Vaishno Devi Amritsar Tour Package 4 Nights 5 Days

The Climb: Begin from Banganga. It is roughly 13 km to the Bhawan at about 5,200 ft, passing Ardhkuwari at the halfway point where the Garbh Joon cave narrows to a crawl.

Getting Up: Most pilgrims walk through the night when it is cooler. Ponies, palkis and battery cars run the route, and a helicopter operates to Sanjichhat, about 2.5 km below the Bhawan.

Bhairavnath: The shrine sits 2.5 km above the Bhawan, and tradition holds the yatra is incomplete without it.

Descend: Back to Katra.

• Top Places to Cover: Banganga, Ardhkuwari, Garbh Joon, the Bhawan, Bhairavnath temple, Sanjichhat.
• Importance of Each Place: The cave shrine holds three natural rock formations rather than idols, representing Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati.
• Things to Know: Helicopter tickets are sold directly by the Shrine Board on a first-come basis and cannot be pre-blocked by any agent. Leather items are not permitted; cloakrooms are available at the Bhawan.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: Katra

A Slow Start: After yesterday, the morning is deliberately unhurried.

The Drive: South about 210 km and four to five hours.

Harmandir Sahib: Evening at the Golden Temple. The marble is lit and the reflection on the sarovar is at its best after dark. The temple was completed in 1589 and the gold plating added under Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 1830s.

• Top Places to Cover: Golden Temple, the sarovar, Akal Takht, the Parikrama.
• Importance of Each Place: The Golden Temple has four entrances, one on each side, deliberately signifying that it is open to people from all directions and all backgrounds.
• Things to Know: Heads must be covered and shoes removed; free head cloths and a shoe deposit are available at the entrance. Photography is permitted on the parikrama but not inside the sanctum.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: Amritsar

Morning at the Temple: Return in daylight, and visit the Guru-ka-Langar kitchen which serves tens of thousands of free meals daily, cooked and washed up entirely by volunteers.

Jallianwala Bagh: A two-minute walk away, where troops fired on an unarmed gathering in April 1919. The bullet marks are preserved in the walls and the well into which people jumped is still there.

Partition Museum: In the old town hall, the first museum anywhere dedicated to the 1947 partition, told largely through survivor testimony.

Wagah: The border retreat ceremony. Leave by three - the stands fill early.

• Top Places to Cover: Golden Temple, Guru-ka-Langar, Jallianwala Bagh, Partition Museum, Wagah border.
• Importance of Each Place: The langar at Harmandir Sahib is among the largest free kitchens in the world and has run without interruption for centuries.
• Things to Know: The Wagah ceremony is subject to security closure without notice. Bags are not permitted at the border and must be left in the vehicle.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: Amritsar

Last Morning: Breakfast, then transfer to Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport or Amritsar Junction.

If Time Allows: Gobindgarh Fort in the city has been opened as a heritage site and fills an hour well.

• Top Places to Cover: Gobindgarh Fort, Amritsar airport, Amritsar Junction.
• Things to Know: Amritsar airport is 11 km from the city. Allow an hour in traffic.

Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: Journey ends