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Day 1
A Slow Day on Gulangyu — Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden and a Night on the Island
Morning
Start the first day slowly on Gulangyu Island (鼓浪屿), a car-free UNESCO World Heritage island. Tourists board at the Cruise Terminal (邮轮中心厦鼓码头) — not the Lundu pier locals use — with a passport and a timed ticket booked ahead; the return fare is around ¥35–50 (~฿175–250). Once you're across, the whole island is on foot, so let yourself get lost in the little lanes of early-20th-century European mansions, big shade trees, and piano music drifting on the breeze (Gulangyu is nicknamed "Piano Island"). Full detail in our Gulangyu Island guide.
Afternoon
In the afternoon, pick off the island's two highlights at an easy pace — Sunlight Rock (日光岩), the island's highest point, a short climb for a view over the whole island and the Xiamen skyline opposite (admission around ¥50 / ~฿250) — then wander down to Shuzhuang Garden (菽庄花园), a seaside Chinese-Western garden built out over the water, with a piano museum inside holding hundreds of antique pianos. It's a wonderfully quiet spot. More in our Sunlight Rock guide and Shuzhuang Garden guide. Snack on local treats along the way, like pie-crust pastries and seaweed crisps.
Evening
Here's what many people miss — Gulangyu in the evening, once the day-tour groups have gone, is quiet and beautiful in a different way. With five days to play with, consider an overnight on the island in a small guesthouse inside an old mansion, then come out to walk the lanes after dark, warm lamplight on the old façades. No cars — just the sound of the waves and a piano. It's an evening utterly unlike a big city. If you don't stay over, take the ferry back to Xiamen and find a good dinner — see the Xiamen food guide.
Tip: Book your Gulangyu ferry 1–2 days ahead, especially on holidays — timed slots sell out fast — and always carry your physical passport to board. Don't try to cram in every site; the joy of Gulangyu is getting lost in the lanes with no plan, so today is the day to take it slow.
