I am going to self drive from Delhi to Jammu for the first time and I require some help with the route and the whole journey in general. This will be my first time I will be driving to Jammu so the more the information I get the better. Some of my main queries I have mentioned below. 1. What route do I take from Delhi to Jammu? 2. Where do you suggest I stop for breaks? 3. Do you think that I need an over night stop as well?
Hi, welcome to the forum! (Images from Rising Citizen, E-Maze, Keshav Prashanth and Keshav Prashanth) Overview The distance between Delhi and Jammu is about 600 kilometres or around 11 to 13 hours of driving. There are different routes one can utilise to reach Jammu from Delhi. All of them have their own advantages and disadvantages but generally, all are very scenic and enjoyable to drive in. After all, the road trip until Jammu passes through some of the best landscapes around the Jammu and Kashmir region. Below, we could discuss these routes, which would be your best option, stopovers along the way and other important information. Delhi to Jammu by Road (Routes to Take) There are three different routes that you can choose from to reach Jammu from Delhi. The first route is via the National Highway 44, which is also the most conventional route utilised by travellers. 1. Route via National Highway 44 - Delhi > Panipat > Karnal > Ambala > Ludhiana > Phagwara > Jalandhar > Pathankot > Jammu (588 Kilometres) This is the most utilised route to reach Jammu from Delhi. It goes through the National Highway 44, also known as National Highway 1, and is a tolled route. The route is about 588 kilometres long and can take around 12 hours to cover, considering a few stopovers along the way and the traffic that you might encounter. From Delhi to Ambala, roads are quite good and smooth. You need to leave Delhi early though to avoid the rush hour traffic around the centre of the city. Roads are quite wide, six lane ones at the most, so easy to drive in. From Ludhiana to Jalandhar, roads are wide but have more traffic. This is because these roads are utilised by slower-moving vehicles such as trucks. However, roads are pretty smooth to drive in but you need to have patience for the slower drive. From Pathankot to Jammu, roads are narrower but still good. In the past, there were some constructions on this stretch which should be quite finished by now. Overall, with two to three stopovers along the way, you can reach Jammu in about 12 hours with this route. You won't need a night halt as this distance can be covered within a day if you leave Delhi early in the morning, say about 4:00 in the morning. Stopovers for this route can be at Karnal and then at Ludhiana. In Karnal, you can try out Karnal Haveli or Mayur Dhaba, both have a variety of Indian meals. They also have ample parking space and clean bathrooms. In Ludhiana, you can try out Raja Dhaba, Hotel Vanjali or Daman Chicken Dhaba. Since this route passes through the national highway, there are numerous amenities around it. You won't need to worry about petrol pumps, restaurants and other traveller facilities along the way. From Jalandhar though, the options might be more limited. Traffic conditions around Ludhiana to Jalandhar are quite bad during rush hours. But if you like smooth and easy driving, this is the route that you can choose. 2. Route via Hoshiarpur - Delhi > Panipat > Karnal > Ambala > Banur > Kharar > Hoshiarpur > Dasuya > Pathankot > Jammu (584 Kilometres) This is the second route that you can utilise to reach Jammu from Delhi. It goes through Hoshiarpur and other villages, so roads are narrower. The route is about 584 kilometres long and can take around 12 to 13 hours to cover. This is because the roads here are not as maintained as compared to the roads of the other route. From Delhi to Ambala, roads are smooth though plagued by traffic during rush hours, as mentioned above. From Banur to Kharar, roads are mostly two lane ones. Make sure you pass through the Banur Bypass Road to avoid the city traffic in Chandigarh. From Kharar to Hoshiarpur, roads are again two lane ones but well maintained and smooth. As you reach Dasuya, you'd join the normal Jalandhar Pathankot Highway to reach Jammu. Most of the roads in this route are two lane ones, except after you join the national highway in Dasuya. Again, you won't need to halt for the night with this route. Just leave early from Delhi and you can reach Jammu in the late afternoon or early evening. You can have stopovers in Banur and Hoshiarpur. In Banur, good restaurants to try out are the Hotel Grand Punjab Lassi Cafe and Nukkar Dhaba. In Hoshiarpur, good restaurants to try out are the Hoshiarpur Dhaba Express and Subway Hoshiarpur. However, since this route passes through smaller villages, the drive would be more sedate and slow. The views are quite scenic though since you get to enjoy the rural or countryside views. Tourist facilities are more limited though so make sure you bring your own snacks and beverages. 3. Route via Chandigarh - Delhi > Panipat > Karnal > Ambala > Chandigarh > Rupnagar > Hoshiarpur > Dasuya > Pathankot > Jammu (630 Kilometres) This is the third route that you can utilise to reach Jammu from Delhi. It goes through Chandigarh so it's really only advisable for people who want to visit the said city prior to reaching Jammu. It is quite longer as compared to the previous routes, about 630 kilometres long, so would take around 13 hours to cover. You can refer to the above numbers for the road conditions from Delhi to Ambala. From Ambala, take the roads into Zirakpur which would lead to Chandigarh. Reach into the town proper until Rupnagar, then into the same roads as above, from Hoshiarpur to Jammu. Roads here are two lane ones and passes through scenic rural views. In the town of Chandigarh, there can be some traffic during peak hours. For stopovers, you can have that in Chandigarh or Hoshiarpur again. In Chandigarh, there are many restaurants but along the highway route, the best ones are Sethi Dhaba and Sukhnev Vaishno Dhaba. From Delhi to Chandigarh, there are many tourist facilities that are available. Thereafter, tourist facilities might be more limited. Conclusion These are the different routes that you can take from Delhi to Jammu. If you want the more conventional route, opt for the National Highway 44 route. If you want a bit more scenic but slower routes, opt for the Hoshiarpur route or Chandigarh route. Expect journey duration to be around 12 to 13 hours, taking into account the traffic and stopovers along the way. It's not necessary to take an overnight halt since you can do the entire trip within a day and arrive in Jammu by late in the afternoon or early in the evening.
