China Travel Kit

5 days / one flexible framework

Five days in Nanjing

A former imperial and Republican capital where mountain mausoleums, city walls and major museums need separate days.

Confucius Temple — Qinhuai River Scenic Area, Nanjing.
Confucius Temple — Qinhuai River Scenic Area, Nanjing.
Photo source & license南京夫子庙 02.jpg · Credit: Liuxingy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photographed 2018Resized and converted to WebP; display framing may crop the photograph. The photograph and these versions retain the linked license.
Make this route your own

Use these days as a starting point and adjust the pace to suit you. Check the linked attraction guides for reservations and closures, and allow a full day for longer outings. Confirm weather and tickets before setting off.

Choose one route for each day with alternatives below. Only its listed stops are imported. Optional stops stay in the guide, and opening days still need checking for your dates.

Make room for a local experience ↓

Choose your pace

Make room for local life

Choose which visits to shorten or replace. Check the experience’s address and conditions, and arrange meals, shows or workshops separately. The booking planner saves the listed attraction visits.

DAY1

East Nanjing

Zhongshan Mountain

Planner route: Zhongshan Mountain.

Planner stops: Zhongshan Mountain Scenic Area — Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum + Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Zhongshan Mountain Scenic Area — Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum 钟山风景名胜区-中山陵园风景区Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum 明孝陵景区
  1. Use the confirmed mausoleum session first
  2. Give Ming Xiaoling its own ticket and walking allowance
If the plan changes

If one booking fails, retain the other and shorten the mountain route.

DAY2

Central and western city

Major museums

These are alternatives. The planner adds only the stops in your chosen option.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Nanjing Museum 南京博物院Nanjing Presidential Palace — Museum of Modern Chinese History 南京中国近代史遗址博物馆（总统府景区）Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders 侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念馆
  1. Choose one substantial morning museum
  2. Add only one other independently confirmed session; the three listed are alternatives, not a sprint
If the plan changes

A closure at one museum does not authorize access to the others.

DAY3

Qinhuai

The southern old city

These are alternatives. The planner adds only the stops in your chosen option.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Grand Baoen Temple Heritage Park 大报恩寺遗址公园景区Nanjing City Wall 南京城墙Laomendong Historic and Cultural District 老门东历史文化街区Confucius Temple — Qinhuai River Scenic Area 夫子庙—秦淮风光带景区
  1. Begin with Grand Baoen or a chosen wall section
  2. Walk Laomendong and finish by the Qinhuai River
If the plan changes

Skip the cruise if queues are long; keep the confirmed public streets.

DAY4

Niushoushan

A dedicated southern excursion

Planner route: A dedicated southern excursion.

Planner stops: Niushoushan Cultural Tourism Area.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Niushoushan Cultural Tourism Area 牛首山文化旅游区
  1. Protect the day for the scenic area and its major interior
  2. Return without an additional cross-city timed booking
If the plan changes

Swap with an indoor day for severe weather or an unavailable main interior.

DAY5

North or northeast

A choice of northern landscapes

These are alternatives. The planner adds only the stops in your chosen option.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Xuanwu Lake Scenic Area 玄武湖景区Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo 红山森林动物园Qixia Mountain Scenic Area 栖霞山风景区Yuejiang Tower Scenic Area 阅江楼景区Yuhuatai Scenic Area 雨花台风景区
  1. Choose Xuanwu Lake plus the zoo for an urban day
  2. Alternatively give Qixia a half-day, or Yuejiang Tower its own northwest route; Yuhuatai is a separate southern alternative
If the plan changes

Choose one geographic option. Do not attempt every attraction in this list.

Prefer a different pace?

Find a day that suits you

Browse more Nanjing attractions for an alternative. Check its reservations, opening days and travel time before adding it to your plan.

Full guides for possible swaps

These are alternatives to consider, not extra stops to add to the same day. Check locations and transfer times before replacing an itinerary stop; a distant excursion may need a full day.