5 Days 4 Nights Xiamen Trip,
5 days and 4 nights in Xiamen, spending 7,680 RMB per person to stay in a century-old villa on Gulangyu Island and feast on satay noodles and seafood stalls! This is what summer should look like.
Who says romance has to be in the Maldives?
I just got back from Xiamen, a slow-paced 5-day, 4-night check-in.
Stayed in a century-old villa B&B on Gulangyu Island, ate 16 authentic local meals, walked from the sunrise beach to the neon coastline, and my social feed was flooded with “island filter” photos!
No rushing, no pitfalls, spending 7,680 RMB per person. Even students can grit their teeth and go, and couples will fill their memory cards with photos!
Keep this high-appearance + low-budget + delicious food and good sleep summer exclusive guide, and copy it blindly!
🌊 Top 5 Must-Visit Attractions in Xiamen (with hidden tips)
Gulangyu Island | World Cultural Heritage Island (Round-trip ferry ticket 35 RMB)
✅ Century-old mansions, Piano Museum, a street full of cats
✅ Hidden tip: Get on the island at 7 AM! Few people, soft light, every stop is a postcard
✅ Must-visit: Sunlight Rock summit for the whole island view, Longtou Road snack street sweep
Zengcuoan | China’s Most Artistic Fishing Village (Free)
✅ Former fishing village turned creative paradise, packed with cafes and handmade shops
✅ At night, lanterns light up, like walking into the night market alley of “Spirited Away”
Nanputuo Temple + Xiamen University (Free with reservation)
✅ Temple vegetarian meal only 10 RMB, incense so popular even phone signals lag
✅ Xiamen University campus is picturesque, but you need to grab a reservation code a week in advance!
Huandao Road Cycling | Yefeng Village → Huangcuo Beach (Bike rental 30 RMB/day)
✅ Flat and safe cycling path, mountains on the left, sea on the right
✅ Stops along the way: Music Square for photos, Yefeng Village for grilled oysters
Shapowei Art West District | Old fishing port turned trendy hangout
✅ Colorful container shops, graffiti walls, independent designer brands
✅ Go to “Shelter Cove” in the evening for craft beer and watch fishing boats return to port
✅ Other recommendations:
- Jimei School Village: Jiageng architecture + dragon boat pond, subway direct access
- Botanical Garden (Ticket 30 RMB): “Succulent Kingdom” and “Rainforest World” perfect for photos
- Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street: Eat Jukou mixed noodles and peanut soup under the arcade, full of local life
🗓 Itinerary (5 days 4 nights · Comfortable version)
📍Day 1: Arrive in Xiamen + Zengcuoan Night Market
Stay at [Zengcuoan Boutique B&B] (Twin room about 580 RMB/night, 4 nights)
Dinner street food: Satay noodles, tubeworm jelly, oyster omelet, four-fruit soup in rotation
💰 Cost: Transport 500 + Accommodation 580 + Food & Drink 100 = 1180 RMB
📍Day 2: Full day deep tour of Gulangyu Island
Take the early ferry to the island (8:40 AM has the fewest people)
Check-in spots: Most beautiful corners, Shuzhuang Garden (30 RMB), Sunlight Rock (50 RMB)
Lunch on the island with fish ball soup + stuffed pancakes
Return by ferry in the afternoon, evening stroll on Huandao Road
💰 Cost: Ferry 35 + Tickets 80 + Food & Drink 120 + Transport 20 = 255 RMB
📍Day 3: Nanputuo Temple + Xiamen University + Botanical Garden
Morning temple prayers + vegetarian meal
Noon photo shoot at Xiamen University entrance (worth it even if you can’t enter)
Afternoon walk 20,000 steps in Botanical Garden, took so many succulent photos phone died
💰 Cost: Ticket 30 + Food & Drink 100 + Transport 30 = 160 RMB
📍Day 4: Huandao Road cycling + Shapowei artsy afternoon tea
Rent bike and ride, stop at Music Square for photos
Evening visit Shapowei art market, drink a lemon tea at “Not in the Bookstore”
Dinner challenge at [Bashi Seafood Food Stalls]: fresh catch cooked on the spot, 80 RMB per person to eat until you can’t move
💰 Cost: Bike rental 30 + Food & Drink 150 + Transport 20 = 200 RMB
📍Day 5: Morning market shopping + Return trip
Before checkout, go to [Bashi Market] to buy souvenirs:
✅ Huang Shengji meat jerky, Huang Zehe peanut soup powder, Huang Yuantang pineapple cakes
Last breakfast with wonton soup + chive pockets, tearfully say goodbye
💰 Cost: Souvenirs 300 + Breakfast 40 + Transport 300 = 640 RMB
✅ Total bill (per person):
Round-trip transport (high-speed train/airfare): about 3000 RMB (from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou)
Accommodation (4 nights): 2320 RMB
Food + tickets + miscellaneous: about 2345 RMB
👉 Total: 7665 RMB (If controlled well, you can even save money to buy pineapple cakes!)
Xiamen is a place where
walking feels like blowing sea breeze, eating feels like a festival.
It doesn’t live on filters, but tells you with a bowl of satay noodles and a salty moist breeze:
No matter how busy life is, don’t forget—
First, let yourself slow down and take a breath. 🌊🐚🍜