Amritsar or Jodhpur?

Neither city has a beach. Amritsar lies on the Punjab plains and Jodhpur in the Thar desert, both far from the coast, so swimming means a hotel pool in either. What differs is small: Jodhpur's heritage hotels often have courtyard pools, while Amritsar's only open water is the Golden Temple's sacred pool, where pilgrims bathe as an act of devotion and visitors do not swim.

Amritsar is the better city to eat in, and for many visitors its Punjabi cooking is a reason to travel. Kulcha comes from the tandoor with chole and butter, alongside batter-fried fish, slow-cooked dal and lassi in steel tumblers from dhabas that make a single dish all morning. The free langar at the Golden Temple, eaten on the floor among pilgrims, is part of any visit.

Jodhpur has a strong breakfast of mirchi vada, pyaaz kachori and saffron makhaniya lassi, and a Marwari thali with ker sangri, or a plate of laal maas, is worth seeking out. Beyond that, the rooftop menus lean towards the generic. In both cities the range is narrow, alcohol plays a small part and the best eating happens in daytime.

Jodhpur gives you more to see. Mehrangarh Fort and its museum of miniature paintings, palanquins and arms could fill a day on their own. Around them are Jaswant Thada, the blue old city, the Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell, the Art Deco Umaid Bhawan and the cenotaphs at Mandore.

Amritsar's list is shorter, but its centrepiece is of a different order. The Golden Temple is worth returning to at different hours, and Jallianwala Bagh and the Partition Museum close by tell the harder history of 1919 and 1947. Amritsar offers depth in one place, while Jodhpur fills two days with fort, palace and old town.

Neither city offers a night out, and both go quiet early. In Amritsar's old pilgrimage centre alcohol is unwelcome near the temple, which leaves a few hotel lounges in the newer districts. Jodhpur has heritage hotel bars and little else.

The difference is in the kind of evening. In Amritsar the best part of the night is a walk round the lit temple pool after dinner. In Jodhpur it is a rooftop meal facing the floodlit fort.

Jodhpur puts you much closer to the landscape. The Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park has trails across volcanic rock right under the fort, and ziplines cross the ramparts. Jeep drives into Bishnoi country find blackbuck, chinkara and peacocks, and dune camps give a taste of the Thar.

Around Amritsar the land is flat wheat and mustard farmland, and Ram Bagh and Company Bagh are for a shady stroll rather than an outing. Its one real trip into nature is the Harike wetland, an hour and a half away, which is rewarding in winter when migratory waterbirds gather.

The two are close here, and the difference is in the kind of outing. Amritsar's headline trip is the flag ceremony at the Wagah border, a loud, crowded spectacle about 30km away. Most of its other trips go to Sikh pilgrimage towns such as Tarn Taran, apart from Kapurthala with its French-style palace.

Jodhpur's trips lean towards temples and crafts. Osian has carved sandstone temples and dunes, and there are Bishnoi villages and the durrie weavers of Salawas. Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh take three hours or more, so they suit travellers who are moving on to Udaipur.

Both cities suit a short visit with older children rather than a relaxed family vacation, and both have scorching summers and crowded lanes. In Amritsar the draws are the warm welcome at the Golden Temple, the huge langar kitchens and the drama at Wagah. In Jodhpur they are the fort's cannons and armour, the ziplines, camel rides and blackbuck safaris.

Jodhpur's activities are more physical, and a hotel with a pool helps a lot in the heat. In Amritsar, winter mornings bring dense fog, and families need to take care with water and street food.

Amritsar is a little easier to get around. The Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and the Partition Museum cluster around a pedestrianised heritage street, so the heart of a visit needs no transport at all. Rickshaws and ride-hailing cars cover the rest of the city, though the traffic is heavy.

Jodhpur's Clock Tower and blue old city are walkable too, but Mehrangarh means a steep climb, pavements are rare and auto-rickshaw fares have to be agreed first. Neither city has a metro, and both call for a car and driver for trips out.

Jodhpur is the better place to shop. Sardar Market and the lanes around the Clock Tower sell bandhani and leheriya textiles, mojari slippers, silver and lacquerwork. The antique and furniture warehouses on the outskirts will ship carved doors and chests home. The drawback is touts working on commission, so bargain and take your time.

Amritsar's Hall Bazaar and Katra Jaimal Singh are good for phulkari embroidery, juttis, shawls and Punjabi suits, and the lanes near the temple sell steel bangles and devotional items. The range is narrower, though, with nothing like Jodhpur's antiques trade. Neither city offers luxury or design shopping.

Both are very cheap, and the difference lies in where the money can go. In Amritsar the main sight and the langar meals are free, and pilgrim rest houses offer basic beds. In Jodhpur the guesthouses, thalis and rickshaws are just as easy on a budget. However, its converted palaces and haveli hotels cost as much as fine hotels anywhere, so that is where a stay can become expensive.

Neither city has a theatre or concert life, but each has one musical tradition worth hearing. In Amritsar it is the gurbani kirtan, sung at the Golden Temple from before dawn until late and free to anyone sitting by the pool.

Jodhpur's music is secular and tied to the evening. Manganiyar and Langa folk musicians play in the fort's courtyards and on hotel terraces, often with Kalbeliya dancers. The autumn folk festival at Mehrangarh is the high point of the year.

Jodhpur offers more ways to rest. There are Ayurvedic massage centres in the old town and spas in the palace hotels. Shaded courtyards, palace gardens and rooftop terraces at dusk keep the noise of the lanes outside.

Amritsar has only a few hotel spas, and outside the temple the city is loud. Its calm comes from one place, but a powerful one: the cool marble beside the temple pool at dawn or late at night, with hymns in the air.