Cross-strait Ferry from Kinmen to Xiamen

Located less than 10km away from the Chinese mainland, transiting through Kinmen Island is a more affordable option than flying. Known in Chinese as 小三通 (Three Links, as it was the first and primary connection between the PRC and ROC with regards to industry, commerce, and trade), the border area between Xiamen and Kinmen is bustling and now more busy than ever. Check out our article Is Taiwan Part of China? to learn more about the political situation.

With the stabilization of Taiwan/PRC relations over the past few years, passenger ferry services have been opened to travellers of all nationalities, and run 7 days a week during the day time, generally scheduled with one ferry per hour, running from 8AM to 5PM.

How much is the ferry ticket between Xiamen and Kinmen?

Kinmen to Xiamen

NT$650

Xiamen to Kinmen

¥140RMB

Change your money in Kinmen, not Xiamen. Please be aware that tickets are sold in each territory's currency, so you must change currency. Kinmen will not accept RMB, and Xiamen will not accept Taiwan Dollar. There are currency changing facilities on each side, with Kinmen being vastly more accessible and convenient due to Chinese currency trade regulations and restrictions. It is recommended to do all currency changes on the Kinmen side.
It is vital to have a China PRC visa before traveling. Unlike Taiwan (which issues visa-free entries to most nationalities), the mainland has strict visa requirements for all nationalities except Singapore and Japan. Singaporeans may travel to China visa-free for 15 days.
Afternoon ferries may be canceled without warning due to a forecast of inclement weather (typhoon), lack of ticket sales, or for some other reason, so please be aware of this during scheduling your trip.

Many travelers opt to visit China through Kinmen Island. An affordable option is flying domestic within Taiwan to Kinmen Airport from Taipei Songshan Airport, Taichung Airport, Penghu, or Kaohsiung Airport, then taking an airline shuttle bus to Shuitou Pier. Tickets can easily be found by searching for "小三通" packages at any travel agent or online for roughly around NT$3,500 each way, making it a great option for one-way travellers.

Location of the two ferry terminals in both Xiamen and Kinmen

Google Map