Amritsar

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

Day 1:  Amritsar – Arrival

On arrival at Amritsar, Basil Leaf representative will drive you to your pre-booked hotel.

Founded in 1577 by Guru Ram Das, fourth Guru of the Sikhs, Amritsar (Pool of the Nectar of Immortality) is considered the center of the Sikh religion. Now the second-largest city of the Punjab state, it was once a junction of trade routes. The main attraction of Amritsar is the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh sites. The city itself is named after the sacred tank within this temple.

The day at leisure. If you wish you can explore the city on your own.

Overnight at Amritsar

Day 2: Amritsar

After breakfast proceed for your half-day tour of Amritsar.  Begin your tour with the sacred Golden Temple also known as the Harmandir Sahib. The temple is made up of white marble & copper gilt with its dome covered with gold leaf. Within is the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. See the community kitchen (langar) where volunteers daily feed 30,000 people at no cost. Later visit the historic Jallianwala Bagh, which commemorates the hundreds of innocent Indians killed or wounded by British bullets in the most notorious massacre under their rule.

Visit the Gobindgarh Fort which is being developed as a live repository of Punjab’s history & the Partition Museum which has a collection of various documents, artifacts, etc related to the post-partition riots. In the afternoon proceed towards the Atari border. Atari, an army outpost on Indo-Pak border – between Amritsar and Lahore, is an elaborate complex of buildings, roads, and barriers on both sides. The daily highlight is the evening “Beating the Retreat” ceremony. Soldiers from both countries march in perfect drill, going through the steps of bringing down their respective national flags. As the sun goes down, nationalistic fervor rises and lights are switched on marking the end of the day amidst thunderous applause.

Overnight at Amritsar

Day 3: Amritsar

After breakfast, you can spend the day shopping or at leisure. In the evening we visit the Golden Temple once again to see it decked in beautiful fairy lights which just add to its beauty.

Overnight at Amritsar

Day 4: Amritsar – onward.

After breakfast check out  & transfer to airport/railway station to connect onward destination. You can extend your journey with Katra – Vaishnodevi or with the Kashmir tour.