Things to do in Amritsar

When you think of Amritsar, what comes to your mind? Golden Temple, Wagah Border and Amritsari Kulcha!!! For sure, these are the best attractions of the city but there is another glorious side of Amritsar to delight your experience.

Do you know there is a fort in Amritsar that was built to protect the Golden Temple from invaders? And a really beautiful Ram temple that dates back to Ramayana (an Indian Epic)?

We did not know it till we visited this vibrant city.

Amritsar, the pious abode of Sikhs – is a well known tourist destination with its places of worship, historical monuments, delicious food, old markets and vibrant culture.

Here is an Amritsar travel guide to help you with the best places to visit and eat in Amritsar.

Places to visit in and around Amritsar

Golden Temple

Shri Harmandir Sahib famously called the Golden Temple, is a gold plated Gurudwara in the midst of a pond and is undoubtedly the main attraction to visit Amritsar.

Being the most sacred shrine in Sikhism, this place is always crowded. Even if you cannot make to the inside of the temple, the complex of Shri Harmindar Sahib is so amazing that it will leave you awe-struck by its beauty and peacefulness and you can easily spend hours there in its serene and calm aura.

The best time to capture the beauty of the golden temple is after the sunset as it is lit up at this time and it shines like anything.

Don’t forget to have the heavenly Prasad and Langar at the temple.

Govindgarh fort

History, entertainment, culture, food, adventure you will find these all at one place in Govindgarh fort. This place sheltered the world famous Koh-i-noor (diamond), served as a camp for immigrants from Pakistan at the time of partition and a base for military to protect the city and the holy Harmandir Sahib.

Beautiful green laden pathways, cannons kept at major entrances, brick and lime structures constructed in square patterns, wideness and openness of the place, live performances, food stalls, handicraft markets, 7 D and light shows – each and every thing at Govindgarh Fort will leave you mesmerized.

At night a light and sound show both in English and Hindi is organized here. Its one of the best Light and Sound shows we have ever seen.

There is a restaurant inside the fort, Ambarsari Zaika that serves delicious authentic Punjabi food. We had the best Amritsari Kulcha there.

Sadda Pind

Best way to experience and understand a culture is to live it!!!

An open air museum is designed in Amritsar where one can experience the old world charm of Punjab through cultural performances, folk dances, local handicrafts, songs, stories and of course, cuisine.

Sadda Pind is a place where easily 3-4 hours can be spend. It’s best to visit in the evening and come back at night after enjoying dinner there. We visited in April at noon time but the place is so well planned that even in open areas and under the hot sun, we were not feeling that hot.

Ticket charges of Sadda Pind is INR 750/- for adults and INR 600/- for children and it includes Lunch/ Dinner. For more details visit Sadda Pind.

Ram Tirth Temple

We thought of Ram Tirth to be like any other temple but upon visiting we were amazed by it’s huge complex, quietness and beauty.

With a spectacular architecture, this temple seems to be floating in a pond and has entrance portals at both ends, a sacred pond, a devotee hall with a capacity of 5000, a Sanskrit library, a museum and a multi-storey modern car parking with a capacity of 500 four-wheeler vehicles.

The temple dates back to the period of Ramayana (an Indian Epic) and is famous for the ashram of sage Maharishi Valmiki (an Indian Saint).

Wagah Attari Border

The highlight of this border between India and Pakistan is the lowering ceremony of the flags organized every evening (before the sunset) by security forces of both India and Pakistan jointly. The ceremony is characterized by parades, high patriotic spirit and raising legs as high as possible by security forces of both the sides. The vibes are so zealous that it’s sure to evoke patriotic fervor and you will end up shouting “Vande matram” along with the crowd.

To get seat in the stadium, try to reach there before time as it is always full. The timings of the ceremony are 4:15 pm to 5:15 pm in winters and 5:15 pm to 6:15 pm in summers.

Amritsar Market

Punjabi Suits, Jutis, mementos and restaurants are what you can explore in Amritsar streets. Phulkari dupattas and Punjabi suits are available everywhere. There is a highly organized street near the parking area of the Golden Temple.

Durgiana Temple/ Lakshmi Narayan Temple

Situated in the midst of a pond and having central gold plated dome – this temple is quite similar to Golden temple in terms of architecture. It’s a Hindu place of worship.

Jallianwala Bagh

A walled garden near the Golden Temple, this historical place is well known because of the relentless massacre that took place on the orders of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer. An unprovoked fire was opened at the innocent crowd, brutally killing thousands of people and forcing many to jump into a well to escape a gunfire.

There is a wall having bullet marks, a memorial in the shape of eternal flame and a well in which people jumped to escape the bullets.

Places to eat in Amritsar

Amritsar is very famous for its Dhabas . Mouth watering Amritsari Kulchas, soul satisfying lassi (sweet buttermilk), addictive Dal Makhni, delicious Chole Bhature and crispy jalebi (sweet dish) are some of the vegetarian dishes to die for. It’s a paradise for foodies. Since we are vegetarian, here is a list of best vegetarian options in the town.

Kesar Ka Dhaba

This Dhaba is close to the market near Golden Temple and serves authentic Punjabi Amritsari Kulcha with Dal Makhni, Chole and Raita. Not visiting Kesar ka Dhaba will leave your trip to Amritsar incomplete.

Location of Kesar Ka Dhabha in Amritsar – Chowk Passian, Near Telephone Exchange. From the parking area of Golden Temple, ask any shopkeeper about its location.

Bharawan da Dhabha

Ambarsari Zaika – A restaurant inside Govindgarh Fort

Goenka Sweets in Amritsar

Location of Goenka Sweet Shop- 786 Katra Ahluwalia Near Golden Temple.

Gurdas Ram Jalebi Wala

Location of Gurdas Ram Jalebi Wala – Katra Ahluwalia near Golden Temple

Gian Di Lassi

How to reach Amritsar

The city is well connected to Delhi and other metro cities of India by Trains and Airways. Bus Service is also there for Amritsar from Delhi and other north Indian cities of India.

On this occasion, we traveled by train from Delhi to Amritsar (6-7 hours).

Where to stay in Amritsar

Amritsar has all kind of hotel from budget to luxury. Head to booking.com and find an option as per your budget.

We stayed in Treebo MM Paradise. Located in the narrow lanes of amritsar, the best thing about this hotel is its proximity to the golden temple. Its a 3 star property. The room we stayed in was clean, maintained and has ample space. Bathroom had all the toiletries. We booked it for INR 1800/- (with complimentary breakfast) from booking.com.

The only thing that bothered us was that the breakfast was served in open, in the balcony of the 3rd floor of the hotel which is hygienically not a good place to serve the breakfast. When we inquired, we got to know that their dining area is under construction.

Other than that we enjoyed our stay there. The manager recommended places to visit and eat in Amritsar and also booked a taxi for us for visiting nearby places in Amritsar.

Best Time to visit

You can visit Amritsar round the year but it’s ideal to schedule a visit between October and January as it’s really hot in summers.

We visited in April. Though Amritsar is really hot during this month, we got lucky as it rained a night before our visit which made the weather a bit pleasant.

Getting around in Amritsar

For visiting locations like golden temple, market, Jaliawala Bagh and sadda pind use autos or rickshaws. You can even walk if you are staying near golden temple.

Hire a full day taxi to visit Durgiana Temple, Gobindgarh fort, Ram Tirth and Wagah border on the same day.

Amritsar Itinerary

If you are wondering how to cover these places, this is how we did it. You can customize it, skip a place or add more depending on the number of days you have in hand.

Day 1

• Reach Amritsar in the afternoon.
• Visit Golden Temple, sit there for a while and enjoy the vibes of the place.
• Have dinner at Kesar ka Dhaba
• Stroll in the market near Golden Temple

Day 2

• Book a taxi for the entire day.
• Visit Durgiana Temple
• Go to beautiful Govindgarh Fort, explore it and have lunch at Ambersari Zaika.
• Have a quick stop at Ram Tirth temple
• Reach Wagah Border atleast half an hour before the retreat ceremony.
• Head to Govindgarh Fort again for an amazing Light and sound show.
• Dinner at Bharawan Da Dhabha and Jalebi (sweet dish) at Guru Ram Das Jalebi Wala

Day 3

• After breakfast at your place of stay, head to Jallianwala Bagh.
• Visit Sadda Pind, have lunch there.
• Board your Flight/train/bus to back Home

Have you ever visited Amritsar? What did you like the most there? Let us know in the comments below!!!