Ambala travel guide

The railway gateway to the hills – a historic cantonment with gurdwaras, old churches and busy bazaars

📍 Haryana 7 places to visit Updated 1 Nov 2026

Ambala is a twin city in northern Haryana – the old Ambala City and the British-era Ambala Cantt – on the Grand Trunk Road between Delhi and Chandigarh. A major railway junction and Air Force base, it is a handy stopover on the way to Himachal, with historic gurdwaras, a ruined colonial church and bustling markets.

History of Ambala

Ambala’s name is often linked to the goddess Amba – the old Bhawani Amba temple stands in Ambala City – though some say it comes from ambwala, a village of mango groves. The town grew on the old trade route from Delhi to the Punjab and the hills.

In 1843 the British moved their cantonment here from Karnal, creating Ambala Cantt with wide roads, barracks, bazaars and churches. Unrest among sepoys at Ambala in early 1857 was among the first signs of the great revolt that year. St Paul’s Church, a large Gothic church of the cantonment, was badly damaged in an air raid in the 1965 war and still stands as a ruin.

Today Ambala is a big railway junction, an important Indian Air Force station and known across India for its scientific instruments industry. It became part of Haryana when the state was formed in 1966.

Best time to visit Ambala

October–March is the most pleasant. April–June is very hot (often above 40°C) and July–September is humid with monsoon rain.

Oct–Nov

Autumn · Pleasant, about 15–30°C

Festival season and comfortable sightseeing.

Best

Dec–Feb

Winter · Cool, about 5–20°C, foggy mornings

Winter fog can delay trains – check before travel.

Best

Mar

Spring · Mild, about 15–30°C

Good weather before the heat.

Good

Apr–Jun

Summer · Hot, 35–44°C

Best used as a stopover on the way to the hills.

Avoid

Jul–Sep

Monsoon · Humid, rain

Green but sticky.

Good

How to reach Ambala

✈️

Nearest airport

Chandigarh International Airport (IXC)

About 45–50 km (about 1 hour by taxi).

🚆

Nearest railway station

Ambala Cantt Junction (UMB) – one of North India’s busiest; also Ambala City (UBC)

In the city. Shatabdi, Vande Bharat and many long-distance trains stop here.

🚌

Bus stand

Ambala Cantt bus stand and Ambala City bus stand – Haryana Roadways and other buses to Delhi, Chandigarh, Patiala, Kurukshetra, Shimla and Yamunanagar.

From	Distance by road	Travel time
Chandigarh	45–50	1 hour
Delhi	About 200 km	3.5–4 hours
Kurukshetra	About 50 km	1 hour
Patiala	About 50 km	1 hour
Panchkula	About 40 km	1 hour
Shimla	About 150 km	4 hours
Nahan	About 70 km	1.5–2 hours

Distances and times are approximate and change with traffic and weather.

Famous places to visit in Ambala

1St Paul’s Church ruins

Church 📍 Ambala Cantt 🕘 View from outside

The shell of a grand 19th-century Gothic church of the cantonment, damaged in the 1965 war – a striking reminder of Ambala’s history.

2Gurdwara Panjokhra Sahib

Temple 📍 About 10 km 🕘 Open all day · langar

A gurdwara where Guru Har Krishan is said to have stayed on his way to Delhi – peaceful, with a large sarovar and langar.

3Gurdwara Manji Sahib

Temple 📍 Ambala City 🕘 Open all day

A historic gurdwara in Ambala City, one of several in the town linked to visits of the Sikh Gurus.

4Gurdwara Badshahi Bagh

Temple 📍 Ambala City 🕘 Open all day

A gurdwara associated with Guru Gobind Singh, with a quiet courtyard in the old city.

5Bhawani Amba Temple

Temple 📍 Ambala City 🕘 Morning to evening

The old temple of the goddess Amba from whom the town is said to take its name – busy during Navratri.

6Sadar Bazaar & cloth market

Market 📍 Ambala Cantt and City 🕘 Day and evening

Bustling bazaars for clothes, fabric, sweets and street food – and shops selling the scientific instruments Ambala is known for.

7Kurukshetra

Heritage 📍 About 50 km 🕘 Day trip

The land of the Mahabharata and the Gita, with Brahma Sarovar, Jyotisar and the Krishna museum – an easy half-day trip.

Timings and entry fees change – please check locally before you go.

🚆 Ambala as a stopover

To Shimla: About 4 hours by road, or train to Kalka and the toy train
To Chandigarh: About 1 hour – the airport is about 45–50 km away
To Delhi: About 2.5–3 hours by fast train
Good for: Breaking a long drive or catching an early train

Ambala Cantt is on the main Delhi–Kalka and Delhi–Amritsar lines – many trains stop here.

Ambala itinerary

1 day in Ambala

Day 1

Morning at Gurdwara Panjokhra Sahib.
St Paul’s Church ruins and Sadar Bazaar.
Evening at the Bhawani Amba temple and the old city markets.

2 days – Ambala & Kurukshetra

Day 1

Ambala gurdwaras, church and bazaars.

Day 2

Day trip to Kurukshetra: Brahma Sarovar, Jyotisar and the Krishna museum.

Trip budget for Ambala

Item	Cost	Note
Stay (hotel / guest house)	About ₹1,200–4,000 / night
Food	About ₹300–700 per person / day	Dhabas and sweet shops
Taxi to Chandigarh airport	About ₹1,200–1,800	About 1 hour
Night for 2 (approx.)	₹2,500–6,000	Stay + food

Costs are rough estimates for Nov 2026.

Ambala vs Chandigarh and Kurukshetra

Where to break the journey on the way to the hills?

Place	From Delhi	Vibe	Best for
Ambala	About 200 km, 3.5–4 h	Railway town, cantonment	Trains, a quick stop
Chandigarh	About 250 km, 4.5–5 h	Planned city, gardens	A day of sights
Kurukshetra	About 160 km, 3 h	Pilgrim town	Mahabharata sites

Where to stay in Ambala

Stay in Ambala Cantt near the railway station and Sadar Bazaar for trains and food, or in Ambala City for the old markets and gurdwaras. Highway hotels on the GT Road suit drivers breaking the journey.

Own a homestay, hotel or cottage in Ambala?

List it free with Stay in Bharat – Haryana offer: 0% commission on your first 5 bookings · only 20 spots left . Be the first stay in Ambala on our site.

List your stay