How Many Days in Nanjing? A 3-Day Route and Transport

How many days? The 3-day plan and where to stay

The guide suggests 3 to 4 days for Nanjing. This route uses 3 days: Day 1 is arrival plus an evening at the Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River, Day 2 covers the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling and the Linggu area in the Zhongshan Mountain (Purple Mountain) scenic area, and Day 3 takes in the Nanjing Massacre memorial hall, the Presidential Palace and the Ming city wall before you head to the airport. If you have a fourth day, there is an option with the Nanjing Museum and Laomendong.

Pick your base to match the route. For night views, old-street walks and snacks, stay around the Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River (Qinhuai District). Ancient sites, gardens and busy streets line the temple and the river, and you can walk there from Metro Line 3 Fuzimiao or Wudingmen stations.

For museums and modern-era architecture, choose Daxinggong and Xuanwu Lake. The Presidential Palace (Museum of Modern Chinese History) and several museums are around Daxinggong station on Metro Lines 2 and 3. Line 2 is closest to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Ming Xiaoling, and Line 3 to the Confucius Temple. The Zhongshan Mountain scenic area, a national scenic area of about 31 sq km on the eastern edge of the city, gets all of Day 2 in this plan.

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Day 1: Lukou Airport → hotel → Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River cruise

Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) is in Lukou Town, Jiangning District, Nanjing. Check the airport's official website (www.njiairport.com) for current ways into the city, times and fares. Nanjing's metro and buses accept the Jinlingtong transport card or a QR code from Alipay (open Civic Center and set the location to Nanjing), so set up a payment method before you land.

After checking in, spend the evening at the Confucius Temple and the Qinhuai River. The Confucius Temple is one of China's four major Confucian temples, a walk from Fuzimiao station on Metro Line 3. Boats from Banchi pier loop past Bailuzhou Park, Qicai Water Street, Dongguanmen and Zhonghuamen, about 4.8 km in about 50 minutes. Check official information for the cruise fare.

If you arrive late and the first evening is tight, move the Confucius Temple and the cruise to the evening of Day 2, as in the guide's own plan. For dinner, try the Qinhuai snacks around the temple or Nanjing salted duck, the city's signature duck dish.

Day 2: Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum → Ming Xiaoling Spirit Way → Linggu area

Spend the second day in the Zhongshan Mountain (Purple Mountain) scenic area on the east side of the city. It is 76.8% forested and holds more than 200 historical and cultural sites. During control hours (weekdays 09:00-17:00, weekends and public holidays 08:30-17:30), many roads in the scenic area are closed to most vehicles, and taxis may not enter the controlled roads. Change at Metro Line 2 Xiamafang, Xiaolingwei, Zhonglingjie or Muxuyuan stations to scenic-area shuttles for the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling, the Linggu area and more. These traffic measures run from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2028.

Start in the morning at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the tomb of Dr Sun Yat-sen. Construction began in 1926 and the main structures were completed in 1929; a central axis of about 700 m with 392 stone steps runs from the Memorial Archway to the Burial Chamber, built of white granite under blue glazed tiles. Check official information for opening hours. Next is Ming Xiaoling, the tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor), founder of the Ming dynasty, and Empress Ma. Stone carvings, including the avenue of stone animals, line the route over about 3,000 m from the Xiamafang archway to the Baocheng, and the site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in July 2003.

In the afternoon, walk the Linggu Scenic Area on the eastern slopes of Zhongshan Mountain. Kaishan Temple, founded in 515, was moved here by Zhu Yuanzhang and renamed Linggu Temple. You will find the Beamless Hall, China's largest surviving Ming beamless brick hall, the Baozhi Pagoda and an osmanthus garden of about 18,000 trees. If you take a taxi during control hours, use the designated taxi drop-off zones, such as at Muxuyuan station.

Day 3: memorial hall → Presidential Palace → city wall by Jiming Temple → airport

In the morning, visit the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. It is a memorial museum built on the Jiangdongmen mass-killing site of the Nanjing Massacre; it opened on 15 August 1985 and is a national first-grade museum. All visitors must book in their real name through the official WeChat account 1-7 days ahead, and passports are accepted. Tickets are released daily at 08:00; you may enter once a day and book once a month per person.

It is open 08:30-17:30 (last entry 16:30) and closed on Mondays except public holidays. If Day 3 falls on a Monday, swap it with Day 2. Take Metro Line 2 to Yunjinlu station, Exit 2, and enter by Gate 1. Large luggage must be checked (CNY 3 per item).

In the afternoon, go to the Presidential Palace (Museum of Modern Chinese History) at 292 Changjiang Road, about 350 m from Exit 5 of Daxinggong station (Metro Lines 2 and 3). Its Chinese-style gardens and Western-style office buildings show the changes from the Qing dynasty to the Republic of China; check official information for hours and fees. Then, near Jimingsi station on Metro Line 3, walk on the Ming city wall and look over Jiming Temple and Xuanwu Lake. Nanjing City Wall is the longest city wall in China. Check the airport's official website for ways to the airport and times, and cut the wall walk short if time is tight.

With one more day: Nanjing Museum and Laomendong

If you can stay 4 days, spend the extra morning at the Nanjing Museum. It is one of China's three major museums and the earliest of them to be founded, made up of the History Hall, Art Hall, Special Exhibition Hall, Digital Hall, Republic of China Hall and Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall. It is at 321 Zhongshan East Road, about 600 m from Exit 1 of Minggugong station on Metro Line 2; check official information for hours and booking.

In the afternoon, walk the Laomendong historic district, called 'the root of Nanjing', and Wuyi Alley near the Confucius Temple. Line 1 is closest to the Zhonghua Gate and Zhanyuan Garden area. For food, try duck blood and vermicelli soup or guotie, dumplings fried until crisp on the bottom.

Getting around, paying and budget

At a metro ticket machine, tap your destination station and choose how many tickets, and the fare is shown. Jinlingtong transport cards are sold at every station, and the 'Nanjing Metro Electronic Card' QR code in Alipay works for entry and exit. On buses, board at the front and put the correct fare for the route into the coin box, so carry enough small change; a Jinlingtong card or the Jinlingtong QR code in Alipay also works.

If you travel by train, Nanjing South Railway Station (Yuhuatai District) is the high-speed station, while most trains from Nanjing Railway Station (Xuanwu District) are on the Shanghai-Nanjing route or T, K and Z services. Foreigners can buy tickets with a passport at the station window, or register passport details on the official 12306 website or app and book online. Ticket machines only accept Chinese ID cards, so passport holders collect tickets at the window.

Getting around mainly by metro and bus keeps transport costs down (check official fares). Check official information for sight admission and the Qinhuai River cruise. Accommodation is most of the budget, and accommodation and food vary a lot by date, so compare prices by date on booking sites.

• Nanjing Massacre memorial hall: large luggage check CNY 3 per item
• Emergency numbers: police 110, fire 119, ambulance 120
• Visa policies, including visa-free entry, change often; check official information before you go

When to go: spring, autumn and climate normals

The guide picks spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November) as the best times for walking. Data from the WMO World Weather Information Service — China Meteorological Administration (Nanjing, 1961–1990 normals) give average highs of about 20°C in April, 25°C in May, 22°C in October and 16°C in November.

October (about 60 mm) and November (about 56 mm) get less rain than summer. July is the wettest month of the year (about 188 mm), and July-August are hot, with average highs of about 32°C. January is cold, with an average low of about -2°C. Check the official forecast before you go.

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