3-Day Nanjing Itinerary for First-Time Visitors (2026)

Three days at a glance

• This assumes three complete sightseeing days, with arrival and departure time counted separately.

• The Zhongshan area and the southern old city are not adjacent. Avoid crossing the city several times each day.

• The museum, memorial and mausoleum have different entry systems and opening days. Check each site individually before booking transport around it.

Tickets, hours and Monday closures

Official prices and hours, checked in October 2026.

Getting to Zhongshan. Take Metro Line 2 to Muxuyuan station, Exit 1: Ming Xiaoling is about 500 m away and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum about 1 km. Sightseeing buses also run to the mausoleum from Muxuyuan and Xiaolingwei stations.

Nanjing Museum and the Memorial Hall: separate reservations

• A reservation for one Memorial Hall exhibition area does not admit you to all three. The main Massacre Historical Exhibition and Three Victories area are adjacent but have different entrances; Liji Lane is farther away.

• Choose the exact exhibition area in the booking system and save its confirmation and entrance. Keep the same original passport available for document checks; a screenshot of a passport does not replace the original document.

• If no suitable museum or memorial slot is available, change the sightseeing order or choose another activity. Do not build the day around an assumed walk-in place.

• Give the memorial an unhurried, respectful visit. Check venue-specific age and accessibility rules before adding Liji Lane, and leave room to shorten the day if the material is distressing.

A Monday–Wednesday Nanjing itinerary alternative

• The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Nanjing Museum and the Memorial Hall all close on Mondays, so Monday is the day for the city wall and the Qinhuai area. If both the museum and the memorial matter to you, book compatible slots first; otherwise move one to Tuesday and shorten the Zhongshan day.

• For other weekday combinations, move the museum and memorial block to an open day and keep each confirmed booking. Check the mausoleum on its own rather than treating every Zhongshan sight as one schedule.

• Opening hours and closures are in the tickets table, checked against official sources in October 2026. Holiday hours apply only on their stated dates, and your booking confirmation decides entry.

Day 1: the Zhongshan scenic area

1. Take Metro Line 2 to Muxuyuan station, Exit 1. Start with the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum: it's free but needs an online booking in your passport name, it's open 8:30–17:00, and it's closed on Mondays except national holidays. The tomb chamber itself isn't open to visitors.

2. Be ready for stairs and a long outdoor walk. If mobility or weather makes the climb unsuitable, spend more time in an accessible part of the scenic area instead.

3. Add one substantial second stop. Ming Xiaoling (¥70) is about 500 m from Exit 1. The ¥100 combined ticket also covers Linggu, the Music Stage and Meiling Palace, but don't try to see them all in one relaxed day.

4. Ming Xiaoling is part of the UNESCO-listed Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Read a little of its history before you go, and take your time on the tree-lined approach.

5. Head back into the city for dinner. A full Qinhuai evening on top of two big eastern sites is too much for one relaxed day.

Day 2: museum and remembrance

1. Choose Nanjing Museum for regional history or the Presidential Palace for a different focus. Use the separate-reservation comparison above if choosing the museum, including its foreign-passport service-centre procedure, and secure a time that leaves room for the rest of the day.

2. Leave a proper midday break before the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. Its exhibitions cover traumatic events and deserve time and respectful attention.

3. For the Memorial Hall, select the actual exhibition area and keep its own reservation confirmation. Follow the official visitor guide and the entrance for that booking; do not assume one reservation covers all three areas.

4. Keep the rest of the day light. If you prefer not to visit the memorial, use this block for a second museum or a quieter neighbourhood without implying the sites are interchangeable.

5. Allow travel time between the city-centre museum options and the memorial. End near your hotel rather than scheduling an unrelated distant attraction.

Day 3: walls, southern lanes and Qinhuai

1. Explore one accessible section of Nanjing's city wall or Zhonghua Gate after checking the specific entry point and ticket rules. The walls are long; choose a segment rather than planning a complete circuit.

2. Walk through the southern old city toward the Confucius Temple area (free to walk, though some sights charge; Metro Line 3, Fuzimiao station). Look into the side streets and local food rather than staying on the busiest shopping frontage.

3. Walk by the Qinhuai River in daylight or early evening. The painted-boat trip boards near the Confucius Temple: ¥80 by day (9:00–18:30) or ¥100 at night (18:30–22:00).

4. If you have a late train, keep this day flexible, collect your luggage and allow time for security at your exact station.

Where to stay and how to arrive

• Stay near a useful metro interchange in the central city if you want balanced access to Zhongshan, the museums and Qinhuai. A hotel in the Qinhuai area suits evening walks but means a longer trip east.

• Nanjing and Nanjing South are different railway stations. Check the station printed on your ticket; Shanghai also has several departure stations.

• Book on 12306 or Trip.com, with your details exactly as in your passport. Tickets go on sale 15 days before departure, and China Railway's FAQ confirms foreign passengers can use their passports for real-name tickets. How to book China trains

• If you're flying in, check the airport-to-city metro or road route and your hotel's late check-in. Save the hotel's Chinese name and address offline.

• Before you book a hotel, check its "Guests Accepted" line on Trip.com (how), and check the nearest metro station and a realistic travel time to the sights.

If you add Suzhou, see my 3-day Suzhou itinerary, with garden tickets and booking rules for 2026.

Reservations, pacing and weather

• Summer heat, rain and holiday crowds make outdoor walking much slower. Start early where you can, and plan a museum or rest break.

• Prices and hours on this page were checked against official sources in October 2026. Check again for your dates; your booking confirmation decides entry.

Adapt the route to your interests

• With one day, choose either Zhongshan's mausoleum area or the museum and southern old city. Adding the memorial should be a deliberate decision with enough time.

• With two days, keep Zhongshan on one day and a museum, the memorial and Qinhuai on the other, trimming the list if admission times conflict.

• For families or limited mobility, reduce stairs and walking, choose one major site per half-day and confirm accessible entry and transport.

• If museums matter most, give the Nanjing Museum a generous block and move the Presidential Palace to another day or another visit. If food and neighbourhoods matter most, spend more of Day 3 beyond the busiest Qinhuai frontage.