery instead of a tour-bus canteen; you pay only for what you eat, and vegetarian, halal, and lighter requests are easy to arrange. It is an easy introduction to Xiamen's island, gardens, and shoreline without a rushed schedule.
Duration：6-8 Hours
Attractions(Cities)：Gulangyu, Nanputuo Temple, Zeng Cuo An, Huandao Road
Tour Style：A relaxed full-day look at Xiamen with your own English-speaking guide and private car. The route covers Gulangyu Island, Nanputuo Temple, the old fishing village of Zeng Cuo An, and seaside Huandao Road, at a pace you set. Your guide and driver meet you at your Xiamen hotel, the train station, or the airport, and stay with you to the end of the day. You travel between sights in an air-conditioned private car, with bags kept secure and bottled water on hand. Lunch is left open on purpose: your guide stops at a real local eatery instead of a tour-bus canteen and helps you order, so you pay only for what you eat. Vegetarian, halal, and lighter meals are easy to arrange ahead. It is an unhurried day built around Xiamen's island, temple, lanes, and coast, with a guide who handles the Gulangyu ferry and timing so you can focus on the walk.
Duration：6-8 Hours
Attractions(Cities)：Yunshuiyao Ancient Village, Huaiyuan Building, He Gui Lou
Tour Style：A day trip from Xiamen into the tulou hills of Nanjing County, for travelers who want to understand the Hakka earthen houses rather than photograph them from a bus window. Your English-speaking guide and private car are yours all day, so you set the pace, stop when you like, and skip the coach parks. You walk the streamside lane at Yunshuiyao, step inside the round Huaiyuan Building, and look up through the five stories of He Gui Lou, built on a floating foundation of pine piles. Entrance fees are arranged ahead, so you walk in without queuing. Lunch is left open so your guide can find a village kitchen and you pay for what you eat; vegetarian plates are easy to order. Your guide meets you at your hotel, the train station, or the airport in Xiamen and returns you to the point you choose by late afternoon.
Duration：3 Days, 2 Nights
Attractions(Cities)：Xiamen, Yongding
Tour Style：These tulou tours from Xiamen spend three days between the earthen villages of Yongding and the coast, with a private car, a professional driver, and an English-speaking guide the whole way. You visit the Fujian Tulou and the Chuxi cluster, sleep one night among the buildings, and close with South Putuo Temple and a car-free walk through Gulangyu. Your guide explains how the Hakka built and lived in these fortified houses and keeps the pace flexible, with room to stop for photos. Lunches on the road are left open so you can eat at a real local kitchen and pay for what you choose, and vegetarian or lighter plates are easy to arrange. Pickup is at your hotel, the train station, or the airport in Xiamen, and the tour ends with a drop-off at the same choice.
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Two days is tight for island plus tulou, but the schedule was realistic and we did not feel dragged around. The guide kept the group small and flexible on when we stopped for lunch. The Hakka heritage part near the end was the memory we took home.
We had only two days and this Xiamen and tulou tour let us see Gulangyu and still reach the earth houses. The transition from the coast to the Hakka villages was interesting, and the guide filled the drive with context. The car was clean and the driver was patient with our stops.
Our 2-day tour of Xiamen and the Tulou villages was an unforgettable experience that beautifully blended the serene island life of Gulangyu with the fascinating history of the Hakka people. From the moment we set foot on Gulangyu Island, we were captivated by its peaceful atmosphere, with its charming colonial architecture, lush greenery, and stunning views of the sea. The stroll along the quiet streets, surrounded by historic buildings, felt like stepping back in time, while the absence of cars added a sense of tranquility and old-world charm.
Visiting Nanputuo Temple was another highlight. The temple’s beautiful architecture and peaceful surroundings made it a perfect spot for reflection. The peaceful sound of the temple bells, combined with the serene views, provided a calming contrast to the bustling streets of Xiamen.
The following day, we ventured out to the Tulou clusters, and the journey to these ancient earthen structures was truly remarkable. The experience of seeing the Chengqi Lou and Zhencheng Lou, both massive, round buildings that have stood for centuries, was awe-inspiring. Walking through the narrow alleys and entering the cozy courtyards inside gave us a real sense of Hakka community life – a culture rich in tradition and resilience.
The Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster was equally impressive, offering stunning panoramic views of the landscape, with the tulous nestled in the green hills like ancient sentinels. It felt like stepping into a different world, where time seemed to stand still and the traditions of the Hakka people are still very much alive.
Throughout the tour, we were treated to the incredible flavors of local cuisine, from the fresh seafood in Xiamen to the hearty Hakka dishes in the Tulou villages. The food alone was worth the trip!
Replied:27 October 2026
Thanks Michelle! Xiamen + Tulou in 2 days is a packed combo but so worth it. The Tulou really are mind-blowing in person. Glad you made it through both the island and the mountains — hope you're already planning round two! ??
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