Sri Harmandir Sahib, also called Sri Darbar Sahib, is the central gurdwara of Sikhi. It stands in the middle of the Amrit Sarovar, the pool that gave Amritsar its name, and the Guru Granth Sahib is installed inside every day with continuous kirtan (sung Gurbani). Facing it across the causeway is Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the first of the five Takhts, the seat of Sikh temporal authority. The Guru Ram Das Langar serves a free meal to everyone who comes, whatever their faith, and the whole complex is run by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
Step 2 of 8Next: Visiting rules↓Visiting rules
Visiting with respect
- Cover your head, walk the parikrama clockwise, and sit with legs folded, never with your feet pointing towards the Harmandir Sahib.
- Do not use soap or swim in the Amrit Sarovar; Sikhs do ishnan (a ritual dip) at the steps, so do not photograph bathers.
- Accept karah prashad with both hands cupped, and in the langar sit in the pangat and take only what you will eat.
Hours and rules can change for festivals and services. Check the official site on the day.
Step 3 of 8Next: Getting there↓The route, stop by stop
The whole route first. Tap any stop and the map zooms to just that place.
Route
Stops
Sri Harmandir Sahib (darshan and parikrama) → Sri Akal Takht Sahib → Sri Guru Ram Das Langar → Jallianwala Bagh → Partition Museum (Town Hall) · Directions in Google Maps ↗
- 1About 2 km from Amritsar Junction. SGPC has long run a free bus from the railway station and bus stand to the complex (check the current timings at the station); e-rickshaws and autos charge roughly ₹40-100, so agree a price first. Leave shoes at a jora ghar and wash feet at the entrance Map ↗
- 2Directly across the parikrama, facing the causeway (darshani deorhi) to the Harmandir Sahib Map ↗
- 3Inside the complex, next to the parikrama; sit in a row (pangat) on the floor and the sevadars serve you Map ↗
- 4A few minutes' walk from the complex's main entrance; entry is free Map ↗
- 5Short walk along Heritage Street from the temple plaza; closed Mondays and public holidays Map ↗
Travel legs add up to about ₹10 per person.
Step 4 of 8Next: Cost↓What it costs
Ballpark ranges, not live quotes. Page updated 18 October 2026. Prices move with season and demand, so check live fares before you book.
A do-it-yourself budget for the visit: local transport and any entry fee. Donations and guided tours are extra.
What to book ahead
Where to stay and eat
Stay
SGPC's sarais next to the complex are the pilgrim choice: Sri Guru Ram Das Niwas has long been free with only a small refundable deposit and a short maximum stay, while newer inns such as Saragarhi Niwas charge a modest room rent (check the current rate with the sarai office). Outside the complex, budget hotels in the old city and near the station list from about ₹600-800 for a basic room to ₹1,300-2,500 for a clean double near the temple, and hostel beds start around ₹800 (about US$9). Rates jump on Gurpurabs and Vaisakhi.
Food
The Guru Ram Das Langar serves a free, simple vegetarian meal of dal, sabzi, roti and kheer, day and night, cooked and served by volunteers; you can join the seva by washing plates or rolling rotis. Karah prashad is given after darshan. The lanes around the complex are famous for Amritsari kulcha with chole, lassi, and halwai sweets. No meat, alcohol or tobacco is allowed inside the complex.
Photos
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Sri Harmandir Sahib?
1 day, starting from Amritsar (Amritsar Junction station or Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, ATQ).
What is the best time for Sri Harmandir Sahib?
October to March is the comfortable time: Punjab summers are very hot, and walking the marble parikrama barefoot at midday in May or June is hard. The biggest days are the Gurpurabs (the Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and of Guru Ram Das Ji), Vaisakhi in April and Bandi Chhor Divas, when the whole complex is lit and the crowds are huge. Weekends and Punjab holidays are busier than weekdays. Early morning, when the Palki Sahib brings the Guru Granth Sahib from the Akal Takht, and late evening are the calmest and most beautiful times.
How much does Sri Harmandir Sahib cost?
From about ₹300 per person doing it yourself, with the travel legs adding up to roughly ₹10.
What needs to be booked in advance?
No ticket for darshan or langar: Entry to Sri Harmandir Sahib and the langar is free for everyone. There is no booking or timed entry for darshan; you join the queue on the causeway. Cover your head, remove shoes (must book): Everyone covers their head with a cloth inside the complex. Shoes and socks go to a free jora ghar (shoe deposit), and you wash your hands and feet before entering. Avoid short clothing. No tobacco or intoxicants (must book): Tobacco, cigarettes, bidis, alcohol and other intoxicants are banned inside the complex, even in a handbag. Leave them at your hotel. SGPC sarai rooms: SGPC runs sarais (pilgrim inns) beside the complex, including Saragarhi Niwas and Mata Ganga Ji Niwas, booked on sgpcsarai.com or at the sarai office. In October 2026 the site said online booking was temporarily shut because of a payment gateway problem; call the helpline 0183-2550060.
Where do pilgrims stay?
SGPC's sarais next to the complex are the pilgrim choice: Sri Guru Ram Das Niwas has long been free with only a small refundable deposit and a short maximum stay, while newer inns such as Saragarhi Niwas charge a modest room rent (check the current rate with the sarai office). Outside the complex, budget hotels in the old city and near the station list from about ₹600-800 for a basic room to ₹1,300-2,500 for a clean double near the temple, and hostel beds start around ₹800 (about US$9). Rates jump on Gurpurabs and Vaisakhi.
What about food?
The Guru Ram Das Langar serves a free, simple vegetarian meal of dal, sabzi, roti and kheer, day and night, cooked and served by volunteers; you can join the seva by washing plates or rolling rotis. Karah prashad is given after darshan. The lanes around the complex are famous for Amritsari kulcha with chole, lassi, and halwai sweets. No meat, alcohol or tobacco is allowed inside the complex.
Sources and last check
Checked 11 October 2026. Fees, hours and rules change, so confirm on the official site before you pay.
- sgpc.net OfficialSGPC manages the complex under Sri Akal Takht Sahib; sarai info and room booking link; daily routine (maryada) pages; office contacts
- sgpcsarai.com OfficialSGPC sarai online booking (Saragarhi Niwas and other sarais), booking temporarily shut over a payment gateway issue, helpline 0183-2550060
- incredibleindia.gov.in OfficialPartition Museum 10:00-18:00, closed Mondays and public holidays
- newsonair.gov.in OfficialJallianwala Bagh summer hours 6:30-19:00 and light and sound show times (April 2025)
- gov.uk OfficialFCDO advises against all travel within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border; Attari-Wagah crossing closed except for the retreat ceremony (updated 7 Oct 2026). Amritsar city is outside that zone
- tribuneindia.comSGPC rule book: head covering, no short clothing, shoes at jora ghar, wash hands and feet, phones silent, tobacco and intoxicants banned, sit with legs folded in parikrama, photography and videography prohibited (June 2024)
- phoenix.chrisfo.edsqa01.aws.sbs.com.auSBS Punjabi report: SGPC extended the photo and video ban from the sanctum to the parikrama
- amritsargoldentemple.inMonth-wise door opening (about 2:00-3:00) and night Sukhasan/Palki Sahib times (about 21:45-22:45)
- tribuneindia.comSGPC runs a free bus service for pilgrims to the complex
- amritsargoldentemple.inStation to temple about 2 km; e-rickshaw/auto ₹40-100; free yellow bus 4:00-21:00 (single source)
- allaboutsikhs.comGuru Ram Das Niwas free with refundable deposit, short maximum stay; booking office at Guru Arjan Dev Niwas
More sacred places and routes
Costs are indicative ballparks for doing it yourself and change with season and demand. Always check live fares, rates and opening rules before you book. Trip Under is not a travel agency: we sell nothing, take no commission, and every booking link goes straight to the provider. Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; see credits.
By Gokul · Updated 18 October 2026 · Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Jasleen Kaur · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source · Photo: shankar s. · CC BY 2.0 · source · Photo: Marsmux · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
.jpg){kind=link}
