Punjab

Sikh holy city of food, memory and border theatre.

• Must-seeGolden TempleSikhism's holiest gurdwara with free communal meals.
• HeritageJallianwala BaghMemorial garden with bullet marks on walls.
• Must-seeWagah-Attari BorderEvening ceremony with both nations' guards.
• HeritagePartition MuseumOffbeatMuseum of personal stories of 1947.
• HeritageGobindgarh FortRestored fort with shows and craft stalls.

Malwa farming district with simple towns and Sikh shrines.

• SpiritualGurdwara Baba Ala SinghShrine tied to the founder of Patiala dynasty.
• OffbeatHandiaya VillageOffbeatRural stop for farm life and old brick lanes.

Cotton-belt city with a mighty fort and lakes.

• HeritageQila MubarakAncient fort, said to be one of India's oldest.
• SpiritualTalwandi SaboTakht Sri Damdama Sahib, one of the five Sikh Takhts.
• NatureRose Garden & Lake ComplexOffbeatLakes and gardens for an easy half-day.

Former princely town with a palace and Sufi shrine.

• HeritageRaj MahalOffbeatPalace on the town edge, partly used as a museum.
• SpiritualBaba Farid ShrineShrine tied to the Sufi poet Baba Farid.
• HeritageFaridkot FortOffbeatOld fort and gateway in the heart of town.

Sacred Sirhind belt of gurdwaras and Mughal tombs.

• SpiritualGurdwara Fatehgarh SahibShrine to Guru Gobind Singh's younger sons.
• HeritageRauza Sharif SirhindOffbeatSufi shrine of Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi.
• HeritageAam Khas BaghOffbeatRuined Mughal sarai and gardens near Sirhind.

Border district with the Sadqi ceremony and cotton fields.

• Must-seeSadqi Border CeremonySmaller border flag ceremony; check timings and entry.
• HeritageFazilka Clock TowerOffbeatColonial landmark in the town bazaar.
• OffbeatBangla MazaarOffbeatQuiet shrine and trading lanes near the line.

Military town with 1857-era heritage and the Hussainiwala border.

• HeritageHussainiwala Border MemorialMemorial to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev with border ceremony.
• HeritageFerozepur CantonmentOffbeatColonial cantonment and Anglo-Sikh war ground.
• OffbeatSarai Amanat KhanOffbeatMughal-era caravanserai gate in Tarn Taran border belt.

Guru Nanak country with Kartarpur corridor and Shivalik foothills.

• SpiritualDera Baba NanakShrine where Guru Nanak is said to have settled.
• SpiritualKartarpur Corridor ViewpointViewing point toward Pakistan's Kartarpur gurdwara.
• HeritageBatala Old CityOffbeatOld town with shrines and a Mughal-era wall.

Foothill district with Pong Dam views, Shivalik forests and old havelis.

• NaturePong Dam LakeReservoir bordering Kangra with winter birdlife.
• OffbeatDholbaha DamOffbeatReservoir and ancient fossil heritage nearby.
• HeritageHoshiarpur Haveli LanesOffbeatOld-town havelis and tilework.

Sports goods and Doaba culture, with old temples and tanks.

• SpiritualDevi Talab MandirPond temple with a large annual fair.
• CultureWonderland Theme ParkFamily attraction for a break from heritage.
• CultureDevi Talab Mandir Fair LanesOffbeatOld-town lanes with sweets and local crafts around the temple.

Princely 'Paris of Punjab' with French-style palaces.

• HeritageJagatjit PalaceFrench-style palace now a Sainik school.
• HeritageMoorish MosqueMorocco-inspired mosque built by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh.
• WildlifeKanjli WetlandOffbeatRiver wetland with birds near Sultanpur Lodhi.
• CulturePushpa Gujral Science CityScience centre popular with families.
• SpiritualSultanpur LodhiGuru Nanak's years here; Ber Sahib gurdwara.

Hosiery capital and food hub of central Punjab.

• CulturePunjab Agricultural University MuseumRural life museum and gardens.
• HeritageLodhi FortOffbeatRemains of old fort near the Sutlej.
• HeritagePhillaur FortOffbeatSikh-era fort converted to police training academy; view from outside.

Muslim-majority town with Sufi shrines and a Nawabi legacy.

• SpiritualHaa Da Naara GurdwaraGurdwara honouring the Nawab's protest for the Sahibzadas.
• CultureMalerkotla Old BazaarOffbeatHistoric bazaar with Unani medicine shops.

Cotton-belt district with simple villages and Sikh history.

• SpiritualGurdwara Singh SabhaLocal pilgrimage site with community kitchen.

Agricultural district associated with Sikh gurus' journeys.

• SpiritualGurdwara Tibbi SahibShrine linked with Guru Hargobind's stay.

Chandigarh's high-tech neighbour with cricket and wetland parks.

• WildlifeChhatbir ZooLarge zoo with lion safari near Zirakpur.
• CulturePCA StadiumCricket venue and tours on match schedule.

Historic battlefield town with the Muktsar fair.

• SpiritualGurdwara Tuti Gandi SahibSite of the Muktsar Battle memorial.
• CultureMaghi Mela MuktsarFair marking the Forty Immortals each January.

Gateway to Himachal and Jammu, with forts and a Ranjit Sagar Lake.

• NatureRanjit Sagar Dam & LakeLarge reservoir spread across Pathankot and J&K.
• SpiritualMukteshwar DhamOffbeatCave temples on the Ravi bank.
• HeritageShahpur Kandi FortOffbeatRuined Katoch fort overlooking the Ravi.

Royal city of forts, palaces, juttis and food.

• HeritageQila MubarakPalace fort with Darbar Hall and Sheesh Mahal.
• HeritageMoti Bagh PalacePalace with a Sports Museum and wrestling stadium.
• HeritageSheesh MahalOffbeatMirrored palace with Pahari paintings.
• HeritageBahadurgarh FortOffbeatSikh-era fort near the city, partly restored.

Indus-Valley site on the Sutlej and hill gateway of Anandpur Sahib.

• SpiritualAnandpur SahibKhalsa's birthplace and Virasat-e-Khalsa museum.
• WildlifeRopar WetlandRiver reserve for migratory birds.
• HeritageRopar Archaeological MuseumOffbeatHarappan finds and Mughal period relics.

Phulkian state seat with Sikh heritage and Ghaggar plains.

• SpiritualGurdwara Nanakiana SahibMajor gurdwara in the area.
• HeritageSangrur Palaces & HavelisOffbeatRemnants of the former Jind rulers in the town.

Doaba district named for the freedom fighter, with his ancestral village.

• HeritageKhatkar KalanBhagat Singh's ancestral village, with a museum.
• CultureBanga Old TownOffbeatDoaba trading town for local snacks.

Holy town of the Sarovar and borderland villages.

• SpiritualGurdwara Tarn Taran SahibShrine with the largest sarovar of Punjab.
• SpiritualGoindwal SahibOffbeatBaoli and early Sikh heritage site by the Beas.
• HeritageSarai Amanat KhanOffbeatMughal caravanserai with a grand gate.