Amritsar One Day Itinerary: Golden Temple, Wagah Border & More
Amritsar, which is known as the cultural heart of the Indian state of Punjab, is a city filled with history, spirituality, and tradition. Whether you’re interested in visiting Amritsar for the iconic Golden Temple, learning about the historical significance of the Partition or attending the strange but fascinating Wagah Border Ceremony, this one-day itinerary covers all the Amristar highlights. Here’s a detailed Amritsar one-day itinerary to help you experience the best of of this city.
I did this exact itinerary when I visited Amritsar as a quick weekend trip from New Delhi. So, here we go — let’s begin with the perfect Amritsar one day itinerary.
NOTE: We spent 2 nights in Amritsar – we flew to Amritsar from New Delhi on a Friday night, and left mid-morning on Sunday. So essentially we had one full day in Amritsar. I highly suggest that you have a full day here to see the highlights.
Morning – Start Your Day at the Golden Temple
The Golden Temple is probably why you’re here in Amritsar, as it is the city’s most iconic spot. The Golden Temple draws visitors from ar ound the world to witness its beauty and spiritual significance. Also known as Harmandir Sahib, it’s the holiest gurudwara (which is a Sikh place of worship) in Sikhism and is a major pilgrimage site for Sikhs.
Upon entrance, you will need to take off your shoes. Moderate dress is required (no bare shoulders) and you must cover your head with a scarf. They have scarves available at the entrance or you can purchase a scarf from any of the numerous vendors in Amritsar.
The Golden Temple complex has plenty to explore. You can walk around the Sarovar (holy pool), visit the inner sanctum (there will likely be a very long line, but it moves quickly.) My favorite part about my visit to the Golden Temple was the Langar, which is known to be the world’s largest community kitchen. It serves free meals to about 100,000 people daily. No matter who you are — your religion, caste, or color, everyone is welcome to share a meal here — yes, even tourists!
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Expect to spend about 3 hours here or so.
Early Afternoon – Stroll Through the Old City and Hall Bazaar
After visiting the Golden Temple, make some time to walk through the old city and bazaar area of Amritsar. Here you can find all kinds of goodies — but keep an eye out for Punjabi Juttis (shoes) and Philkari textiles (which are embroidered), as these are items of which Punjab is known.
If you didn’t participate in Langar at the Golden Temple, you might want to stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants in Amritsar.
Afternoon – Visit Partition Museum
The Partition Museum is the world’s first museum dedicated to the Partition of India in 1947. British India was split into India and Pakistan along religious lines, causing the largest mass migration in history. Around 14-15 million people were displaced, over a million killed, and the Partition’s scars still shape South Asia today. Here you can learn about the history and human stories behind the Partition of India in 1947. In the museum, you’ll also find letters, photographs, stories, and personal items of refugees.
I’m not much of a museum person but my friend really wanted to see it, so I went. I absolutely loved it. I found it extremely interesting and learned a lot. I liked it so much that I’ll even go so far as to say this is one of the most memorable museums I have ever visited!
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Late Afternoon / Early Evening: Wagah Border Ceremony
The Wagah Border Ceremony is a daily military practice conducted at the India-Pakistan border, filled with patriotic fun and synchronized marching — and it’s absolutely wild! It reminded me of going to a sporting event in the US, except, well, there was no sport being played; they’re just closing a border! This event takes place every day of the year, so no matter when you visit Amritar, you can see the border closing ceremony — and I highly, highly recommend it! It was my favorite and memorable I thing I did when I visited Amritsar.
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This will take you about 2.5-3 hours including travel time to/from the border. You will need to arrange a driver to get to the border — but no worries, there are plenty of drivers hanging out on the streets of Amritsar willing to take you. Negotiable a price and off you’ll go. You will want to arrive by 4pm at the latest.
Tourists are placed in a special section that is right on the India / Pakistan border, so you are able to see the ceremonies from both sides right up close.
After the border ceremony, head back to your hotel in Amritsar.
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If you have extra time:
Depending on your pace, these activities above might take up your entire day, but if you want to (or want to swap something out), here are two more ideas of things to do in Amritsar for one day:
Visit Jallianwala Bagh
Jallianwala Bagh commemorates the tragic massacre of April 13, 1919, when British troops opened fire on peaceful protesters, causing deaths of over 1,000 people. Here, you can view actual bullet holes that are still in the walls, visit the martyrs well (this is where many of the protesters hid to avoid gunshots) and there is also a small museum.
Go Back to the Golden Temple for the Night Ceremony
The Golden Temple doesn’t close, and in the evening, there is a special nightly ceremony that takes place – the Palki Sahib Ceremony. This is where Guru Granth Sahib is carried to its resting place. Or, if you’re not interested in the ceremony, just seeing the Golden Temple lit up at night is amazing! The crowds are also much smaller at night, so you’ll have a more peaceful experience.
Or at least, I’m sure it is! We were just too tired to head back out — even though we really wanted to. Next time!
We stayed at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Amritsar and I definitely recommend this hotel. Here is a link to book it if you’re interested.
When is the best time to visit Amritsar?
I’d say the best time to visit Amritsar, India is during the winter months (so November to early March), as the temps will be comfortable (55-80 degrees) and not blazing hot. We visited in late January and had excellent weather. Temps were in the mid-60s and very comfortable. Visiting outside of winter, you’ll run into very hot (100+ F) days, and visiting in the summer monsoon (July – early October) months can bring high humidity and lots of rain.
Amritsar One Day Itinerary – Final Thoughts
Amritsar is a great city to visit in India, and it doesn’t need a lot of time devoted to see the main highlights. As you can see, you can visit most everything in just one full day. Hope you enjoyed this Amritsar one day itinerary!
I have never heard of Amritsar but you’ve made me excited to visit! The golden temple looks stunning and the food sooo yummy!!
The Golden Temple looks incredible, built by the water. I’d love to see that at sunrise or sunset.
I love travel blogs for exposing me to places I have never been and will likely never see. Amritsar looks amazing and that Golden Temple is urneal!