Amritsar
The Golden Temple and its free kitchen for all
Best time to visit Amritsar
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, shoulder season
- Aug, shoulder season
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and July to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Amritsar season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Cold mornings at the Golden Temple are atmospheric, especially the pre-dawn Palki ceremony.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Punjab plains heat hits past 40C, though the temple's marble floors stay cooling underfoot.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Humid with heavy rain bursts, but the temple complex runs fully and is far less crowded.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Comfortable temperatures building toward Diwali, when the temple is spectacularly lit.
What Amritsar is actually like
The Golden Temple's langar hall makes it genuinely easy to meet people.
Getting to Amritsar
Fly into Amritsar (ATQ) or 6h train from Delhi/Chandigarh
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Easy solo
- Altitude
- 234 m
- State
- Punjab
- Coordinates
- 31.6340, 74.8723
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Amritsar?
November to February is peak season in Amritsar. March and July to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. Comfortable temperatures building toward Diwali, when the temple is spectacularly lit.
How many days do you need in Amritsar?
2 days is the usual stay. The Golden Temple's langar hall makes it genuinely easy to meet people.
How do you get to Amritsar?
Fly into Amritsar (ATQ) or 6h train from Delhi/Chandigarh. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Amritsar expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Easy solo.
Is there a festival in Amritsar?
Apr: Baisakhi at the Golden Temple. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Harike Wetland (Harike Pattan)
Punjab
Beas meets Sutlej at north India's biggest man-made wetland
70 km from Amritsar, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Sultanpur Lodhi
Punjab
The rivulet town where Guru Nanak spent fourteen years
70 km from Amritsar, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Kapurthala
Punjab
A Punjabi maharaja's Versailles fantasy and a Moroccan mosque
70 km from Amritsar, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Mansar Lake
Jammu and Kashmir
Forest-ringed Shivalik lake with a Sheshnag shrine and turtles
160 km from Amritsar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Basohli
Jammu and Kashmir
Birthplace of Pahari miniature painting above Ranjit Sagar lake
170 km from Amritsar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Dalhousie
Himachal Pradesh
Raj-era pine hill town with colonial churches
220 km from Amritsar, roughly about 6 h by road
-
Nangal (Sutlej Lake)
Punjab
Blue-green Bhakra-era lake where the Sutlej leaves the Shivaliks
190 km from Amritsar, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Katra (Vaishno Devi)
Jammu and Kashmir
Base town for the year-round Vaishno Devi pilgrimage climb
200 km from Amritsar, roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Punjab
- Anandpur Sahib Punjab
- Bathinda Punjab
- Fatehgarh Sahib (Sirhind) Punjab
- Harike Wetland (Harike Pattan) Punjab
- Kapurthala Punjab
- Nangal (Sutlej Lake) Punjab
- Patiala Punjab
- Sultanpur Lodhi Punjab
- Talwandi Sabo (Takht Damdama Sahib) Punjab