Cheap flights to Nanjing
Set your departure airport and maximum budget: SniperAir tracks prices to Nanjing and alerts you the moment a deal matching your criteria appears.
Quick summary
Country
China
Continent
Asia
Airport
NKG
Currency
Chinese yuan (renminbi)
Time zone
UTC+8
Deals already spotted to Nanjing
Real flight examples detected by SniperAir, with their reference price.
Loading examples…
Southern capital
Visiting Nanjing, the city that remembers China's past
The name means southern capital. Nanjing served as the seat of several dynasties and regimes, from Eastern Wu in the third century to the Republic of China in the twentieth. Visiting Nanjing means walking imperial city walls, standing at a founder's tomb and crossing a historic temple district, in a city that feels calmer and more historic than Shanghai or Shenzhen.
On the Yangtze
Capital of Jiangsu province in the Yangtze River Delta, Nanjing has a population of about 9.3 million at the 2020 census. It is also a city of students, with 68 higher-education institutions counted in 2021, including Nanjing University.
Layers of history
Six chapters that explain Nanjing
| Period | What remains in Nanjing |
|---|---|
| Six Dynasties | Under the name Jiankang, the city is capital of the Eastern Jin and the Southern dynasties between 317 and 589. |
| Ming dynasty (1368-1421) | The Hongwu Emperor makes Nanjing his capital; the city wall and the Xiaoling Mausoleum date from this era, before the court moved to Beijing in 1421. |
| 1853-1864 | Capital of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, until imperial armies retook the city. |
| 1912 | Sun Yat-sen is sworn in here as provisional president of the Republic of China. |
| 1927-1949 | Capital of the Nationalist government: the Presidential Palace and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum recall that period. |
| 1937 | Japanese forces took the city in December 1937. The Nanjing Massacre is commemorated by a memorial hall. |
Ming city wall
A wall built by 200,000 workers
The Ming wall took about 200,000 workers 21 years to build. Thirteen gates were originally built and the number reached eighteen by the end of the Qing dynasty; Zhonghua Gate in the south still stands. Bricks were sealed with lime mixed with glutinous rice water and tung oil, and the wall was listed as a key national relic in 1988.
Walking the wall
The wall follows the terrain around Xuanwu Lake instead of a rigid grid, and sections can be walked, with the lake views and the Zhonghua Gate among the best-known stretches.
Purple Mountain
Imperial and republican mausoleums on Purple Mountain
The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum
The tomb of the Hongwu Emperor and his queen lies under a clay mound about 400 m across. Work began in 1381 and ended in 1405. The 1,800 m Sacred Way is lined with 12 pairs of stone animals: lions, xiezhi, camels, elephants, qilin and horses. UNESCO inscribed the site in 2000.
The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum
Also on Purple Mountain, it honors the founder of the Republic of China and is linked to the 12 km Zhongshan Road axis.
A forested park
Purple Mountain is a wooded area with historic and cultural sites, and a place to walk beyond the monuments.
Old and new
From the Qinhuai River to the Confucius Temple
Fuzimiao and the Qinhuai River
The Confucius Temple area is the lively heart of the southern old town, busiest at weekends. The Qinhuai River is the center of the city's nightlife, with restaurants, night markets and evening boat rides.
Xuanwu Lake
A large public lake park in the center of the city, ideal for a walk beside the wall.
Nanjing 1912
A district of Republican-style buildings turned into restaurants, pubs and clubs, where locals and expatriates go out in the evening; Catherine Park adds cocktails and international restaurants.
The Presidential Palace
Former seat of the national government of the Republic of China, today home to the China Modern History Museum.
Museums and memory
Three places to understand the city
Nanjing Museum
One of the major museums in China, with more than 400,000 items and a reputation for Ming and Qing imperial porcelain.
Nanjing Municipal Museum, Chaotian Palace
It tells the story of the city in a former palace, a short distance from the center.
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall
A museum and a place of remembrance dedicated to the events of December 1937, essential to understand the modern history of the city; the visit calls for restraint. It is reached by metro line 2, Yunjin Road station. Several museums close on Mondays, so check opening days.
Jinling cuisine
Salted duck and the taste of Nanjing
Local food is Jinling cuisine, part of the Jiangsu tradition, which stresses seasonality. Nanjing is known for duck and goose.
Salted duck
The signature dish. It is often cooked with osmanthus flowers, which gives it a pale yellow color.
Other specialties
Duck blood and vermicelli soup, duck oil pancake and roast duck served with sauce poured over it.
Around Nanjing
Shanghai by fast train and the Jiangsu cities
Nanjing is a major hub of the high-speed rail network. Shanghai lies about 270 km away, roughly 1 hour 15 by high-speed train from Nanjing South; Beijing is about 4 hours, Hefei about 1 hour and Wuhan 3.5 to 4 hours.
Neighboring cities
In Jiangsu, Suzhou and Wuxi are known for their classical gardens, and Yangzhou, Zhenjiang and Changzhou are close by.
Grottoes and hot springs
The Qixia Mountain grottoes hold about 700 Buddhist statues some 20 km from the city, and Tangshan offers hot springs and karst caves.
Getting to Nanjing
Lukou Airport, Nanjing South and the way into town
Nanjing Lukou
The international airport, about 35 km south of the center in Jiangning District. It serves most Chinese cities and a few international destinations in Asia, the United States and Germany.
Approximate distances and times based on Wikipedia and Wikivoyage; timetables and fares change, so check before you travel. We do not quote fares.
| Route | Approximate time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| NKG, metro line S1 to Nanjing South station | about 30 to 35 min | A train about every ten minutes; interchange with line 1 at the station |
| NKG, taxi to the center | about 30 to 45 min | Depends on traffic; insist on the meter |
| NKG, express bus | over an hour | Two routes, to the North and to the South station |
| Shanghai Hongqiao to Nanjing South, high-speed train | about 1 h 15 | Very frequent departures; Nanjing South station is on the metro |
Getting around
Metro, buses and budget in Nanjing
The Nanjing metro, open since 2005, has a dozen lines and covers most sights: line 2 for the memorial and Purple Mountain, line 3 for the Confucius Temple, line 1 for the two railway stations. It runs roughly from 5 am to 11 pm, and bags go through X-ray at the entrance. Buses complete the network, taxis and ride-hailing apps such as DiDi are handy, and shared bikes are everywhere.
Cost level
The cost level is moderate by Chinese standards: accommodation weighs the most, while the metro, street food and many sights stay affordable. We do not quote amounts.
Entry and caution
Depending on your nationality you may enter visa-free for a short stay or in transit for up to 240 hours under conditions (an onward ticket to a third country), or apply for a visa: check the current rules on the official Chinese websites (to be verified). Mobile payment dominates in China, so carry some cash and check that your card is accepted. Nanjing is a safe large city; the usual precautions are enough. Some sites, such as Purple Mountain, ask for a free reservation made with your passport (to be verified).
When to go
When to visit Nanjing?
Spring
Pleasant, with plum blossoms on Purple Mountain; one of the two best seasons.
Summer
Very hot and humid: Nanjing is one of the three Yangtze furnaces, with records above 40 degrees C. The meiyu rainy season runs from mid-June to late July.
Autumn
The best period according to the local tourism office, from September to November.
Winter
Cold and damp: the January average is about 3 degrees C, cooler than the latitude suggests.
By length of stay
How long to stay in Nanjing?
The essentials
The city wall, Purple Mountain, the Confucius Temple area, the Presidential Palace and the Nanjing Museum.
With the surroundings
Add the memorial, the Qixia grottoes or a trip to Yangzhou.
Yangtze delta
Nanjing as a base for Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi and Hangzhou by fast train.
Why watch Nanjing with SniperAir
You do not need to compare prices every day
Choose your departure
Tell us your departure airport and your maximum budget for a flight to Nanjing.
SniperAir keeps watch
Our systems continuously compare new fares with the real price history of the route.
You get an alert
As soon as a fare matches your criteria you are notified, without searching for anything yourself.
In pictures
Nanjing in pictures
You might also like
Similar destinations
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about flights to Nanjing
Which airport serves Nanjing?
Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG), about 35 km south of downtown. Metro line S1 links it to Nanjing South station, and high-speed trains connect Nanjing to Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou.
How long does it take to get from Nanjing airport to the center?
About 30 to 35 minutes by metro line S1 to Nanjing South station, and about 30 to 45 minutes by taxi depending on traffic.
When is the best time to visit Nanjing?
Spring and especially autumn, from September to November. Summer is very hot and humid, winter cold and damp.
What should I see first in Nanjing?
The Ming city wall, the Xiaoling Mausoleum and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum on Purple Mountain, the Confucius Temple area on the Qinhuai River, the Presidential Palace and Nanjing Museum.
How many days should I spend in Nanjing?
Two days for the essentials, three to four with the memorial and the surroundings, more with Shanghai, Suzhou and Yangzhou.
Is Nanjing expensive?
The cost level is moderate by Chinese standards: accommodation weighs the most, while the metro, street food and many sights stay affordable.
How do I get around Nanjing?
Mostly by metro (a dozen lines), supplemented by buses, taxis and ride-hailing apps; shared bikes are everywhere.
What is the local specialty?
Nanjing salted duck, often cooked with osmanthus flowers, along with duck blood and vermicelli soup and other duck dishes of Jinling cuisine.
Can I combine Nanjing with Shanghai?
Yes. Shanghai is about 270 km away and the high-speed train takes about 1 hour 15 from Nanjing South station. Yangzhou, Zhenjiang and Changzhou are other easy additions.
How much does a flight to Nanjing usually cost?
It mostly depends on your departure city, the season and how far ahead you book. The "deals" section above shows real examples of prices already detected by SniperAir for this destination.
How do I get alerted when a flight to Nanjing drops below my budget?
Create an alert profile with your departure airport, Nanjing as the destination and your maximum budget. You'll be notified automatically the moment a matching price is detected.
Ready to head to Nanjing?
Set your budget and let SniperAir monitor fares for you.
Create my alert