travel in punjab for 4 days

sitaldip

Hi everyone,
I will be in punjab for 4 days end of march, i want to see as much as possible in punjab.. please give some ideas. where to go, transportation.. please advice

SHIMLA

Visit Chandigarh, Anandpur Sahib; and Jalandhar. Within Punjab its better to travel by road(bus/taxi), as you can enjoy the countryside and the numerous roadside dhabas! However, it will be quite hot in April. Certainly not the ideal time to sightsee Punjab.

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bijapuri

and the obvious, but still worth a visit- golden Temple in Amritsar. See my set of pix on the place if you're interested

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manreet_16

ya,u can can visit like my dear friend says Visit Chandigarh, Anandpur Sahib; and Jalandhar...in amritsar u can see Jallianwalla Bagh right near Golden Temple..and if u feel hungry go to "Bharava da Dhaba"eating joint 5min away from galden temple..I would be adviced to travel by bus as it is cheap and good public transport..Hey plz dont miss to watch retreat ceremony @ Wagah Border ahead amritsar not pretty much..ok....and in jallandhar u can visit only rainik bazzar..hotel and Dahba like Haveli...And in ludhiana u can go over to Malls.. for shoping..and chandigarh is great i know lot of things bout chandigarh and some hidden places too......

sego

Leave out Ludhiana, it's not too inviting.

shere

Same is true of Chandigarh, I get bored just driving through Chandigarh. It gives me flashbacks of the concrete jungle that the Bullring in Birmingham once was.

Rather than Chandigarh I would be tempted to visit Kasauli and spend the night there. The scenery on the way to Kasauli is really eye opening and well worth it.

You could easily visit a few places in Chandigarh : Cheel (lake), Rock Garden etc in a few hours and escape to Kasauli (Himachal).

What you can see and do in 4 days also depends on your location and what you have for transport. I always have my own car or a hired car so things are easier to plan and do.

If you are going to be based around Jullundhur, then on day 1 you could easily visit Amritsar (Harimandir Sahib, Ram Bagh, Durgiana Mandir) and return in the afternoon to visit Rainek Bazaar in Jullundhur. I usually base myself close to Jullundhur and have done this a few times. I leave Jullundhur at 3am or 4am and head for Harimandir Sahib. The earlier you get there the better in my opinion. I have got back to Jullundhur by 10.30am a few times (that includes a pitstop for food).

day 2, head towards Chandigarh, see what you want in a few hours. If truth be told I have never found the rock garden etc very interesting and was out of there in ultra fast the only time I ever visited. The lake is ok, I usually get a boat and paddle around the island once and get out the place. The shops in sector 17 are nothing wow. There are better planned malls in Ludhiana if shopping is what you want to do. Early afternoon I would head toward Kasauli, get some food at Dharampur and then spend the night in Kasauli.

day 3, Head back to Punjab, if you want visit Anandpur Sahib.

day 4, Do whatever you fancy.

One word of warning, if you hire a car please check the tyres and make sure there is a spare in the boot, jack and wheel spanner. Some drivers like to use very shoddy remoulds whcih are highly dangerous. If the car does not look safe do not use it regardless of relatives/friends telling you it is a good car and such things are ok in India.

The weather in April is not that bad. I have always found it ok.

bijapuri

the Border ceremony at Atari is fun, but you can't really see much. The main attraction is the crowd itself. It's nationalism gone kitch!
The Golden Temple is worth visiting during day and again at night.

shere

In 2004 when I crossed the border into Pak some VIP type people were crossing at the same time and the Pakistanis had the troops out like they do for an inspection by a foreign PM or President. It was quite kewl as I crossed just before the VIP so it was if I had a guard of honour waiting for me to cross the border.

I have never seen the attraction of watching a few people bang a gate shut. You can do this yourself at home and get a better view.

Visit the Harimandir Sahib very early in the morning and you can see it in the dark and in the day.

sitaldip

thanks guys... will check out some stuff in punjab... this forum is good...

himadventures

shere !

your plan is good and real. sitaldip ! consider this-shere has done good posting and as I am frequent to this region, I know.
Do visit HAWELI for a lunch or dinner at JALANDHAR-I always like it more than "M" which is near to it.

Shiver me Timbers

I would spend 4 days at the Golden Temple

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DanielM

Oh lord, how can anyone suggest Chandigadh?? What an utterly boring place. Perhaps the most interesting thing I have ever seen in that city has been the "british library." I mean, they actually enforce speeding and helmet laws there! And the grid streets are just a turn-off. Why go here when there are so many cooler places to see in the Punjab?

If you have a car or a bike, Punjab will be a lot funner to get around in. I have not done too much by bus there, though it is certainly still possible to have a great time. Amritsar is obvious, and I think skipping out on Anandpur Sahib would be foolish. From Anandpur sahib, take the trip up the mountains to Naino Devi. It is one of a series of I think seven srines. It is about a 30 minute drive from Aanandpursahib, but its really high in the mountains nonetheless, and quite relaxing and enjoyable.
As for the Pakistan border, I would pass on that (and save it for a time when you cross the border for real...which is a lot more exciting!).
I also think that a stop in a village is absolutely essential, especially if you are going to be there during sugar cane season. There is nothing better in all of the punjab than going out to the sugarcane fields, having someone cut you a piece, and lounge around the farm munching on it contentedly.
Depending on your langauge skills and your traveling prowess, there are also countless interesting places speckled around the state that no guide book is going to tell you about. You will just have to ask around. There are plenty of important Gurudwaras in very random, unknown places. You could for example go and visit the lake where the fourth Guru took a bath. Where he tied his horse is now a site of fertility for women, and the lake has been converted into a snaan-sthaan (my own word?). Next to it is a lovely gurudwara, and all around the site are statues commemorating in all of its gory details the battles between sikhs and muslims of old.
So my advice is to try and get off the tourist trail and discover some places like these.

manreet_16

Common man

himadventures

No Manreet !

Daniel is very very right about what he says...but DANIEL ! very less people do as you said. But I agree with your point of view.
I totaly agree with your last lines:

So my advice is to try and get off the tourist trail and discover some places like these.

I hope someone will get encouragment to go ahead...I suggested CHANDIGARH due to it's TOURIST ATTRACTIONS and making it base to go little bit in HIMACHAL PRADESH.

Good post !!

DanielM

Manreet, what does "common man" mean? As in I am ordinary? Or I need to come on? Anyways, if you dont like my suggestions, please do let me know what is wrong with them. Perhaps I am missing out on the real punjab. I'd love to know why.

And thanks for the support Himadventures. Punjab is one of the easiest most comfortable places to get off the tourist trail, so why not, eh?