After breakfast, your private car, driver and guide will be waiting to show you the architectural, historic and cultural highlights of Amritsar, starting with the magnificent Golden Temple. In addition to experiencing the Temple’s tranquil atmosphere at your own pace, your guide will introduce you to Sikh leaders who will be happy to answer your questions and to acquaint you with the basic tenets and practices of Sikhism. You’ll also visit the Temple’s community kitchen, which feeds more than 5,000 people at a time throughout the day. The Temple feeds all people regardless of religion, caste, nationality, gender, age or social status – a revolutionary concept in the caste-regimented culture of 16th-century India when Sikhism was founded.
Not far from the Golden Temple is a stirring and sobering memorial dedicated to the people who perished during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. You’ll also tour the splendid Ram Bagh Garden, laid out by the first Sikh ruler in the beginning of the 19th century. In the adjacent Summer Palace, you’ll find a museum filled with interesting artifacts that will deepen your understanding of the region’s history and culture.
Later this afternoon, you’ll travel about 18 miles outside of town to the Wagah Border, the only open crossing point between India and Pakistan. Just before the sun sets, you’ll witness an incredible ceremony that has unfolded here every evening since 1959. With great pomp and fanfare accompanied by patriotic music from both sides, you’ll see Indian Border Security Forces and Pakistani Rangers march forth to lower their respective flags. After the ceremony, you’ll return to your hotel in Amritsar. Meals B