15 Best Places To Visit In Amritsar
Planning an itinerary for Amritsar, Punjab and wondering what are the famous places in Amritsar other than Golden Temple? Here are some suggestive places to visit in Amritsar that are worth exploring.
Did you know lakhs of people visit this glittering golden temple across the world daily? It is known as the holiest Gurudwara of Sikh religious worship as it holds the holy scriptures of Sikh faith inside Adi Granth. Along with this gratifying golden temple, there are plenty more things to keep you busy while you visit this unimaginable yet spiritual city.
‘Sat Sri Akaal’, ‘Changa’, ‘Tusī kivēṁ ho?’ these are few words/expressions which you would apprehend as soon as you arrive in Amritsar, Punjab. Located in Punjab, India- Amritsar is a small city still too much to explore the cultural, historical and spiritual values. Small Narrow lanes, tuk-tuks, colourful turbans, lassi, parathas, temples, friendly locals are things or places to visit in Amritsar.
It was a trip which ended with a blink of an eye. A short weekend getaway got us to explore various aspects of Amritsar city. Major attractions are in and around the golden temple, but if you plan for more days you can surely explore more at the outskirts of Amritsar.
15. Gobindgarh Fort
Get involved in a Historic Affair right in the heart of Amritsar, called as Gobindgarh Fort. Located at a 2km walking distance from the Golden Temple it carries a lot of history of over 250 years. The fort currently has museums, Whispering Walls (Light and Sound Show), Sher e Punjab 7D show, VR Shows, Live Performances, Haat Bazaar, and more. It is an ideal place for friends and family to spend some leisure time together. It is amid the top places to visit in Amritsar.
Time: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm; every day
Fees: Packages varying from ₹ 150 to ₹ 649 per head for Indians; packages varying from ₹250 to ₹1000 per head for foreigners
14. Akal Takht
Akal meaning Timeless One and Takht meaning Throne – it is a Sikh religious authority also act as an altar for Sikh political assembly. It resides just behind a large gateway at the entrance to the causeway across the man-made pool that leads to the Golden Temple. Initially, the structure was 3.5 meters high but today you will find a 5 storey building with a golden dome.
13. Partition Museum
One of the famous places in Amritsar is the historic Town Hall building names as the Partition Museum. A quick 8-10 mins walk from Golden Temple can lead you to the historic foyer of arched verandahs, Venetian glass, beautiful tiles and partition stories will take you back in the 19th century.
If you like listening to stories and get the real feel of the Indian Partition Movement than this is among the top 15 places to visit in Amritsar.
Time: 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM (Tues to Sun)
Fees: Indian Nationals: INR 10/- Foreign Nationals: INR 250/-
A quick tip: You will at least need an hour to complete the entire museum tour. So make sure to have an ample amount of time in hand to truly learn and explore the historic movement.
12. Bibeksar Sahib
Gurudwara Shri Shri Bibeksar Sahib is situated near Chattiwind gate in Amritsar. It is another famous place in Amritsar with a great story behind it. Locals believe Guru Sahib himself laid the base of the Sarovar (Holy Tank) and it was a meeting place during that period for all religious conversations. They also say that Shri Guru Saheb would tie his horse with the Kareer tree when he returned from hunting.
Time: 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Quick Tip: Cover your head with a scarf or handkerchief. Langar is served daily to all who visit the Gurudwara.
11. Hop On Hop Off Amritsar City Tour
Take a tour of the city of Amritsar on a hop on and hop off a double-decker bus and explore the iconic city. This is a great option to cover most of the places in Amritsar. This service provider allows you to relax on the bus and go around the hotspots of Amritsar at your ease. You can visit places like Durgiana Temple, Gobindgarh Fort, Khalsa College and many more during this tour.
The Amritsar city tour may take up to 4 hours of the day and by 2:00 pm you would be taken to Wagah Border (If you pick) which would normally take 3-4 hours, in short, you will need an entire day for the Amritsar City Tour. It is the most convenient option when you do not have much time in hand but would want to explore as much as possible. Ideally, the cost would vary from 400 – 1000 depending on different packages you pick.
Quick tip: Make sure you pick the bottom seats during summer or else you are sure to get roasted in the heat.
10. Guru Ke Mahal – Home To The Sacred Sikh Book
Amritsar is one of the holiest places in India, lakhs of pilgrims come to pray for their deeds. It also has many numbers of Gurudwaras across town- one of which is Guru Ke Mahal, located near Golden Temple across the main street also called as Guru Bazar. It is one of the most prominent and popular places to visit in Amristar.
Originally in 1573, it was a dwelling of Sri Guru Ram Das who founded Amritsar but later got converted into a Gurudwara.
Guru Ke Mahal is renowned for the holy book of the Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib and is placed on a dais raised on the ground.
9. Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum
The museum is named after the Maharaja Ranjit Singh – first king of the Sikh Empire. The museum showcases the history, art and architecture of the Maharaja history between 18th-19th century. Located 4km from Golden Temple it is amidst the famous places in Amritsar.
The palace is surrounded by the famous Rambagh Gardens popular for its statue of the legendary king with his horse.
Time: 10 AM to 5 PM all day except Mondays
Fees: Rs. 40 per person for adults, Rs. 10 per person for children and free for kids below 5 years of age.
8. Ram Tirath Road
Located on Chogawan road, 11 km west of Amritsar, it is a famous Rishi Valmiki’s monastery which dates back to Ramayana time. This place marks the site where Sita gave birth to her sons in hurt and an ancient well (tank). Many devotees come here to pray inside the temple. The temple has an 8 foot tall, 800 kg gold plated idol of Lord Valmiki inside. The ancient temple organizes a 5 day fair a fortnight after Diwali, where lakhs of pilgrims visit to seek blessings and the lite temple view is to die for. It is a must place to visit in Amritsar.
7. Sadda Pind
Planning to explore the Punjabi culture when in Amritsar, than Sadda Pind is among the top places to visit in Amritsar. It is a village museum spread across acres of land bringing you the authentic culture, flavours and colours in Punjab. Located 8 km from Golden Temple, it is a perfect spot to get together with family and friends.
Dive in the true Indian rustic lifestyle as a tourist and experience the local essence in Punabji desi style. Get involved with the cultural performances, folk dances, local handicrafts, songs, stories and of course, Punjabi cuisine.
This place offers day and stays packages. Day packages start with Rs. 750/- Rs. 600/- which will include food and stay packages will start from 2000 (standard) depending on the season and availability.
6. Heritage Walking City Tour of Amritsar
The best way to explore the city of Amritsar is to stroll around the lanes of the city, opt for a walking tour which will dive you in the rich heritage of the town. Amritsar is the largest city of the state Punjab and recognised as the holy place of Sikhs across the globe. This city has a lot of interesting spots which can be covered by just gallivanting across the path. Encounter the famous places in Amritsar with an expert guide and learn the historic stories by opting for a heritage walking tour.
There are many private and individual who provide these services which will involve different packages for you to choose depending on your time preferences.
Generally, the amount of a tour would cost you starting from 400 Rs. – 1500 Rs. and the time would vary from 2-3 hours.
Link: https://www.trodly.com/activity-2649-heritage-walking-tour-of-amritsar
5. Hall Bazaar
Amritsar, apart from being a famous holy place and local cuisine delicacies, the city also offers several shopping alleys where you can find art and culture in its purest form. The most famous place in Amritsar is the Hall Bazaar locate just a 1km walk from the railway station.
Make sure if you come to Amritsar you can always keep 2 hours to your shopping speer, as it falls among the famous places to visit in Amritsar. You will also find many shopping options in and around the Golden Temple but they could be sometime heavy on your pocket. A quick tip if you move out from the Golden Temple area you will find a lot of reasonable shopping options.
The bazaar is popular for its woollens articles like carpets, blankets and shawls, other commodities like wooden bangles, silver jewellery, ornamented shoes and mythical embroidered garments are easily available. The best time to visit Hall Bazaar is between October and February when the climate is cooler.
4. Kesar Da Dhaba
Even if you come to Amritsar just for a day this place cannot be missed. Kesar Da Dhaba is known for its mouth-watering delicacies with their traditional desi flavours. The Dhaba is very famous among the travellers and locals, you can easily get access to this place by asking the locals. They have a variety of parathas, sweets, thali to offer. Trust me their parathas are very difficult to finish, but also it gives you the feeling of ‘no one can eat just one’.
Their Dal Tadka is the must to try with the tender parathas, Firni for dessert, and to top up Chaas or lassi with them. Many people would just go there even for a short layover, and it is among the top 15 places to visit in Amritsar.
3. Jallianwala Bagh
Another famous place in Amritsar to visit is the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, known from the incident on April 13, 1919, where British troops hurled on a large crowd of unarmed Indians. It is called a massacre as hundreds of people were killed and many were wounded in this occurrence. Also, it was a turning point to India’s modern history as it left a strong scar on India-British relation.
Time: 6:30 am – 7:30 pm
Fees: There are no entry fees. It is 2 mins walking distance from the Golden Temple.
2. Wagah Border
Talking about famous places in Amritsar, Wagah Border tops the list. This international India- Pakistan border is among the top places to visit in Amritsar. It is one of the most charming spectacles to look at when the Guards marching towards each other and handshaking. The daily highlight is the evening Beating the Retreat ceremony which takes place around 4, soldiers from both countries march in perfect drill bringing down their national flags as the sun dawns. The entire surrounding gets filled with Patriotic songs and roaring applauds, it is a sight not to miss.
There are no entry fees to this, but they do have limited seats for the ceremony, many people start lining up from 2 pm to get the best sight of the ceremony. And the timings for the ceremony is fixed it opens up at 2:00 pm and ends at 6:00 pm.
1. Golden Temple
One of the popular places to visit in Amritsar is the Golden Temple, 750 kilos of pure gold glaring back at you! Built-in 1577 also called as the Harmandir Sahib and Darbar Sahib, people say if you visit the gurudwara your prayers do get fulfilled. As they have lakhs of daily visitors accept it to be crowded and hour-long waiting queues to pray.
The best time to visit is early morning when the weather is pleasant and not too warm. The best time to visit Amritsar would be during winters as in summer it tends to be hot and humid and difficult to move out from hotel rooms. When I visited it was August, monsoon time but it hardly rained and the weather was really hot.
Make sure to see this beauty early morning and during dawn, you would fall in love at first sight. Stroll around the temple on the beautiful white marbles, visit the temple’s langar, do kitchen volunteering by cooking rotis, dal, chole and be the part of the community, Soak into the man-made pool that surrounds the temple to get rid of your sins.
Tip: Women are not supposed to soak in the water as they have a dedicated section(closed room pool) for that.
Always cover your head (men & women) when entering the temple. Make sure to carry a scarf or handkerchief. Or you can buy them outside the temple for around 10 Rs-/.
FAQs
What are the places to visit in Amritsar?
The Golden Temple. The Golden Temple. Wagah Border Ceremony. Wagah Border Ceremony | Guilhem Vellut / photo modified. Partition Museum. Partition Museum. Punjabi Restaurants. A plate of delicious Punjabi food. Mandir Mata Lal Devi. Jallianwala Bagh. Baba Atal Tower. Ram Bagh Gardens.
What is the best time to visit Amritsar?
The best time to visit Amritsar is from November to March. Hot and dry summers are not the best season to visit Amritsar.
How can I go to Amritsar?
You can access Amritsar by Road, Train and Air. Amritsar is well connected from all cities in India. There are daily direct flights to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, London, Doha, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.
What can I do in 2 days in Amritsar?
- Golden Temple.
- Jallianwala Bagh.
- Wagah Border.
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum.
- Durgiana Temple.
- Partition Museum.
- War Memorial Museum.
- Sun City Park.
What is famous to buy in Amritsar?
Specialty: Shawls, carpets, dress materials, electronics, phulkari embroidery work textiles, Pakistani juttis, saris, Chinese lamps, dry fruits, imitation jewellery, food items, handicrafts, woollen garments, sweaters and Pashmina shawls are among the best things to buy in Amritsar from here.
These are the top 15 places to visit in Amritsar, make sure you visit during winters as the climate is pleasant. The best time to visit Amritsar is between October – February.
During my visit to Amritsar, I couldn’t manage to cover all the places but if you have time and days in hand then, these are some famous places in Amritsar to hit as listed above.
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