We have compiled a list of important tourist places of Punjab for the information of our readers. Most of the tourist places of Punjab are religious in nature.
On this page, we have listed the non-religious tourist places and included only those religious places which attracts tourists of all religions.
We have listed the tourist places of Punjab in the order of their importance (according to the personal view of the author).
- Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib)
The Golden Temple, situated in Amritsar city is the most important tourist place in Punjab. It is also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib. This is the most holy place of Sikh religion. Lakhs of people, from all religions, visit this holy place every month. A visit to this holy shrine will provide you inner peace.
The main building, built in the middle of a pond, is covered with the gold plated sheets. There is a community kitchen (called Langar in Punjabi), where thousands of people, irrespective of their caste or religion, are served free food.
- Wagah Border
There is a road link between India and Pakistan through the international border at Wagah village in Pakistan. The Grand Trunk Road (G.T. Road) connects Amritsar, India with Lahore, Pakistan through the border crossing at Wagah. The last village on the Indian side is Attari, so the border is known as Wagah-Attari border.
The border is located 32 Km from Amritsar city and Lahore is at a distance of 24 Km from this border. The flag lowering ceremony in the evening is a major attraction for the tourists and everyday thousands of people from all parts of the country visit the border to watch this ceremony.
Another road crossing on the India-Pakistan international border is at Hussainiwala, near the Ferozpur city. It connects with the Kasur city in Pakistan. But this road was closed after the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971.
- Chandigarh - The City Beautiful
There are multiple attactions in Chandigarh, which make it an important place on tourist map of Punjab. The city is known with the nickname City Beautiful due to its well planned design developed by world famous french architect Le Coubusier, wide roads covered with trees, lush green parks and gardens throughout the city, view of shivalik hills after rains, famous tourist attractions like Rose Garden, Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake etc.
The major attractions in Chandigarh are:
Rock Garden - It is a unique place having a large number of sculptures made of waste materials like broken tiles, bangles, chinaware etc. There are some artificial waterfalls which add to the attraction of this place.
Rose Garden - Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, situated in Sector 16 is the largest rose garden of Asia. Alongwith with hundreds of varieties of roses, there is a large number of rare varieties of shrubs and trees. The best time to visit this place is winter season, especially during the rose festival organized in the month of February.
Sukhna Lake - It is a beautiful lake spread over a large area and the shivalik hills are visible clearly from this spot. You can enjoy boating in the lake, a ride on the motor boat and fun rides like toy train for kids. Don't forget to get a pencil sketch of yourself from the drawing artists sitting there.
The other places in the city worth a visit are Art Gallery, Japanese Garden, Valley of Animals, Valley of Shrubs, Terrace Garden, Leisure Valley etc. Visit the website Chandigarh Photos for a beautiful collection and details about all these places in Chandigarh.
- Science City at Kapurthala
This is a unique project to provide both education and entertainment. The place is not just for science students, its for the common people regarless of age and education background. There are many things related to science and technology which provide fun and entertainment and also educate you about few scientific concepts. The major attractions of this place are - Space theatre having a 23 meter tilted dome screen, laser show, 3D theatre, flight simulator, earthquake simulator, dianosaurs park, various science exhibits built on the basic science themes, the vortex, boating and much more.
You would need a whole day to enjoy this place to its fullest. To better know this place, visit this official website - Pushpa Gujral Science City.
- Chhatbir Zoo
This is the biggest zoo of Punjab. The zoo is located near Zirakpur town and at a distance of around 15 KM from Chandigarh. You are find a large variety of rare species of animals, mammals, reptiles and beautiful birds in this zoological park. It has the species like white tigers, jaguars, lions, leopards, elephants, monkeys, crocodiles, peacocks etc. The lion safari is the major attraction of this zoo.
- Patiala - Royal City
Patiala is famous for its palaces and gardens built by its erstwhile rulers. It was one of the richest princely states during british rule in India. Due to its royal past, buildings and culture of that era, the city is famously known as Royal City.
The main tourist places in this city are:
Moti Bagh Palace - This splendid palace, having Rajasthani structural design, was built during the 19th century by Maharaj Patiala to serve as the residence for Patiala royal family. It was the residence of royal family till 1940. After the independence of India, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh donated it to the government of India. One wing of the palace now hosts National Institute of Sports and other parts are open for the tourists.
There is a museum inside the palace, which has a rare collection of items of the royal era.
Sheesh Mahal - Situated behind the Moti Bagh palace, this palace was the official residence of Maharaja of Patiala and was built in 1847 by Maharaja Narinder Singh. The literal meaning of the word is Palace of Mirrors. The palace is decorated with coloured glass and mirror work. The walls and ceilings have a very beautiful floral designs created by the artists from Kangra and Rajasthan.
New Moti Bagh Palace - This palace is the current residence of the royal family and current Maharaja Patiala Captain Amarinder Singh. It is a private property and not open for public. You can just have a look of this palace from the outside.
If you are in Patiala, the campus of Punjabi University is also worth a visit. The Gurudwara Dukhniwaran Sahib and Kali Devi temple are also important tourist places of the city, although visited mostly by followers of Sikh and Hindu religion repectively.
- Harike Wetland
Harike wetland (Hari-ke-Pattan in Punjabi) and lake, is a famous tourist place for the nature lovers. This wetland is the confluence point of two major rivers Sutlej and Beas. Spread over an area of 4100 hectares, this is one of the largest wetlands of north India and is included in the official List of Wetlands of International Importance.
Thousand of migratory birds belonging to more than 200 different species come to this wetland during the winter season and hence it is notified by the government as a Bird Sanctuary.