Jammu to Vaishno Devi distance

I am getting a Delhi to Jammu train. The main destination is Vaishno Devi, and from Jammu, I am planning to get a taxi or a bus.

I would like to know what the Jammu to Vaishno Devi distance is, so I can roughly work out what the cost of a taxi would be, and a bus journey would be.

 

Hello, welcome to the forum!

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Overview

The distance between Jammu and Vaishno Devi is about 48 kilometres. It can take around one hour, more or less, to reach Vaishno Devi from Jammu, by private vehicle or if you hire a taxi. If you decide to take public transportation, the journey duration can be as long as two hours. Further, you won't be taken directly to the Vaishno Devi, only from Jammu to Katra. There are some government-owned bus companies that have buses running through this route. From Katra, you can simply ride an auto rickshaw to reach the entrance for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage proper. Below, we would discuss your bus options as well as the taxi rates from Jammu to Katra/Vaishno Devi.

Buses from Jammu to Katra/Vaishno Devi

1. By Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) Bus - The JKSRTC, a government-owned bus company, operates five buses running from Jammu to Katra. These buses depart from the Jammu Tawi Railway Station Bus Stand. They would then drop off passengers at the Katra Bus Stand, close to the Katra Helipad for the Vaishno Devi Bhavan. You can book any of these buses from the official website of JKSRTC or any other partnered bus booking website.

JKSRTC Buses from Jammu to Katra

Bus Number	Bus Type	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Fare	Journey Duration
Bus No. 1	Super Deluxe	7:00 AM	9:00 AM	Rs. 86	2 Hours
Bus No. 2	Super Deluxe	8:00 AM	10:00 AM	Rs. 86	2 Hours
Bus No. 3	Super Deluxe	9:00 AM	11:00 AM	Rs. 86	2 Hours
Bus No. 4	Super Deluxe	12:00 PM	2:00 PM	Rs. 86	2 Hours
Bus No. 5	Super Deluxe	4:30 PM	6:30 PM	Rs. 86	2 Hours

These are the buses operated by JKSRTC from Jammu to Katra. There are buses running all through the day, from 7:00 in the morning, until 4:30 in the afternoon. Journey duration is around two hours and fare is very minimal at Rs. 86 per passenger. These buses are very comfortable since they are Super Deluxe ones. From Katra to the entrance for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, you can just hire an auto rickshaw to cover the remaining distance. Fare would be around Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 for a one-way trip.

2. By Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) Bus - PEPSU, another government-owned bus company, operates one bus running from Jammu to Katra. This bus departs from the Jammu General Bus Stand in Resham Ghar Colony, about five kilometres away from the Jammu Tawi Railway Station. It drops off passengers at the Katra Bus Stand in Katra as well. You can book this bus from a partnered booking website such as Bus India.

PEPSU Bus from Jammu to Katra

Bus Number	Bus Type	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Fare	Journey Duration
Bus No. 1	HVAC	3:15 AM	5:00 AM	Rs. 100	1 Hour and 45 Minutes

This is the bus operated by PEPSU from Jammu to Katra. It departs at 3:15 in the morning from Jammu and arrives at 5:00 in the morning in Katra. Journey duration is about 1 hour and 45 minutes, fare is a bit higher at Rs. 100 per passenger. Again, from Katra, you can just hire an auto rickshaw to reach the entrance for the Vaishno Devi Bhavan.

Taxis from Jammu to Vaishno Devi

1. By Avani Holidays Taxi - Avani Holidays is a Delhi-based tourism industry company. They provide tourism-related services such as hotel bookings, tour packages and also taxi rentals. They have several types of taxis for rent from Jammu to Vaishno Devi. You can book any of these taxis from their website proper.

Avani Holidays Taxis from Jammu to Vaishno Devi

Taxi Type	AC (One Way)	Non AC (One Way)	AC (Two Way)	Non AC (Two Way)
Indica	Rs. 1,500	Rs. 1,200	Rs. 2,500	Rs. 2,100
Swift	Rs. 1,600	Rs. 1,400	Rs. 2,600	Rs. 2,300
Ikon	Rs. 1,600	Rs. 1,400	Rs. 2,600	Rs. 2,300
Tavera	Rs. 1,700	Rs. 1,500	Rs. 2,900	Rs. 2,500
Innova	Rs. 1,800	Rs. 1,600	Rs. 3,000	Rs. 2,700
Tempo	Rs. 2,400	Rs. 2,000	Rs. 4,400	Rs. 2,500

The table above highlights the different taxi rates of Avani Holidays from Jammu to Vaishno Devi. The most affordable option is to hire an Indica without AC, which costs Rs. 1,200 for a one-way ride. An Indica with AC costs around Rs. 1,500 for a one-way ride. If you need a bigger vehicle, their Innova without AC costs around Rs. 1,600 for a one-way ride while their Innova with AC costs around Rs. 1,800 for a one-way ride. They also have rates for two-way rides, from Jammu to Vaishno Devi and from Vaishno Devi to Jammu. You only need to pay Rs. 400 as advance payment and the rest of the fare can be paid for after the trip.

2. Katra Taxi Service - This is a Jammu-based taxi company that serves mainly neighbouring cities and Jammu. The best part about this company is that they provide taxi services direct from the Jammu Tawi Railway Station to Katra/Vaishno Devi. You can book any of their taxis from their official website.

Katra Taxi Service Taxis from Jammu Tawi Railway Station to Vaishno Devi

Taxi Type	AC (One Way)	Non AC (One Way)	AC (Two Way)	Non AC (Two Way)
Indica	Rs. 1,500	Rs. 1,200	Rs. 2,500	Rs. 2,100
Swift	Rs. 1,600	Rs. 1,400	Rs. 2,600	Rs. 2,300
Ikon	Rs. 1,600	Rs. 1,400	Rs. 2,600	Rs. 2,300
Tavera	Rs. 1,700	Rs. 1,500	Rs. 2,900	Rs. 2,500
Innova	Rs. 1,800	Rs. 1,600	Rs. 3,000	Rs. 2,700
Tempo	Rs. 2,400	Rs. 2,000	Rs. 4,400	Rs. 2,500

The table above highlights their taxi rental rates from Jammu Tawi Railway Station to Katra/Vaishno Devi. Their Indica AC costs Rs. 1,500 while their Indica Non AC costs Rs. 1,200 for one-way rides. Their Swift and Ikon have the same fare rates, Rs. 1,600 for AC and Rs. 1,400 for Non AC one-way rides. You need to pay an advance payment of Rs. 400 plus there is an extra 6% service tax charge at the end of the trip.

Conclusion

If you take a taxi from Jammu to Vaishno Devi, the journey would be around 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you take a bus from Jammu to Katra, the journey would be around 2 hours, more or less. Then you need to ride an auto rickshaw to reach the Vaishno Devi Bhavan entrance proper from the town of Katra. I hope this helps you!