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Nankana Sahib: Gurdwara Janam Asthan, birthplace of Guru Nanak
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Nankana Sahib: The Complete Pilgrim’s Guide

Nankana Sahib is where Guru Nanak was born, and for Sikhs worldwide it is the holiest town in Pakistan. This guide covers every gurdwara and how to plan your yatra.

Updated October 2026By The Golden Adventure team
Photo: Harvinder Chandigarh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (source)

Nankana Sahib at a Glance

Nankana Sahib is a town in Pakistani Punjab, roughly 75–90 km west of Lahore, built around the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It holds a cluster of historic gurdwaras, each tied to a moment of the Guru’s childhood, and fills with pilgrims for Gurpurab in November and Vaisakhi in April.

LocationNankana Sahib District, Punjab, west of Lahore
AltitudePlains of central Punjab (low-lying)
Best time to visitNovember (Guru Nanak Gurpurab) and April (Vaisakhi); October–March for comfortable weather
Getting thereAbout 2 hours by road from Lahore
Top sightsGurdwara Janam Asthan, Bal Lila, Mal Ji Sahib, Kiara Sahib, Patti Sahib, Tambu Sahib
Known forBirthplace of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism

Where Is Nankana Sahib?

The town lies in the flat, irrigated farmland of central Punjab, about 75–90 km west of Lahore (sources give slightly different figures depending on the route) and about 75 km east of Faisalabad. It was a tehsil of Sheikhupura until May 2005, when it became the headquarters of its own district. The 2023 census counted around 130,000 people.

For foreign pilgrims, Lahore is the gateway: its international airport and hotels make it the natural base, with the gurdwaras an easy day out.

History of Nankana Sahib

The town was once called Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi. Guru Nanak was born here to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta, and the local landlord Rai Bular Bhatti, who became one of the Guru’s earliest devotees, later renamed it in his honour.

A first shrine on the birthplace is believed to have been raised in the 16th century by Baba Dharam Chand, the Guru’s grandson. The present Gurdwara Janam Asthan was built under Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century.

The town is also remembered for the Nankana massacre of 20 February 1921, when 86 reformist Sikhs were killed in a confrontation with the mahant who then controlled the shrine. The episode became a turning point in the Gurdwara Reform Movement, and the jand tree and well associated with it are preserved at Janam Asthan. Today the gurdwaras are run by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (background on Wikipedia).

MUST-SEE EXPERIENCES

Top 8 Things to Do in Nankana Sahib

Most pilgrims visit these places in one long, unhurried day, starting and ending at Janam Asthan.

  1. 01
    Culture

    Gurdwara Janam Asthan

    The main shrine stands on the site of the house where Guru Nanak was born. Its large sarovar, pilgrim inn and gardens make it the spiritual and practical centre of any visit.

  2. 02
    History

    The Jand Tree and Well

    Inside the Janam Asthan complex, the jand tree and well linked to the 1921 massacre are kept as memorials. Many Sikh visitors pause here for ardas.

  3. 03
    Culture

    Gurdwara Bal Lila

    About 300 m south-east of Janam Asthan, Bal Lila marks the ground where the young Nanak played with other children. Sakhis say even as a child he shared Naam with his friends.

  4. 04
    Culture

    Gurdwara Mal Ji Sahib

    Near the railway station, this gurdwara recalls the story of a mal tree, and in another telling a cobra, shading the sleeping Nanak. The sight is said to have convinced Rai Bular of his greatness.

  5. 05
    Culture

    Gurdwara Kiara Sahib

    Linked to another episode from the Guru’s youth that deepened Rai Bular’s devotion. During Gurpurab the Palki Sahib procession travels here from Janam Asthan.

  6. 06
    Culture

    Gurdwara Patti Sahib

    Traditionally associated with the Guru’s early schooling, it is one of the smaller, quieter shrines on the circuit.

  7. 07
    Culture

    Gurdwara Tambu Sahib and Chhevin Patshahi

    Tambu Sahib is part of the historic group connected with Guru Nanak’s youth, while Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi commemorates a later visit by Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru.

  8. 08
    Food

    Langar

    Eating langar alongside pilgrims from Pakistan, India and the diaspora is one of the most memorable parts of a visit. Sit on the floor, cover your head and accept what is served.

Best Time to Visit Nankana Sahib

The great occasion is Guru Nanak’s Gurpurab in late October or November, set by the lunar calendar. On 5 November 2025 the 556th anniversary drew more than 2,000 pilgrims from India alongside thousands of Pakistani and diaspora Sikhs, with a Palki Sahib procession from Janam Asthan to Kiara Sahib (Deccan Herald). Vaisakhi in mid-April is the other big moment; in 2025 Pakistan issued more than 6,500 visas to Indian Sikhs for the season.

Festival days are moving but crowded and tightly secured. If you want quiet time for prayer and photographs, come between October and March outside the main dates; summer heat in Punjab can be extreme.

How to Get to Nankana Sahib

Fly into Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, then travel by private car. Roads run through Sheikhupura and farming country; allow about two hours each way, more on festival days when traffic and security checks slow everything down.

FromRouteApprox. time
LahoreBy road via SheikhupuraAbout 2 hours
Gurdwara Sacha Sauda (Chuharkana)Combine on the same road trip from LahoreHalf-day detour
Kartarpur (Narowal)Separate day trip from LahoreFull day
Hasan Abdal (Panja Sahib)Via Lahore and the M2 towards IslamabadPlan as a separate leg

Times are estimates; on Gurpurab and Vaisakhi roads are often closed or diverted for processions.

Getting Around

The main gurdwaras are close together, and Bal Lila is only a short walk from Janam Asthan. Your driver can shuttle you between the more spread-out sites, such as Mal Ji Sahib near the station. Keep your shoes, socks and head covering handy: you will take shoes off and put them back on many times in a day.

Where to Stay

Most foreign pilgrims stay in Lahore and visit as a day trip. Janam Asthan has a large inn for pilgrims, used mainly by organised groups during festivals. Within the town itself hotel choice is very limited, so if you want to be present for early morning prayers on Gurpurab, talk to us early about options.

Suggested Itineraries

One day from Lahore

Leave Lahore early, pay respects at Janam Asthan, walk to Bal Lila, then visit Mal Ji Sahib, Kiara Sahib and Patti Sahib before langar and the drive back.

Three days: the core Sikh sites

Day one in Lahore’s Sikh heritage around the Walled City, day two at Nankana and Sacha Sauda, day three at Kartarpur (see our Kartarpur Corridor guide).

A full yatra

Add Gurdwara Panja Sahib at Hasan Abdal and you have the classic circuit of our Grand Sikh Yatra.

What to Pack

  • Head covering (a rumal or scarf) for every gurdwara visit
  • Slip-on shoes and socks; you will remove shoes often
  • Modest, loose clothing covering arms and legs
  • Copies of passport and visa for checkpoints
  • Small rupee notes for donations and shoe-keepers
  • Light layers in November mornings; sun hat and water in April

Combine Nankana with Other Sikh Sites

Gurdwara Sacha Sauda at Chuharkana marks the “true bargain”: sent by his father with 20 rupees to do business, the young Nanak spent it feeding hungry sadhus, the origin story of langar. Maharaja Ranjit Singh later built the gurdwara in the style of a fortress.

From Lahore you can also reach Kartarpur, where the Guru spent his final years, and Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore. Further north, Panja Sahib at Hasan Abdal completes the circuit.

Culture & Etiquette

Cover your head, remove shoes and wash your feet before entering any gurdwara. Tobacco and alcohol are forbidden on the premises. Sit with your feet away from the Guru Granth Sahib, and ask before photographing people at prayer.

Non-Sikh visitors are welcome if they follow the same customs. Pakistani hosts, sevadars and local families are famously hospitable to pilgrims, and you may find yourself offered tea and conversation at every stop.

Practical Travel Tips for Nankana Sahib

Visas: in November 2024 Pakistan’s interior minister announced free online visas, processed within about 30 minutes, for Sikh pilgrims holding US, UK and Canadian passports (The Tribune). Rules can change, so always apply through the official Pakistan online visa portal and read our Pakistan visa guide for US citizens. Every TGA tour includes a free Letter of Invitation.

Safety and advisories: Nankana is in central Punjab, which is not singled out in the US or UK advise-against lists, but the US rates Pakistan overall at Level 3, “Reconsider travel”. The US advisory also notes that large religious gatherings are off-limits to US government staff, a reminder that festival crowds carry extra risk. Security around the gurdwaras on Gurpurab and Vaisakhi is heavy and visible.

Money and connectivity: carry rupees in cash; ATMs are more reliable in Lahore. Mobile data generally works in town, but networks slow down under festival crowds.

Local tip: on Gurpurab, arrive at Janam Asthan before dawn. The prakash and kirtan in the early hours are the most peaceful part of the day before the crowds build.

NANKANA SAHIB TRAVEL

Nankana Sahib Highlights at a Glance

Gurdwara Janam Asthan, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, anchors a compact circuit of shrines that recall his childhood: Bal Lila, Mal Ji Sahib, Kiara Sahib and Patti Sahib.

Visit on Gurpurab or Vaisakhi to join the sangat in its thousands, or come in the cooler months for quieter prayer; either way, Lahore makes an easy base.

For Pakistan’s latest entry rules, check the official NADRA e-visa portal before you book flights.

Plan your Nankana Sahib yatra

Nankana Sahib Tours with The Golden Adventure

Our Nankana Sahib Yatra focuses on the birthplace gurdwaras with time for prayer and langar. For a longer journey, the Grand Sikh Yatra Pakistan links Nankana with Kartarpur, Lahore and Panja Sahib, and the Lahore Sikh Heritage Tour adds the Sikh-era monuments of the Walled City.

Plan your Nankana Sahib yatra

Tell us your dates and interests and our team in Gilgit will design a private trip and send your free Letter of Invitation.

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Nankana Sahib FAQs

How far is Nankana Sahib from Lahore?

Roughly 75–90 km west of Lahore depending on the route, usually about two hours by car.

Can US, UK and Canadian Sikhs visit Nankana?

Yes. They need a Pakistan visa, applied for online. In 2024 Pakistan announced free, fast-tracked visas for Sikh pilgrims from these countries; check the current rules on the official portal before applying.

When is Guru Nanak Gurpurab celebrated in Nankana?

It follows the lunar calendar and usually falls in late October or November. In 2025 the main celebration was on 5 November.

Is it safe to visit Nankana?

Central Punjab is not on the US or UK advise-against lists, though the US rates Pakistan overall at Level 3 (Reconsider travel). Festival days have heavy security. Read both advisories and travel with an experienced local operator.

Can non-Sikhs visit the gurdwaras?

Yes, everyone is welcome. Cover your head, remove your shoes, avoid tobacco and alcohol, and dress modestly.

How many gurdwaras are there in Nankana?

The town has a group of historic gurdwaras, often counted as nine, led by Janam Asthan, Bal Lila, Mal Ji Sahib, Kiara Sahib, Patti Sahib and Tambu Sahib.

Where should I stay?

Most foreign pilgrims stay in Lahore. Janam Asthan has a pilgrim inn mainly used by organised festival groups, and hotel choice in town is limited.

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