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Mustard fields in bloom near a Punjab village road
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Itineraries · 9 min read

One week in Punjab

Seven days covering the sacred, the royal, and the rural: Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Patiala, Chandigarh, and a farm-stay night, totaling around 650 km.

Days 1-2: Amritsar

Base at Hotel Ritz Plaza on Mall Road or the mid-range Hyatt on GT Road. Cover the Golden Temple at both dawn and 9pm for the Palki Sahib ceremony, plus Jallianwala Bagh, the Partition Museum in Town Hall ($3.50), and Gobindgarh Fort's evening sound-and-light show ($5). Eat your way through Lawrence Road: Brothers Dhaba, Ahuja Milk Bhandar for lassi, and Giani Tea Stall for kulcha.

Days 3-4: Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur

Drive 3.5 hours east to Anandpur Sahib, the second holiest Sikh city. Visit Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib and the Virasat-e-Khalsa museum designed by Moshe Safdie, entry free, closed Mondays. If your dates align with Hola Mohalla (March), extend a night for the Nihang warrior parades. Otherwise continue to Kiratpur and the Naina Devi temple by cable car, $2 round trip.

Days 5-6: Patiala and Chandigarh

Patiala is 2.5 hours south. Tour Qila Mubarak, the Sheesh Mahal, and pick up a pair of jutti shoes at Adalat Bazaar for $8-15. Sleep at the Baradari Palace, a heritage property in the old royal gardens. Move to Chandigarh Day 6 for Sukhna Lake at sunrise, the Capitol Complex, and drinks at Sector 26's Backyard restaurant strip.

Day 7: Rural stay

End at a working farm-stay near Amritsar or Hoshiarpur. Punjabiyat Lodges near Sultanpur Lodhi runs cottages on a mustard farm for around $90 including meals and a tractor ride. Citrus Country near Hoshiarpur is cheaper at $50. Fly out from Amritsar or Chandigarh the next morning.

Questions, answered

Is a week too long for Punjab?
No, a week lets you leave Amritsar and see the state properly. Most tourists spend 2 days and miss Patiala, Anandpur, and the farms entirely.
Do I need a car and driver?
For this route yes. A car with driver runs $40-55 a day. Trains only connect the big cities; the countryside needs a vehicle.
When is Hola Mohalla?
The day after Holi, usually March. Anandpur Sahib fills with 200,000+ people; book rooms 3 months out or day-trip from Chandigarh.
Is the Wagah ceremony worth repeating?
Once is plenty. If you have a spare afternoon in Amritsar week 1, use it for Sadda Pind cultural village instead.

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