I am back from Amritsar but frankly, a piece of my heart is still there! I’d really like to thank City On Pedals and SOS Accelerator for this opportunity. This was my first time in Amritsar and I am glad that I made this decision of visiting this beautiful city.
Amritsar is a popular for many reasons. It’s popular because of the famous Golden Temple and also for India Pakistan Border and Jallianwala Bagh. I explored the city with City On Pedals.
City On Pedals is not just a luxury hostel but initially it was started as trip organizers. They organize various tours which help people explore Amritsar like never before. You will understand this when I will talk about my experiences of the tours and places visited in Amritsar with city on pedals.
Before the tours, I’d like to talk about the hostel first. Okay! I admit the fact that this was my first time in Amritsar and FIRST TIME EVER in a hostel. Yes, I have never ever experienced living in a hostel while travelling; so I was clear in my mind that if this experience doesn’t go well I will never stay in a hostel again. This was a decision-maker trip for me.
BUT, I am glad and happy that I stayed with City On pedals. The hostel has all the amenities. There are normal dorms and luxury dorms. Mine was a luxury dorm which had separate locker, AC and luxury bedding. The bunk beds in luxury dorm are closed while the normal dorms are open bunk beds with curtains.
The hostel also has a common room where travelers from all across the world sit, chat and share their life-stories. If you want to watch TV, read books or simply chill with a cup of coffee then common room it is!
Fun fact: We hardly spent time in our rooms because it was more fun to be in the common room and talk to the travelers. Thanks to City On Pedals, I now have friends from other countries too!
Apart from the common room, there is also a workstation upstairs. It’s a calm and closed room which is good for travelers like me who prefer working on the go! The room has computer systems, white-board, diaries, AC and other required stuff which makes it look like an office. Actually it is an office, more like a co-working space!
There is an open kitchen, so if you feel hungry at the mid-night you can simply go and cook maggi (etc) for yourself!
The hostel is pet-friendly. If you follow me on twitter and instagram, you must have already seen Tikka and Horsie, the 2 super adorable dogs of the hostel.
They have high-speed free wi-fi too. And yes, if you volunteer with them in the school Little Columbus which is founded by Michelle, wife of Rishab (the founder of City On Pedals) then you may also earn free meals and other facilities too.
The environment is cool and friendly. The staff is generous and helpful. I never felt that I am meeting them for the first time. All in all, my experience of staying with City On Pedals was amazing. Highly recommended, if you prefer staying in backpackers and travelers hostels.
Things To Do In Amritsar:
Mid-night Visit To Golden Temple
This is something that you MUST DO in Amritsar. People often visit Golden temple during the day time or night time, observe darshan and ardas and come back. But when you visit after mid-night and stay back till early morning, you get to observe the holy ceremony of Palki Granth Sahib and get to hear the first Ardas of the day. We also visited the kitchen of Golden Temple and I was astonished to know that they approx. 50,000 people eat there daily.
Bicycle Heritage Tour
This is their flagship tour. When you take this tour, you get to cycle through the narrow galiyas near Golden Temple and explore the old and hidden buildings and houses of Amritsar. You also get to try the amazing poori and lassi of Amritsar during this trip. If you can’t ride a bicycle then you may ask the team for an alternative.
India-Pakistan Border Visit
Visit to Amritsar is incomplete if you don’t visit the Attari border, also known as Wagha Border. The parade and ceremony is a must experience. And yes, don’t forget to step in to the group and dance your hearts out on the Hindi patriotic songs they play there.
Explore The Lesser Known Places
There are some lesser known and totally worth visiting places in Amritsar including Pul Kanjari, old Army bunkers and the India-Pakistan Border. We also visited the oldest Shiva temple in Amritsar and one of the oldest Akhada (mud-wrestling ground) where the famous Prithvi Raj Kapoor sahab used to practice.
These are some special tours organized by City On Pedals for the travelers. I am really impressed with their idea of promoting eco-tourism by organizing bicycle and walk tours. Being a hard-core supporter of Eco-friendly and sustainable tourism, I felt happy upon seeing their efforts.
For more information and bookings, visit CityOnPedals.com
