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Photo: Cacahuate, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
This is the main attraction in the city, and the most important religious place to the Sikhs. It's a stunning complex, and always full of thousands of pilgrims from all over India, excited to be at a place that they usually only see on television. The excitement to be here is infectious, and many people will be more than happy to tell you all about their religion and customs, and show you around the temple. As you arrive near the complex, you will more likely than not be accosted by hawkers trying to sell you bandannas to cover your head, but there's also a big barrel of free ones to choose from at the every entrance. Head covering and removal of shoes is mandatory for everyone—free cloakrooms are available at all entrances.
Besides walking around and enjoying the sight, have a meal and a chai at the free community kitchen southeast of the pool. It is also highly recommended to stay one or two nights in the temple itself—if you do not want to sleep next to the pool, there is a tourist dorm with AC in the Sarai Shri Guru Ramdass Ji building. Also, if you are keen, volunteers for the kitchen are always welcome and it is a fun experience between the many other locals rolling some bread, collecting dishes, or washing up.
The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism and its holiest site. The gurdwara complex is a collection of buildings around the sanctum sanctorum and the sarovar, known as the Amrit Sarovar. One of these is Akal Takht, part of the Panj Takht and the chief centre of religious authority of Sikhism. Additional buildings include a clock tower, the offices of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, a museum and a langar—a free Sikh community-run kitchen that offers a vegetarian meal to all visitors without discrimination. Over 150,000 people visit the shrine every day for worship, being one of the most visited religious sites in the world. The gurdwara complex has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO.
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Sri Darbar Sahib
This is the Golden Temple itself, floating above the Amrit Sarovar, housing the sacred Adi Granth scripture which is recited out loud during the day. This is the most crowded point, accessible by a bridge from the edge of the pool, and entry here is regulated by traditionally dressed Sikh guards. It's a 2-storey structure where Sikh saints are seated on each floor.
The giant pool of water that surrounds and reflects the Golden Temple. Sections (marked off by ropes) are set aside for (male) pilgrims wishing to bathe.
This is the main entrance, sporting a distinctly Victorian clock-tower. Wash your feet in the water at the entrance in order to keep the temple clean.
Community kitchen
Free communal kitchen, where people of any colour, caste, creed or religion, can eat food (langar) sitting together. Also enjoy a free chai at the bottom level. In case you are keen for a picture of the Golden Temple from above (especially during sunset), follow the left staircase up further onto the roof and roam around a little. Also, people won't mind if you walk around in the place where the prepare the bread or wash the dishes.