The Kartarpur Corridor: what its closure actually means for the North trip

Short answer: the Kartarpur Corridor has remained closed since May 2025 and, as of our last check, the Indian government has given no timeline for reopening it. If your North trip includes Amritsar, we plan around this honestly rather than promising a crossing that may not be available on your dates.

What the corridor actually is

The Kartarpur Corridor is a visa-free crossing that, when open, lets Sikh pilgrims from India cross into Pakistan to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur: the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, is believed to have spent his final years. It’s a short physical distance from the Indian border but carries enormous significance: for many Sikh visitors, especially those with family history on either side of Partition, it’s one of the most meaningful stops imaginable.

Why it’s closed

The corridor has been suspended since May 2025, closed in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor amid the wider security situation between India and Pakistan at the time. As of our last check (the Indian government reconfirming the position to Parliament in early August 2026), the corridor remains suspended, with officials citing the ongoing security environment and no timeline given for reopening despite repeated appeals from Sikh religious organisations.

We flag this honestly on the North trip page rather than downplaying it, because for some travellers this specific crossing is a real part of why they’re taking the trip at all, and it deserves a straight answer, not an optimistic one.

What the North trip looks like without it

The North route already spends real time in Amritsar and Punjab beyond the corridor itself: the Golden Temple at dawn, the langar kitchen, the Wagah border ceremony, and the layered history of the city are all part of the itinerary regardless of the corridor’s status. Amritsar doesn’t lose its weight as a stop because Kartarpur is unreachable; the corridor was always going to be an extension for those who could reach it, not the reason the city is on the route in the first place.

What this means for a Rooetd traveller

If the corridor reopens before your travel dates, we’ll factor a visit in as a genuine addition to the Amritsar leg. If it’s still closed, we won’t quietly drop the topic; we’ll tell you directly and make sure the time that would have gone toward Kartarpur goes toward something else in Punjab that matters, rather than just disappearing from the schedule.

Before you go

• If a Kartarpur visit is important to your reason for travelling, ask us for the current status specifically when you inquire, not just at final confirmation.
• Don’t book flights or plan family attendance around a Kartarpur crossing that isn’t currently guaranteed: treat any reopening as a possible bonus, not a fixed plan.
• If the corridor is closed on your dates, ask us about extending time at the Golden Temple complex or elsewhere in Amritsar instead: there’s real substance there beyond the corridor.

Sources & official information

• The Tribune: Kartarpur corridor closed indefinitely
• Kartarpur Corridor: background