Vaishno Devi Yatra: what you need in 2026

• You must sign up for the yatra and collect your RFID based Yatra Access Card before you begin the climb from Katra.
• You sign up on the official Shrine Board site, maavaishnodevi.org, or at the Yatra Registration Counter at the Niharika complex in Katra.
• The sign up and the RFID card do not cost you a fee. Never pay a stranger for a "yatra permit."
• You swipe the RFID card at the start and at points on the track, so keep it safe and carry your identity.

[Confirm the current sign up steps, any daily limit, and the RFID rules on the official site, maavaishnodevi.org. Last checked 14 September 2026.]

You have more than one way to walk up from Katra. The old track goes by Banganga, Charan Paduka, Adhkuwari and Sanjhichhat to the Bhawan, about thirteen kilometres. The newer Tarakote Marg is a longer, gentler path that many walkers and ponies now prefer. Fit pilgrims often walk through the night for a dawn darshan. At Adhkuwari, roughly halfway, you can rest, and the narrow Garbhjoon cave is here. Pick the route that suits your legs, and go at your own pace.

You do not have to walk the whole way.

• Helicopter: a service runs from Katra to Sanjhichhat, near the top, which saves you the hardest climb. From Sanjhichhat you walk or take a battery car down to the Bhawan. It sells out fast in the busy season, so book early on the official site.
• Battery car: a battery operated vehicle runs on parts of the track, for example between Adhkuwari or Sanjhichhat and the Bhawan, for a charge.
• Pony, palki and pithoo: you can hire a pony to ride, a palki carried by bearers, or a pithoo to carry a child or bags. Agree the rate at the official counter, not with a tout.

The Shrine Board offers its own rooms and dormitories at Jammu, Katra, Adhkuwari, Sanjhichhat and the Bhawan. You book these on the official site, maavaishnodevi.org, and you keep your confirmation. Book early for Navratri and the summer holidays, when they fill. Do not book a Vaishno Devi room on an unconfirmed website, because the fake ones are many.

The Board runs free langar, a free meal, round the clock at Tarakote, Sanjhichhat and Bhairon ji, so you can eat well on the climb without paying. Along the track you also find cloakrooms to store your bags, blanket stores, shelter sheds, drinking water, toilets, souvenir shops and medical help. Use the cloakrooms so you climb light, and stop at the shelters if the weather turns.

At the Bhawan you enter the holy cave and take darshan of the Mother Goddess in the form of three natural rock pindies. The queue is managed in groups, and the cave passage is short. Two aartis are performed each day, morning and evening, when the darshan pauses, so plan around the aarti times. Move with the queue, because the cave is narrow and busy, and do not stop for photos, which are not allowed inside.

Many pilgrims believe the yatra is complete only after you visit the Bhairavnath temple, about two and a half kilometres above the Bhawan, up a steep climb. An aerial ropeway now runs from the Bhawan to the Bhairon ji temple, which saves the hard uphill walk and is fully working. You can walk up or take the ropeway, then return to Katra by your chosen way.

Open the official Shrine Board site, maavaishnodevi.org, and sign up for the yatra. Collect your RFID Yatra Access Card, online or at the Niharika counter in Katra. Book a helicopter, a battery car or a room on the same site if you want them. Reach Katra, start the climb with your RFID card and identity, because staff check them. Use the cloakroom, carry water and warm clothes, and go at your own pace.

The yatra sign up and the RFID card are free. You pay only for the extras you choose: a helicopter seat, a battery car ride, a pony, palki or pithoo, a room, and any pooja. The official site shows you the current amounts when you book, so we do not print a figure we cannot see clearly on the official source, because these change. Agree pony and porter rates at the official counter, never with a tout.

You can do the yatra all year. The spring and autumn months are the most pleasant. Both Navratris, in spring and autumn, and the summer school holidays bring the biggest crowds, so book your room and helicopter early then. Winter is cold at the top, with snow, so carry warm clothes. In the monsoon the track can be wet and slippery, so wear good shoes.

The base town is Katra. The nearest airport is Jammu, and Katra has its own railway station, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, well linked by train. From Jammu it is a road drive of about fifty kilometres to Katra. You start the climb from Katra, so most pilgrims spend a night there before or after the yatra.

Carry your RFID card and a photo identity, comfortable shoes with grip, warm clothes for the top, a light raincoat in the monsoon, water, and any personal medicine. Keep valuables light, because you can store bags in the cloakroom. Carry a little cash for ponies and small buys, even though many counters take digital payment.

The yatra suits many ages, because you can avoid the hardest climb. Seniors and those who cannot walk far can take the helicopter to Sanjhichhat, then a battery car to the Bhawan, or hire a palki carried by bearers. Wheelchairs and porters are available. Medical help is placed along the track. Plan the easier way in advance, and do not push a weak heart or knees up the full climb.

Start the climb in the late evening if you want a cool, dawn darshan, or very early morning to beat the midday sun. Use the Tarakote Marg for a gentler, quieter walk. Store your bags in the Katra cloakroom and climb light. Book the helicopter the moment the window opens for your date, because it goes fast. Keep some warm layers even in summer, because the Bhawan is cold at night.