Amsterdam to Sydney, Australia from €816

🇨🇳 Free Xiamen stopover — both directions

Total ~24h on the ground in Xiamen, split across outbound and return — turn one ticket into three destinations.

The routing lands at Xiamen Gaoqi (XMN) twice: outbound 7h 40m (afternoon → evening) and return 17h 5m overnight. Both stopovers fall under China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy (Feb 2026 expansion) — EU/UK/USA/CA passports can exit the airport without a visa as long as the onward ticket is to a third country (Sydney qualifies for outbound; Amsterdam for return).

Outbound 7h 40m — quick excursion: XMN airport → city centre is 20 min by metro line 2 or RMB 50 (≈€7) taxi. Hit Shapowei Old Wharf for cafés + street art in the historic fishing village, walk past Xiamen University campus (one of China’s most beautiful), and grab seafood at Zengcuo’an Beach before heading back to XMN.

Return 17h 5m — full overnight + Gulangyu: check in to a hotel near Lujiang Road (5-min ferry pier to Gulangyu Island, the UNESCO World Heritage pedestrian-only island of colonial mansions, piano museums, and sea views), dinner of oyster pancakes and shacha noodles on Zhongshan Lu, sleep, sunrise ferry to Gulangyu, walk back via Nanputuo Temple at the foot of Wulao Peaks, lunch, back to XMN.

Visa: 240-hour visa-free transit at Xiamen Gaoqi (XMN) for US + 54 other nationalities — onward ticket to a third country (Sydney qualifies) required. EU/UK/Canada/Australia/NZ passport holders qualify for the broader unilateral 30-day visa-free programme (extended through 31 December 2026; UK + Canada added 17 February 2026), so they can stay much longer than the 7h 40m + 17h 5m layovers force. For Sydney, Australia’s eVisitor (subclass 651) is free for EU/UK passports online (USA/CA use ETA, AUD 20 ≈ €12).

📖 The full Xiamen City Guide 2026 covers Gulangyu, Nanputuo, Xiamen University, the Bashi market food, where to stay near the ferry pier for a one-night stop, and the realistic cost of a Best Day Under ¥260 itinerary (~€32).