A former capital with mature university hospitals and far smaller crowds than Shanghai. This guide gives you five ready-made itineraries for Nanjing — 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 days — each one built around real appointment timing, with sightseeing placed where it is safe rather than where it looks good on a map.
Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River, Nanjing
Choose how many days you have
Longer is not automatically better — it depends on whether you need tests that take several days, a second opinion, or recovery time after a procedure. Pick the closest match and adjust with us before you book.
Getting there and where to stay
| Airports | NKG (Nanjing Lukou International) |
|---|---|
| Areas to stay | Gulou — the university-hospital district, around Jiangsu Province Hospital and Drum Tower Hospital Xinjiekou — central shopping district on two metro lines Qinhuai and Confucius Temple — older lanes with courtyards and small inns |
| Food notes | Salted duck, duck blood and vermicelli soup, steamed buns, and the Qinhuai snack stalls along the river at night. |
Compare flights to Nanjing → Hotels near Nanjing hospitals →
Hospitals in Nanjing
A historic capital on the Yangtze with mature university hospitals and far smaller crowds than Shanghai, about an hour away by high-speed rail.
Very large provincial centre with strong rehabilitation medicine.
Recovery & rehab · Complex & rare diseases
A dedicated dermatology institute for chronic and difficult skin disease.
Skin & hair
Joint disease, spine surgery and rheumatic conditions.
Immunity & rheumatism · Bone & joint
Full Nanjing hospital list → Nanjing trip planner →
The six places this itinerary uses
White-walled lanes, lanterns and painted boats on the canal that runs through the old city.
Twenty minutes on the water under lit bridges — no walking required at all.
The widest surviving city wall in China; you can walk a short, well-restored stretch and stop at any tower.
Lantern-lit arcades and illuminated gates — the queue-free version of the same streets.
Shaded shopping streets with bookshops, bakeries and bun stalls: easy, covered, and mostly step-free.
Quiet side lanes behind the main temple where the stonework and wooden facades are best appreciated.
The five day-by-day plans
The 3-day Nanjing plan
The shortest workable trip: one consultation day, one results day, and one evening of sightseeing. Choose it when you already have scans and a clear question for the specialist.
Day 1 · Arrival and settle in
Qinhuai boat ride
- Your driver meets you inside the terminal at NKG with your name on a board and drives you straight to the hotel near your hospital.
- Check in, hand over your passport copies and medical records folder, and keep the rest of the day empty — jet lag plus a first appointment is enough for one day.
- Easy evening option: Qinhuai boat ride. Twenty minutes on the water under lit bridges — no walking required at all.
Day 2 · First hospital appointment
Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River
- Registration opens early; your companion takes the queue while you sit. Bring passport, previous scans, reports, medication list and a written summary in English.
- Consultation, then the tests the doctor orders on the spot — blood work, imaging or scope. Most results come back the same or the next working day.
- Gentle afternoon if you feel up to it: Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River. White-walled lanes, lanterns and painted boats on the canal that runs through the old city.
Day 3 · Results and departure
Old city at night
- Collect results, then the follow-up consultation where diagnosis, dosage and next steps are explained in your language.
- Pharmacy run and printed copies of everything for your doctor at home.
- Last easy hours before the flight: Old city at night. Lantern-lit arcades and illuminated gates — the queue-free version of the same streets.
- Driver back to NKG in time for an evening departure.
The 4-day Nanjing plan
Adds a full-day excursion after the diagnosis, so you go home with one real Nanjing day rather than only hospital corridors.
Day 1 · Arrival and settle in
Qinhuai boat ride
- Your driver meets you inside the terminal at NKG with your name on a board and drives you straight to the hotel near your hospital.
- Check in, hand over your passport copies and medical records folder, and keep the rest of the day empty — jet lag plus a first appointment is enough for one day.
- Easy evening option: Qinhuai boat ride. Twenty minutes on the water under lit bridges — no walking required at all.
Day 2 · First hospital appointment
Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River
- Registration opens early; your companion takes the queue while you sit. Bring passport, previous scans, reports, medication list and a written summary in English.
- Consultation, then the tests the doctor orders on the spot — blood work, imaging or scope. Most results come back the same or the next working day.
- Gentle afternoon if you feel up to it: Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River. White-walled lanes, lanterns and painted boats on the canal that runs through the old city.
Day 3 · Diagnosis and a first real outing
Ming City Wall and Zhonghua Gate
- Results consultation and, if the plan changes, a second specialist in the same hospital.
- Afternoon at Ming City Wall and Zhonghua Gate. The widest surviving city wall in China; you can walk a short, well-restored stretch and stop at any tower.
Day 4 · The big sight, then fly home
Old city at night
- Old city at night. Lantern-lit arcades and illuminated gates — the queue-free version of the same streets.
- Keep one buffer meal and one sitting break in the plan; this is the most demanding day of the four.
- Airport transfer in the evening, or add a night if your treatment schedule shifts.
The 5-day Nanjing plan
The most popular length. It leaves room for a second opinion in a different hospital without compressing the medical schedule.
Day 1 · Arrival and settle in
Qinhuai boat ride
- Your driver meets you inside the terminal at NKG with your name on a board and drives you straight to the hotel near your hospital.
- Check in, hand over your passport copies and medical records folder, and keep the rest of the day empty — jet lag plus a first appointment is enough for one day.
- Easy evening option: Qinhuai boat ride. Twenty minutes on the water under lit bridges — no walking required at all.
Day 2 · First hospital appointment
Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River
- Registration opens early; your companion takes the queue while you sit. Bring passport, previous scans, reports, medication list and a written summary in English.
- Consultation, then the tests the doctor orders on the spot — blood work, imaging or scope. Most results come back the same or the next working day.
- Gentle afternoon if you feel up to it: Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River. White-walled lanes, lanterns and painted boats on the canal that runs through the old city.
Day 3 · Diagnosis and a first real outing
Ming City Wall and Zhonghua Gate
- Results consultation and, if the plan changes, a second specialist in the same hospital.
- Afternoon at Ming City Wall and Zhonghua Gate. The widest surviving city wall in China; you can walk a short, well-restored stretch and stop at any tower.
Day 4 · The one full-day excursion
Old city at night
- Old city at night. Lantern-lit arcades and illuminated gates — the queue-free version of the same streets.
- Plan it two days after the first consultation, never the day after a procedure.
- Sitting breaks every hour, and water and medication in the day bag.
Day 5 · Second opinion and home
Old book and food streets
- A short second-opinion slot at another department or hospital — the reason many travellers choose five days.
- Final pharmacy top-up and printed records.
- If time allows before the flight: Old book and food streets. Shaded shopping streets with bookshops, bakeries and bun stalls: easy, covered, and mostly step-free.
The 6-day Nanjing plan
Two medical blocks separated by a deliberate rest day — the shape that suits anyone travelling after surgery or during ongoing treatment.
Day 1 · Arrival and settle in
Qinhuai boat ride
- Your driver meets you inside the terminal at NKG with your name on a board and drives you straight to the hotel near your hospital.
- Check in, hand over your passport copies and medical records folder, and keep the rest of the day empty — jet lag plus a first appointment is enough for one day.
- Easy evening option: Qinhuai boat ride. Twenty minutes on the water under lit bridges — no walking required at all.
Day 2 · First hospital appointment
Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River
- Registration opens early; your companion takes the queue while you sit. Bring passport, previous scans, reports, medication list and a written summary in English.
- Consultation, then the tests the doctor orders on the spot — blood work, imaging or scope. Most results come back the same or the next working day.
- Gentle afternoon if you feel up to it: Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River. White-walled lanes, lanterns and painted boats on the canal that runs through the old city.
Day 3 · Diagnosis and a first real outing
Ming City Wall and Zhonghua Gate
- Results consultation and, if the plan changes, a second specialist in the same hospital.
- Afternoon at Ming City Wall and Zhonghua Gate. The widest surviving city wall in China; you can walk a short, well-restored stretch and stop at any tower.
Day 4 · The one full-day excursion
Old city at night
- Old city at night. Lantern-lit arcades and illuminated gates — the queue-free version of the same streets.
- Plan it two days after the first consultation, never the day after a procedure.
- Sitting breaks every hour, and water and medication in the day bag.
Day 5 · Recovery day, deliberately unscheduled
Old book and food streets
- No hospital today. Sleep, laundry, a slow breakfast and a short walk — recovery days are what make the longer trips work.
- Low-effort outing if you feel like it: Old book and food streets. Shaded shopping streets with bookshops, bakeries and bun stalls: easy, covered, and mostly step-free.
- Local food note: Salted duck, duck blood and vermicelli soup, steamed buns, and the Qinhuai snack stalls along the river at night.
Day 6 · Follow-up and departure
Temple lanes of the historic quarter
- Follow-up consultation, dressing change or the second session of a two-visit treatment.
- One last look at Temple lanes of the historic quarter. Quiet side lanes behind the main temple where the stonework and wooden facades are best appreciated.
- Airport transfer with time to spare.
The 7-day Nanjing plan
A full working week: first opinion, recovery, second opinion in another hospital, and three sightseeing days paced around them.
Day 1 · Arrival and settle in
Qinhuai boat ride
- Your driver meets you inside the terminal at NKG with your name on a board and drives you straight to the hotel near your hospital.
- Check in, hand over your passport copies and medical records folder, and keep the rest of the day empty — jet lag plus a first appointment is enough for one day.
- Easy evening option: Qinhuai boat ride. Twenty minutes on the water under lit bridges — no walking required at all.
Day 2 · First hospital appointment
Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River
- Registration opens early; your companion takes the queue while you sit. Bring passport, previous scans, reports, medication list and a written summary in English.
- Consultation, then the tests the doctor orders on the spot — blood work, imaging or scope. Most results come back the same or the next working day.
- Gentle afternoon if you feel up to it: Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River. White-walled lanes, lanterns and painted boats on the canal that runs through the old city.
Day 3 · Diagnosis and a first real outing
Ming City Wall and Zhonghua Gate
- Results consultation and, if the plan changes, a second specialist in the same hospital.
- Afternoon at Ming City Wall and Zhonghua Gate. The widest surviving city wall in China; you can walk a short, well-restored stretch and stop at any tower.
Day 4 · The one full-day excursion
Old city at night
- Old city at night. Lantern-lit arcades and illuminated gates — the queue-free version of the same streets.
- Plan it two days after the first consultation, never the day after a procedure.
- Sitting breaks every hour, and water and medication in the day bag.
Day 5 · Recovery day, deliberately unscheduled
Old book and food streets
- No hospital today. Sleep, laundry, a slow breakfast and a short walk — recovery days are what make the longer trips work.
- Low-effort outing if you feel like it: Old book and food streets. Shaded shopping streets with bookshops, bakeries and bun stalls: easy, covered, and mostly step-free.
- Local food note: Salted duck, duck blood and vermicelli soup, steamed buns, and the Qinhuai snack stalls along the river at night.
Day 6 · Second hospital, second opinion
Temple lanes of the historic quarter
- A different tertiary hospital in Nanjing for an independent read of the same scans — the single most useful thing an extra two days buys.
- Afternoon: Temple lanes of the historic quarter. Quiet side lanes behind the main temple where the stonework and wooden facades are best appreciated.
Day 7 · Wrap up and fly home
Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River
- Final consultation, written plan, medication for the journey and copies of every report.
- Last hours: Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River. White-walled lanes, lanterns and painted boats on the canal that runs through the old city.
- Driver to NKG.
Book the ground services for Nanjing
Flights and hotels you book yourself; we handle the airport, the hospital floor and the language. Fixed prices for Beijing and Shanghai transfers, half-day and full-day rates for interpreting and companionship.
Airport transfer — From $78 (Beijing / Shanghai), $88 other citiesMedical interpreter — $188 half day (4h) / $368 full dayHospital companion — $128 half day / $228 full dayComplete 3-day package — $2,380 all inclusiveBuild your own package — Choose services + number of daysWe are an independent medical travel agency. We arrange appointments, transport, interpreting and accommodation; all diagnosis and treatment decisions belong to the hospital and your doctor. In an emergency go straight to the nearest hospital emergency department.
