Weekend Trip to Amritsar ex-Bangalore: Golden Temple, Heritage Walk and more!

Take the most amazing Street Food walk through the old town of Amritsar. Not only will be be able to taste some of the most authentic and amazing variety of local dishes like mouth watering chaats (evening snacks), chicken and mutton kababs and tandoors, desserts, but also witness how these are prepared. Local dishes like bhel, Dabeli and the spicy samosas, pani-puri and much more. When you are thirsty, Sip a cup of masala chai tea in clay pot or a glass of freshly prepared lassi (curd mixed with water). The kababs and tandoors (barbequed) chicken and mutton are too tempting to resist. You can also some authentic dishes like Nutri kulcha, Makki ki roti, Sarso ka saag in a typically Amritsari style with the fragrant of clarified butter melting on it. You might want to end it with some local desserts like Amritsari Jalebi and delicious Gulab jamun.

Golden Temple is the most famous icon of Amritsar. See the glimmering Golden Temple by night and witness the evening Palki Sahib ceremony in which the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book) is put away for the night with this tour. To the accompaniment of drums and hymns that fill the air, a gold and silver gilded palanquin (palki), decorated with silk brocades, is prepared by the devotees to carry the Holy Book from the main shrine to the inner sanctum. Performed every evening, several devout followers and visitors partake in the ceremony. The Holy Book rests for a few hours in the inner chambers until the commencement of the early morning Ceremony for bringing the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib from inner chambers to the main shrine in Hari Mandir. After this beautiful experience at the temple you will be transferred back to your hotel overnight stay.

Amritsar Heritage Walk is one of the most delightful experience. The best time to do is from November to March when the weather is pleasant. Start from your hotel early morning after breakfast. The guided tour takes you through the history, culture, and heritage of the city of the 400-yeard old city of Amritsar. The approximately 3-km heritage walk covers many of the important religious, historical, architectural and cuisine spots. Beginning from the British built Town Hall, one gets to visit many other attractions like Saragarhi Gurdwara, Quila Ahluwalia, Chowk Jalayan Wala, Akhara Sangalwala, Darshani Deori, Chaurasti Attari chowk, Radha Krishan Mandir, Crawling Street, Puratan Rasta and Akhara Brahm Buta. We would typically end it at the Golden Temple at 10 am.

The Golden Temple, also known as Harmandir Sahib, meaning "abode of God" or Darbār Sahib, meaning "exalted court", is the most iconic structure of Amritsar. It is the preeminent spiritual site of Sikhism. The Golden Temple is an open house of worship for all people, from all walks of life and faith. It has a square plan with four entrances, has a circumambulation path around the pool. Visit it in the morning and experience the bliss and serenity of the place.

Jallianwala Bagh is a historic garden and ‘memorial of national importance’ in Amritsar, India, preserved in the memory of those wounded and killed in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre that occurred on the site on the festival of Baisakhi, 13 April 1919. Today, it houses a museum, gallery and a number of memorial structures

Gobindgarh Fort is a historic military fort located in the center of the city. The Fort was until recently occupied by the army but was recently opened to the public. Today the fort is being developed as a museum and theme park, as a repository of Punjab’s history.

Now you will visit ancient monuments like Pul Kanjari and Baradari, located very near to the Ind-Pakistan border. Then we will embark on a short village walk. During our casual stroll, we will get to perform various village activities such as cooking on a Chulha - a traditional clay oven, learn more about the gobar gas plant, spend time observing the families’ livestock and milk their cows. If we are lucky, we will also get to ride a tractor in the nearby farm. If time permits, we will also get to try some traditional attire such as turban and phulkari.

The Wagah-Attari border, known as the Retreat Ceremony, ceremony takes place at the border gate, two hours before sunset each day. The flag ceremony is conducted by the Pakistan Rangers and Indian Border Security Force (BSF). A marching ceremony, known as the "Silly Walk ceremony", is conducted each evening along with the flag ceremony. The ceremony started in 1986 as an agreement of peace, although there was not a conflict at that time.

After a memorable trip, leave for the airport.