East China

Nanjing

Nanjing was the capital of six dynasties, the first capital of the Ming, and the capital of the Republic — and it carries all three layers without showing off. The Ming city wall still circuits the old town for 35 kilometres, the Purple Mountain holds Sun Yat-sen’s mausoleum and the first Ming emperor’s tomb in one forest park, and the Qinhuai River lantern district has been the city’s evening out since the Tang. It sits midway on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed line, which makes it the easiest serious-history stop on China’s busiest corridor.

Best seasonMarch to May (plum and cherry blossom on Purple Mountain) and September to November
AirportNKG
Time zoneUTC+8

Plan a trip here

The case for going

What this place is actually good for

Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

The 392-step granite stairway up Purple Mountain to the father of the Republic. Go early morning; the avenue of plane trees below is the city’s best walk.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

The tomb of the first Ming emperor, on the UNESCO list, reached down the Sacred Way lined with stone elephants and camels. The Plum Blossom Hill beside it blooms in late February.

The Ming city wall

Twenty-five kilometres of it still stand — the longest surviving city wall in the world. Walk the Zhonghua Gate fortress or the Xuanwu Lake stretch at dusk.

Confucius Temple and the Qinhuai River

The lantern-lit river district that has been Nanjing’s entertainment quarter for a thousand years. Evening boat ride, then duck-blood soup on the bank.

Nanjing Museum

One of the best museums in China and still free — the Republic-era street replica in the basement and the jade burial suit are the two things to find.

Practical

The details that shape the trip

Language: Mandarin with the Nanjing dialect
Airport code: NKG
UNESCO: Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (Ming and Qing Imperial Tombs), 2003
Time zone: UTC+8 (China Standard Time)
Best for: Imperial history, museum days, HSR stopovers

Climate and season

Humid subtropical with four real seasons. Hot July and August, a short plum-rain spell in June, cold damp winters, and the best weather in spring and autumn.

Getting there

Lukou International (NKG) is 45 minutes from the centre on metro Line S1 with a change at Nanjing South. Nanjing South station is on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed line: about 1 hour 15 minutes from Shanghai Hongqiao, 3.5 to 4 hours from Beijing South.

Airport. Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG)

Rail. Nanjing South is a top-tier hub — Shanghai in 75 minutes, Beijing in 4 hours, Hangzhou in 1 hour, and westward services toward Hefei and Wuhan.

In pictures

Real scenes from Nanjing

Questions travellers ask

Nanjing basics, answered plainly

How many days do I need in Nanjing?

Two full days: one for Purple Mountain — the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Ming Xiaoling with the Sacred Way — and one for the city wall, the Nanjing Museum and the Qinhuai River district at night.

Where should I stay in Nanjing?

Inside or just south of the Ming wall, between Xinjiekou and the Confucius Temple quarter. Everything in the old city walks or two metro stops, and Nanjing South station is twenty minutes away.

How do I get to Nanjing?

Fly into Lukou (NKG) and take metro Line S1, or arrive at Nanjing South on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed line: 75 minutes from Shanghai, about 4 hours from Beijing. It is the natural midpoint stop of the corridor.

Is Nanjing worth adding to a Beijing–Shanghai trip?

Yes — it is the only imperial capital on that line, and the wall, the mausoleums and the museum hold their own against either endpoint. One night is enough to see the core.

Routes through here

The itineraries that include Nanjing

East China

5days

Nanjing & Shanghai

March to May for the plane-tree canopy; November for the Stone Elephant Road autumn · Balanced · Easy

Nanjing is the imperial capital that most first trips skip: the Mausoleum avenue under plane trees, a Ming emperor’s tomb in the purple hills, a Ming city wall you can walk, and a museum quarter the size of a small town. Five days runs Nanjing at three nights — the right count for the wall, the tomb and the Confucian quarter without rushing — then puts you on the 80-minute high-speed train to Shanghai for the Bund and the French Concession lanes.

From US$1,450per person

View the route

Where to stay

Verified stays in Nanjing

Banyan Tree · Luxury

Banyan Tree Nanjing Garden Expo

南京 · Garden Expo Park

Inside the Garden Expo park with private hot spring pools in every room category, and a children’s club. The easiest family add-on to a Nanjing stop.

Daily breakfast for two
One 60-minute photo session
Welcome fruit and minibar soft drinks
Kids club, pool, gym and yoga room

From US$340 per night

Valid to 2026-12-31