Nanjing Hiking: 4 Trails Worth Doing
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Nanjing isn’t a hiking destination the way Guilin or Zhangjiajie are, most of what’s here is paved or stepped path rather than technical trail, and that’s fine, the point is the sights strung along the way rather than the climb itself. Four routes worth lacing up for, plus one that needs its own verification before you build a day around it.
1. Purple Mountain, the Temple-to-Mausoleum Loop
Extensively paved and stepped paths connect Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum) to Linggu Temple to Meihua Shan (Plum Blossom Hill) across Purple Mountain, walkable as a loop rather than a technical hike, specific trail distances and difficulty grades weren’t confirmed in research for this piece. For the actual summit, Toutuo Ridge at 448.2m, a cable car runs ¥60 one-way or ¥100 round-trip, a straightforward option if you’d rather save your legs for the mausoleum grounds themselves. A free reservation system covers the scenic area, via WeChat or passport at info centers, though whether it’s enforced park-wide or just at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum specifically wasn’t confirmed either.
2. Qixia Mountain, Wooded Slopes Around the Grottoes
Beyond its rock-cut Buddhist grottoes and the white-stone Sarira Pagoda, Qixia Mountain’s wooded slopes make it a genuine hiking destination in its own right, not just a temple stop. Hours run 7am-5:30pm, ticket ¥25 normally, ¥40 during peak maple season, roughly November into early December, when the crimson foliage is the whole draw. Bus 194-197, 206-207, or 327 gets you there, and the visit fits a morning or afternoon without needing an overnight.
3. Niushou Mountain, the Hill Hiding a Temple Underneath It
South of downtown in Jiangning District, Niushou Mountain’s real draw is what’s built into it: the Foding (Usnisa) Palace, a modern temple inside a former mining pit, opened in 2014 and enshrining what’s described as the world’s only surviving parietal (skull) relic of the Buddha since 2015. The hike here is less about the summit and more about reaching a genuinely strange piece of architecture few Western hikers know about. Current hours and ticket price weren’t confirmed in research for this piece, so check locally before committing a day.
4. Laoshan National Forest Park, Across the River and Unconfirmed
Across the Yangtze in Pukou District, Laoshan National Forest Park is generally described as a large forested hill-park popular for hiking and seasonal foliage, but specific trail distances, trail names, and access details weren’t independently confirmed for this piece. Treat it as a lead for anyone who’s already done Purple Mountain and Qixia and wants a genuinely less-trodden option, and verify the specifics before you build a day trip around it.
| Trail | Distance/difficulty | Cost | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purple Mountain loop | Paved, moderate (verify exact distances) | Combo ¥100 or cable car ¥60-100 | Zhongshan to Linggu to Meihua Shan |
| Qixia Mountain | Moderate, wooded slopes | ¥25-40 | Grottoes plus autumn maples |
| Niushou Mountain | Moderate (verify) | Unconfirmed (verify) | Mining-pit temple, Buddha relic |
| Laoshan National Forest Park | Unconfirmed (verify) | Unconfirmed (verify) | Least-trodden option, across the Yangtze |
If you’d rather have someone handle the logistics on Purple Mountain’s cable car and reservation system, browse Nanjing hiking tours covers guided options. Our nature spots post has more on Xuanwu Lake and Mochou Lake Park if you want flat walking over an actual climb.
Whichever trail you pick, go in the morning. Nanjing’s “Three Furnaces” summer heat makes an afternoon climb genuinely miserable from June through August, and Purple Mountain in particular has long unshaded stretches.