Amritsar trip
Amritsar trip guide: Golden Temple, Wagah, Partition Museum
Amritsar fits two days. The Partition Museum is a 5 to 7 minute walk from the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh, so all three fit in one day, and the Beating Retreat at the Attari-Wagah border takes a late afternoon. Incredible India says October to March offers the most pleasant weather.
Sourced 5 Nov 2026. The airport line is from the Airports Authority of India, the Golden Temple lines from SGPC, Jallianwala Bagh and the season from Incredible India (undated), the museum lines from the Partition Museum (no page date), other sights from the Amritsar district site (undated), and the retreat times from the news reports dated next to each line.
Getting to Amritsar
- Air: Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport (ATQ) "is about 11 kilometres from the centre of city. It is located on the Amritsar-Ajnala Road", per the Airports Authority of India. The Partition Museum puts it 13 km from the museum, a 25 to 30 minute drive.
- Rail: Incredible India lists Amritsar Central Railway Station (ASR), which the Partition Museum calls Amritsar Junction, 2.1 km from the museum. Check when booking opens with our train booking date calculator.
- Bus: the Madan Lal Dhingra Inter-State Bus Terminal is 950 m from the Partition Museum.
When to go
Incredible India says: "While October to March offers the most pleasant weather for exploring Amritsar, the city welcomes visitors with open arms throughout the year."
Sri Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple
Per SGPC, the foundation was laid by Hazrat Mian Mir of Lahore in December 1588, and the building was completed in 1604. It stands on a 67 ft square platform in the centre of the sarovar, reached by a causeway 202 feet long. Unlike a temple with one gate, it was opened "from four sides", and it is "accessible to every person without any distinction of Caste, creed, sex and religion". Incredible India describes the langar as "This communal meal, open to all".
SGPC publishes the daily timetable on its daily routine page, but it did not render as text for us on 5 November 2026, so we print no opening, closing or Palki Sahib times. Open that page before you plan an early or late visit.
To stay near the temple, SGPC's sarai page says "There are Six Niwas which provide lodging facilities for pilgrims", that "The reception counters work around the clock" and that rooms can be booked online on sgpcsarai.com. It prints no tariff.
Jallianwala Bagh
Incredible India gives "Opening time - 6:30 AM. Closing time - 7:30 PM" and describes the Martyr's well, the Martyr's Gallery, the Amar Jyoti and a light and sound show every day near the end of the visit, enacting the massacre of 13 April 1919.
The closing time moves with the season. On 2 April 2025, Akashvani News (All India Radio) reported summer hours of 6.30 AM to 7.00 PM, with the show in Punjabi from 7 PM to 7.30 PM and in Hindi from 7.45 PM to 8.15 PM. So plan on 6:30 AM opening and a 7:00 PM or 7:30 PM close. No official page we read prints an entry fee either way.
Partition Museum
The museum is in the Town Hall. From its visit page:
| Line | As printed |
|---|---|
| Hours | 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM |
| Closed | Mondays, 26 January, 15 August and 2 October |
| Indian nationals | INR 10 |
| Foreign nationals | INR 250 |
| Children 5 and below | Free |
| Partition survivors | Free |
The museum says it is "entirely wheelchair friendly".
The Beating Retreat at Attari-Wagah
The Amritsar district site describes the Wagah border as "The international border between India and Pakistan. The pomp and pageantry of the Beating Retreat and the Change of Guard". The BSF website did not open for us, so the times below are as reported in the news:
- From 16 October 2026: "The ceremony will now be held from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., instead of the earlier schedule of 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.", as reported by UNI on 15 October 2026.
- Why it moves: "The ceremony's timings are usually changed in response to changing daylight patterns and seasonal weather conditions", and "Authorities have advised visitors to arrive well in advance", as reported by The Tribune on 1 May 2026.
We found no official page for the entry fee, seating, ID or bag rules, or the distance from Amritsar, so check them locally before you set off.
More to see
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum: 1.5 km from Amritsar Junction and 4 km from the Golden Temple, per the district site.
- Gobindgarh Fort: "a 1760 structure" (Incredible India), right in the centre of the city. Its own website did not open for us, so we print no hours or fees.
- Durgiana Temple: listed on the district site.
- Ram Tirath: 12 km west of Amritsar on Chogawan road, per the district site.
A simple two-day plan
- Day 1: the Golden Temple and the langar, Jallianwala Bagh, then the Partition Museum (not on a Monday). Stay for the evening light and sound show at Jallianwala Bagh.
- Day 2: the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum and Gobindgarh Fort, then leave early for the Beating Retreat at Attari-Wagah, arriving well before the reported start.
Traveling with children
At the Partition Museum children 5 and below enter free. The retreat is in the late afternoon and reports advise arriving well in advance, so plan for a long wait in a crowd.
Hey UlaYour AI travel companion
- You: Three of us, Amritsar on a Sunday and Monday. Can we do everything?
- Hey Ula: Do the Partition Museum on Sunday, because it is closed on Mondays. Jallianwala Bagh opens at 6:30 AM, and the museum is a 5 to 7 minute walk from it and from the Golden Temple.
- You: And Wagah?
- Hey Ula: It was reported at 5 to 5:30 PM from 16 October, and it moves with the seasons, so I'll check the time that week and get you there early.
What we could not confirm
- Golden Temple opening, closing and Palki Sahib times, and dress rules in SGPC's own words: the daily routine page did not render for us.
- The official Attari-Wagah retreat time, entry fee, seating, ID and bag rules, and the distance from Amritsar. BSF's site did not open.
- Whether Jallianwala Bagh closes at 7:00 PM or 7:30 PM this season, the current show times and any entry fee.
- Gobindgarh Fort tickets and hours, Durgiana Temple and Ram Tirath hours, taxi and auto fares, and hotel rates.
Checking which ID to carry for the train or flight? Use our travel ID checker. For another old city on a river, see our Varanasi trip guide.
Sources
- Airports Authority of India, Amritsar airport: aai.aero, sourced 5 November 2026
- Incredible India, Amritsar (undated): incredibleindia.gov.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- Incredible India, Jallianwala Bagh (undated): incredibleindia.gov.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- SGPC, Sri Harmandir Sahib: sgpc.net, sourced 5 November 2026
- SGPC, sarai information: sgpc.net, sourced 5 November 2026
- Amritsar district, tourist places (undated): amritsar.nic.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- Partition Museum, visit (no page date): partitionmuseum.org, sourced 5 November 2026
- Akashvani News, visiting hours revised for Jallianwala Bagh and the Attari-Wagah retreat (2 April 2025): newsonair.gov.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- UNI, Attari-Wagah retreat timings revised from 16 October (15 October 2026, news): uniindia.com, sourced 5 November 2026
- The Tribune, Beating Retreat at Attari-Wagah gets new timing (1 May 2026, news): tribuneindia.com, sourced 5 November 2026
- Share image photo: Anish Sethi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped, headline added.
Questions
What time is the Wagah border ceremony?
From 16 October 2026 it runs from 5 pm to 5:30 pm, as reported by UNI on 15 October 2026; before that it was 5:30 pm to 6 pm. The time changes with the seasons and we could not open BSF's own page, so check that week and arrive well in advance.
What are the Jallianwala Bagh timings?
Incredible India gives 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM. All India Radio reported summer hours of 6.30 AM to 7.00 PM in April 2025, so the close is 7:00 or 7:30 PM by season.
What is the Partition Museum ticket price?
INR 10 for Indian nationals and INR 250 for foreign nationals. Children 5 and below and Partition survivors enter free, per the museum.
Which day is the Partition Museum closed?
Mondays, plus 26 January, 15 August and 2 October. It is open 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on the other days.
How far is Amritsar airport from the city?
About 11 km from the centre, on the Amritsar-Ajnala Road, per the Airports Authority of India.
What are the Golden Temple timings?
SGPC publishes them on its daily routine page, which did not render for us on 5 November 2026, so we print no times. SGPC says the temple is open from four sides and accessible to every person.
What is the best time to visit Amritsar?
Incredible India says October to March offers the most pleasant weather, and that the city welcomes visitors throughout the year.
How many days do I need in Amritsar?
Two days covers the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and the Partition Museum on one day, and the Attari-Wagah retreat on the other.
Can Hey Ula plan my Amritsar trip today?
Not yet. Hey Ula is in early access with a waitlist and is letting travelers in gradually.