The river separates Nan'an from its neighbouring districts such as Jiulongpo, Yuzhong, Jiangbei, and Yubei.

Ferries are also available as a backup and they used to be the only connection to the central part of downtown Chongqing before the first bridge was built in the early 1980s.

[citation needed] Nan'an shares the border on the south and east land area with Banan.

Foreigners' Street is an amusement park that includes the world's largest toilet, the Porcelain Palace.

The latest addition to the bridges, Cuntan Yangtze River Bridge, opened on December 31, 2017, connecting Nan'an to Jiangbei district; its completion significantly reduces commute time to Jiangbei International Airport to around 10 minutes.

As of August 2020, Nan'an is currently serviced by Line 3, 6, and the Loop Line as part of the expanding Chongqing Rail Transit network: Various bus routes are operated by Chongqing Public Transport with relatively comprehensive coverage in Nan'an.