Letstravail

Travel planning content.

letstravail

Sikh

gurdwara

234 m

Peak season

Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib)

Guru Granth Sahib (holy scripture)

Location

Amritsar, Punjab

Darshan

Open 24 hours daily

Best time

October, November, December

Difficulty

easy

Est. cost / person

₹5,500

About Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib)

The Golden Temple is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. Founded in the 16th century, its lower levels are marble and the upper levels are covered in gold leaf. The temple is open 24 hours to all faiths and serves the world's largest free community kitchen (langar), feeding 50,000–100,000 people every day.

Foundation stone laid by Sufi saint Sain Mian Mir in 1588. Guru Arjan installed the first Guru Granth Sahib inside in 1604.

Darshan & Aarti

Darshan timings

· Open 24 hours daily
· Palki Sahib (procession of Guru Granth Sahib): 4:30 AM (summer) / 5:00 AM (winter)

Aarti schedule

Prakash (dawn opening) — 2:45 AM (summer) / 3:45 AM (winter)
Palki Sahib (evening) — 9:30 PM (summer) / 8:30 PM (winter) (Procession of holy scripture)

🚌 How to reach

By Air

Amritsar Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport (13 km)

Direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, London, Dubai, Toronto.

By Rail

Amritsar Junction (2 km from temple)

Well-connected — Shatabdi, Vande Bharat, and multiple express trains from Delhi.

By Road

NH-3 (former NH-1) links Amritsar to Delhi.

Delhi: 450 km · ~7h · NH-3 via Karnal–Ludhiana
Chandigarh: 230 km · ~4h · NH-5 via Jalandhar

Last mile: Free e-rickshaws from railway station and hotels within 3 km radius. Temple entry is walk-in — free for all.

Where to stay

yatri-niwas

Free / donation

SGPC Sarais (Guru Ram Das Niwas, Sri Guru Nanak Niwas)

Adjacent to temple

First-come-first-served, 3-night limit

Book now

budget

₹500 – ₹1,500

Backpacker hostels in old city

500 m – 1 km

Book now

mid

₹4,500 – ₹8,000

Hyatt / Ramada / Country Inn

2–5 km from temple

Book now

premium

₹12,000 – ₹22,000

Taj Swarna Amritsar

3 km from temple

Best luxury option in the city

Book now

Estimated expense (per person)

Delhi–Amritsar Vande Bharat return	₹2,200
Stay (2 nights, budget hotel)	₹2,000
Local food outside langar	₹800
E-rickshaw & local transport	₹500
Total	₹5,500