Nanjing to Shanghai Train

Nanjing is one of the Yangtze Delta's most underrated cities for independent travellers — the Ming city wall, the Confucius temple district and Xuanwu Lake all sit close to one another, and it is only about 1.5 hours from Shanghai by high-speed train.

Fastest journey
1h15m
Distance
301 km
Trains per day
50+
Departs
Nanjing South
Arrives
Shanghai Hongqiao

Departures on 2026-10-29

TrainDepartArriveDuration Second ClassFirst ClassBusiness Class
Z175 00:08 04:01 03:53 ––– Book
D61 00:49 04:21 03:32 US$17–– Book
K8351 01:04 04:39 03:35 ––– Book
K335 01:10 04:45 03:35 ––– Book
K1047 01:16 05:06 03:50 ––– Book
K1555 01:30 05:12 03:42 ––– Book
K47 01:38 05:51 04:13 ––– Book
K2185 01:44 05:33 03:49 ––– Book
K359 01:56 05:22 03:26 ––– Book
K8481 02:09 06:03 03:54 ––– Book
K151 02:52 06:39 03:47 ––– Book
1461 03:04 06:45 03:41 ––– Book

Times shown are local China time (UTC+8). Prices are in US dollars and include service fee.

What you should know

  • Nanjing South (南京南) is the high-speed hub; Nanjing Station (南京) is closer to Xuanwu Lake but used mainly by slower trains.
  • More than 50 departures daily makes this a very low-stress same-day round trip.
  • Nanjing pairs naturally with a continuation north on the same line to Beijing.
Booking with a foreign passport

We book real tickets directly against your passport number — no Chinese ID or phone number needed. Your passport is your ticket: go to the staffed lane at the gate, let staff scan it, and board.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Shanghai to Nanjing train?

Fast G-trains take about 1 hour 15 minutes; D-trains with more stops take around 2 hours.

Is Nanjing worth a day trip from Shanghai?

Yes — the Ming city wall, the Confucius temple district and Xuanwu Lake all sit close to one another.

Which Nanjing station?

Nanjing South for high-speed arrivals; Nanjing Station if you want to be nearer Xuanwu Lake.

Other popular routes