Nanjing: The Best Things to Do
Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use.
Nanjing’s biggest tourist-list problem is padding: three separate “attractions” that are actually one mountain, and a snack street priced for people who don’t know a cheaper version exists two streets over. Here are the seven worth your time, called out plainly, plus one site that isn’t on this list because it isn’t a “thing to do” at all.
1. Purple Mountain, as one half-day, not three attractions
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and Linggu Temple all sit inside the same Purple Mountain scenic area, and a ¥100 combo ticket covers all three plus Meiling Palace, so treat them as one outing rather than three separate line items. Sun Yat-sen’s grounds are free but require a passport-ID reservation booked ahead online or same-day at the on-site machines; the climb is 392 stone steps over a 700m approach. Ming Xiaoling (¥70 standalone, included in the combo) is part of the UNESCO-listed Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties , added in the 2003 extension, not a standalone World Heritage Site, so don’t oversell that distinction. Walk the full 1,800m Sacred Way for the stone-animal avenue. Check a Purple Mountain day tour if you’d rather not manage the reservation and shuttle logistics yourself.
2. The Ming City Wall, Taicheng over Zhonghua Gate
Both sections cost money and both are legitimate, but they’re different experiences. Zhonghua Gate (¥50) is the fortress: three courtyards, four trap-gates, barracks that once quartered 3,000 soldiers. Taicheng, the Shence Gate to Taiping Gate stretch (¥30), runs along Xuanwu Lake with the city skyline and Purple Mountain behind it, and pairs naturally with a lake walk. If you only have time for one wall section and want the view over the fortress detail, take Taicheng. Three other short sections are free if you just want a taste of the wall without paying at all.
3. Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River, once, on foot
The temple (¥30 for Dacheng Hall) and the adjacent Jiangnan Examination Hall (¥50) are genuinely worth the visit, and the lantern-lit riverside at dusk is Nanjing’s best-known night scene. Where the upsell starts is the boat: a Qinhuai cruise runs ¥60 by day, ¥80 at night, for a ride along water you can see just as well, for free, by walking the bank. Do the boat once if a cruise is genuinely on your list, otherwise save the ¥60-80 and walk it. Book a Qinhuai River night cruise if you want the seated version.
4. Presidential Palace, but use the new entrance
China’s largest museum of modern history, spanning a Ming garden, the Qing viceroy’s office, and Republic-era government buildings, where Sun Yat-sen took his 1912 inaugural oath. Entry is ¥40. The catch: the historic gatehouse everyone’s guidebook photo shows has been closed to entry since 10 December 2024. You now enter through a new west entrance, so if an older post or photo tells you to walk up to that front facade, it’s out of date.
5. Xuanwu Lake, free, and skip the enclosed sections if you’re not fussed
Five connected islets inside the largest surviving imperial-era city lake in China, with the Ming wall on one side and Purple Mountain as the backdrop. The Huanhu Road perimeter is free and open around the clock; the enclosed Wuzhou (five-isle) area has its own hours but no separate fee beyond boat rental. This is the free counterpart to Taicheng’s paid wall-top view, and honestly close enough that you don’t need both if money’s tight.
6. Nanjing Museum, free, and genuinely large
China’s second-largest museum, 430,000-plus artifacts across jade, bronze, ceramics, and furniture halls, plus a recreated Republic-era street with costumed staff. Free entry, Tuesday to Sunday. Sits at Purple Mountain’s southern foot, an easy same-day add to item 1 above rather than its own trip.
7. Jiming Temple, a cheap add-on, not a destination on its own
Nanjing’s most-visited working temple, ¥10 entry, perched right beside Xuanwu Lake and the city wall. The pink-wall approach lane is genuinely photogenic, especially with spring cherry blossom nearby, but the temple itself is a 45-minute stop. Combine it with the wall or lake walk rather than making a special trip for it alone.
The Nanjing Massacre Memorial: not on this list, and here’s why
The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders commemorates the estimated 300,000 civilians and unarmed soldiers killed after the city fell to Japanese forces on 13 December 1937. It belongs on any serious Nanjing itinerary, but it doesn’t belong ranked alongside a lake walk or a temple stop, so it isn’t numbered above. Entry is free, hours run roughly 8:30am to 4:30pm, closed Mondays. Whether general walk-up entry currently needs a real-name online reservation wasn’t confirmed at research time, so check the official memorial site directly before you go, not a tour listing. Go with a quiet, respectful mindset: restrained photography, no loud conversation, dress as you would at any memorial. Do not book this through a tour operator; the official site is the only appropriate reference here.
What to skip
The Fuzimiao snack street as your main meal. Fine once for the atmosphere, but portions run small and prices run high compared to an ordinary local diner a few streets away. Go for the photo, eat dinner elsewhere.
Paying for the Qinhuai cruise if you’ve already walked the bank at dusk. You’ve seen the same lanterns and shophouses for free; the boat adds a different angle, not a different experience.
| # | Thing to do | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purple Mountain combo (Sun Yat-sen, Ming Xiaoling, Linggu) | ¥100 combo | Book the Sun Yat-sen reservation ahead |
| 2 | Ming City Wall, Taicheng section | ¥30 | Better view than Zhonghua Gate’s ¥50 |
| 3 | Confucius Temple + Qinhuai walk | ¥30-80 | Skip the boat if you’ve walked it |
| 4 | Presidential Palace | ¥40 | Use the new west entrance |
| 5 | Xuanwu Lake | Free | Skip enclosed sections if on a budget |
| 6 | Nanjing Museum | Free | Pair with Purple Mountain, same area |
| 7 | Jiming Temple | ¥10 | Add-on, not a standalone trip |
If you’re weighing which of these to build a trip around, our Nanjing guide covers the full picture, and the hidden gems and day trips guides pick up what’s outside this list.
One concrete move: do the Purple Mountain combo and Nanjing Museum on the same day, since they sit at opposite ends of the same metro stop, and save the ¥60-80 Qinhuai cruise fee for a dinner at a real local diner instead.