How to reach Katra — by train, by road from Delhi and Jammu, and on to Srinagar
How to reach Katra for Vaishno Devi: SVDK station and the Vande Bharat to Srinagar, Delhi 642 km by road, Jammu station and airport, with measured times.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-23
Vaishno Devi yatra from Katra — the yatra card, the walk, Bhairon and the other ways up
The Vaishno Devi yatra from Katra step by step: the free RFID yatra card, the 6-hour rule at Banganga, the 12–14 km walk, Bhairon, ponies, ropeway, helicopter.
The walk to the Vaishno Devi Temple starts in Katra, and so does all the paperwork. This is the order to do things in, with the facts we can source and a clear note where we cannot.
Photos: Abhishek Chandra (Public domain) · Mabhishek84 (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
1. Register and take the yatra card
Every pilgrim is registered by the Shrine Board that runs the shrine. The main Yatri Registration Counter is near the Katra bus stand; a second counter is about 1 km away on the Udhampur road, to cut the queue. You can also register online. It is free. At the counter you give your details, are photographed on the spot, and receive your own RFID yatra card, one for each person in the group. The board's page calls the card the documentary permission to go on to the shrine.
2. Cross Banganga within 6 hours
The first check post is at Banganga, about 1.5 km from the main counter. The card must cross it within 6 hours of being issued; after that it is taken back and you register again. Anyone found on the route or at the Bhawan without a card is turned back. So take the card when you are ready to walk, not the evening before.
3. The walk
From Banganga the path climbs for 12 to 14 km to the Bhawan; Wikipedia gives both figures, since there is more than one route. On the way devotees stop at Ardhkuwari, about half way, then Sanjichhat and Charan Paduka.
Katra itself is at about 875 m, so it is a long climb. We do not give a walking time we cannot source; plan a full day for the round trip, and the two-day plan keeps a whole day for it.
4. Darshan in the cave
At the Bhawan you go into the cave, wading through the Charan Ganga, to the three pindis in which the goddess is present as Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. Because the crowd can run to about 20,000 pilgrims a day, tunnels have been made alongside the old cave. Follow the board's queues and instructions.
5. Bhairon, and back
Devotees hold that the yatra is complete only after the Bhairon temple, on the ridge about 2.5 km above the Bhawan. A ropeway from the Bhawan to Bhairon Ghati takes about 3 minutes and carries 800 people an hour. Then the path leads back down to Katra.
The other ways up
Ponies and palanquins work the path, battery cars run on part of the way, and helicopters fly from helipads around Katra to Sanjichhat, from where the Bhawan is a shorter walk. We have no verified fares, slots or booking rules for any of these; check the Shrine Board's site, and expect helicopters to stop in bad weather.
Before you go
Read how to reach Katra and the best time to go, and for a rest day see things to do in Katra.
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Questions people ask
How do I register for the Vaishno Devi yatra?
At the Shrine Board's Yatri Registration Counter near the Katra bus stand, or online. Registration is free; each pilgrim is photographed and given a separate RFID yatra card. A second counter is about 1 km away on the Udhampur road. Pilgrims without a card are turned back at the Banganga check post.
How long is the walk to Vaishno Devi?
From the Banganga check post near Katra it is 12 to 14 km to the Bhawan, depending on the route; Wikipedia gives both figures. On the way are Ardhkuwari, Charan Paduka and Sanjichhat. Then it is about 2.5 km more to the Bhairon temple, which a ropeway also links with the Bhawan.
Is it necessary to visit Bhairon temple?
Devotees hold that the pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi is complete only after a visit to the Bhairon temple on the way back from the Bhawan. It is about 2.5 km further up the ridge on foot, and the ropeway from the Bhawan to Bhairon Ghati takes about 3 minutes and carries 800 people an hour.
What if I cannot walk the whole way?
Ponies and palanquins work the path, battery cars run on part of it, and helicopters fly from Katra to Sanjichhat, a shorter walk below the Bhawan. We have no verified fares or booking rules for any of them; check the Shrine Board's site before you travel, since helicopters do not fly in bad weather.