[tanwaramit]

Hi Guys,

Have been searching on the forum for the information.

I intend to travel this new year weekend to Amritsar, visit the Golden Temple, Visit Wagah border, then from there drive to Mcleodganj.

1. Is it good to drive at this time of the year to Mcleodganj ? are the roads okay to drive there ?
2. I am planning to leave around 4pm from Delhi and reach Amritsar early morning. Is it okay to drive at this time (night drive)?
3. Am planning to take a night drive from Amritsar to McLeodganj, is it safe ? How much is the approx time taken from Pathankot to Mcleodganj ?
4. Can I see snow in Mcleodganj or I need to go trekking ? How far can I take the vehicle nearest to the snow ?
5. Places to visit around Amritsar (Jallianwala Bagh) & Mcleodganj ?
6. Return route from Mcleodganj to Delhi ?

Have been using mapmyindia.com, however the best conditions of the road and best routes are best known by personal experiences (hence help)

Any special suggestions for Wagah border ?

Have read the road to be used straight (NH1) till I touch Amritsar, no bypasses nothing to be done and speed limits of 90 in Haryana.

Have quite a few tips on food, thanks to all of you guys.

Plans -

Leave Delhi on 31st -
Reach Amristar on 1st Jan morning - Cant help, have to celebrate new year on the road, as dont get much offs.
Spend the whole day around Amristsar, afternoon drive to Wagah, return to Amristar
Start drive to Mcleodganj
Jan 02- Reach Mcleodganj, and visit the local places and enjoy the weather
Jan 03 - around afternoon, leave for delhi, reach late night
Jan 04 - Back to work.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

I intend to travel this new year weekend to Amritsar, visit the Golden Temple, Visit Wagah border, then from there drive to Mcleodganj.

1. Is it good to drive at this time of the year to Mcleodganj ? are the roads okay to drive there ?
2. I am planning to leave around 4pm from Delhi and reach Amritsar early morning. Is it okay to drive at this time (night drive)?
3. Am planning to take a night drive from Amritsar to McLeodganj, is it safe ? How much is the approx time taken from Pathankot to Mcleodganj ?
4. Can I see snow in Mcleodganj or I need to go trekking ? How far can I take the vehicle nearest to the snow ?
5. Places to visit around Amritsar (Jallianwala Bagh) & Mcleodganj ?
6. Return route from Mcleodganj to Delhi ?

Have been using mapmyindia.com, however the best conditions of the road and best routes are best known by personal experiences (hence help)

Any special suggestions for Wagah border ?

Have read the road to be used straight (NH1) till I touch Amritsar, no bypasses nothing to be done and speed limits of 90 in Haryana.

Have quite a few tips on food, thanks to all of you guys.

Plans -

Leave Delhi on 31st -
Reach Amristar on 1st Jan morning - Cant help, have to celebrate new year on the road, as dont get much offs.
Spend the whole day around Amristsar, afternoon drive to Wagah, return to Amristar
Start drive to Mcleodganj
Jan 02- Reach Mcleodganj, and visit the local places and enjoy the weather
Jan 03 - around afternoon, leave for delhi, reach late night
Jan 04 - Back to work.

6 laning work is in progress on NH1 between Panipat & Jalandhar,so expect slow moving traffic and extended drive times.Also between Amritsar & Dharamsala expect heavy traffic between Amritsar & Pathankot.

Pathankot to Dharamsala would take you around 6hours.I dont think you would get to experience snow/ice @ Mcleodganj,Dalhousie would be a better bet if snow/ice is what you looking for.

There isnt really anything great to see around Mcleodganj except for the Namgyal Monastery,the Dalai Lama's palace,Norbulingka Institute.Amritsar is primarily the Harmandir Sahib(Golden temple),do experience the langar there,would put any ISO 2001 process to shame,that is the precision with which it functions.

Make sure you reach early at Wagah.In winters,the beating retreat ceremony begins at 430 and in summers at 5pm.Do try and gather a seat in the gallery closer to the border gate rather than sitting at the other end(the end closer to the entrance gate).

You might need that yellow strip on your headlights,something that Punjab Police insists,I guess others who have done this stretch might be able to advise further on this.Mcleodganj to Delhi would take you around 9-10 hours.

Haveli at Karnal & Haveli at Jalandhar are good places to stop.In case you feel you want a bed,there are rooms available as well.

[vkochar]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Leave Delhi on 31st -
Reach Amristar on 1st Jan morning - Cant help, have to celebrate new year on the road, as dont get much offs.

Just be extremely careful on 31st Night on GT road towards Amritsar.

Haryana & Punjab both have a million dhaba's and eating points galore on this highway and you know what happens on 31st Night with rash driving / drunk driving.

If I were you I'd leave early morning on 1st and try to avoid 31st night.

Else you should be fine with your plan.

Again - Wagah & Golden temple is going to be packed on the 1st.

Wagah - reach @ 4:00 and try to get a seat early. Parking is about 1/2 a km away from where the ceremony takes place.

Go to Bhravan da Dhaba ( Near Golden Temple ) for a lip smacking meal.

Wait - here is the link to my travelogue - Check it out for all the info you need -
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ggestions.html

[tanwaramit]

Originally Posted by vkochar

Just be extremely careful on 31st Night on GT road towards Amritsar.

Else you should be fine with your plan.

Again - Wagah & Golden temple is going to be packed on the 1st.

Wagah - reach @ 4:00 and try to get a seat early. Parking is about 1/2 a km away from where the ceremony takes place.

have been through your travelogue, that was very valuable, with more of food suggestions pouring in with your Verna, n lip smacking meals pics et al.

Yeah, will reach Wagah before 3:30 and try to get premium seating.

Cant help on the crowd thing, guess this time of the year, is going to be packed at all places.

Will be careful on the night driving part, thanks for the tip.

Do we get Non veg at Bhravan da dhaba, I guess not as it is close to the temple.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

6 laning work is in progress on NH1 between Panipat & Jalandhar,so expect slow moving traffic and extended drive times.Also between Amritsar & Dharamsala expect heavy traffic between Amritsar & Pathankot.

Pathankot to Dharamsala would take you around 6hours.I dont think you would get to experience snow/ice @ Mcleodganj,Dalhousie would be a better bet if snow/ice is what you looking for.

You might need that yellow strip on your headlights,something that Punjab Police insists,I guess others who have done this stretch might be able to advise further on this.Mcleodganj to Delhi would take you around 9-10 hours.

Right from Panipat to Jalandhar the traffic will be slow ? Man, I will go crazy !

Langar is the done thing, cant miss it. Wow, how much is the distance for 6 hrs journey between Pathankot and Mcleodganj ?

If the chances of seeing snow are bright in Dalhousie, then I might as well skip Mcleodganj and visit Dalhousie instead.

Haveli is noted for food/toilet breaks.

That yellow strip, is it required for out of state vehicles ?
The points on Wagah border is noted well from your travelogue too.

Thanks for sharing them.

Any information on Dalhousie snow ?

[Bubby]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Do we get Non veg at Bhravan da dhaba, I guess not as it is close to the temple.

Its a complete veg
Dhabha, ask for some butter for your Parantha and they will serve you a bowl full of butter and the important part is that its free.
These paranthas give good average, you should be good for at least next 6 hours.

[WanderNomad]

Be ready to encounter dense fog which can make all your planning go haywire.

[tanwaramit]

Originally Posted by WanderNomad

Be ready to encounter dense fog which can make all your planning go haywire.

yup, thats one of the stuff which is worrying me. Do remember how 01st Jan arrives in Delhi.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

yup, thats one of the stuff which is worrying me. Do remember how 01st Jan arrives in Delhi.

Avoid night driving at any cost.
Reason-Construction work for 6 laning and extreme fog from 10pm till 11am

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Wow, how much is the distance for 6 hrs journey between Pathankot and Mcleodganj ?

Sorry,I stand corrected,6hrs is Amritsar-Dalhousie.

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

That yellow strip, is it required for out of state vehicles ?

Not really,but just in case the cops stop you,would be a good thing to have on you.

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Any information on Dalhousie snow ?

Well the temps would be really low @ Dalhousie now,would be in the range of 1degree,so chances are pretty bright for snow.

In case you are in the mood for yet another T-Logue,then you could take a dekko at this http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...delhi-hyd.html

[vkochar]

A very good point mentioned here by few which I forgot to mention and it is the most important one - 31st December / 1st January is HEAVY FOG. And as you go above Delhi it just gets worst.

I remember last time when I was in Amritsar - Mid January 2009, I left for Delhi at 7 in the morning and I could not see a thing till about 9. Averaged hardly 20 km's / hour and very risky.

So Please be careful

[tanwaramit]

Originally Posted by vkochar

A very good point mentioned here by few which I forgot to mention and it is the most important one - 31st December / 1st January is HEAVY FOG. And as you go above Delhi it just gets worst.

I remember last time when I was in Amritsar - Mid January 2009, I left for Delhi at 7 in the morning and I could not see a thing till about 9. Averaged hardly 20 km's / hour and very risky.

So Please be careful

yup, however good for me, this year the fog is almost negligible. I leave for office daily before 7AM and till last year, it was a nightmare to leave at this time of the year, however this year fog is behaving very different.

Am hoping it behaves like this for next 4-5 days.

[WanderNomad]

We went to Amritsar last year on 26th Jan weekend and trust me it was the scariest drive of my life. I have driven in fog earlier also but nothing could beat this one.

There was very dense fog after Khanna (IIRC) till Karnal and we were moving at a pace of 20 - 30 following some other vehicle as I could simply not see anything ahead.

[tanwaramit]

Originally Posted by WanderNomad

We went to Amritsar last year on 26th Jan weekend and trust me it was the scariest drive of my life. I have driven in fog earlier also but nothing could beat this one.

There was very dense fog after Khanna (IIRC) till Karnal and we were moving at a pace of 20 - 30 following some other vehicle as I could simply not see anything ahead.

that weekend I had been to Shimla in a Volvo, didn't get any other bus, hence had to go on early morning bus.

Was it the night time you drove on ? I am just hoping this weekend fog won't be that bad. Now planning to leave around noon tomorrow to reach Amritsar around 10-11 pm.

[akshay4587]

Tanwar,this part of Nh1 from panipat-amritsar is englufed in dense fog on a daily basis,and there have been a spate of accidents on daily basis.

Kindly think over before you leave,and not to mention various diversions on the way that have made things worse.

[WanderNomad]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Was it the night time you drove on ? I am just hoping this weekend fog won't be that bad. Now planning to leave around noon tomorrow to reach Amritsar around 10-11 pm.

We started from Asr at 5 and post 8 PM it was dense fog.