Getting Around Xiamen: Metro, DiDi, Buses and Bikes
Xiamen is compact and transit is cheap and excellent — once you know which app does what. The complete transport setup for visitors.
Updated June 12, 2026
Xiamen’s main island is only about 13km across, transit is modern and cheap, and nothing on a normal itinerary is more than 40 minutes from anything else. The friction isn’t distance — it’s knowing which app does what. Here’s the full setup.
The stack: three tools cover everything
| Tool | Use it for | Cost feel |
|---|---|---|
| DiDi (in Alipay) | Door-to-door, luggage days, nights | ¥15–35 most island trips |
| Metro + bus (QR in Alipay) | Crossing town, airport-ish runs | ¥1–4 per ride |
| Shared bikes (Hello Bike, in Alipay) | The coast, short hops, joy | ~¥1.5 per 30 min |
Notice the pattern: everything lives inside Alipay. Set that up first — our payments guide walks through it.
DiDi: taxis without the language barrier
DiDi is China’s Uber. Use the DiDi mini program inside Alipay (no separate app or Chinese phone number needed): set your destination on the map, the driver comes, the fare auto-charges your linked card. No conversation required — which matters, because most drivers speak no English.
Pro move: save your hotel and destinations as map pins in advance. For street taxis, have your destination written in Chinese (any hotel front desk will write it for you) — but honestly, DiDi is easier every time.
Metro: clean, cheap, bilingual
Xiamen has three metro lines; signage and announcements are in English. For visitors, Line 1 matters most — it runs from the city center north across the sea on a causeway with genuinely lovely views (locals call the Jimei crossing the “sea-view metro”). Use the transport QR code in Alipay at the gates.
Buses: the secret weapon for the coast
The bus network blankets the island for pocket change, and Route 29-type lines along Island Ring Road are half transport, half sightseeing tour. Same Alipay QR code. Use Apple Maps or Amap for live routing — both work well in Xiamen and show bus options in English.
Shared bikes: the best way to do the coast
Xiamen’s east coast has a dedicated seaside bike path for kilometers — the single best way to experience it. Unlock a Hello Bike through Alipay (scan the QR on the bike; first ride prompts a small deposit-free signup). Park only in marked zones — the app shows them.
We mapped the perfect route in the Island Ring Road cycling guide.
From the airport
Xiamen Gaoqi Airport sits on the island — that’s how compact this city is.
- DiDi/taxi to most hotels: 20–35 minutes, roughly ¥30–60.
- Metro: Line 1 connects near the airport area with a short bus/taxi hop — fine without luggage, but after a long flight, just take the DiDi.
Ferries
Two that matter: the Gulangyu ferry (book ahead, passport required — strategy in our Gulangyu guide) and the cheap local harbor ferries, which double as a budget bay cruise.
What about walking?
Underrated answer: a lot of the best of Xiamen — old town, Shapowei, the university quarter — forms one walkable band across the island’s southwest. Plenty of our 3-day itinerary happens on foot. Bring real shoes; the granite paving is harder than it looks.