With adequate food storage, the world is at peace, and achieving well-being for the rural population requires the concerted action of multiple policies. Drawing on a sample of 1562 counties from 2005 to 2019, this study examines three scenarios to assess the potential for synergy between rural e-commerce and rural tourism development policies in enhancing rural household well-being. The findings indicate that both individual policies have the potential to contribute to rural household well-being, and their combined implementation can lead to a greater impact. This conclusion is supported by the use of PSM-DID as a robustness check, confirming the presence of policy synergy. Furthermore, upon conducting heterogeneity analysis and exploring the underlying mechanisms, it is observed that the policy synergy effect is particularly evident in western regions. Specifically, compared to standalone policies, the synergy between rural e-commerce and rural tourism policies is more effective in promoting rural entrepreneurship and non-agricultural employment, thereby enhancing rural household well-being. This study offers insights into the policy implications of rural e-commerce and rural tourism development from a synergy perspective, providing valuable lessons for multi-sectoral policymaking aimed at enhancing rural well-being and fostering rural revitalization.