Sunrise is definitely the best time to visit the Sikh’s holiest shrine. At first light, its resplendent golden surfaces seem to glow like molten metal, lending a transcendental atmosphere to the sacred precinct. Your guide will lead you down the steps beneath the entrance archway, from where you’ll follow the pilgrims strolling along the marble terrace that surrounds the main shrine, the Har Mandir, where the Adi Granth, the Sikhs’ holy book, is kept. All the while, musician-priests play beautiful devotional hymns accompanied by tabla and harmonium.

You can add this experience to any tailor-made itinerary that includes a night in Amritsar.