Amritsar

This journey brings together two of North India's most beloved pilgrimages in five days. It begins in Amritsar, at Sri Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith. The gilded sanctum rises from the Amrit Sarovar, and the day is best begun before dawn for the Prakash ceremony, when the Guru Granth Sahib is carried in procession into the sanctum, and closed at night with the Sukhasan ceremony. Everyone is welcome to eat in the langar, the community kitchen that feeds tens of thousands of people every day, and to lend a hand in the service.

Amritsar's history is close at hand. Jallianwala Bagh, a few minutes' walk from the temple, preserves the bullet marks of 1919, and the Partition Museum tells the human story of 1947. In the afternoon you drive about 30 km to the Attari–Wagah border for the Beating Retreat ceremony, a stirring display of drill and patriotism performed every evening by the BSF and Pakistan Rangers.

The journey then turns north into the Trikuta hills to Katra, the base for the yatra to the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. The 12–13 km path is paved, lit and lined with shelters, and devotees walk it or use ponies, palkis or the battery-car service on part of the route, while a helicopter service operates from Katra to Sanjichhat. After darshan at the Bhawan, many continue to Bhairon temple, by ropeway or on foot, to complete the yatra. October to March is ideal for Amritsar, and March to June and September to November are best for the trek.