SPECIAL
LAUNCH
PRICE

XIAMEN

Join the Journey

Duration

Group Size

Oct 16 - 20, 2026

4 nights / 5 days

Max 12 guests

Min 4 guests

Starting Point

Ending Point

Xiamen

Fujian Province

Xiamen

Fujian Province

Access

Shanghai: ~2 hours

Beijing: ~3 hours

Price

A$3,646.18 A$2,946.18
based on double occupancy

Solo supplement available

Countryside surrounded by green mountains under a partly cloudy sky, with unique circular yellow tulou buildings at the forefront.

For centuries, Xiamen has stood at the crossroads of China and the wider world, a port city where Western colonial architecture shares narrow lanes with Hokkien temples, where Southeast Asian spices season noodles invented by returning emigrants, and where the echoes of departure and return still resonate in every dish, every building, every story.

This is the gateway through which millions of Chinese first left their homeland, carrying Hokkien traditions to every corner of the globe. The Chinatowns you know in Melbourne, San Francisco, or Singapore? Their roots trace back to these coastal villages. But the story doesn't end there. Those emigrants brought back flavours, architectural styles, and cultural influences, transforming their ancestral home, introducing global ideas that reshaped local traditions. The shacha sauce that defines Xiamen's most iconic noodles, the colonial mansions on Gulangyu Island, the unique fusion architecture that earned UNESCO recognition? All products of this two-way exchange that created a culture unlike anywhere else in China.

Over four days, we'll navigate Xiamen's labyrinthine wet markets where multi-generational vendors continue to sell their specialties, explore the UNESCO-heritage architecture of Gulangyu Island after the day-trippers depart, feast on just-caught seafood at beloved local restaurants, wander temples and art districts that reflect the port's fusion culture, and venture inland to the extraordinary tulou fortress cities which house entire clans, a symbol of Hakka culture and life. This is a journey through the coastal and mountain cultures that shaped the Chinese diaspora, told through the food, architecture, and living traditions that refuse to fade.

Map outline of Fujian with two marked locations: Tulou and Xiamen.
Map of China with Fujian province highlighted in red.

DAILY ITINERARY

  • We gather in Xiamen for an evening that introduces you to this city's singular food culture. Our welcome dinner is a seafood feast featuring the fresh catch that defines this maritime city, where oysters, clams, fish, and shellfish come straight from the sea to your table. The atmosphere captures everything authentic about Xiamen dining: bustling, unpretentious, and utterly delicious. For those arriving early, there's time to explore on your own. Wander the pedestrian streets of Zhongshan Road for street snacks and shopping, or stroll along the waterfront to watch the ferries crossing to Gulangyu Island.

    Included: Dinner, Accommodation

  • Our day begins at Bashi (Eighth Market), navigating the two connected markets where Xiamen's food culture lives and breathes. We'll hunt down vendors who have specialised over generations — like the 60-year-old hand-torn chicken stall, the five-spice roll master whose crispy creations have attracted lines for decades, the deluxe taro bun stuffed with scallops and abalone. You’ll eat like locals eat, moving from stall to stall, sampling as the morning unfolds. By afternoon, we ferry to Gulangyu Island, the curious UNESCO World Heritage Site where 13 nations once maintained consulates and Chinese nationals returning from overseas built mansions blending Western forms with Chinese sensibilities. We're staying overnight so we can avoid the day-trippers who flood the island from 9 AM to 5 PM, giving us the quiet evening streets and early morning light to ourselves, experiencing the island as it actually is, not as a crowded attraction. Dinner showcases more Hokkien specialties before we wander lanes emptied of crowds, the architecture glowing in the evening light.

    Included: Breakfast, Market tour and snacks, Ferry, Gulangyu entry, Dinner, Accommodation

  • We wake to Gulangyu's morning stillness before the first ferry arrives, photographing architecture in soft light, watching residents begin their day. By mid-morning we return to mainland Xiamen, heading first to antique markets where Republican-era documents mingle with vintage watches and old goods returned from overseas Chinese estates. Next we visit Nanputuo Temple, an important Buddhist site where incense fills the air and worshippers move through halls housing everything from four-story guardian kings to a thousand-armed Guanyin. The afternoon takes us to Shapowei, the former fishing port transformed into an art district that maintains its grittiness. The weathered dock and factory buildings are full of bookstores in converted warehouses, street art telling the port's emigration stories, alongside craft shops and art galleries. Tonight is yours to explore: craft breweries with brews from across China, rooftop bars with Gulangyu views, or a proper Minnan feast.

    Included: Breakfast, Ferry, Lunch, Nanputuo Temple Entry, Accommodation

  • Today we leave the coast for the mountains, trading maritime culture for something completely different: the Hakka people's extraordinary tulou. These massive circular earthen fortresses, some as old as 700 years, still have families living communally in them. We'll wander the famous "Four Dishes and One Soup" cluster, and enter the gravity-defying Yuchang Lou where residents still occupy rooms. We'll learn how these inland agriculturalists represent the other half of Fujian's story, in contrast to coastal traders. After exploring traditional Hakka villages, we return to Xiamen for a farewell feast of ginger duck, that warming Xiamen specialty, reflecting on how this single province gave the world two such different faces of Chinese culture, both now scattered across the globe yet still rooted here in their homeland.

    Included: Breakfast, Tulou and ancient village entry, Guide, Lunch, Dinner, Accommodation

  • After a few busy days together diving into the Minnan culture of Xiamen, today is free to spend as you choose. Slow down and continue to explore Xiamen, take a day trip to Quanzhou or Wuyi Shan, or continue with your onwards journey.

    Included: Breakfast

  • Xiamen is easily accessible by train, domestic flight or international flight.

    There are multiple daily flights from all major domestic airports. Xiamen Airlines runs direct international flights to many destinations globally, as do other international carriers.

    Shanghai: ~2 hours by flight, 6-8 hours by train

    Beijing: ~3 hours by flight, 11-12 hours by train

This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change based on availability
A busy city street in Shapowei, the arts district of Xiamen, with colorful storefronts, pedestrians, and cars, with a hillside of residential buildings and trees in the background.
A narrow alleyway on Gulangyu with stone and brick walls, greenery from trees overhead, and an old brick building with iron balconies and laundry hanging outside.
Close-up view of a traditional Chinese temple roof at Nanputuosi with colorful dragon ornaments on the curved eaves, showcasing intricate architectural details against an overcast sky.
A street food vendor cooking oyster omelette in a wok, surrounded by bowls of chopped green onions and other ingredients, in a small outdoor kitchen.
Antique street market scene with numerous vendors selling various items including ceramics, jewelry, and other collectibles. People are browsing and shopping, some seated and some walking through the market.

GET OFF THE EATEN TRACK WITH US

Our tours are deliberately small, created for travelers who crave discovery and connection. Register your interest and we’ll be in touch to arrange a quick call—so we can get to know you, and you can get a taste of what’s waiting Off The Eaten Track.

Image credits:
Ryan Le via Unsplash
Photos via Xiaohongshu