Katra & Vaishno Devi
The pilgrimage everyone in India knows
The overview
Why travellers come here
The shrine of Vaishno Devi sits at 1,584 m in the Trikuta hills above Katra, reached by a 12 km uphill walk, pony or helicopter from the town. Most travellers combine it with Patnitop or with the drive onward to Srinagar, which makes Katra the classic first stop on a Jammu–Kashmir itinerary.
When to come
All year · Navratri is the busiest fortnight.
Bar height shows how well Katra & Vaishno Devi works that month, from 1 (avoid) to 5 (prime).
Getting there
Katra has its own railway station on the Jammu–Udhampur line, and is 45 km from Jammu airport. Srinagar is a 7-hour drive on from here.
Good to know
1–2 days. Katra has its own railway station on the Jammu–Udhampur line, and is 45 km from Jammu airport. Srinagar is a 7-hour drive on from here. If you are short on time, we can compress this into a long day trip, but you will see less than half of it.