Wagah Border Crossing from India to Pakistan: This is How I Did it!

The Attari–Wagah border has been closed since May 1, 2025, following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people. All cross-border travel remains suspended, and no reopening date has been announced.

If you plan to cross this border, please check in advance whether it has reopened.

The Wagah Border, also known as the Wagah-Attari Border, is the only international border crossing between India and Pakistan. I recently crossed the Wagah Border from India to Pakistan. I can tell you it’s an extremely touristy place and a super easy border crossing.

I started my journey in Amritsar on the Indian side and ended my journey in Lahore, Pakistan. I used public transport in India to get to the border and shared a private taxi to Lahore with travelers I met on the border.

In this guide, I walk you through the exact process of getting to Lahore from Amritsar including exact costs.

Check out my video on YouTube about my journey from Amritsar to Lahore through the Wagah border.

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Wagah Border Ceremony

The name Wagah Border actually refers to the Attari-Wagah Border. Attari is the closest village to the border on the Indian side and Wagah is the closest village to the border on the Pakistani side.

Being a very popular and touristy border between India and Pakistan, it’s extremely easy to cross this border.

This border is famous for the Wagah Border Ceremony.

If you want to join the Wagah Border ceremony, you can just go there independently or join a tour to get there.

Small group tours to the Wagah Border are really cheap. I highly recommend a small group tour. I joined a small group tour organized by my hostel. It was well-organized and super fun.

The governments of India and Pakistan started the Wagah Border Ceremony in 1959. The ceremony is a symbol of brotherhood and healthy competition between India and Pakistan. Thanks to this initiative, hostility between the two countries has decreased.

Are you planning to cross the border the same day when you want to attend the Wagah Border Ceremony? That’s not a good idea! More about that later.

People watching the Wagah Border Ceremony from the Indian side

If you want to cross the Wagah Border from India to Pakistan, you must apply for a tourist visa for Pakistan in advance. Luckily, you can do that online.

I dedicated an entire post to this topic.

Make sure to read this guide to find out what type of tourist visa you need for Pakistan, how to fill in the online visa application form, and the challenges of applying for the Pakistan visa online.

If you want to cross the Wagah Border from Pakistan to India, you need to apply for a tourist visa for India in advance.

Unfortunately, if you want to enter India using a land border, you can’t apply for an Indian visa online.

That means that you have to apply for a visa in person at an Indian embassy or Indian consulate.

I did some research and I found out that you can apply for a tourist visa for India in Islamabad.

The name of the place is called High Commission of India. Location: here.
I have no experience with applying for an Indian visa here and I don’t know anyone personally who did it.

But if you read the reviews, you will find international travelers who did.

I recommend that you get enough cash for the border crossing and a bit for the next few days in Pakistan.

Getting cash from ATMs in India is very easy and exchanging from Indian Rupees to Pakistani Rupees at the Wagah border on the Pakistani side is also very easy. 

On the Indian side, you can’t exchange money but you can on the Pakistani side. At the border in Pakistan, there are quite a lot of men working who exchange money. Their exchange rate was absolutely fair when I was there.

You will need money for the rickshaw and the bus in India, and maybe some snacks on the way. Then, in Pakistan, you will need money for a taxi or just a rickshaw.

In Pakistan, getting cash from ATMs is a bit troublesome. It’s because, in Pakistan, not every bank’s cash machine works with foreign bank cards. For this reason, you should prepare money in advance and not rely on that you will easily find an ATM that works with your foreign bank card.

I exchanged enough money at the border for at least 2-3 days. Thus, I had no urgent money issues. But still, it took some effort to find the right bank to get more cash later.

Banks that you can use in Pakistan to withdraw money are: Standard Chartered, Bank Alfalah, HBL, and Allied Bank

Also, note that there is a limit when you withdraw cash from any of these ATMs in Pakistan. The limit is 20,000 Pakistani Rupees (€67) per withdrawal.

So, the limit is only per withdrawal and you can withdraw several times. The maximum number of withdrawals I managed was 4. That was in Peshawar before traveling to Afghanistan through Torkham. I remember that I wanted to withdraw 5 times but I could only withdraw 4 times.

The Wagah Border is open every day from 9 am to 3 pm. You can’t cross the border later because around 3 pm they start getting ready for the Wagah Border Ceremony.

Try to be there as early as possible. I crossed the Wagah border at the beginning of May. I started the day too late. I was at the border at noon and at that time it was almost 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) degrees.

I really regretted that I didn’t start the day earlier because of the heat. I was boiling while crossing the border at noon.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET FROM AMRITSAR TO LAHORE?

From Madpackers Hostel in Amritsar (India) to Rose Palace Hotel Gulberg in Lahore (Pakistan), I needed about 5 hours.

HOW TO ORGANIZE THE TRANSPORT FROM AMRITSAR TO LAHORE?

1. FROM MADPACKERS HOSTEL TO THE INDIA BORDER

1. Shared tuktuk from the main road close to my hostel in Amritsar to Amritsar Bus Stand: 20 Rupee (€0.22), 10 minutes
2. Local bus from Amritsar Bus Stand to the village of Attari: 40 Rupee (€0.44), 30 km, 1 hour 15 minutes
3. Private electric tuktuk to the first immigration checkpoint of Wagah border: 100 Rupee (€1.11), 10 minutes

There is no bus schedule. Just leave early and things will work out fine. The journey was quick. This part can take around 2 hours if everything goes smoothly for you.

2. INDIAN IMMIGRATION

1 hour 30 minutes

It really depends on how much you have to wait for the border bus that transports people to the India-Pakistan gate. Immigration itself is quick.

3. PAKISTANI IMMIGRATION & EXCHANGING MONEY

1 hour

(It can take much less time. I think I was chatting too much with the officers at the border…)

4. FROM THE PAKISTAN BORDER TO ROSE PALACE HOTEL GULBERG

Distance: about 30 km 
Duration: about 40 minutes by taxi (Lol, I don’t know exactly because we got a flat tire on the way. Thus, I had to walk a bit as well.)

Price: Private taxi from the Pakistani side of the border to my hotel in Lahore: 3600 Pakistani Rupees (€12). Team up with other travelers on the border on the Indian side and take a taxi together. We were 3 and my part was only 1200 Pakistani Rupees (€4)

Alternatively, you can walk further from the border as well to get a tuktuk.

STEP 1: FROM THE HOSTEL TO THE AMRITSAR BUS STATION (5 minutes)

I left the hostel at 9:30 am. From the hostel, I just walked to the main road, called Shankar Road, which leads to the Amritsar Bus Stand.

The Amritsar Bus Stand is a big bus station. You can find it exactly as Amritsar Bus Stand on Google Maps.

Location of the Amritsar Bus Stand: here

STEP 2: GETTING A TUKTUK (10 minutes)

When you are on the main road, you can catch either a shared or a private tuktuk. I got a shared tuktuk. It cost only 20 rupees (€0.22). It was super easy because there were loads of shared tuktuks on the road.

I just stood on the road and I was shouting Amritsar Bus Stand to the drivers passing by. The one who went that way stopped to pick me up.

STEP 3: AT THE AMRITSAR BUS STATION (10 minutes)

Buses at the Amritsar Bus Station – Wagah Border Crossing from India to Pakistan

I reached the Amritsar station at 9:45 am. That means that the ride was not more than 10 minutes. At the Amritsar Bus station, I just asked random people for the Attari stand. They showed me where to go to and I easily found the bus stand for Attari.

You can see in the next picture that the number 23 is the stop for the Attari-Wagah Border bus. The image is quite dark but you can see it properly if you zoom in.

Bus Stand for the Wagah Border at the Amritsar Bus Station – Wagah Border Crossing from India to Pakistan

In 5 minutes the bus left. Exactly, at 9:55, we left the bus station.

STEP 4: BY BUS FROM THE AMRITSAR BUS STAND TO THE TOWN OF ATTARI (1 hour 15 minutes)

I bought the bus ticket in the bus. It cost 40 Rupee (€0.44).

The bus ride was super pleasant. I really enjoyed traveling with the locals.

At 11:10, We reached the town of Attari. A random guy got on the bus and told me he could take me to the Attari border by rickshaw. I told him: “Maybe later, first I want to look around.”

We got off the bus and he showed me his rickshaw anyways. I was surprised to see that it was a manual rickshaw, like the ones in Calcutta. I was just staring at the manual rickshaw for a while.

Manual Rickshaws in Attari – Wagah Border Crossing from India to Pakistan

I asked the manual rickshaw drivers if there were electric rickshaws and they said no.

Those rickshaws were super old and I’m so sorry but I wanted to find another solution for getting to the border.

I felt overwhelmed. Hahhaa, you know it was one of those moments when you get overwhelmed in India. I needed time to think. I walked to the side of the road. I started to analyze the road and the vehicles around. On the other side of the road, there were a lot of electric rickshaws.

Electric Rickshaws in Attari – Wagah Border Crossing from India to Pakistan

I approached the electric rickshaw drivers and asked for the prices. I kind of tried to negotiate a bit for fun. In the end, I got a ride for 80 Rupees but I paid 100 Rupees which was the original price.

All this took about 30 minutes.

STEP 5: PRIVATE TUK TUK RIDE FROM ATTARI TO THE BORDER (10 minutes)

I was on the tuktuk at 11:50 and reached the gate of the border at 11 am. The tuktuk ride was very pleasant. I enjoyed my last moments in India a great deal.

STEP 6: FROM THE BORDER ON THE INDIAN SIDE TO THE BIG GATE OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN  (1 hour 30 minutes)

The beginning of the Attari-Wagah Border in India for border crossing on foot to the left 

The gate at the beginning of the Attari-Wagah Border in India for border crossing on foot 

At the gate, my passport was checked. Then, I walked to the immigration building.

Know that you can buy drinks and snacks here. But you cannot exchange money here at all. There is an exchange office but there was nobody there.

My passport was checked again and got stamped out of India. It was super quick.

Then, we had to get on a bus. Waiting for the bus took a lot of time.

The bus taking travelers after stamping out of India to the India-Pakistan Gate

The bus took us to the gate of the Indian and Pakistan border. It’s a very touristy border because of the Wagah Border Ceremony. Thus, it’s totally fine to take pictures and make videos there.

Then, I stepped out of India and walked to Pakistan on foot.

STEP 7: PAKISTANI SIDE (1 hour)

12:40 I entered Pakistan. I walked to the immigration.

After the gate you see in the next picture, you have to walk a bit more and you will find the immigration building on the right.

The last gate before Pakistani immigration on the Wagah Border

There are men exchanging money outside before you enter the immigration building. It was too hot outside. So, I left it for later.

First, I stamped in Pakistan and then I exchanged money inside. The men outside came in later. So, I could sit down and exchange money properly.

I was asked where we were going to stay. I told them that I was going to Couchsurf. I had to give the name of my host to the officers. They are familiar with a lot of names from Couchsurfing. So, it’s fine to share it with them.

(On a side note: In the end, I didn’t Couchsurf but stayed in the Rose Palace Hotel Gulberg. But that’s another story.)

When you leave the immigration building, you will find taxis. With a German couple, I got to know on the bus, we took a taxi together to the Rose Palace Hotel Gulberg in Lahore.

At around 13:40 we left the border.

If you walk further, you can also find tuktuks. That will be much cheaper than the taxi.

I was suffering from the heat. So, I didn’t care about the price at all. I was so happy that I could share the taxi with the German couple.

We had a flat tire on the way. So, he couldn’t take us all the way to the hotel but generally, the ride should take a maximum of 45 minutes.

Well, that’s all! It was easy and fun!

MADPACKERS HOSTEL in AMRITSAR, INDIA

I stayed in a cool hostel called Madpackers Hostel. I can totally recommend this hostel to you as well. They have both dorms and private rooms.

They also organize small group tours for the Wagah Border Ceremony daily. I joined it and it was a lot of fun. The tour cost only 300 Indian Rupees (€3.40).

ROSE PALACE HOTEL, GULBERG in LAHORE, PAKISTAN

I tried this hotel in Lahore because it has been recommended by a lot of travelers. The breakfast included in the price was super decent. The hotel is in a very good location.

Close to the hostel, there is a Ufone office in case you want to buy a SIM card. Unfortunately, there is no ATM nearby that works with foreign bank cards.

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