Flying home for the winter break? A seven-day Punjab trip from Canada that goes past Amritsar, with honest advice on fog, cold and airports.
At a glance: a Punjab trip from Canada in winter
Fly into Amritsar or Delhi in mid-December, spend two days in Amritsar, then head east through Jalandhar, Anandpur Sahib, Chandigarh and Patiala. Expect cold, foggy mornings of 2 to 8°C and mild afternoons of 15 to 18°C. Hire a car with a driver, pack real winter layers, and keep a buffer day at the end in case fog delays your flight home. The Kartarpur Corridor was closed from the Indian side at the time of writing, so check the latest status before you plan around it.
Why winter is the right time to see more of Punjab
Most Canadian Punjabi families fly home in December and January because school is out. It is also when Punjab is at its most alive. Weddings fill every weekend. Lohri bonfires light up 13 January. Sarson da saag is on every table.
Most trips go Amritsar, the village, and back. The Golden Temple deserves its two days, and our Golden Temple visitor guide covers that. This guide is about the week after, when the children ask what else there is. The answer is a lot, most of it within three hours’ drive.
One date in passing: Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab) falls on Tuesday 24 November 2026, before the Christmas break. Some families go early for it. Either way, December fares are rising now.
Which airport: Amritsar, Delhi or Chandigarh?
This decision shapes the whole trip. Here is how we help families choose.
Airport | Best for | Flights from Canada | Watch out for |
Amritsar (ATQ) | Families in Majha and Doaba. Starting at the Golden Temple. | One-stop from Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton via Gulf or European hubs | Dense fog in late December and January. Fewer flights, less choice. |
Delhi (DEL) | Most choice and often lower fares. Good if you end in Chandigarh or Patiala. | Non-stop from Toronto and Vancouver, plus many one-stop options | Seven to eight hours by road to Amritsar, or 5.5 hours on the Vande Bharat. Fog delays here too. |
Chandigarh (IXC) | Families in Mohali, Ropar and Patiala | No direct flights from Canada. Connect through Delhi. | Few international flights. A domestic hop adds time. |
Our favourite answer for a touring trip is an open-jaw ticket: into Amritsar, home from Delhi, or the reverse. You never double back, and the price is often close to a plain return. If your family is in Mumbai rather than Punjab, our new Calgary to Mumbai guide covers the one-stop options from Alberta.
A 7-day Punjab itinerary beyond Amritsar
This loop works for families with children and grandparents. Swap days to suit where your relatives live.
Day | Where | What to do |
1 | Amritsar | Arrive, rest, and visit the Golden Temple in the evening when the crowd is calmer. |
2 | Amritsar and Wagah | Jallianwala Bagh and the Partition Museum in the morning. Drive 30 km to the Wagah border for the Beating Retreat ceremony. It starts earlier in winter, so check the time and arrive two hours ahead. |
3 | Jalandhar or Ludhiana | Family day. Both are good bases for relatives, markets and winter shopping. Jalandhar is about 1.5 hours from Amritsar. |
4 | Anandpur Sahib | Drive 2.5 to 3 hours to Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, birthplace of the Khalsa. Afternoon at the Virasat-e-Khalsa museum (check opening days). Overnight in Anandpur Sahib or Ropar. |
5 | Chandigarh | About 1.5 hours on. Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden, then Sector 17 in the evening. Flat, clean and easy with a stroller. |
6 | Patiala | About 1.5 hours. Qila Mubarak and the Sheesh Mahal, then juttis and parandis in the old city. Overnight. |
7 | Delhi or Chandigarh | Buffer day. About four hours by road to Delhi airport, or back to Chandigarh for a domestic flight. |
About the Kartarpur Corridor. Many families hope to add a day trip to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. At the time of writing, the corridor has been closed from the Indian side since May 2025 with no reopening date announced. Check the latest status before you plan around it, and do not book anything non-refundable for it.
Winter weather in Punjab: what to expect
Punjab in December and January is cold. Not Calgary cold, but the houses are built for summer, so indoors is often colder than outdoors. Nights and early mornings sit around 2 to 8°C. Afternoons warm to 15 to 18°C.
The bigger issue is fog. From late December through January, dense fog settles over the plains most mornings. It can delay or divert flights at Delhi and Amritsar, slow trains, and make road travel before 10 am unwise. Plan your driving for late morning and early afternoon.
What to pack for a Punjab winter
- Layers, not one big parka. A fleece, a light down jacket and a shawl cover a foggy dawn and a sunny lunch.
- A warm layer for indoors. Thick socks, a hoodie and warm sleepwear.
- Extra socks for the gurdwaras. Marble floors at 6 am are freezing.
- Head coverings for everyone, including the children.
- Medicines in your carry-on, with a copy of each prescription.
- A power bank and a type C or D adapter. Winter power cuts still happen in villages.
- Hand sanitiser, wet wipes and a small first aid kit.
Getting around Punjab in winter
Car with driver. This is what most families use. The stops above are one to three hours apart, the roads are decent, and a driver who knows the fog is worth every rupee. Book through family or your hotel, agree the daily rate and kilometres up front, and plan on a ten-hour day at most. We do not recommend self-driving.
Trains between Delhi and Amritsar. The Vande Bharat Express leaves New Delhi at 15:15 and arrives in Amritsar at 20:45, a journey of 5 hours 30 minutes, six days a week, stopping at Ambala and Ludhiana. The daily Shatabdi Express takes about 6 hours 35 minutes. Book on IRCTC as soon as your dates are fixed. December trains fill fast, and fog delays them too.
Domestic flights. Delhi to Amritsar is about an hour in the air, but it is the leg most likely to be delayed by fog.
Travelling with children and grandparents
- Two nights per base. One-night stops are hard on everyone.
- Ask every hotel for a room heater. Not all rooms have heating. We can help with hotels in Amritsar, Chandigarh and Delhi.
- Start late, finish early. Fog in the morning, dark by 5:30 pm. Plan the big sights for 11 am to 4 pm.
- Bottled water and familiar snacks for the children on every drive.
- Keep documents together. Passports, OCI cards or e-visas, and insurance details in one pouch. Check the Government of Canada’s advice for India at travel.gc.ca before you fly.
- Build in a buffer day before your flight home in case the fog closes in.
Why book your Punjab trip with Mann Travel?
Since 2007, Mann Travel has been taking families home to India. Our Surrey, BC team speaks Hindi, Punjabi and English, books Canada to Amritsar and Delhi routes every day, and is available 24/7. We know the fog season because we rebook families through it every January. Students and education staff can take $25 off selected return flights with MannPass. Questions about an open-jaw ticket? Contact us.
Let’s take you home to Punjab this winter.
Search live fares at manntravel.ca/flights or call our team on (604) 265-9000. Ask about flying into Amritsar and home from Delhi.
frequently asked questions
When is the best time for a Punjab trip from Canada?
December and January suit most families because of the school break and the festive season. Expect cold, foggy mornings and mild afternoons. Early December has fewer fog delays than January.
Should I fly into Amritsar or Delhi?
Amritsar if your family is in Majha or Doaba and you want to start at the Golden Temple. Delhi if you want more flight choice or your trip ends in Chandigarh or Patiala. An open-jaw ticket lets you do both.
Is the Kartarpur Corridor open?
At the time of writing, no. India closed it in May 2025 and had not announced a reopening date. Check the latest status before you plan a visit.
How cold is Punjab in December and January?
Typically 2 to 8°C at night and in the early morning, and 15 to 18°C in the afternoon. Fog is common from late December. Pack layers and warm socks.
Can I take the train from Delhi to Amritsar?
Yes. The Vande Bharat Express takes 5 hours 30 minutes and runs six days a week. The Shatabdi Express runs daily and takes about 6 hours 35 minutes. Book early for December.
Fares and availability change daily and depend on the airline, date and fare type. Weather and seasonal patterns described here are general and not guaranteed. Always check live prices and current travel advice before booking. Mann Travel does not guarantee the lowest fare.
