![Photo of Just 1600, and a solo three days trip of Amritsar and Vaishno Devi. by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/TripDocument/1568505843_1568505837559.jpg)
It was 16 April 2019, I boarded in sleeper class of Hawda Amritsar express from my hometown Lucknow in the evening. I slept well and as the train reached Amritsar in the morning I was full of energy to explore this city of rich culture, sanity and valour.
DAY 1
I stayed in the rest house of my department which costs me nothing.You can stay in Gurudwaras which provide free shelter and food. So you don't need to spend on food and accommodation in Amritsar unless you want to taste local food and want privacy of hotel. For that you can also opt for hotels which are quite affordable.
After having lunch in my rest house I went to railway station which was at a 5 minute walk from my resthouse. Free pick and drop bus service runs between railway station and the Golden temple. You can also take rickshaw which will cost 20-30 bucks per person.
In my view Golden temple is the main centre in Amritsar because Jallianwala bagh is few metres away from it and you can also get taxi(charges 100 bucks ) or share cabs(charges 200 bucks) to Atari border from here.
It takes not more than 3 hours to have a tour of Jalliawalah Bagh , Golden temple and other nearby attractions while the show at Atari border starts from around 5 pm for about 2 hours . So plan your itinerary according to the time you have.
As I started my city tour in noon , I decided to first go to Atari border to reach before time and grab the front row (unfortunately couldn't). So try to reach about 3 pm(it takes 40 min to 1 hour by cab/taxi from GT) to get the seats in front row. But don't worry even if you reach by 5 because once you enter the arena, the blood of patriotism starts flooding in your veins. What you see around is the enthusiasm of people, what you feel is the proud of being a part of this great nation. Seeing the Pakistan border and its people just few metres away is also a different experience. All these feelings at the same time make you a part of cheering voices and you get lost in it. The energy of the BSF jawans during powerful performance makes them the ultimate heroes at the end of the show.
I returned by 8:30pm to my rest house after having delicious Amritsari Chola kulcha and Lassi in dinner. As weather got bad, I decided to visit rest of the places next day.
![Photo of Atari, Punjab, India by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567845580_1567845500345.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Atari, Punjab, India by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567845710_1567845500515.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Atari, Punjab, India by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567845754_1567845500653.jpg.webp)
Excitement didn't let me sleep the whole night and it can be seen on my face 😜. Finally I got up at 5 and by 5:30 I was again at the station and took the same bus service . At first I visited Jalliawalah bagh ... A single narrow path both to enter and exit, amar jyoti, bullet hit walls and Martys' well ,all this takes you to the flashback as it is happening in front of you and you want this casualty to stop somehow :(
![Photo of Harmandir Sahib, Golden Temple Road, Atta Mandi, Katra Ahluwalia, Amritsar, Punjab, India by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567845772_1567845622949.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Harmandir Sahib, Golden Temple Road, Atta Mandi, Katra Ahluwalia, Amritsar, Punjab, India by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567845838_1567845623152.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Harmandir Sahib, Golden Temple Road, Atta Mandi, Katra Ahluwalia, Amritsar, Punjab, India by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567845940_1567845623359.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Harmandir Sahib, Golden Temple Road, Atta Mandi, Katra Ahluwalia, Amritsar, Punjab, India by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567847241_1567847222277.jpg.webp)
Then I visited Golden temple premises and it was a different world . You get refreshed the moment you enter . Both the area and the people's heart are so clean and pure. You can see people serving selflessly in every department. The main Gurudwara inbetween the sarovar is the symbol of sanity , faith and holiness. Don't forget to have prasad in langar. After having prasad in langar I helped in washing plates. You too can help in any of the department. Trust me this gives immense satisfaction. Now it was time to leave this beautiful city and head towards Jammu.
There are many trains from Amritsar to Jammu but I think only one train goes to Katra. Buses run frequently and take about 6-7 hours to reach Katra. I took the bus to Jammu which costs me about 200 bucks. The same buses go to Katra but I had decided to travel by train from Jammu to Katra to enjoy the scenic beauty on the way. And yes , it was a good decision . By late evening I reached katra. I made a friend in train who was a young defence personnel and was going there to see someone admitted in one of the hospitals in Katra. We both decided to go our ways in the morning . Hotel are cheap in Katra , you can get a double bed room starting from 400 . We stayed in Hotel New Blue Saphire. It cost us 500 for double bed. Hotels in Katra provide pick and drop service for their customers.
![Photo of Just 1600, and a solo three days trip of Amritsar and Vaishno Devi. by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567845995_1567845733167.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Just 1600, and a solo three days trip of Amritsar and Vaishno Devi. by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567846003_1567845733375.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Just 1600, and a solo three days trip of Amritsar and Vaishno Devi. by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567846007_1567845733544.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Just 1600, and a solo three days trip of Amritsar and Vaishno Devi. by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567846012_1567845733698.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Just 1600, and a solo three days trip of Amritsar and Vaishno Devi. by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567846018_1567845733842.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Just 1600, and a solo three days trip of Amritsar and Vaishno Devi. by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567846023_1567845734053.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Just 1600, and a solo three days trip of Amritsar and Vaishno Devi. by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567847543_1567847532357.jpg.webp)
In the morning we headed to our ways. I took my yatra parchi though cafe to avoid line in yatri parchi counter which is near the bus stop. Your hotel staff will surely help you get yatra parchi, its not a big deal.
If you are in a large group like of 10 or 15 people,and you don't want to book rooms. I suggest you to take single room for getting fresh before your yatra. Hotel will charge nominal rates for this. Like 300 for 10 people. You can submit your luggage in hotel's clock room for free, and take it back on returning from yatra. This facility was available in our hotel but not sure if others provide it too.
Now there are two ways to reach Maa Vaishno devi Shrine, the old path and the new one. Old one is short but more exhaustive than the new one. Water , food(at very low price in shrine board food stalls) are provided by the shrine board and private stalls throughout the journey... It will take about 4 to 5 hours to reach Maa Vaishno darbar. I was fortunate that the weather was in good mood that day , it was foggy and was drizzling a bit which made my day. You get the mesmerizing view on reaching darbar. After getting blessings from Maa Vaishno, I visited Bhairo Baba. Ropeway service is now available between Maa Vaishno Darbar and Bhairo baba which costs 100 bucks in total for both sides. It took 2 hours to be back on ground. Finally, it was time to end my trip. Hope to visit both places again someday.
![Photo of Vaishno Devi, Katra-Reasi Rd, Bhavan, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567846028_1567845958892.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Vaishno Devi, Katra-Reasi Rd, Bhavan, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1567846033_1567845959088.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Vaishno Devi, Katra-Reasi Rd, Bhavan, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1568132734_1568132713640.jpg.webp)
![Photo of Vaishno Devi, Katra-Reasi Rd, Bhavan, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir by Gaurav Dubey](https://static2.tripoto.com/media/filter/nl/img/1681847/SpotDocument/1568210462_1568210454879.jpg.webp)
My total expense -
Accomodation and food in Amritsar: 100 only for Chola kulcha and Lassi .
Travelling (Amritsar to Katra and back) = 500
Accomodation in Katra =250 bucks (500 for double bed)
Ropeway cost =100
Food expense in Jammu and Katra- 400 (approx)
Extra small expenses =250 (approx)
Total expense= 1600 (approx)
I hope my journey will definitely help you to plan your trip. Wish you good luck for your trip 🙂