Region

Majha

Base yourself in Amritsar for 2–3 days; day-trip to Qadian, Pathankot and Nurpur from there.

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Key facts · India

Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Indian rupee (INR, ₹)
Language: Hindi and English at national level
Plugs: C · D · M · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+5:30 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6

South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

Majha is the historic heart of Punjab between the Ravi and Beas rivers, split by the 1947 border. Amritsar is the only city with enough hotels, restaurants and transport connections to serve as a base. From there you can reach Qadian (1 h), Pathankot (1.5 h) and Nurpur (2 h) as day-trips. The region is flat and agricultural — expect long drives between sights.

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

AmritsarCity guide
Golden Temple, Wagah border ceremony, food and hotels.
Best Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Amritsar →

Day trip

QadianCity guide
Ahmadiyya headquarters and mosque; 1 h from Amritsar.
Best Nov–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Qadian →
PathankotCity guide
Gateway to Himachal Pradesh; temples and a fort.
Best Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Pathankot →
NurpurCity guide
17th-century fort and temples; 2 h from Amritsar.
Best Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Nurpur →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

2 nights: Amritsar 2: Golden Temple, Wagah border, food walk.
3 nights: Amritsar 3: add Qadian day-trip and Pathankot or Nurpur.
4 nights: Amritsar 3 + one night in Pathankot for onward travel to Himachal.

Summer (Apr–Jun) is very hot — 40 °C (104 °F)+ in May and June. Carry water and cover your head.Summer (Apr–Jun) is very hot — 104 °F (40 °C)+ in May and June. Carry water and cover your head.
Monsoon (Jul–Sep) can flood low-lying roads; check conditions before driving.
The India–Pakistan border at Wagah is a popular ceremony but gets crowded; arrive 1.5 h early.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Qadian	Amritsar	60 min	check	Buses and taxis available; check return times in advance.
Pathankot	Amritsar	90 min	check	Frequent trains and buses; last train around 21:00.Frequent trains and buses; last train around 9:00 PM.
Nurpur	Amritsar	120 min	check	Best by hired car; limited public transport after 18:00.Best by hired car; limited public transport after 6:00 PM.

Bags between cities

check

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Amritsar	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go
Qadian	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go
Pathankot	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go
Nurpur	×	×	go	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	go	×
India (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	×	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Majha plainsGurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran districts	cool	cool	ok	hot	very_hot	very_hot	wet	wet	wet	ok	cool	cool

ok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windowswet: daily rain

Majha plains: Winter (Nov–Feb) is pleasant; summer (Apr–Jun) is scorching; monsoon (Jul–Sep) brings humidity and occasional flooding.

Best months are October to March. April and May are extremely hot; June is the hottest. Monsoon from July to September.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Delhi	Amritsar	Train (Shatabdi Express) or flight	6 h by train / 1.5 h by flight	Shatabdi runs daily; book weeks ahead. Flights land at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport.
Chandigarh	Amritsar	Bus or train	4–5 h by bus / 3.5 h by train	Frequent buses; trains are fewer but more comfortable.
Jammu	Pathankot	Train or bus	2 h by train / 2.5 h by bus	Pathankot is the rail gateway to Jammu and Kashmir.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Indian Railways e-ticket

buy

Book all trains on IRCTC; reserved seats are essential for Shatabdi and overnight trains.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Amritsari kulcha	Amritsar: old city lanes	Stuffed flatbread with chole; best at breakfast or lunch. Queues at popular shops.
Makki di roti and sarson da saag	Winter only, across Majha	Corn flatbread with mustard greens; a Punjabi staple from December to February.
Lassi	Amritsar: Kanha's or Bharawan's	Thick, sweet yoghurt drink; served in a steel glass. Ask for 'malai' lassi for extra cream.
Langar (free meal)	Golden Temple, Amritsar	Vegetarian meal served 24/7 in the world's largest free kitchen. All visitors welcome; sit on the floor and eat with your right hand.

Go next

Amritsar

Already your base

Golden Temple, Wagah border, Jallianwala Bagh.

Pathankot

Train or bus from Amritsar, ~1.5 h

Gateway to Himachal Pradesh; Shahpur Kandi fort and temples.

Qadian

planned

Bus or taxi from Amritsar, ~1 h

Ahmadiyya headquarters; visit the mosque and library.

Nurpur

planned

Hired car from Amritsar, ~2 h

17th-century fort with a temple inside; quiet town.

Malwa region

planned

Train or bus from Amritsar, ~3 h to Ludhiana

Southern Punjab; Patiala, Bathinda and the Punjabi heartland.

Doaba region

planned

Train from Amritsar, ~2 h to Jalandhar

The 'NRI belt' of Punjab; Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr.

Delhi

Shatabdi Express from Amritsar, 6 h

Capital city; connect to the rest of India.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 3, 1 h to 2 h
Nights suggested: 2–4 nights
Ways in: 3 listed
Best months: No month rated best

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Explore Punjab Up to India

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialIndian Railways
secondaryWikivoyage: Majha, revision 5013573 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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