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Major city · China

Nanjing南京

Give Nanjing 2 nights: one full day for the Ming tomb and city wall, one for the massacre memorial and the old Qinhuai quarter.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Mar–May, Sep–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (hot, humid, heavy rain), Chinese New Year week
Airport
NKG
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
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Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
  • China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
  • China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
  • China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
  • China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Nanjing was capital of six dynasties and of the Republic of China, so its sights are historical rather than scenic: the Ming Xiaoling tomb, the city wall, the 1937 massacre memorial and the Qinhuai riverfront. Two nights covers the core; three lets you add Purple Mountain properly. It sits 75 minutes from Shanghai by high-speed rail, which makes it an easy add-on to a Jiangsu or Yangtze delta route.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Nanjing, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6)
  • Street or quick mealNoodle soup (duck-blood vermicelli or xiaomian)¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
  • BeerBeer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxiMeter starts at ¥9 plus a ¥2 fuel fee.¥20–30 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Metro or bus rideMetro ride¥2–9 (≈ US$1–2)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥80–200 (≈ US$12–30)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum or tomb entrySome sites are free; check each one.¥0–70 (≈ US$0–10)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCN¥70 (≈ US$10)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥420 (≈ US$60)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥800 (≈ US$120)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥250 (≈ US$35) · Mid CN¥550 (≈ US$80) · High CN¥1,100 (≈ US$160)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (UNESCO)City wall and Zhonghua GateMemorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing MassacreConfucius Temple and Qinhuai RiverPurple Mountain (Zijin Shan)
Airports
NKG Nanjing Lukou International Airport (Metro Line S1 to Nanjing South Railway Station, about 30 min, ¥6; taxi to the centre about ¥100)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Nanjing: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

7°C

0°C

8 rd

Feb

10°C

2°C

9 rd

Mar

15°C

6°C

11 rd

Apr

21°C

12°C

11 rd

May

27°C

17°C

11 rd

Jun

29°C

21°C

12 rd

Jul

32°C

25°C

13 rd

Aug

32°C

25°C

11 rd

Sep

28°C

20°C

9 rd

Oct

23°C

14°C

8 rd

Nov

17°C

8°C

8 rd

Dec

10°C

2°C

7 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The metro is clean, cheap and the fastest way across town: single tokens ¥2–9 by distance, trains roughly 05:00–23:00. Lines 1, 2 and 3 cover the centre and both main rail stations; Line S1 links the airport. Buses are ¥2 flat but have no English signage. Taxis start at ¥9 plus a ¥2 fuel fee and most central trips stay under ¥25 — insist the meter runs and take the printed receipt.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Suzhou

go

Door to door: About 2 h

High-speed G train from Nanjing South, about 1 h 15 min

Classical gardens and canals; doable as a long day, better as an overnight.

Yangzhou

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

High-speed rail from Nanjing Station, about 1 h

Slender West Lake and morning tea; a comfortable day trip.

Wuxi

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

High-speed G train from Nanjing South, about 1 h

Lake Tai and the Grand Buddha; combine with a Suzhou stop.

Changzhou

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

High-speed rail from Nanjing Station, about 45 min

Fine for a half day; sights are spread out from the station.

Jiangyin

caution

Door to door: About 2 h

High-speed rail, about 1 h 30 min

Yangtze riverfront town; only worth it if you are heading east anyway.

Huai'an

overnight

Door to door: About 2.5 h

High-speed rail from Nanjing South, about 2 h

Too far for a return day; sleep one night.

Lianyungang

skip

Door to door: About 3.5 h

High-speed rail from Nanjing South, about 3 h

Coastal Jiangsu; save it for a separate northern route.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Xinjiekou

City-centre interchange of metro lines 1 and 2; most hotel choice, walk to shops and restaurants.

Confucius Temple / Qinhuai

Old-quarter lanes, riverfront at night; good for one or two nights, noisier.

Nanjing South Railway Station

For early high-speed departures; functional, few sights within walking distance.

Xuanwu Lake / Nanjing Station

Quiet, lakeside, close to Purple Mountain and the north-shore train station.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥250–450 (≈ US$35–65) excl. bed
Mid
¥450–900 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed
High
¥900 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 2 nights × CN¥420CN¥840
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × CN¥550CN¥2,200
Metro Line S1 airport to Nanjing South, one way2 × CN¥6 · checkCN¥12
Taxi airport to downtown1 × CN¥100 · checkCN¥100
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥120CN¥240
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥339
Trip total≈ CN¥933 per person per day, bed includedCN¥3,731≈ US$550

2026 estimate in yuan; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6)
Noodle soup (duck-blood vermicelli or xiaomian)¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
5 km taxiMeter starts at ¥9 plus a ¥2 fuel fee.¥20–30 (≈ US$3–5)
Metro ride¥2–9 (≈ US$1–2)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥80–200 (≈ US$12–30)
Museum or tomb entrySome sites are free; check each one.¥0–70 (≈ US$0–10)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Nanjing is a safe big city by day and night; the real risks are summer heat, metro bag checks slowing you down, and unmetered taxis — ask for the meter and the receipt.
  • Summer is genuinely punishing: July and August combine 32 °C+ highs with the year's heaviest rain.
  • Bags go through X-ray at every metro station; allow a few extra minutes.
  • Bike theft is common — use a strong lock on any rental or shared bike.
  • Taxi drivers rarely speak English: have your hotel write the destination in Chinese.
  • The massacre memorial is a solemn site; behave accordingly and expect queues.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire
119
Ambulance
120

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Nanjing南京

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请到这个地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

The US has a consulate-general in Shanghai covering Jiangsu (check the address); most other countries keep embassies in Beijing and consulates in Shanghai.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Metro S1, airport → Nanjing South: ¥6 (≈ under US$1), about 30 min (check)
  • Taxi airport → downtown: about ¥100 (≈ US$14)
  • High-speed rail Nanjing → Shanghai: about ¥140 (≈ US$20) second class, 75 min (check)

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xiè xie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duō shao qián)
  • 请打表 — Please use the meter (qǐng dǎ biǎo)
  • 我不懂 — I don't understand (wǒ bù dǒng)
  • 洗手间在哪里？ — Where is the toilet? (xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ)

Metro runs roughly 05:00–23:00; last trains are earlier on some suburban lines.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Nanjing. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (hot, humid, heavy rain), Chinese New Year week · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for NKG: last S1 metro departures, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Xinjiekou, Confucius Temple and Qinhuai, Purple Mountain, the wall and Zhonghua Gate.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Ming Xiaoling, city wall, massacre memorial, Nanjing Museum) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Golden and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources