The Best 3-Day Nanjing Travel Guide

Where are you all planning to go for the National Day holiday? The 7-day long weekend is perfect for traveling to Nanjing. Nanjing is a historical and cultural city with a large number of humanistic tourist attractions. Here, I will recommend a 3-day itinerary for you to explore Nanjing.

Itinerary 1

Day 1: Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum→Meiling Palace→Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum & Music Terrace→Linggu Scenic Area

Opening Hours: The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (the area above the “World is for the Public” gate) is open daily from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, closed for maintenance every Monday (except statutory holidays, Sun Yat-sen’s birthday and death anniversary); the tomb is open from Tuesday to Friday (except statutory holidays), and is open on Sun Yat-sen’s birthday and death anniversary. Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area 7:00-18:00. Linggu Scenic Area 7:00-18:00 (Linggu Temple 8:00-16:00). Music Terrace 7:00-18:00. Meiling Palace Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-17:00.

Address: No. 7 Shixiang Road, Xuanwu District

Transportation: Take Metro Line 2 to Mu Xu Yuan Station and walk to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area. Exit Gate 5 of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Lingyuan Road is right in front of you. Walk through Lingyuan Road and you will see Meiling Palace surrounded by a group of sycamores. After visiting Meiling Palace, you can take the scenic area sightseeing bus to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. The Linggu Scenic Area is located about 1 kilometer east of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. You can walk or take a sightseeing bus to get there.

Tickets: The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is free to enter, but reservations are required. Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area 70 yuan/person, Linggu Scenic Area 35 yuan/person, Music Terrace 10 yuan/person, Meiling Palace 30 yuan/person, a package ticket for the above scenic spots is 100 yuan/person. Nanjing City Garden Annual Pass is applicable.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area is mainly composed of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Palace Area, including the Grand Golden Gate, the Square City, the Sacred Way, the Dismounting Arch, Meihua Mountain, the Eastern Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty, Zi Xia Lake and other scenic spots. A one-day tour is a bit rushed, you can visit the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Palace, the Eastern Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty, the Red Mansion Literary and Art Garden, the Sacred Way of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum + Shixiang Road and other places.

The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is the tomb of Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer of the democratic revolution. Near the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum are the Music Terrace, Xingjian Pavilion, Guanghua Pavilion, Liuhui Xie, Zangjing Building and other commemorative buildings. If you have enough time, you can go to the Music Terrace, Liuhui Xie and other places after climbing the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.

The Linggu Scenic Area is located about 1 kilometer east of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. You can walk or take a sightseeing bus to get there. It houses the Kaishan Temple, a temple of the Six Dynasties, the tomb tower of Baozhi, a famous monk of the Liang Dynasty, the Wonganchi of the Ming Dynasty, the largest existing Wu Liang Dian in China, the Linggu Pagoda of the Republic of China, the Songfeng Pavilion and other famous historical sites, as well as the tombs of famous people of the Republic of China such as Tan Yankai and Deng Yanda.

Day 2: Nanjing Museum – Presidential Palace – Nanjing Museum of Six Dynasties

You can go to the Nanjing Museum early, as there will be more people on holidays. Going early will save you time queuing up, and you will have a better experience while visiting the museum.

The Presidential Palace and the Nanjing Museum of Six Dynasties are both located on Changjiang Road, not far from each other, so you can visit them together. The Presidential Palace is now the Museum of Modern History, where you can learn about the history of the Republic of China. The Nanjing Museum of Six Dynasties is a site museum that displays relics of the Six Dynasties, allowing you to feel the changes in time and space of the Six Dynasties.

Ticket information: Nanjing Museum is free but requires reservations; Presidential Palace 35 yuan, Nanjing Park Annual Pass is applicable; Nanjing Museum of Six Dynasties 30 yuan, Nanjing Park Annual Pass is applicable.

Nanjing Museum reservation entrance: WeChat mini program reservation, website reservation

Day 3: Niushou Mountain – Jinling Small Town · Yanji Li

Niushou Mountain and Jinling Small Town · Yanji Li are relatively close, Yanji Li is located in the west of Niushou Mountain, east of Niushou Avenue, north of Mozhou Road. Take a day trip to Niushou Mountain and Jinling Small Town · Yanji Li Scenic Area during the National Day holiday! Check in Niushou Mountain during the day and visit Jinling Small Town · Yanji Li in the evening, a full day trip. A fulfilling holiday is about living like this. Day 3: Niushou Mountain – Jinling Small Town · Yanji Li

Opening hours: Niushou Mountain 9:00-17:30; Jinling Small Town 9:30-21:30, time-slot booking is required for entry

Niushou Mountain is known as “Spring Niushou”, the scenic area includes the Yue Fei Anti-Jin Fortress, cliff inscriptions, Hongjue Temple Pagoda, Zheng He Culture Park and other attractions. The Buddha Top Palace is a must-visit place. For detailed information about the attractions, please see >>> What are the main attractions of Niushou Mountain in Nanjing.

Jinling Small Town · Yanji Li provides five ways of experiencing: travel, living, business, participation and entertainment, with attractions such as Taoxique, Wenxin Pavilion, Linqu Lane, Lingxiao Terrace, Lushui Garden and so on. Besides checking in and taking pictures, don’t miss the performances in the scenic area, especially the “Yunzhi Zhenyan” at Jieyin Terrace and the “Chang Xiang Zhi” at Lushui Garden.

Itinerary 2

Day 1: Nanjing Museum – Presidential Palace – Nanjing Museum of Six Dynasties – Changjiang Road

Those who love history and relics should definitely not miss the Nanjing Museum, especially the Republic of China Gallery. Even those who are not interested in history are sure to enjoy this place. After visiting the Nanjing Museum, take Metro Line 2 to Daxinggong Station, and you can visit the next attractions. The Presidential Palace and the Nanjing Museum of Six Dynasties are both located on Changjiang Road, so you can basically reach them on foot, and the 1912 District is also on Changjiang Road.

In addition, be sure to go to the Nanjing Museum early, the earlier the better, because if you go late, you will have to queue for a long time.

Ticket information: Nanjing Museum is free but requires reservations, the Presidential Palace and Nanjing Museum of Six Dynasties require tickets.

Day 2: Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum – Meiling Palace – Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum & Music Terrace – Linggu Scenic Area

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area is mainly composed of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Palace Area, including the Grand Golden Gate, the Square City, the Sacred Way, the Dismounting Arch, Meihua Mountain, the Eastern Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty, Zi Xia Lake and other scenic spots. A one-day tour is a bit rushed, you can visit the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Palace, the Eastern Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty, the Red Mansion Literary and Art Garden, the Sacred Way of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum + Shixiang Road and other places. The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is the tomb of Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer of the democratic revolution. Near the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum are the Music Terrace, Xingjian Pavilion, Guanghua Pavilion, Liuhui Xie, Zangjing Building and other commemorative buildings. If you have enough time, you can go to the Music Terrace, Liuhui Xie and other places after climbing the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.

Ticket prices: The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is free to enter, but reservations are required. Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area 70 yuan/person, Linggu Scenic Area 35 yuan/person, Music Terrace 10 yuan/person, Meiling Palace 30 yuan/person, a package ticket for the above scenic spots is 100 yuan/person.

Day 3: Mingwa Lang – Xinjiekou – Confucius Temple – Old Men Dong

Mingwa Lang is a must-go place for Nanjing people to find food, located in Xinjiekou, the most lively area in Nanjing. There is also a Lujia Lane next to Mingwa Lang, with many delicious foods as well. It is worth noting that Mingwa Lang is famous, so there will be a lot of people queuing up at meal times, you can go a little off-peak to find food.

After finding food at Mingwa Lang, go shopping in the Xinjiekou commercial district. There are many department stores around Xinjiekou, such as Deji Plaza, Jinying, Central Mall, etc., whether you want to shop or check in special shops, you can find suitable choices. In addition, the former Nanjing Branch of the Bank of Communications, the former Central News Agency and other buildings are all around Xinjiekou, with the architectural style of the Republic of China, taking pictures and checking in is no problem.

After visiting Xinjiekou, take Metro Line 1 or ride a shared bicycle to the famous Confucius Temple in Nanjing. The Confucius Temple includes the Grand Hall, Nanjing China Examination Museum (Jiangnan Gongyuan), Wang Xie’s Former Residence, Li Xiangjun’s Former Residence Exhibition Hall, Wuyi Lane, Taoye Ferry, Wen De Bridge and other attractions. The Confucius Temple Pedestrian Street is completely free, but if you want to visit individual attractions or take a boat ride, you will need to buy tickets separately.

Of course, you can choose not to eat at the Confucius Temple. After visiting the Confucius Temple, you can walk to the Old Men Dong. Compared with the Confucius Temple, I personally recommend the Old Men Dong, where there are many delicious foods and the night view is also good. Huaiyang cuisine Zhuli Guan, special foods such as Huang Qinji, Xiao Zheng Su Shaobing, Jiang Youji, Jiming Tangbao, etc., there are many food choices in the Old Men Dong as well!

Ticket information: Individual attractions within the Confucius Temple require a fee.