- New Delhi – Rohtak – Sangrur – Moga – Amritsar – approx. 461 km (7.5 hrs)
- New Delhi – Sonepat – Panipat – Ambala – Ludhiana – Phagwara – Jalandhar – Amritsar – approx. 464 kms (8.25 hrs)
- New Delhi – Sonepat – Ambala – Chandigarh – Ludhiana – Jalandhar – Amritsar – approx. 500 kms (9 hrs)
We decided to pick a hotel on Queen’s Road which was 5 minutes from the station and also made most of destinations on our list accessible. Most of the places we wanted to visit were within the radius of max 5kms. We checked into the hotel, dumped our luggage, took a shower and headed out for lunch. Hailing a tuk tuk for a ride is quite convenient and since the distance of most destinations was within the 5 km radius, we ended up shelling INR 100 for most of our rides. We had been saving our appetite for a wholesome lunch and decided to head straight to Makhan Fish and Chicken Corner on Majitha Road. Renowned for its Amritsari Fish and Keema Nan, the restaurant has an air conditioned seating area on the first level we treated our taste buds to exactly what Makhan is famous for. Less than 200 mtrs ahead is another restaurant Beera Chicken Corner which at one point was considered as the hot spot but recently has been losing out on its fan following. We also learnt that within a certain radius of Golden Temple, you will not find any outlet which serves non vegetarian food. Respecting this religious sentiment, even McDonald’sopened its first ever only vegetarian restaurant next to Golden Temple.
You can download the route map below for reference:
The tour schedule as of October 2014 is as follows:
We spent some time sitting on the white marble surface surrounding the sarovar (pond). The reflection of Sri Haramnid Sahib in the pond was serene and batches of dark scaled fishes often surfaced up to gasp some fresh air.
By the time we reached Golden Temple Road, we were appalled by the rush on the road and it looked nothing less than a kumbh mela. With the temperatures soaring high, no place to walk, honking vehicles and impatient people the entire experience turned into a nightmare more than a vacation. Probably this was a flipside of visiting a destination like Amritsar over a long weekend. Some of the locals we spoke shared the same sentiments. Jallianwala Bagh is just 400 meters before Golden Temple and we decided to explore it before proceeding ahead. This memorial commemorates hundreds of unarmed and defenceless Indians who were on the receiving end of the open fire ordered by General O’Dyerwithout prior warning on April 13, 1919. The day which otherwise is celebrated as Baisakhi, one of Punjab’s biggest religious festivals. While some of them were shot dead, others rushed and jumped into the only well in the premise which is now marked as Martyr’s well. The bullet marks on one end of the park wall are still visible and have been preserved. The park was extremely crowded and apparently was restored in a way that it completely took away the raw which existed look some years back and gave you a more realistic picture of how it would have been when the incident took place.
- To relish every bit of the city, it is ideal to plan a trip during winters. End of November to end of January, unless you are ok with the heat and sweat
- You can time your visit to Golden Temple to witness some of the key ceremonies. To know more about the schedule across the year, click here
- Avoid long weekends as there are higher chances of the city and key tourist destinations getting over crowded
- Try to book the train journey’s in advance to ensure a confirmed booking
- For the Amritsar Heritage Tour, ensure that you confirm and book your spot in advance. You can also get some guidance on shopping destinations and eating joints from Mr. Davinder
- Ensure you follow the dress code – avoid Bermudas, Short Skirts/Short Pants. In short, keep yourself covered from shoulders to knees and also cover your head with a scarf or handkerchief.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to mail us at info.nameplaceanimalthing@gmail.com
15 comments
Those were some lovely pictures and great details you provided. Thanks for sharing!
It’s been long I went to Amritsar. Heritage Walk seems such a good idea. The great food and the narrow lanes reminded me of the older times there. Harmandir Sahib was just awesome, the place gives you so much calmness inside.
also, happens to be my birth city and I have some fond memories
I’ve been to Amritsar only once but I would love to go again to experience the heritage walk. It sounds like a worthy experience. Thank you for the detailed travelogue.
The heritage walk is a must… we are so glad we found about it right in time
Visiting the Golden Temple is definitely on our travel to-do list. Your elaborate post will surely come in handy when we plan. Thanks and good luck to you Karuna!
Vaishali its my birth city and extra special. Hope you get to go soon!
I am yet to explore Amritsar fully though did pay a visit to the Golden temple and Wagah border….Do we still have these walks? Would love to be part of it…
I am sure Meenakshi this walk would be up. we had found it on trip advisor that time. maybe just have look
Have been to this place long back with my parents. The calmness that this place to offer has no limits. Thanks for the pictures of relishing delicacies and some fond memories 🙂
This was one exhaustive account of your trip. I almost feel as though I’ve visited this place. I love the way you have organised your blog. It seems to be very informative, entertaining and easy to read. Sorry for sounding like a school marm but honestly it was a pleasure to read a well designed blog. For risk of offending some bloggers, I found some of the blogs too vague ( content was too deep ? for me to understand- or perhaps the references were not from my milieu) some of them were obvious translations from the vernacular and some just had sloppy editing…..So after several such reads, I find that reading a good blog puts me in school teacher mode..( does that make any sense?)
am just happy you enjoyed it 🙂
This is a beautiful travel post on Amritsar and for any traveller this can be a great reference point. Keep up the great writing
Woah! This is one exhaustive post with even the minute details of the trip covered beautifully. I love the picture postcards. Amritsar is long due in my ‘to be visited’ places and hopefully I will plan the trip soon. I will definitely refer this post whenever I plan my trip. ?
So happy to hear your feedback Saumy! Hope ur plan to go happens soon!