Nanjing travel guide
Six dynasties, one wall, and a duck worth the trip
Plan your visit
Recommended stay2–3 days
Getting there1–1.5 hours by high-speed rail from Shanghai.
Good to knowThe Ming Xiaoling Tomb and Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum sit together on Purple Mountain.
Nanjing is the six-dynasties capital turned modern scholarly city — the Ming wall and tomb, the Republic-era boulevards of the 1912 quarter, and some of China's best museums. Purple Mountain's woods rise over a metro-sized city that still moves at a human pace.
Top sights
- Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum — The 392-step marble ascent through Pine Valley — the Republic's defining monument; go early.
- Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum — UNESCO tomb of the Ming founder on the Sacred Way of stone elephants and camels.
- Nanjing Museum — One of China's great museums — the Republic-era street recreation in the basement is worth the trip alone.
- Confucius Temple & Qinhuai River — Lantern-lit night river cruise and snack street under the Fuzimiao gates.
- Zhonghua Gate — The largest surviving city-wall castle — 3,000-men garrison chambers inside the brick mass.
Suggested itinerary
- Dynasty Morning. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling Sacred Way, Purple Mountain forest walk
- Walls & Water. Zhonghua Gate city wall, Confucius Temple, Qinhuai River night cruise
- Modern & Memory. Presidential Palace, Nanjing Museum, Sifang Art Museum avant-garde architecture
Budget reference
LodgingNew-town chains ¥300–550; old-quarter (Fuzimiao) inns ¥250–500.
FoodDuck everything — salted duck ¥40–60, duck-blood soup ¥20–30, tangbao ¥15–25 per basket.
Local transportMetro covers all major sights ¥2–6; Purple Mountain funicular ¥30.
TicketsMausoleums ¥35–70, museum free with reservation, Presidential Palace ¥35, wall ¥50.
Where to stay
Xinjiekou for central metro convenience; Fuzimiao for riverside nights.
Good to know
- Book Nanjing Museum and mausoleum slots online — both are real-name reservation systems.
- Purple Mountain is a half-day minimum — combine mausoleums and the Ming tomb by internal shuttle.
- July–August is Nanjing's 'furnace' heat — sightsee before 10am, museum mid-day.
Explore
Nanjing travel guide