Ma'anshan is fifteen minutes from Nanjing by high-speed rail — so close that many visitors treat it as a day trip from the larger city rather than a base. Ma'anshan East station handles high-speed services; the journey from Nanjing South takes about fifteen minutes, from Shanghai about ninety minutes.
The city is also reachable by long-distance bus from Nanjing, Hefei, and Wuhu. Local buses and taxis run from the train stations to the city center and the main sights. The ferry to Caishiji leaves from the western riverfront; services run throughout the day.
Ma'anshan's proximity to Nanjing makes it easy to combine with a Nanjing visit — the historical connections between the two cities (both were significant in the Three Kingdoms period, and the Yangtze corridor between them was repeatedly contested) give a combined visit extra depth.