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Taking the Nanjing City Sightseeing Bus Tour

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Chinese travel company Spring Travel and Dragonfly Sightseeing Bus Co. Ltd. has brought its sightseeing bus tour to Nanjing, making its debut on 1 August, 2018.

10 August; after 2 hours spent searching for one of the buses’ many stops, and on what was one of the city’s hottest days, The Nanjinger finally got to take a spin on the city’s shiny, new, air-conditioned, double-decker buses.

Waiting at the Massacre Museum bus stop, we were delighted when we saw the big red bus casually approaching us. The driver spoke a little English, gave us a map, a pass card and a set of headphones, after which we climbed up to the top deck.

Pleased to be under some cool air, we settled into our seats, plugged our headphones into the set in front of us and selected English from a choice of eight languages. For those who would prefer noise reduction, it is recommended you bring your own headphones.

For history buffs, this is the perfect escape from the summer heat, as one can sit back, relax and listen to an incredible array of facts and figures about Nanjing. For those wishing to see certain sites in the city, this is also an incredibly affordable way of doing so, as the ticket price allows passengers to hop on and off, at will, all day long.

Our only gripe about this newest addition to the city is the lack of information as to its what, when, where and how. Just as well The Nanjinger has already done the ground work for you…

The Sightseeing Bus is currently offering two routes, which The Nanjinger has dubbed the “ancient line” and the “modern line”.

Nanjing City Sightseeing Bus FAQ

  • How much is the ticket? ¥30 for one ticket which lasts 24hrs. Children under 1.4 metres in height ride for free.
  • Where do I buy the ticket? Tickets are sold on the bus.
  • How long is the ticket valid? 1 day (24 hours).
  • Can I get on and off the bus as many times as I want? Yes.
  • What times do the busses run? From 09:00 — 17:00, everyday.
  • Do I need to show ID? No.
  • Are there snack or drinks available? No.
  • How many languages are available? Eight.
  • How often are the buses? Based on the information we received, buses for line 1 are every 15 minutes and buses for line 2 are every 20 minutes. In reality, we experienced a wait of 30 minutes in between buses for line 2.

Stops on the Ancient Line (Line 1; Red)

  1. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen’s Mausoleum (Purple Mountain)
  2. Crescent Lake Park & Yu Dao Street
  3. Ming Imperial Palace
  4. Jiming Temple & Xuanwu Lake
  5. Gulou Park
  6. Presidential Palace (interchange with Line 2)
  7. Ming Imperial Palace (East)
  8. Nanjing Museum
  9. Ming Tomb
  10. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen’s Mausoleum (Purple Mountain)

Stops on the Modern Line (Line 2; Blue)

  1. Yuhuatai Revolutionary Memorial
  2. Hexi Wanda Shopping Centre
  3. Massacre Museum
  4. Mochou Lake Park
  5. Porcelain Tower
  6. Zhonghua Gate & Old Eastern Gate
  7. Confucius Temple & Qinhuai River Cruise
  8. Presidential Palace (interchange with Line 1)
  9. Bai Lu Zhou Park
  10. Yuhuatai Revolutionary Memorial

Note that the routes may change or be adjusted, after the trial period ends.

The buses run one way, leaving from one side of the road only. There are not buses running on either side of the road. Most people we spoke to were not aware themselves of the buses nor their nearest stops.

Be sure to ask a Chinese friend to call the company ahead of time on 025-83211706, in order to get an exact location for the stop closest to you, or where you would like to get on.

For example, we wanted to take the bus from Wanda Plaza. After checking two bus stops, we still could not find the right stop. When we walked over to the Massacre Museum, again we looked at, and waited at, multiple bus stops, before asking several people for directions, all of which failed until we went across the road from the museum and found the stop.

There are no signs in English nor Chinese directing you to the bus stop. When you get to a bus stop, look for the route number (1 or 2) with its corresponding dark green colour, the price of the ticket (¥30) and the times 9am-5pm. Then you know you have found the right stop!

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