Things To Do In Amritsar

Things to do in Amritsar

Amritsar is the spiritual centre of Sikhism, home to the Golden Temple, Harmandir Sahib, one of the most moving places in India.

The Golden Temple, covered in gold leaf, sits in the middle of a sacred pool, Amrit Sarovar, and is open to everyone, of every faith, around the clock. Cover your head, remove shoes and socks, and walk clockwise around the pool. Visit at dawn or late at night, when the temple glows and the hymns, kirtan, are sung. The langar, the community kitchen, serves free meals to up to 100,000 people a day, cooked and served by volunteers; join the rows on the floor, or help peel vegetables or wash dishes.

Jallianwala Bagh, next to the temple, is the garden where British troops fired on an unarmed crowd in 1919, killing hundreds; bullet marks remain in the walls. The Partition Museum, in the Town Hall, tells the story of the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan through survivors' memories.

At the Attari–Wagah border, about an hour away, India and Pakistan hold a flag-lowering ceremony every evening. Since 2025 it has been scaled down, with the gates kept closed and no handshake, but visitors can still watch; arrive early and bring your passport.