4 Days and 3 Nights in Nanjing

During the Spring Festival, I took my family on a trip to Nanjing. Flights and hotels always account for a large part of travel expenses, but with a heart eager to explore, we gladly accepted the costs. For the round trip, we flew with Xiamen Airlines ✈️, deliberately choosing flights with meal service and reasonable departure times—neither too early nor too late—for maximum comfort. For this Nanjing trip, we stayed at: Atour Hotel (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Museum Branch) 🏨. During the Spring Festival, the average rate per night was around 800 yuan, including breakfast for two (Superior King Room). The building wasn’t very tall, but Atour’s bedding is trustworthy, ensuring a good night’s sleep. Every morning, we started our day with a bowl of wontons and a hot cup of freshly ground coffee, setting the tone for a wonderful day of exploring the north. On the first day, we headed straight to: Nanjing Confucius Temple, then to: Qinhuai River - Egret Island Lantern Festival. We entered during the daytime when tickets were half-price and lingered until evening when the lanterns lit up. At night, the lantern festival was packed, and the pedestrian street was shoulder-to-shoulder with crowds. On the second day, we took a DiDi 🗺️ to: Niushou Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone. A light drizzle persisted as we walked uphill under umbrellas all the way to the Buddha Summit Pagoda—a spectacular sight. On the way down, we took the tourist shuttle, but it didn’t go all the way to the foot of the mountain, so we had to walk a stretch. The line for taxis back to the city was very long, and we waited quite a while~ The third day’s itinerary was: Nanjing Museum. It’s hard to get reservations, but we managed to book in advance~ On the fourth day, we took a DiDi 🗺️ to Wumadu Pier and boarded the: Yangtze River Legend Cruise 🚢. The 2-hour journey passed by the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge (about 6 kilometers long), a landmark from elementary school textbooks. The basic ticket only included general seating in the main hall; sofa seats or private cabins required an additional fee. We booked sofa seats on the 3rd floor, which came with snacks and dried fruits, totaling 368 yuan. The comfort level was much higher, allowing us to sit by the window, enjoy the river views, and sip tea—pure bliss~ After disembarking, we took a DiDi to Nanjing City Wall (Xuanwu Gate entrance). We strolled along the wall, then entered Xuanwu Gate to take a sightseeing bus for a leisurely ride before heading to the airport for our flight back to Xiamen~ Every city has its own character, and Nanjing is no exception. Looking forward to the next in-depth visit~