Things to Do in Nanjing on a Budget: 8 Free Picks
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8 free and cheap things to do in Nanjing
Nanjing’s biggest sight is technically free. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum charges nothing to enter, though it does require booking a timed passport-ID slot ahead of time, and it’s the anchor for a day that costs almost nothing beyond a metro fare. Below are 8 picks that cost RMB 0 to a token amount, plus what the paid sights actually charge so nothing surprises you at the gate.
- Book the free Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum slot. Main grounds are free, but entry runs on a real timed reservation via the official website, WeChat, or same-day on-site machines, not a walk-up “free” formality. Closed Mondays except holidays and Nov 12/Mar 12.
- Walk Xuanwu Lake. Free, always open along the Huanhu Road perimeter, five connected isles inside the largest surviving imperial-era city lake in China, with the Ming wall and Purple Mountain as backdrop.
- Wander the Ming Palace ruins. Zhu Yuanzhang’s 14th-century imperial palace, often called the “Forbidden City of Nanjing” for the layout it lent Beijing’s later palace. No original buildings survive, but the Meridian Gate and other platform foundations sit in a free public park near Nanjing Museum.
- Walk a free stretch of the Ming City Wall. Zhonghua Gate (¥50) and the Shence Gate-Taiping Gate stretch (¥30) are ticketed, but the Fugui Mountain-Lanqi Street section is free, and open all day.
- Sit in Mochou Lake Park. A Ming-dynasty garden with lotus ponds and boat access; costs little to nothing to wander, confirm the current gate price before you go.
- Spend an afternoon at Nanjing Museum. Free entry, China’s second-largest museum with 430,000+ artifacts across six halls, plus a recreated Republic-era street. Tue-Sun 9:00am-5:00pm, Monday mornings only.
- Duck into Jiming Temple. ¥10 gets you in, including three incense sticks by most accounts (confirm current price). Nanjing’s most-visited working temple, right beside Xuanwu Lake and the wall.
- Walk the Qinhuai riverside for free. The lantern-lit lanes around Confucius Temple cost nothing to stroll; only Dacheng Hall (¥30) and the Jiangnan Examination Hall museum (¥50) are ticketed separately.
Which Ming City Wall stretch should you actually pay for?
Zhonghua Gate (¥50) is the fortress experience: three enclosed courtyards, four trap-gates, and 27 vaulted chambers that once quartered roughly 3,000 soldiers, worth the ticket if city-wall military history is the point. The Shence Gate-Taiping Gate stretch, commonly called Taicheng, runs along Xuanwu Lake for ¥30 and pairs a lake-and-skyline view with a small museum. If you only want the view and not the fortress, Taicheng gives you more scenery per yuan.
Paid sights worth the RMB anyway
| Sight | Cost | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum | ¥70 | 1.5-2 hours |
| Presidential Palace (west entrance) | ¥40 | 2-3 hours |
| Zhonghua Gate | ¥50 | 1-1.5 hours |
| Purple Mountain combo (Sun Yat-sen + Ming Xiaoling + Linggu Temple + Meiling Palace) | ¥100 | Half to full day |
Ming Xiaoling is part of the joint UNESCO “Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties” listing, added in the 2003 extension, see the official UNESCO listing , not a stand-alone World Heritage Site. Book a room near Xinjiekou or the Confucius Temple area to keep all four of these an easy metro ride away: check rates on Booking.com .
What about the Nanjing Massacre Memorial?
It sits outside this list on purpose. The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders is free to enter, near Yunjinlu Station on Metro Line 2, but it’s a memorial to an estimated 300,000 victims of the 1937-38 occupation, not a “thing to do” to check off between lighter sightseeing. Go with the time and quiet attention it deserves, dress and behave as you would at any place of mourning, and confirm current entry and reservation rules directly at the official site, 19371213.com.cn , rather than through any tour listing.
One practical note before you go
Pair a couple of the free picks above with one paid sight rather than trying to cover Purple Mountain and the city wall in the same day, both are spread out enough to eat your afternoon. Check our Nanjing day trips guide and Nanjing travel tips for transit fares, and build the rest of your days from our Nanjing guide .