Nanjing 2 Days 2 Nights Pitfall Avoidance Guide! Stop Walking 30,000 Steps Again

Everyone! Who understands! After playing in Nanjing for two days, I was so tired that I lay down for three days after returning home to recover! I thought it would be a beautiful trip to Jinling, but it almost turned into a "Nanjing survival challenge"—10 minutes detour after exiting the subway, crossing the road to check into the hotel, walking 30,000 steps at Zhongshan Scenic Area and missing the sightseeing bus, having to crawl through a "dog hole" to pick up takeout... After stepping on all the pitfalls, this blood-and-tears pitfall avoidance + efficient travel guide will help you avoid 90% of the traps and easily enjoy Nanjing! 1. Accommodation: Don’t trust “close to subway station”! These 3 points must be checked 1. Be cautious about hotels “near the subway station” The “500 meters from subway station to hotel” planned by Baidu Maps might be a straight-line distance! It’s common to have to detour 10+ minutes following navigation after exiting the station. Before booking a hotel, be sure to check the “walking navigation” real route, and prioritize hotels within a 3-minute walk from the subway exit with reviews showing the exit route. Pitfall tip: Don’t book split hotels that require “crossing the road to check in”! The front desk is in Building A, rooms in Building B, dragging luggage across the road is very troublesome, especially at night it’s unsafe. 2. Confirm in advance if takeout can be delivered upstairs Many hotels near scenic spots don’t allow takeout delivery upstairs, or even don’t allow delivery people into the community, so you have to pick up from a takeout locker. When booking, ask the front desk directly: “Can takeout be delivered upstairs? If not, where exactly is the takeout locker?” Don’t be like me, searching across platforms for the locker, then having to “crawl through gaps” to pick up food like a parcel, hungry and tired! 3. Prefer staying near “transport hubs + commercial areas” Recommended to stay around Xinjiekou and Confucius Temple subway stations: Xinjiekou is a subway transfer center, convenient for Zhongshan Scenic Area and Presidential Palace; Confucius Temple is great for evening strolls along Qinhuai River without rushing for the subway, and the commercial area has many takeout options that usually deliver upstairs. 2. Zhongshan Scenic Area: Don’t buy the all-access ticket! Remember sightseeing bus times Zhongshan is a must-visit in Nanjing but also a “major exhaustion zone”! After walking 30,000 steps, I tell you: with the right plan, you can easily cover the core spots in half a day. 1. Sightseeing bus: Remember these 2 time points! - Last bus time: stops running at 17:30 (don’t trust drivers saying 18:30! I personally arrived at the station at 18:00 and no one was there), the park closes at 18:30, so be sure to head to the bus station at least 1 hour early. - Route choice: Although the all-access ticket allows riding 8 lines, it’s unnecessary! The core spots (Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Meiling Palace) only require the “Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum - Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum” loop line; other routes mostly circle commercial streets and waste time. 2. Attraction order: Don’t wander aimlessly! Follow the “logical route” Correct route: Take Metro Line 2 to “Muxuyuan Station” → Take sightseeing bus to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (less crowded in the morning, great for photos) → Walk 10 minutes to Meiling Palace (check out the “necklace” panoramic view, no need to go inside) → Sightseeing bus to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (climb 392 steps, see Nanjing city view from the top) → Take sightseeing bus back before 16:30. Pitfall: Don’t start from Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum! It’s mostly uphill and gets more tiring; don’t shop in the commercial street inside the park, it’s all overpriced snacks, bring a bottle of water yourself. 3. After October 1: Don’t drive! From October 1, private vehicles and electric bikes are banned from entering the park; only sightseeing buses or public buses are allowed. If you miss the sightseeing bus, don’t panic: from the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum exit, walk 15 minutes to “Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum West Station,” take bus 202 to the subway station, saving half the effort compared to wandering around. 3. Other pitfall avoidance: These details can save you 1. Transportation: Grab high-speed rail tickets early, bring a bottle of water at the station Nanjing high-speed rail tickets are very popular! Especially on weekends/holidays, buy at least 3 days in advance. Convenience stores at the station are few and expensive, so buy a bottle of water outside before entering, don’t be like me, thirsty and searching for a vending machine inside for 20 minutes. 2. Takeout: Besides hotels, these places can pick up food If the hotel takeout locker is hard to find, try searching for “convenience stores near scenic spots,” many convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Lawson support takeout storage, much more convenient than lockers, and you can buy snacks as supplies. 3. Working travelers: Plan “break time” in advance If you need to handle work during the trip, don’t do it inside scenic spots! Both Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Confucius Temple have “visitor centers” with free Wi-Fi and seats, find a quiet corner to quickly finish work, better than standing on the roadside. 4. Must-eat: Don’t follow the crowd to queue! These snacks won’t disappoint After a tiring day, you must eat something good to recharge! Don’t go to overpriced restaurants in scenic spots, recommend these 2 local favorites: - Li Ji Halal Restaurant (Dading Alley branch): Beef potstickers and beef wontons are super fragrant, about 20 RMB per person to eat until full, no long queues. - Blue Boss Sweet Lotus Root Soup (Laomendong branch): Sweet lotus root soup is sweet but not greasy, paired with duck oil sesame cake, warms you up completely; the Laomendong branch is less crowded than the Confucius Temple branch. Nanjing’s scenery is truly beautiful—the night view of Qinhuai River, the plane trees at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the autumn atmosphere at Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum—worth visiting. But the joy of travel is never about “exhaustion to collapse,” it’s about avoiding pitfalls and playing easily. Follow this guide, and you won’t have to walk endlessly, yet you can enjoy all the highlights of Nanjing! Have you ever stepped on similar pitfalls during your travels? Feel free to vent in the comments, I will reply with pitfall avoidance tips one by one~