IN · Punjab · 31.64°N 74.86°E

amritsar

The Golden Temple reflected in water, buttery kulcha and busy old-city lanes.

Best time
February–March and October–November are the comfortable months. December–January is cold and foggy, May–June is fiercely hot, and July–August is humid and rainy.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
About 6 hours direct from KL. The airport is 30–45 minutes from the old city. India is 2.5 hours behind KL.
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IN · Punjabamritsar31.64°N 74.86°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,The Golden Temple reflected in water, buttery kulcha and busy old-city lanes.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingAmritsarIN, Punjab
KLamritsar
≈ 4,233 km from KL, as the crow flies
Golden Temple is also known as Harmandir Sahib

Photo: Shagil Kannur · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Amritsar grows around the Golden Temple, where hymns drift over the water day and night and thousands eat together in the free kitchen. Around it, the old city's lanes are full of kulcha ovens, lassi shops and Punjabi embroidery.

Makan

  1. Amritsari kulchaFlaky stuffed bread from the tandoor, brushed with butter and served with spicy chickpeas.Map ↗
  2. LassiThick, sweet and topped with a slab of cream, in a tall steel glass.Map ↗
  3. JalebiHot spirals of fried batter soaked in syrup.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Golden TempleThe gilded Harmandir Sahib in its pool, ringed by a marble walkway. See it in daylight and again after dark, when it glows.Map ↗
  2. LangarThe temple's free kitchen feeds tens of thousands a day. Sit on the floor with everyone else for dal, roti and kheer, all vegetarian.Map ↗
  3. Jallianwala BaghThe walled garden where British troops fired on a crowd in 1919, with bullet marks still in the brickwork.Map ↗
  4. Partition MuseumLetters, belongings and recorded memories of the 1947 partition, in the old Town Hall.Map ↗
  5. Attari–Wagah borderThe evening flag-lowering ceremony at the Pakistan border, about 45 minutes' drive away. It's been more low-key since 2025, but still draws big crowds.Map ↗

Good to know

  • At the Golden Temple, cover your head (scarves are lent at the entrance), take off shoes and socks, and walk through the foot-washing channel.
  • Halal meat is hard to find in Amritsar, but vegetarian Punjabi food is everywhere, and the langar is vegetarian too.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.