Going to Amritsar and needing the best advice? You don’t even need to ask.
It is a year-round affair with its bustling bazaars flooded in many colors and lanes redolent with the whiff of lip-smacking North Indian food. But Amritsar is notorious for embarking on an incredibly unique winter flush that lasts until March-end when January packs its bags. During this time, the weather is almost right, not December cold, and summer’s still far away.
The crisp mornings are ideal for setting off on culture tours. Simultaneously, the Harmandir Sahib benignly counteracts the nip post sundown, which shimmers with a cinder-like glow that floods into its Sarovar at that hour, inherits its most striking shape yet. Even a real value favorite like Amritsar is a perfect option for a short vacation, with more information on COVID-19 protection gradually accessible to travelers along with potentially a safer travel schedule. And we gathered up the best of what the city has to give, with any imaginable budget, if you’re game.
STAYS DE LUXURY
The luxury Welcomhotel Amritsar, formerly Sandhanwalia Haveli, is a five-minute drive from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport and is planned to complement the spiritual and cultural ethos of the city. It provides 101 mod-con suites, morning-to-midnight dining, a trendy lounge, a pool, a fitness center, and highest level banqueting facilities. Headed for Harmandir Sahib? Call for a free shuttle service at the hotel.
Protection step COVID-19: mounted hand sanitizers, regular disinfection of tableware, general surfaces and rooms between visits, room service app, etc.
Prices: Rs 6,000 onwards
Hyatt Regency Amritsar is just 6 km east of Golden Temple, in Ranjit Nagar, a hyper-modern property with 248 well-appointed city or pool-facing rooms with facilities such as kitchenettes or work stations for those looking for stays or events. Heritage walks, religious tours, and accessible village tours.
COVID-19 Safety Measures: Rule disinfection, contactless check-in/out, visually sanitized dining
Pricing: Starting from Rs 4,000
Taj Swarna, located near the Living God Church on Basant Avenue, is another standard option for premium stays, next to Phase 2, accessible via Circular Route.
Prices: Rs 5,750 (standard) onwards; Rs 8,474 onwards (standard) (packages)
Situated on Ranjit Avenue near the District Shopping Centre, Golden Sarovar Portico provides 50 rooms at competitive prices across four categories; the hotel presently offers benefits/discounts while booking via its website.
Prices: Per request
Ramada by Wyndham Amritsar has 144 rooms and is situated in the central Walled City, known for providing one of the best luxury vacations in Amritsar. The Golden Temple is within walking distance to make up because the rooms do not deliver any views to speak of.
Prices: Rs 5,500
STAYS DE MID-RANGE
Suppose you are not looking at luxurious stays but are not precisely backpackers. In that case, Amritsar has a sufficiently secure reserve of places to stay. Located 3 km from the Golden Temple, Pinaz Royale along MM Malviya Road offers 14 AC rooms with amenities such as free WiFi, clean dwellings, and some fantastic local fare at it was all restaurant. (Rs 1,250 and Rs 2,000 rooms; city tour on a fee-based basis).
The local favorite, Hotel Makhan Residency, sits on Majithia Road next to Makhan Chowk’s Madaan Hospital (4 ms, that’s the way of remembering it). Even though the accommodation has quite a few celebrities, you can get yourself back from the 28 available here to get a bed. An exhibition banquet hall and an in-house restaurant that serves some delicious local (the fried cod and the butter chicken are not to be missed). Hotel Info (very similar to the Partition Museum) is also a perfect choice if you’re not one to fuss much about quality service at all times.
The Amritsar (Model Town) Golden Tulip is a 10-minute drive from the Golden Temple and much less than 5 minutes from the Fort of Gobind Garh. Lemon Tree Hotel Amritsar is right next door, another choice for those looking to overshoot their budget a little. Cozzet Stay Amritsar, with 39 rooms and an in-house cafe, is a 5-minute walk from the Golden Temple but within sniffers distance of Jallianwala Bagh and Durgiana Temple (rooms upwards of Rs 1,500 and thereabouts).
The comparably priced Hotel CJ International (30 suites), situated a 5-minute walk from the gilded gurudwara. Those looking to get a view of the beautiful Golden Temple from the fitting rooms could be preferred.
Budget Sojourns
Would you want to put aside the money you save on some good lassi and dal-fry to fatten up when and when you request? In Shastri Market, MG Residency (25 rooms) is super-affordable and within walking distance of Amritsar’s popular Ahuja Milk Bhandaar and Kesar Da Dhaba (+917837782869). A 15-minute walk from the Golden Temple, Nutz Backpackers, is a perfect option for student travelers or anyone searching for an inexpensive job (free WiFi and fax available) and also carries out heritage walking tours at an extra charge (+919988862442).
Hotel Mercury Inn (+918558820852) provides no-frills but nicely-cleaned, well-sanitized rooms with excellent views of the star attraction, a mere three-minute walk from the Harmandir Sahib. In Hall Bazaar (ahoy, those that want to go shopping at the first chance) is the popular Backpacker’s Nest (09888920490). The more recent Madpackers, closer to the Golden Temple, are suitable for international travelers and shoestring budget backpackers, providing hostel-style life across five types of accommodation (+918800265725).
HOMESTAYS ONLY
We were shocked to see the wealth of homestays that the majestic city has on sale. From Sharma’s BnB (great for couples; walking distance from Golden Temple; plan to pay Rs 800-1,100) at Galiara Corner, The Bougainvillea on Rattan Chand Road (bistro homestay sheltered in ample greenery and beauty offering seven well-supplied rooms; rates upwards of Rs 2,500; available city tours), to Captain’s Blessed Home and Care in Dayanand Nagar/Civil Lines.
