I need help with planning an itinerary for my Amritsar trip which would be for 2 days. I will arriving in Amritsar by train in the afternoon around 12.30pm, and would be leaving the next day in the evening. The main places I want to see are Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Wagha Border. Thanks.
Wagah border is more then an hours drive from the railway station so I would advise going to the Wagah border on day one in the afternoon. When you get off the train hire a taxi for the rest of the day and go find a hotel first of all for the night and once you are done with the hotel go for your lunch and then head straight for wagah border to be there well before time to get good seats as that place gets crowded. The dhabas there arent that good or you could say that food is not as good as you would find in the city of Amritsar. When you are back from Wagah border then you could go to one of the famous food joints at Amritsar which I am sure you know there are plenty for both vegetarian and non veg food whatever you choice may be. Second day morning go to the Jallian wala bag and spend an hour or so there and then go to the Golden temple which is just a short walk from there and spend the day there. Leave in time for your train and pick up your luggage from hotel and board the train. It would be better if you get a hotel room that is very close to the Golden temple (there are plenty) because that way you would not have to travel too far on the second day. There are plenty of other places to visit in and around Amritsar if you are interested. Do let me know if you need more details I have been to Amritsar more then a dozen times.
It would be a tight schedule but is manageable. Golden temple and Jallianwala Bagh should be visited on the same day as they are close to each other, Wagah border should be visited on the first day so you can attend the evening ceremony. Once you are back from Wagah border you can go to the local eateries and shops. I would suggest visiting the Golden temple in the evening as well, as it is a difference experience from day time visiting.
My granny lives there in Amritsar, a beautiful travel destination. Pul Kanjri Pul Moran, Haweli (Baradari) Maharaja Ranjit Singh Amritsar, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama, Harike Pattan Wetland Bird Sanctuary, Guru Nanak Dev University, Art Gallery Amritsar, Wagah Border Amritsar of course Gobindgarh Fort Amritsar are main tourist destinations.
I am hoping to visit the Golden Temple in January when I return to India, as we will be seeing many sights and have quite a tight schedule its likely that we would be visiting it during the day. Could you elaborate a little more on how its a different experience in the Evening ?
I would be interested also to know the difference between the day and evening experience - I hope to visit for long enough to fit both in, but in case circumstances prevent this it would be good to know which may offer the more fulfilling experience. Also, is there a better day of the week to visit? Not just in terms of 'are crowds smaller on a Tuesday' (for example), but are there any activities which only occur on certain days of the week?
Two days are more than enough to visit Amritsar. You can go to Wagah Border on day one so that you can attend the border ceremony that happens at the border gate, two hours before sunset each day. The next day you can visit Golden Temple in the morning and afterwards you can go to Jallianwala Bagh.
