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City guide · Nanjing, China · 2026

Nanjing in 3 days: itinerary and top spots

Updated · 30 spots · open in 2025–26

Nanjing, China. From 30 spots whose locations we've checked, we picked a full 3-day route (not counting arrival and departure days) and the top 8 in each category. The areas you'll keep coming back to: Qinhuai · Xuanwu · Gulou.

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🗺️ A 3-day route

Each day: two sights, one meal, one hot spot and one evening stop, grouped by neighbourhood so you can walk from one to the next.

Day 1 about 6h 15m at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Sun Yat-sen MausoleumPurple Mountain🏛️ Sight

    Free but needs passport booking; hall interior closed Mondays

  2. Lunch
    Lüliuju VegetarianQinhuai🍜 Food

    Century-old vegetarian restaurant with skilled mock meats

  3. Afternoon
    XinjiekouQinhuai✨ Hot spot

    Department-store hub above a major metro interchange

  4. Late afternoon
    Jiming TempleXuanwu🏛️ Sight

    Cherry-blossom hotspot in spring; ticket includes incense

  5. Evening
    Zifeng TowerGulou🌙 Night

    High observation deck over the city and Purple Mountain

Day 2 about 6h 30m at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Ming Xiaoling MausoleumPurple Mountain🏛️ Sight

    Walk the Stone Elephant Road; best in autumn colors

  2. Lunch
    Shiziqiao Food StreetGulou🍜 Food

    Famous food street; try duck blood soup and soup buns

  3. Afternoon
    Yihe RoadGulou✨ Hot spot

    Republican-era villa lanes under plane trees

  4. Late afternoon
    Xuanwu LakeXuanwu🏛️ Sight

    Lake park against the city wall; boats and bikes

  5. Evening
    1912 BlockXuanwu🌙 Night

    Bar and dining block by the Presidential Palace; lively Fri-Sat

Day 3 about 6h at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Nanjing MuseumXuanwu🏛️ Sight

    One of China's top museums; free booking, closed Mondays

  2. Lunch
    Yonghe GardenFuzimiao🍜 Food

    Fuzimiao snack veteran; sesame cakes and tofu shreds

  3. Afternoon
    LaomendongQinhuai✨ Hot spot

    Restored lanes beside Zhonghua Gate; cafes and snacks

  4. Late afternoon
    Zhonghua GateQinhuai🏛️ Sight

    One of the largest barbican gates; walk on the wall

  5. Evening
    Qinhuai River Night CruiseFuzimiao🌙 Night

    Lantern boat cruise; buy tickets early on weekend nights

🍜 Where to eat in Nanjing: top 8

Specific restaurants, markets and food halls. Where there are queues, go right after opening.

  1. Shiziqiao Food StreetGulouIn the route

    Famous food street; try duck blood soup and soup buns

  2. Yonghe GardenFuzimiaoIn the route

    Fuzimiao snack veteran; sesame cakes and tofu shreds

  3. Lüliuju VegetarianQinhuaiIn the route

    Century-old vegetarian restaurant with skilled mock meats

  4. Kexiang Food LaneXinjiekou, Qinhuai

    Food lane near Xinjiekou; cheap duck-blood soup and skewers

  5. Anleyuan SnacksQinhuai

    Long-running halal snack shop; beef potstickers and soup buns

  6. Dongguan StreetDongguan, Yangzhou

    Old Yangzhou street of traditional shops and snack stalls, right by Ge Garden

✨ Nanjing hot spots: top 8

Trendy neighbourhoods, cafés, photo spots and complexes for the daytime.

  1. LaomendongQinhuaiIn the route

    Restored lanes beside Zhonghua Gate; cafes and snacks

  2. Yihe RoadGulouIn the route

    Republican-era villa lanes under plane trees

  3. Librairie Avant-GardeGulou

    Huge bookstore in a former car park; souvenirs too

  4. XinjiekouQinhuaiIn the route

    Department-store hub above a major metro interchange

🌙 Nanjing at night: top 8

Bars, izakaya and night views — one to end the evening.

  1. Qinhuai River Night CruiseFuzimiaoIn the route

    Lantern boat cruise; buy tickets early on weekend nights

  2. Nanjing Eye Pedestrian BridgeJianye

    Pedestrian bridge over the Yangtze; colorful lights at night

  3. 1912 BlockXuanwuIn the route

    Bar and dining block by the Presidential Palace; lively Fri-Sat

  4. Zifeng TowerGulouIn the route

    High observation deck over the city and Purple Mountain

🏛️ Top sights in Nanjing

The places most first-timers don’t want to miss. Add a day in the app for the ones not in the route.

  1. Sun Yat-sen MausoleumPurple MountainIn the route

    Free but needs passport booking; hall interior closed Mondays

  2. Ming Xiaoling MausoleumPurple MountainIn the route

    Walk the Stone Elephant Road; best in autumn colors

  3. Nanjing MuseumXuanwuIn the route

    One of China's top museums; free booking, closed Mondays

  4. Presidential PalaceXuanwu

    Former ROC presidential office; go early before tour groups

  5. Zhonghua GateQinhuaiIn the route

    One of the largest barbican gates; walk on the wall

  6. Nanjing Massacre Memorial HallJianye

    Free, closed Mondays; somber visit, schedule early in the day

  7. Xuanwu LakeXuanwuIn the route

    Lake park against the city wall; boats and bikes

  8. Jiming TempleXuanwuIn the route

    Cherry-blossom hotspot in spring; ticket includes incense

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