KinmenExpress
A white and red passenger ferry tied up at a Kinmen pier under a bright sky, the strait and the mainland shore beyond it
Mini Three Links

KinmenExpress

Twelve crossings a day from Xiamen, two from Quanzhou. Pick a boat, see exactly how many seats are free, and take it.

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Be at the terminal 90 minutes before departure

Online sales close an hour before, and your seat is only held until 35 minutes before.

Sold out is rarely the end

Most full sailings keep a waitlist open, and Quanzhou often has seats when Xiamen does not.

Xiamen - Kinmen

12 sailings · 0 bookable now · from CNY 179

Updated 15:08 · UTC+8 · refreshing

Wed 4 Nov · UTC+8
Wide open 93 of 280 seats free

Marco Polo No.1 马可波罗1号轮 · Da Rong Shipping

Sales close 16:00 - in 24 minutes

CNY 179

Wed 4 Nov · UTC+8
Wide open 143 of 322 seats free

Xin Jin Xiang Long 新金祥龙轮 · Jin Xia Shipping

Sales close 16:30 - in 54 minutes

CNY 179

Every boat from this pier has departed or filled up on Wed 4 Nov

Quanzhou (Shihu) sails the strait too, on the same days.

Reading before you go

All posts
2 min read

New ferry fares from 1 November 2026

Sailings leaving Kinmen become slightly cheaper from 1 November, and so does Kinmen’s dock fee. Fares leaving Xiamen and Quanzhou stay the same.

Read the post
4 min read

Waitlists, explained: why sold out usually is not

Almost every full sailing on the Xiamen to Kinmen route keeps a waitlist open. What that means, and what to do when the boat you wanted says zero seats.

Read the post
5 min read

Getting to Wutong ferry terminal in Xiamen

Where the Xiamen ferry to Kinmen leaves from, how early to be there, and the map links to show a taxi driver. Wutong is on the northeast shore of Xiamen island.

Read the post
Red-brick Minnan houses with swallowtail roofs around a granite-railed well in Shanhou Folk Culture Village, Kinmen, under a blue sky
Shanhou Folk Culture Village. Photo: rheins, CC BY 3.0
Where to stay

Stay a night or two in Kinmen

Kinmen is more than a day trip. Many of the island's guesthouses (民宿) are restored Minnan family homes in its old villages, and there are hotels in Jincheng a short ride from Shuitou Pier.

Compare prices and availability for every kind of stay on Trip.com.

Find a hotel in Kinmen

KinmenExpress FAQ

What travellers ask about the Xiamen–Kinmen ferry: the crossing, the paperwork and the timings, for visitors who are not Chinese or Taiwanese residents.

How long does the ferry from Xiamen to Kinmen take?

The crossing from Xiamen (Wutong) to Kinmen (Shuitou) takes 30 minutes. From Quanzhou (Shihu) to Kinmen it takes 60 minutes. Allow 90 minutes at the terminal on top of that: online sales close an hour before departure, and immigration on both sides takes time.

Do I need the China Digital Arrival Card?

Yes. Everyone entering mainland China fills one in, which on this route means the Kinmen → Xiamen (Wutong) and Kinmen → Quanzhou (Shihu) sailings. It is free, it is done online before you travel, and the National Immigration Administration runs it.

Fill in the China Digital Arrival Card

Do I need the Taiwan Arrival Card?

Yes. Everyone entering Taiwan fills one in, which on this route means the Xiamen (Wutong) → Kinmen and Quanzhou (Shihu) → Kinmen sailings. It is free and online, and Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency runs it.

Fill in the Taiwan Arrival Card

Do I need a passport for the Kinmen ferry?

Yes. Xiamen–Kinmen and Quanzhou–Kinmen are international crossings with immigration control at both ends, and the name on your ticket has to match your passport exactly. Whether you also need a visa or an entry permit depends on your nationality, so check the two immigration sites above before you book.

How much does the Xiamen to Kinmen ferry cost?

CNY 159 in standard class leaving the mainland and CNY 173 leaving Kinmen, with business class at CNY 174 and CNY 183 on the sailings that offer it. Those are the ferry operator’s own fares, passed through without a markup; leaving Kinmen, the price includes the CNY 36 dock cleaning fee Kinmen charges every passenger. The Quanzhou route sells standard class only.

How often do the ferries run between Xiamen and Kinmen?

Twelve crossings a day each way between Xiamen (Wutong) and Kinmen (Shuitou), roughly hourly from early morning to early evening. The Quanzhou (Shihu) route runs two crossings a day each way.

When do online ticket sales close?

One hour before departure. Your seat is then held until 35 minutes before departure and released after that, so be at the terminal 90 minutes before the boat leaves.

What happens if the sailing I want is sold out?

Most full sailings keep a waitlist open, so sold out is rarely the end of it. Quanzhou (Shihu) often has seats on days when Wutong does not, and the sailing after the one you wanted is usually an hour away.

What is the Mini Three Links?

The Mini Three Links (小三通) are the direct ferry routes between Kinmen and Matsu and the Fujian coast, running since 2001. The Xiamen (Wutong) ↔ Kinmen (Shuitou) and Quanzhou (Shihu) ↔ Kinmen crossings booked here are part of it.

Which terminals do the ferries use?

Wutong Ferry Terminal (厦门五通码头) in Xiamen, Shihu Port (泉州石湖港) in Quanzhou, and Shuitou Pier (金门水头码头) on Kinmen. Every sailing we sell runs between those three.

Can I book if I hold a Chinese, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan passport?

Not with us. Residents of the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan cross on a different permit system, and the ferry company’s nationality list leaves those four out, which is why you will not find them in the passport field here.