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7-Day Nanjing Itinerary

7-Day Nanjing Itinerary

TL;DR — Seven days in Nanjing (南京) is the deep-dive dose: 2 days in the city, 1 day Yangzhou (扬州), 1 day Zhenjiang (镇江), 1 day Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) or Wuyishan (武夷山), and 2 days slow exploration of the Yangtze (长江) riverfront. Nanjing was capital of 6 dynasties (Eastern Wu through Southern Dynasties, 229–589 AD) plus the Ming (1368–1421) and the Republic of China (1927–1949). The history is dense; the food is excellent; the pace is relaxed. Total mid-range cost: ~¥4,000–5,500 per person (excl. hotel).

Day 1: Ming Xiaoling + Confucius Temple

Morning (08:00–13:00): Sun Yat-sen + Ming Xiaoling

  • 08:00 — Metro Line 2 to Muxuyuan Station (苜蓿园站), 25 min from Xinjiekou.
  • 08:30 — Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (中山陵), free, ID required. 392-step climb to the marble statue of Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925). 1.5 hours.
  • 10:30 — Walk 10 min to Ming Xiaoling Tomb (明孝陵), ¥70. The tomb of the Hongwu Emperor (朱元璋), founder of the Ming Dynasty. The 1,800 m Spirit Way with stone animals is the highlight. 2 hours.
  • 12:30 — Lunch at the foot of Purple Mountain: Nanjing salted duck (盐水鸭) at Jiang Nan's Spring (江南春天).

Afternoon (14:00–18:00): Linggu Temple

  • 14:00 — Linggu Temple (灵谷寺), ¥35 entry. A 1,381-year-old Buddhist temple complex with the Beamless Hall (无梁殿), built entirely of brick without wooden beams. 1.5 hours.
  • 15:30 — Purple Mountain Observatory (紫金山天文台), ¥15 entry. China's first modern observatory, founded 1934. 1.5 hours. Skip if kids are tired.
  • 17:00 — Return to downtown.

Evening (18:30–22:00): Confucius Temple + Qinhuai River

  • 18:30 — Metro to Fuzimao Station (夫子庙站).
  • 19:00 — Confucius Temple (夫子庙) area, free to walk. Dinner at Qinhuai Renjia (秦淮人家) or De Yue Building (德月楼).
  • 20:30 — Qinhuai River cruise (秦淮河画舫), ¥80, 40 min. The night lights on the river are the famous Nanjing view.

Day 2: 20th-century history

Morning (08:30–12:00): Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall

  • 08:30 — Metro Line 2 to Yunjin Lu Station (云锦路站), exit 2.
  • 09:00 — Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall (侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念馆), free, ID required. English audio guide ¥20. Open Tue–Sun 08:30–17:00. Closed Mondays. 2.5 hours. No photos in the inner halls. Solemn visit.

Afternoon (13:00–18:00): Presidential Palace + Nanjing Museum

  • 13:00 — Lunch at Lifeng Yuan (丽丰园), simple Jiangsu cuisine, ¥50.
  • 14:00 — Metro to Dashijie Station (大行宫站).
  • 14:15 — Presidential Palace (总统府), ¥35. Five governments in one complex: Ming, Qing, Taiping, Republic, PRC. 2.5 hours. The 4D movie is ¥30 extra.
  • 17:00 — Walk to Nanjing Museum (南京博物院), free, real-name booking required. One of China's top 3 museums. 2 hours.

Evening

  • 19:00 — Dinner at Huaiyang cuisine (淮扬菜) at Ma Xiang Xing (马祥兴), founded 1840, for the signature "Hairy Tofu" (美人肝) and pan-fried shrimp dumplings.
  • 20:30 — 1912 Block (1912街区) for a Republican-era style evening drink.

Day 3: Yangzhou (扬州) day trip

Morning (07:00–13:00): Slender West Lake + Ge Garden

  • 07:00 — HSR from Nanjing South (南京南站) to Yangzhou East (扬州东站), 45 min, ¥50. 80+ daily trains.
  • 08:00 — Slender West Lake (瘦西湖), ¥100 entry (¥150 with boat). The UNESCO-listed 1,700-year-old garden lake. Allow 3 hours. Highlights: Five-Pavilion Bridge (五亭桥), White Pagoda (白塔), Xiaojin Mountain (小金山).
  • 11:00 — Ge Garden (个园), ¥45. A Qing-era scholar's garden famous for its four-season rockeries (spring bamboo, summer limestone, autumn yellow stone, winter pumice). 1 hour.
  • 12:00 — Lunch at Yechun Tea House (冶春茶社), founded 1877. Yangzhou morning tea (早茶): try crab-roe soup dumpling (蟹黄汤包), thousand-layer oil cake (千层油糕), shredded tofu (大煮干丝), Yangzhou fried rice (扬州炒饭).

Afternoon (13:00–18:00): He Garden + Daming Temple

  • 13:30 — He Garden (何园), ¥45. A Qing-era garden known as the "Garden of the Late Qing's First" for its Western-style architecture. 1 hour.
  • 14:30 — Daming Temple (大明寺), ¥45. A 1,500-year-old Buddhist temple where Jianzhen (鉴真) set out for Japan. The Qiongtian Pagoda (栖灵塔) is climbable for city views. 1 hour.
  • 16:00 — Pishi Street (皮市街), a restored 1,000-year-old artisan lane. Coffee at Dian Yin Coffee (殿寅咖啡). 1 hour.
  • 17:00 — HSR back to Nanjing, 45 min.

Day 4: Zhenjiang (镇江) day trip

Morning (07:30–13:00): Jinshan + Jiaoshan

  • 07:30 — HSR from Nanjing South to Zhenjiang (镇江南站), 25 min, ¥40.
  • 08:30 — Jinshan (金山), ¥65. A Buddhist temple built on a hill in the middle of the Yangtze, the legendary home of Lady White Snake (白蛇传). The Jinshan Temple (金山寺) dates to 4th century. 2 hours.
  • 10:30 — Jiaoshan (焦山), ¥65. Take the ferry across the Yangtze (¥10). The Pavilion of Calligraphy (碑林) has 500+ stone inscriptions. The Huxue Cottage (胡适之) is where the modernist writer stayed. 2 hours.
  • 12:00 — Lunch at Zhenjiang Pot Cover Noodles (锅盖面) shop. Zhenjiang vinegar (镇江香醋) is China's most famous — try vinegar-fried rice (醋炒饭).

Afternoon (13:30–18:00): Xijindu + return

  • 13:30 — Xijindu Ancient Street (西津渡古街), free. A 1,500-year-old wharf street, UNESCO-listed as a heritage site. 1.5 hours. Cobbled paths, traditional teahouses, a Ming-era watchtower.
  • 15:00 — Zhenjiang Museum (镇江博物馆), free, 1 hour. Western Zhou bronze and Eastern Jin pottery.
  • 16:30 — HSR back to Nanjing, 25 min.

Evening

  • 19:00 — Dinner at **Nanjing's most famous duck restaurant, Jinling (金陵), for salted duck (盐水鸭) and duck blood soup (鸭血汤).
  • 20:30 — Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge (南京长江大桥) at night. The 4.6 km double-deck bridge was China's first domestically designed modern bridge (1968). Walk 1 hour, free.

Day 5: Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) day trip (long)

This is the only long day — Huangshan is 4 hours each way. Consider a 2-night stay in Huangshan if you want sunrise.

Early morning (04:00–22:00): Huangshan

  • 04:00 — HSR from Nanjing South to Huangshan North (黄山北站), 3.5h, ¥230.
  • 08:00 — Bus to Huangshan Scenic Area (黄山风景区), 1 hour, ¥30.
  • 09:00 — Huangshan (黄山), ¥190 entry. The UNESCO World Heritage mountain, famous for "Four Wonders": pines on rocks, sea of clouds, hot springs, and winter snow.
  • 09:30 — Cable car (索道) to the top: ¥80–90 (Yungu Cable Car or Yuping Cable Car). Hike 4–5 hours on top: Bright Summit (光明顶, 1,860 m), Lotus Peak (莲花峰, 1,864 m, China's highest peak in east China, closed for maintenance periodically), Aerial Peak (天都峰, 1,829 m, very steep, optional).
  • 13:00 — Lunch on the mountain (instant noodles + sausages at the summit restaurants, ¥40–80, expensive).
  • 15:00 — Descend by cable car.
  • 16:30 — Bus back to Huangshan North Station.
  • 18:00 — HSR back to Nanjing, 3.5 hours. Arrive 21:30. Late dinner near the station.

Alternative: Swap Day 5 for a 1-night Huangshan stay. Bus to the foot of Huangshan in the afternoon, sleep at a mountain hotel (¥600–1,200/night), see the sunrise from the top (04:50 in autumn), then descend and return to Nanjing.

Day 6: Slow Nanjing + Jiangnan water towns

Morning (08:30–12:00): Jiangning Imperial Silk Museum + Chaotian Palace

  • 08:30 — Jiangning Imperial Silk Museum (江宁织造博物馆), free, 1.5 hours. The 17th-century imperial silk-weaving workshop, now a museum about the Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦) (the author Cao Xueqin lived here as a child).
  • 10:30 — Chaotian Palace (朝天宫), free, 1 hour. The Ming-era imperial palace, now the Nanjing City Museum (南京博物馆, the older one, not the Nanjing Museum), with a beautiful Confucius temple complex.
  • 11:30 — Qingliangshan Park (清凉山), free, 1 hour. Chong Zeng Temple (崇正书院), a Ming-era Buddhist academy, and the "Stone City" (石头城) — a natural rock formation on the Yangtze riverfront.

Afternoon (13:00–18:00): Zhujiang cruise or Tongli water town

  • 13:00 — Yangtze River (长江) cruise from Nanjing Yangtze Wharf (中山码头) to Pukou (浦口), ¥30 round trip, 1 hour. The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge from below is impressive. Or take a lunch cruise (¥180, 2 hours) with the Yangtze River delta scenery.
  • 15:00 — Yuejiang Tower (阅江楼), ¥40. A Ming-era design finally built in 2001, 52 m tall, with the longest Chinese-character scroll painting (200 m) inside. 1.5 hours.
  • 17:00 — Return to hotel.

Evening

  • 19:00 — Dinner at Nanjing Impressions (南京大牌档), the city's most popular restaurant chain, with a folk music + costume themed atmosphere. Try soup dumplings (蟹黄汤包), pan-fried buns (生煎包), osmanthus jelly (桂花糖芋苗).
  • 21:00 — Qinhuai River lantern walk (秦淮灯会) in season (Chinese New Year lantern festival, late Jan–late Feb, free).

Day 7: Modern Nanjing + departure

Morning (08:30–12:00): Niushou Mountain

  • 08:30 — Metro Line 1 to Cuipinglu Station (翠屏路站), then bus.
  • 09:00 — Niushou Mountain (牛首山), ¥98. A Buddhist cultural site with the Foding Palace (佛顶宫), a 200 m diameter underground palace housing the Sakyamuni skull relic (佛祖顶骨舍利). The architecture is striking. 3 hours.

Afternoon (13:00–17:00): Yincheng Lake + Departure

  • 13:00 — Yincheng Lake (银杏湖乐园) if traveling with kids — an amusement park and garden. ¥120. Skip if not.
  • 14:00 — Alternative: Ming Xiaoling's Sacred Way (神道) extended section, the lesser-known but well-preserved stone guardian path, free, 1 hour.
  • 15:00 — Last-minute shopping at Deji Plaza (德基广场) in Xinjiekou: luxury brands + the Deji Art Museum (德基美术馆).
  • 17:00 — Hotel checkout. Metro or taxi to Nanjing Lukou Airport (NKG) for departure.

Practical info

  • Airport: Nanjing Lukou (NKG) — metro Line S1 to South Station, 35 min, ¥7.
  • Train: Nanjing South and Nanjing Station both on the Beijing–Shanghai HSR line. Shanghai Hongqiao: 1.5h, ¥140. Hangzhou: 1h, ¥120. Beijing: 4.5h, ¥450. Hefei: 1h, ¥100. Yangzhou: 45 min, ¥50. Zhenjiang: 25 min, ¥40. Huangshan: 3.5h, ¥230.
  • Metro: 11 lines, ¥2–5 per ride. Tap with Alipay or WeChat.
  • Hotels: Stay near Xinjiekou (新街口). Mid-range: ¥350–600/night. Sofitel Nanjing Galaxy for luxury. Jinjiang Inn Xinjiekou for budget. Hanting Express (汉庭) for clean cheap.
  • Best season: March–May and September–November. Avoid June–August (35°C+ humidity) and Huangshan during typhoon season (Jul–Sep). Spring Festival lantern festival on Qinhuai River (late Jan–late Feb) is impressive.
  • What to skip: The Nanjing Confucian Temple (夫子庙) is a tourist trap at the entrance — eat in the area but don't buy the ¥100 "antiques" outside. The Yangtze River Bridge in daylight isn't as impressive; the night view is the only time to go.

Budget estimate

| Item | Per person (CNY) | |---|---| | Hotel (6 nights, mid-range) | 2,100–3,600 | | Food (7 days) | 1,000–1,500 | | Transport (metro + HSR day trips) | 600 | | Tickets (Xiaoling, Presidential Palace, City Wall, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Huangshan) | 900 | | Yangtze cruise / extras | 200 | | Total (excl. international flight) | 4,800–6,800 |

Verify with: the Huangshan official site (chinahuangshan.com) for cable car operation status and Lotus Peak opening schedule, 12306.cn for HSR tickets to Yangzhou/Zhenjiang/Huangshan, and the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall site (njmuseum.com) for Monday closures.