The Golden Temple is open twenty-four hours and free to everyone, and it feeds tens of thousands of people a day in the world's largest free kitchen. Whatever your religion, it is one of the more moving places in India, and it is best seen twice — once at night when it is lit and reflected, and once before dawn.
Delhi to Amritsar is around eight hours on good highway. Having your own car means you can be at the temple at 4 am for the opening ceremony without arguing with anyone about it.
We drive the route and bring you back through Chandigarh, which is worth a stop for the Rock Garden if nothing else.
Our other north India routes — Punjab, Himachal and the Uttarakhand hills — are on the India tours page, and what a car and driver actually costs is set out on private car and driver in India.
Amritsar and the Golden Temple at a glance
Duur: 4 dagen met privéauto, de hele reis met dezelfde Engelssprekende chauffeur.
Price: the Amritsar and the Golden Temple tour starts from $356 for the whole car, not per person.
Route: Day 1 of the Amritsar and the Golden Temple: Delhi to Amritsar · the Golden Temple at night. Last day: Chandigarh to Delhi.
Flexible: every day of the Amritsar and the Golden Temple itinerary can be changed, shortened or extended.
Amritsar and the Golden Temple: trip highlights
The Golden Temple before dawn, and again at night
The langar kitchen, which serves free meals to everyone who comes
The Wagah border ceremony at sunset on the Pakistan frontier
Jallianwala Bagh, where the bullet marks are still in the walls
Amritsar and the Golden Temple itinerary, day by day
DAG01Dag 1
Delhi to Amritsar · the Golden Temple at night
North across the Punjab plains to Amritsar, arriving in time to see the Golden Temple lit up and reflected in its holy tank.
Morning: Pick-up in Delhi at 7 a.m.
Drive: Delhi to Amritsar is about 460 km, 7½–8 hours on the NH44, with stops at the famous dhabas of Murthal for parathas and at Ambala.
Evening: Check in, then walk to the Golden Temple. Night is magical: the gold glows on the water and the kirtan (sacred music) plays until late.
Eat: Breakfast of stuffed parathas with white butter at a Murthal dhaba; dinner at the temple langar or in the old city.
Tip: Hotels near the temple let you walk there at any hour; the old city lanes are pedestrian-only near the complex.
Overnight: Amritsar
DAG02Dag 2
Amritsar · Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and the Wagah border
A full day in the spiritual home of the Sikhs, ending with the most theatrical border ceremony in the world.
Early morning: The Golden Temple before dawn (optional, about 4:30 a.m.) for the Palki Sahib ceremony, when the holy book is carried in procession to the inner sanctum, and the sound of the kirtan over the water.
Morning: The langar, the free community kitchen that feeds up to 100,000 people a day. Sit on the floor with everyone else and eat, or help roll chapatis in the kitchen.
Late morning: Jallianwala Bagh, two minutes' walk away, the garden where British troops fired on a peaceful crowd in 1919. Then the Partition Museum in the old Town Hall (closed Mondays).
3:00 p.m.: Drive 30 km (45 minutes) to the Wagah–Attari border for the Beating Retreat flag ceremony, about an hour before sunset. Back by 7 p.m.
Tickets: Golden Temple, langar, Jallianwala Bagh and the Wagah ceremony are all free. The Partition Museum has a small ticket.
Eat: Amritsari kulcha at Kulcha Land or Bhai Kulwant Singh, lassi at Gian Di Lassi, and a vegetarian thali at Kesar Da Dhaba (since 1916) in the old city.
Tip: At the temple, cover your head (scarves are given free), leave shoes at the free shoe store and wash your feet before entering. At Wagah, carry your passport and leave all bags in the car: none are allowed in.
Overnight: Amritsar
DAG03Dag 3
Amritsar to Chandigarh · Rock Garden and Sukhna Lake
South-east to India's first planned city, designed by Le Corbusier.
Morning: A last visit to the Golden Temple, or Gobindgarh Fort. Check-out at about 10 a.m.
Drive: Amritsar to Chandigarh is about 230 km, 4–4½ hours.
Afternoon: Nek Chand's Rock Garden: 40 acres of sculptures made secretly from broken tiles, bangles and industrial waste over 18 years. About 1½ hours.
Sunset: A walk along Sukhna Lake below the Shivalik hills.
Tickets: Rock Garden about ₹50.
Eat: Dinner in Sector 17 or Sector 26.
Overnight: Chandigarh
DAG04Dag 4
Chandigarh to Delhi
An easy last drive back to the capital.
Morning: Optional: the Capitol Complex, Le Corbusier's UNESCO-listed government buildings (guided tours only, carry your passport).
Drive: Chandigarh to Delhi is about 250 km, 4½–5 hours.
Drop: Your Delhi hotel or the airport (flights after about 7 p.m.).
Overnachting: Delhi, of je vlucht naar huis
What's included: Amritsar and the Golden Temple
Wat is inbegrepen
Privéauto met airco voor de hele route, alleen voor jouw groep Professionele Engelssprekende chauffeur voor elke dag van de reis Alle brandstof Alle tol, interstatelijke en staatsbelastingen Parkeerkosten bij elke stop Vergunningen waar de route die vereist De maaltijden en accommodatie van de chauffeur — onderweg nooit jouw zorg Ophalen en afzetten op de luchthaven of het hotel in de begin- en eindstad
Wat niet is inbegrepen
Hotels en accommodatie van welke soort ook Alle maaltijden en drankjes voor de reizigers Entree voor monumenten, forten, paleizen en nationale parken Erkende lokale gidsen in de monumenten Foto- en videokosten waar die worden gevraagd Indiaas visum en eventuele grenskosten Internationale en binnenlandse vluchten Reisverzekering Fooi voor de chauffeur, welkom maar nooit verwacht Alles wat persoonlijk is — was, telefoon, winkelen, medisch We regelen graag hotels, gidsen, entreekaartjes en vluchten voor je tegen kostprijs. We nemen er geen commissie op, daarom zitten ze niet in de prijs.
Geverifieerde Google-reviews van GoIndiaNepal. Ze gaan over onze service als bedrijf, niet over deze specifieke reis.
5.0★★★★★ 10 reviews
5★10
4★0
3★0
2★0
1★0
Jack van Iersel★★★★★
June 9, 2026
I travelled twice with Go India Nepal. In 2019 for 4 weeks with Babu, together with my 2 adult daughters, and in 2025 2 weeks with Suraj, together with my wife. Both trips were perfect !! Both are safe drivers, speak excellent English, and very respectful to their guests. Highly recommended.
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thank you jack for your valuable review. and also thank you for you choosing seconds time too with your wife travelling with our company.. We hope again to see you nepal trip. Thank you for your all what…
Michiel Meulendijk★★★★★
January 20, 2026
Our time in India was made truly special thanks to our driver, Anil. From the very beginning, he made us feel comfortable and well cared for, and throughout the trip he proved to be an excellent and reliable companion on the road. Anil is a highly skilled driver who navigated the busy and often chaotic streets with confidence and ease,…
GoIndiaNepal replied
Soo mush thank you Michael for your voluble review.and we always trying to give best service to our valuable clients.and thankyou for you choiching our little coprate driver company. With worm regarding Thepearlsofindia.com And babu.
Niels Lokman★★★★★
August 19, 2025
Just finished our fantastic tour around Rajasthan and Agra with Babu. Our 17 day journey was the first time we travelled with a driver since we have been travelling to quite some places just by ourselves over the last years but thought this modality was the right option in chaotic India. This journey was a great success in many ways;…
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thankyou for your valuable review.i do my best for our valuable guests. Thanks again for your great review. Rhd www.thepearlsofindia.com And babu
giuseppe petroro★★★★★
July 17, 2025
babu is the best driver i ever meet. he s more than a driver, he's a tour operator. he knows many stories about everything, he's very helpful to arrange your travel, before your arrival and during your visit. i really was satisfied about him and i suggest to everyone, for sure!
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thankyiu for your valuable review for our service and I do our best for our valuable clients. And I will be glad if I got chance to give you again my service for India or nepal.. Thnks 🙏…
Hans de Vries★★★★★
April 22, 2025
We recently completed a remarkable Golden Triangle tour in India and want to share our wonderful experience with Babu's company, particularly with our driver, Pramod. From the moment he greeted us at the airport in the middle of the night, we felt a genuine sense of hospitality. Pramod is a fantastic driver who navigated the busy streets with ease, ensuring…
GoIndiaNepal replied
Thankyou Hans de Vries for your valuable review about my service and drive service we always give best service and best drive and safe drive to our valuable guests. Thanks again for choosing our company and service. Rgd Thepearlsofindia. Com
Lorenza Corti★★★★★
March 2, 2025
Babu was perfect!
GoIndiaNepal replied
Ha ha babu is the best as always 😄😂😂!!!!! Thank you so mush Lorenza for your valuable reviews for the our best service and best drive. We always trying to give our best to our valuable guest. Thank you again…
carla ciatto★★★★★
March 2, 2025
Abbiamo vissuto una bellissima esperienza di viaggio grazie alla guida impeccabile e sicura del nostro driver Niki, sempre gentile, concentrato e molto professionale. Un lungo viaggio tra l'India e il Nepal alla scoperta di luoghi raggiungibili solo in auto. Un grande grazie a Babu e Niki!!
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thank you carla for your valuable reviews about our service and drive we always give our best service and best drive to our valuable guest. Thank you again for choosing our service hope to see you again Regard…
Philippe JUTEAU★★★★★
February 27, 2025
Je tenais à exprimer ma profonde gratitude envers Babu, qui a été un chauffeur exceptionnel et plus tout au long de notre voyage. Grâce à ses conseils avisés et à son accompagnement chaleureux, nous avons pu découvrir des sites merveilleux que nous n'aurions jamais trouvés seuls. Babu a su nous faire partager sa passion pour la région et nous a…
GoIndiaNepal replied
Soo much thank you philippe your valuable review about my service and driver service with skills. We always try to give our best service and best drive to our valuable guests. And thanks for all that you appreciate with my…
Vertel ons over je reis
Stuur ons de grote lijnen van de reis die je voor ogen hebt en iemand uit ons familieteam komt bij je terug met een reisschema op maat — meestal binnen 24 uur.
Op maat door India & Nepal
Plan je droomreis in slechts 3 stappen
Vertel ons waar je van houdt en we antwoorden binnen 24 uur met een vaste prijs. Een uitgebreide dag-tot-dag reisroute kost €100, die volledig van de reissom wordt afgetrokken.
Stap 1 van 3 — Je reis
Waar en wanneer wil je reizen?
Kies een of meer bestemmingen — je kunt India en Nepal vrij combineren.
Amritsar and the Golden Temple: frequently asked questions
Echte vragen die onze reizigers stellen voordat ze boeken, beantwoord door de familie die deze routes rijdt.
Yes — everyone does, all genders. Scarves are handed out free at the entrance, and shoes are left at the shoe stand, also free. Legs and shoulders should be covered. Nobody will be unfriendly about it.
Yes. Around 50,000 to 100,000 people are fed daily and no one is asked for money or religion. You sit on the floor in rows and are served. Volunteering in the kitchen for half an hour is welcomed and is something many travellers remember more than the temple itself.
It is a long-running daily ceremony with big managed crowds and heavy security, and it has run for decades. It is loud and very patriotic and most people enjoy it. Go early for a seat. Passports are useful ID. It is closed occasionally at short notice for political reasons — we will check before we drive you out.
You can — there are daily flights from Delhi and it saves the best part of two days. If you fly both ways this becomes a two-day trip and we will meet you at Amritsar airport. The drive is easy highway, though, and it lets us include Chandigarh.
No. It is free and open to all, twenty-four hours a day. Jallianwala Bagh is also free. The Partition Museum in Amritsar charges a small fee and is worth the hour.
Punjab in May and June regularly passes 42 degrees. The temple is at its best October to March. That said, the marble is washed constantly and the complex is more bearable than the streets outside.
Beschikbaarheid bekijken
Amritsar en de Gouden Tempel — 4 dagen vanuit Delhi
