Cozily nestled at the foothills of the Trikuta Mountain, Katra is home to the famous shrine of Vaishno Devi. Located on the IC national highway, 42 kilometers away from Jammu, Katra is the base camp, where pilgrims stay when trekking 13 kilometers uphill for this second most visited Indian temple. Pilgrims (yatris) need token numbers to travel to this temple and they can get the token from Banganga in Katra.
Elevated at 2474 ft. above the sea level, religious tourist’ form the bulk of the visitors in Katra. You would love to shop here as the markets have great stock of leather goods, dry fruits, and garments. Buy garments with Kashmiri embroidery embellishments, silverware, pahsmina shawls, pherans, carpets, copperware, and wooden furniture among a host of other things. Most tourists visit this majestic hilly area during March-October. This town is blessed with natural beauty and hot spots. Read further to find out tourist places near Katra.
Vaishno Devi
This is among the holiest tourist destination in India with millions of pilgrims visiting here annually. Most of the people come here in May-June and December-January periods for the festivities and enjoy the snowfall. Katra railway station is closest to here.
Dalhousie
You can reach this amazing hill destination in Himachal Pradesh from Katra quite easily. It is just at 4.5-5 hour from Katra. Mesmerizingly picturesque, with lush greenery and pleasant weather this is a fantastic place to visit. Here you can explore the hill station going to Moti Tibba hillside, Mall, and Kalatop wildlife. The ideal time to come here is during April-November. If you love the snowfall, make it a point to come here during winters.
Baba Dhansar
This is also among the tourist places near Katra. It is a religious destination in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Thousands of devotees come here every year. This temple is located near Karua Jheel at Karua village. As per the local legend, Baba was Vasudeva’s son and he killed a demon with assistance from Lord Shiva. The demon lived in Karua Jheel. Shivratri celebrations are huge here. Just avoid the rainy season and you can come here anytime of your choice.
Mcleodganj
This lovely hill station in Himachal Pradesh is beautiful even if small. It is famous for the all-pervasive Buddhist influence and Tibetan culture. For the trekkers this is simply a heaven. Get away from the bustle of life by embracing the tranquility of these hills. The greenery and the surrounding beauty of the place surprise you pleasantly. The ideal time to visit here is between the months of February and November.
You can also reach the places to visit in Patnitop from Katra easily with 3 hours journey.