Nanjing Travel Guide: 1-, 2- and 3-Day Routes, Food & Tangshan

How many days to spend

The PDF provides separate one-, two-, and three-day Nanjing options, plus a distinct one-day Tangshan outing. Choose one city itinerary; do not combine the alternatives as if they were a single schedule.

• 1 days: Use the Zhongshan–Xuanwu Lake–Qinhuai–Confucius Temple outline, with the exact stop order and transfers checked on a current map.
• 2 days: Follow the PDF’s separate historic itinerary: Zhongshan/Ming Xiaoling/Qinhuai on Day 1, then Yuhuatai/the memorial hall/Xuanwu Lake on Day 2.
• 3 days: Keep the late-autumn route as printed: Zhongshan and Yuhuatai; Xuanwu Lake and Lion Bridge; then the Yangtze River Bridge and Pukou Old Railway Station.

Where to stay

Best time to visit

• The PDF’s seasonal prose is an older editorial description, not a current forecast. Check local weather, holiday crowding, and attraction notices for your dates.
• The three-day route is titled “Late-autumn Nanjing”; actual foliage and seasonal conditions vary by year.

Getting around

The PDF’s bus numbers, fares, transfer estimates, taxi prices, and historic airport connections are omitted. Nanjing’s attractions span separate city districts and the Yangtze; use current metro or transit information and a live map, and confirm both the outbound and return legs.

• The PDF’s numbered buses, airport coach services, historic fares, transfer estimates, and taxi prices are omitted.
• Zhongshan, Qinhuai, Xuanwu, Yuhuatai, and Pukou are distinct areas; do not assume the printed list is a compact walking route.
• For Pukou and Yangtze-crossing visits, confirm both directions and the latest access information before leaving.

Arriving in Nanjing

Transport notes

A practical 3-day outline

This is the city-level sequence. Open the day-by-day itinerary for detailed stops, timing, meals, transfers and backup options.

Places and details in photos

Stone elephants along a shaded path

Willows beside Xuanwu Lake

The wooded ridge of Purple Mountain

Traditional buildings beside a Qinhuai waterway

A lakeside statue at Xuanwu Lake

Memorial sculpture among trees at Yuhuatai

An old locomotive detail at Pukou

A tree-lined road toward Tangshan

Colorful Qinhuai pastries

Nanjing salted duck

Duck blood vermicelli soup

Steamed roast-duck buns

Booking and access checks

Nanjing highlights · one day

The PDF labels this an around-Qinhuai one-day outing and gives this sequence. It crosses several city areas, so treat it as a broad outline rather than a promise that every stop fits comfortably into one day.

1. Day 1

   Zhongshan, the lake, and Qinhuai · 中山陵 → 玄武湖 → 秦淮河 → 夫子庙

   The route order is preserved from the supplied PDF. Current Nanjing tourism guidance also highlights Qinhuai-area night visits around Xinanli, Confucius Temple, and Laomendong; use current event and transit information if you add an evening walk.

   Zhongshan Mausoleum requires an appointment. Check the current reservation channel, opening notices, and transfer feasibility before departure.

   

Historic Nanjing · two days

This is the PDF’s separate two-day “seek out historic sites” itinerary; it is not a compressed version of the three-day route.

1. Day 1

   Zhongshan scenic area, Ming Xiaoling, and Qinhuai · 中山陵风景区 → 明孝陵 → 秦淮河 → 夫子庙

   The source describes optional details within the Zhongshan area, including the former Presidential Residence, Meiling Palace, and Music Platform. Keep them as choices within the day rather than assuming all fit alongside Ming Xiaoling and Qinhuai.

   Confirm the Zhongshan appointment and each site’s present-day access. The source’s old bus numbers, admission details, and transfer estimates are omitted.

   

2. Day 2

   Yuhuatai, the memorial hall, and Xuanwu Lake · 雨花台 → 侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念馆 → 玄武湖

   The source pairs these three stops as its second day. The memorial hall’s official visitor guide requires real-name advance reservation; confirm a slot before arranging the rest of the day.

   Allow time for the memorial visit and travel between southern and northern Nanjing. Check current visitor notices and the memorial’s official reservation page.

   

Late-autumn Nanjing · three days

This is the PDF’s distinct three-day route. The title is seasonal, but the place sequence is retained as an outline rather than a current autumn-condition claim.

1. Day 1

   Zhongshan Mausoleum and Yuhuatai · 中山陵 → 雨花台

   The PDF’s autumn three-day plan gives Zhongshan Mausoleum and Yuhuatai a full day. They are separate areas, so keep the source sequence as a flexible outline and decide whether to split the day after checking current travel times.

   The source’s historic bus numbers and transfer estimates are omitted. Zhongshan Mausoleum requires advance visitor arrangements; check the current management notice and appointment channel before setting the day.

   

2. Day 2

   Xuanwu Lake and Lion Bridge food street · 玄武湖 → 狮子桥小吃街

   The second source day pairs a lakeside visit with the Lion Bridge food street. Keep the two as a north-city day and choose your lake loop and meal stop using a live map.

   The PDF’s historic bus routes and stop names are not reused. Confirm current lake entrances, transit, and any seasonal or event notices.

   

3. Day 3

   Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge and Pukou Old Railway Station · 南京长江大桥 → 浦口老火车站

   The PDF keeps these two northern-riverfront history stops together on its third day. Preserve the pair as a separate day rather than folding it into the central-city route.

   Cross-river travel and access to the historic railway grounds need a current map and local check. The old PDF’s bus numbers and travel-time claims have been left out.

   

Tangshan hot springs · separate one-day outing

The PDF lists Tangshan as a separate one-day option outside its Nanjing city routes. Preserve it as an optional day trip, not as part of the three-day itinerary.

1. Morning

   Choose a Tangshan hot-spring venue · 汤山温泉

   The source starts with a hot-spring visit and lunch nearby. It names several old venues and quotes historic admission and operating details; none are presented as current recommendations.

   Check the exact venue, current reservation and health guidance, and round-trip transport before setting out.

   

2. Afternoon

   Yangshan Quarry and Ming Culture Village · 阳山碑材 → 明文化村

   The PDF suggests continuing to the quarry and Ming Culture Village. Confirm current site names, access, opening notices, and the last return connection locally.

   The old route numbers, free-shuttle schedule, fares, and admission price have been omitted.

Nanjing food to try

These dishes are named or pictured in the supplied PDF. Venue listings, phone numbers, addresses, opening hours, and historic prices are not reused; menus and recipes vary by restaurant.

Nanjing salted duck · 盐水鸭（桂花鸭）

The source presents salted duck as a signature Nanjing dish and includes a clean food photo.

Qinhuai pastries · 秦淮糕团

The PDF describes small, colorful glutinous pastries and includes a photo. Ingredients and sweetness vary by shop.

Duck blood vermicelli soup · 鸭血粉丝汤

A warm local noodle soup pictured in the source; check the current ingredients if you have dietary restrictions.

Roast-duck buns · 烤鸭包

The source pictures a steamed bun filled with duck. Let the filling cool before eating because the interior may be hot.

Spicy crayfish · 麻辣小龙虾

Also listed in the PDF; the old price and venue recommendation are not reused.

Local planning tips

• The PDF cover says 3–5 days, but its detailed Nanjing city route is three days. No day-four or day-five schedule has been invented.
• The PDF also has a separate one-day Qinhuai route and a separate two-day historic route. They are alternatives, not extra days appended to the three-day plan.
• The PDF’s additional Tangshan route is one day and remains a separate outing. Its Zhouzhuang (two-day) and Huangshan (two-day) chapters are separate destination guides, not Nanjing city days.
• Historic bus routes, transfer times, fares, attraction prices and hours, hotel listings, restaurant contacts, and telephone numbers were left out.
• The Zhongshan Mausoleum management authority currently advises visitors to make the required appointment. The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall also requires real-name reservations; check each official channel and current notices before travel.
• The selected PDF photos were reviewed upright. Photos with visible overlaid text, watermarks, or prominent signage were excluded. The user confirmed permission to use the photos and requested no credit line beneath them.
• For an evening in Qinhuai, the city’s 2026 culture-and-tourism guidance highlights Xinanli, Confucius Temple, and Laomendong as a broad night-tour cluster. Check the current event and transit information before relying on an event listing.

Common planning mistakes to avoid

• Do not rely on the PDF’s old prices, venue contact details, hotel names, opening hours, bus numbers, taxi fares, airport coach schedule, or transfer-time promises.
• Do not merge the one-, two-, and three-day Nanjing routes into a single itinerary; the PDF presents them as separate choices.
• Do not count the separate Tangshan day as a Nanjing city day. The PDF’s Zhouzhuang and Huangshan two-day chapters are outside this city guide.
• Do not assume that a reservation, entrance, trail, railway heritage area, or seasonal attraction is available without a current operator check.

How to make the route work

Frequently asked questions

Explore the wider trip