Punjab is the Sikh heartland in India's north west, and the reason to come is the Golden Temple at Amritsar — for many of our guests the single most moving place they visit in India.
Four days to Punjab by road — the Golden Temple, the Wagah border ceremony, Jallianwala Bagh and Chandigarh on the way back.
Nine days through Punjab and the western Himachal hills — the Golden Temple, the Dalai Lama's Dharamshala, the Kangra valley and the…
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The Golden Temple, Harmandir Sahib, is open to everyone regardless of faith, free of charge, all day and all night. Cover your head, remove your shoes, wash your feet at the entrance. Go once at night when it is lit and reflected in the water, and once at dawn.
The langar, the free community kitchen inside, feeds up to a hundred thousand people a day and has done for centuries, entirely on volunteers. You are welcome to eat, and you are welcome to help wash up.
Jallianwala Bagh, beside the temple, where British troops fired on an unarmed crowd in 1919. The bullet marks are still in the walls. It takes half an hour and it should not be skipped.
The Wagah border ceremony at sunset, thirty minutes from the city, where India and Pakistan lower their flags with extraordinary theatre. Arrive early; it fills up.
Amritsar is eight to nine hours from Delhi, five from Chandigarh, and around five from Dharamshala, which is how many of our guests combine them.
Two nights. That gives you the temple twice, Jallianwala Bagh and Wagah without rushing any of them.
October to March. June can pass 45 degrees on the plains here.
Tell us when you want to travel and how long you have. We come back with a route, the vehicle it needs and one price, usually within 24 hours. Our day rates are published in full, and your hotels stay your own choice.
Get a price for your Punjab trip See our car and driver rates
Amritsar is one of the best food cities in India. Try Amritsari kulcha, a stuffed bread baked in a clay oven and served with chickpeas; thick lassi in a steel glass; and fish fried in spiced batter. The old city around the temple is full of small family places that have cooked the same dishes for generations. Your driver will know which ones are busy with locals.
Amritsar is about 450 km from Delhi, around seven to eight hours by road. Many guests take the morning train or a short flight one way and drive the other, or carry on from Amritsar into the hills: Dharamshala is about five hours away.
It starts shortly before sunset, so the time changes through the year. In the busy season, arrive about two hours early to get a good seat.
Our Amritsar Golden Temple Tour covers the temple, Wagah and the old city. See also our Amritsar guide.
