Nanjing Travel Tips: 8 Costs to Know Before You Go
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Nanjing travel tips that actually save you money
Most Nanjing travel advice is generic China advice. These 8 are the specific numbers and habits that keep a budget trip on budget, plus the one etiquette rule that matters more here than almost anywhere else in China. Whichever area you land in, check rates on Booking.com before you commit, prices swing by district and by season.
- Link Alipay or WeChat Pay before you land. Both apps now let foreign visitors link a Visa, Mastercard or Amex using a passport and international phone number, and between them they cover shops, taxis and the metro. Carry some RMB cash as backup anyway, small stalls and rural spots sometimes can’t take either wallet.
- Check your 2026 visa route before booking, don’t assume. Roughly 60+ countries get 30 days visa-free entry through 31 December 2026, but the United States is not on that list. Around 55 nationalities, including the US, may qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit instead, but only with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country, and whether Nanjing/Jiangsu currently sits inside the designated transit zone was not confirmed in our research, verify directly against the National Immigration Administration’s current list before relying on it.
- Install and test a VPN before you arrive. Google (Search, Gmail, Maps), WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube are all blocked, and VPN provider sites are themselves blocked once you’re inside China. Use Amap (Gaode) or Baidu Maps instead of Google Maps, and DiDi instead of Uber.
- Avoid July and August if you can. Nanjing is one of China’s “Three Furnaces,” with highs regularly above 34°C and spikes past 40°C. Spring (plum blossom at Meihua Shan, cherry blossom near Jiming Temple) and autumn (Qixia Mountain’s maples) are the strongest windows. Also avoid Golden Week (1-7 October 2026) and Labor Day (1-5 May 2026), both bring heavy domestic crowds and higher rates nationwide.
- Know the metro and rail fares. Metro fares run ¥2 for a short hop up to ¥9-15 for the longest cross-city or suburban trips; a Jinlingtong transit card costs about ¥75 including a ¥25 refundable deposit. Airport Line S1 to Nanjing South is ¥6, about 30 minutes. HSR from Nanjing South to Shanghai Hongqiao runs about ¥140 2nd class, ¥230 1st, roughly 1h13-1h20.
- Don’t tip, anywhere. Tipping is not customary in China, restaurants, hotels, taxis and guides all included. Don’t build it into your budget.
- Book the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum slot even though it’s free. The main grounds cost nothing, but entry runs on a real timed passport-ID reservation via the official website, WeChat, or same-day on-site machines, not a walk-up formality.
- Treat the Nanjing Massacre Memorial as a memorial, not a sight. Free entry, roughly 8:30am-4:30pm, closed Mondays, but this is a place of mourning for an estimated 300,000 victims of the 1937-38 occupation. Dress and behave respectfully, keep photography quiet, and confirm current reservation rules at the official site, 19371213.com.cn , before you go, rather than through a third-party tour listing.
| Daily budget | What it covers |
|---|---|
| ~¥300-450 | Hostel or budget hotel, metro plus street food, few paid sights |
| ~¥600-900 | 3-4 star hotel, restaurant meals, a couple of paid attractions or DiDi rides |
| ¥1,200+ | Upscale hotel, private transport, higher-end dining |
Do you need cash in Nanjing?
Mostly no. Alipay and WeChat Pay, both linkable to a foreign card, cover nearly everything from restaurants to the metro. Keep some RMB on hand from an ATM regardless, foreign-card ATMs are limited outside major banks, and a card link failing at a small stall is more common than you’d expect.
Is Nanjing safe for a solo or budget traveler?
Yes, generally. Violent crime is rare and standard big-city caution covers pickpocket risk in dense tourist zones like Fuzimiao/Qinhuai on evenings and holidays. The bigger practical risks are heat stroke in July-August, given the “Three Furnaces” climate, so hydrate and pace outdoor sightseeing at Purple Mountain or the city wall around cooler parts of the day, and the language barrier, since few taxi drivers or shopkeepers outside hotels speak English. A translation app and your hotel’s business card with the Chinese address go a long way.
Pair these with our Nanjing guide and things to do in Nanjing for the sights these numbers apply to, and check current fares directly on Trip.com’s train tool or 12306 before booking HSR tickets, since fares vary by train class. If you’re weighing where to stay against these numbers, our best places to stay in Nanjing breaks down the four areas by price once you’ve picked one.