Xiamen 3 Days 2 Nights Per Person 800 RMB Travel Guide
🌊【Attractions】
▫️Gulangyu Island: You need to book ferry tickets on the Trip.com platform one day in advance! After landing, no need to rush to the attractions, wandering along the small paths feels great~The sunny wall is on Neicuo’ao Road in Gulangyu, with creamy walls and bougainvillea, just stand by the roadside to take great photos; the most beautiful corner is on Guxin Road, recommended to go before 9 AM when there are fewer people and no need to wait for a spot. When taking photos, you can have your companions walk a few steps by the corner for more natural candid shots📸
▫️Shapowei: A hidden artistic little world near University Road! The art district is a renovated old factory with walls covered in green vines, various graffiti, and niche coffee shops. Just pick any shop, sit at the door, order an iced coffee and take a photo, the atmosphere is instantly perfect🎨 Nearby is Bifeng Dock, where fishing boats float on the water, and the evening light and shadows are especially beautiful.
▫️Huandao Road: Renting a small electric scooter from Zengcuoan and riding along the road is super comfortable! 30 RMB/hour negotiable, renting for 2 hours basically covers the main sections~Stop by Yefeng Village, where there are white lounge chairs on the beach. Feel the sea breeze while watching distant sailboats. When tired, buy an old-fashioned popsicle nearby for full healing vibes🌬️ Ride to Huangcuo Beach at dusk to catch the sunset.
▫️Bashi Market: A place locals often come to buy groceries, not only seafood but also lots of snacks! Don’t rush to the stalls at the entrance, walk further inside for more authentic seafood. When asking prices, be sure to clarify if it’s “per jin” (half a kilogram) or “per kilogram.” For bargaining, try negotiating around 70% of the quoted price🦞
🍜【Food Highlights】
✅Satay Noodles: The satay soup at Sili Satay Noodles is rich and includes peanut butter, paired with springy alkaline noodles. Adding a portion of oysters makes it super fresh; Wutang Satay Noodles is less crowded before 10 AM, their satay is slightly spicy with plenty of shrimp. It’s recommended to add fried tofu puffs, which soak up the soup perfectly.
✅Ginger Duck: Liangshan Food Stall is hidden in the old town area, follow navigation carefully! Their ginger duck is cooked to order, the duck is tender and soft, fully infused with the aroma of ginger, not gamey at all. With a bowl of rice, you can eat a lot. Around 40 RMB per person is filling.
✅Taro Bun King: The old brand at the entrance of Bashi Market, the bun skin is made from mashed taro, soft and not sticky to the teeth, filled with diced bamboo shoots and meat. When bitten, some soup will spill out. Eat it with their sweet and spicy sauce to cut the greasiness and add flavor.
🏨【Accommodation Recommendations】
▫️Zengcuoan Homestay: Choose one within a 10-minute walk to the sea, it won’t be too noisy at night. Many homestays have small courtyards where you can hear birds singing in the morning. Rooms with balconies are available for around 150 RMB per person, some even offer free bicycles, convenient for going to Huandao Road.
▫️Zhongshan Road Hotels: Choose one near the subway entrance, close to Gulangyu Island and Bashi Market. Zhongshan Road is convenient for shopping at night and returning to the hotel. There are many snack stalls downstairs, so if you get hungry late at night, you can buy a portion of local specialty “tusun jelly” as a midnight snack.
⚠️【Avoid Pitfalls】
1️⃣ Don’t buy Gulangyu tour guide certificates! Many “wild guides” on the island charge 50 RMB to take you around, but they just walk you through a few main roads and always drag you to buy souvenirs. Just follow the “Gulangyu slow travel route” on Xiaohongshu, which clearly marks even the best alleys for photos.
2️⃣ Clarify seafood processing fees! At seafood processing shops near Bashi Market, always ask the processing fee for each seafood item first, for example, whether shrimp is boiled or salted and peppered, as fees differ. It’s best to have the owner write it down to avoid random extra charges after eating.
3️⃣ Don’t take sightseeing buses on Huandao Road! The sightseeing bus costs over 100 RMB for a round trip and stops at very few points. With a small electric scooter, you can stop anytime, get off to take photos at beautiful beaches along the way, and renting for 2 hours costs only 60 RMB, much more cost-effective than the bus.
💡Tips: Bring sunscreen! The sun in Xiamen is very strong at noon, so not only apply sunscreen but also bring a sun-protective shirt, or you might get sunburned and peel after a day; bring your ID card! You need to scan your ID to board the ferry to Gulangyu and enter attractions; wear comfortable shoes👟 Gulangyu and Shapowei require a lot of walking, canvas shoes or sneakers are best~