Nearby Place of Interest
Patnitop
This famous hill resort is perched on a beautiful plateau, at an altitude of 2024 metres across which the Jammu-Srinagar Highway passes. Enveloped by thickly wooded forests, Patnitop offers beautiful picnic spots, peaceful walks and breathtaking views of the mountainscape of the Chenab basin. In winter, the resort is generally covered with a thick mantle of snow thus providing opportunities for various snow games including skiing. It is the best developed tourist spot of Jammu and is second to none in its natural charm, climate, pine forests and lush green cover. The occupancy of the huts and Dak Banglow is full in summer months. You can also visit Kud which 6 Kms from patnitop and Batote which is 17 Kms from Patnitop.
Sanasar
119 Kms from Jammu and only 17 Kms. from Patnitop, Sanasar is cup shaped meadow surrounded by gigantic conifers. A place for a quite holiday, the meadow has now been developed as a golf course. It also provides opportunities for para-gliding. Self contained huts in various cost ranges having facilities of Drawing/ Dining room and fully equipped kitchen with LPG facilities.
Sudh Mahadev
Believed to be 2800 years old, the temple of Sudh Mahadev houses a natural black marble Lingam, the Trident (Trishul) of Lord Shiva and mace believed to be that of Bheema, one of the five legendary Pandava brothers. This holy temple near Patnitop is situated at an altitude of 1225 m and is about 120 kms from Jammu. One can have stay in the temporary tented accommodations provided by J&K Tourism Development Department or even a Sarai maintained by the Dharamarth Trust, beside a few guest houses are also there.Another 8 kms from Sudhmahadev is an enchanting hill resort of Mantalai. Located at the top of a hill and surrounded by tall Deodar trees giving fresh and cool air. It is believed that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married there. There is a Shiva temple with a pond by its side.
Bhaderwah
Bhadarwah is a land of splendours and surprises, a place where God's architectural experience and elegance is felt. It is around 171 Km from Katra Town. Its singing rivulets, clear blue sky, unparalleled majestic mountains, vast expanses of alpine vegetation; emotional people and diversified culture; spiritual, placidity, fragrant bloom of tulips leave every tourist spell- bound and ineffable. The valley is a klidoscope of nature with different colours of God's creativity. This place has been an important centre of cultural, social, religious, political and art related activities. Some writers name it as the Switzerland of India.
Shiv Khori
There are many places of tourist and religious importance around Katra also. The devotees coming for the darshans of the deity can club their pilgrimage with a visit to these places.Shivkhori- the Holy Cave abode of Lord Shiva is situated at a distance of 70 Kms from Katra. The cave is a real wonder to be seen and measures nearly half a kilometer in length with a 4 feet high naturally formed Shiv-lingam at the heart of the Sanctum Sanctorum. The cave is in the shape of Lord Shiva's Damroo i.e. wide at the two ends while very congested at the center. The width of the cave is so less at certain place that a person can barely crawl through whereas at places it over a hundred feet wide and quite high too. d. The devotees can visit the place by taxi/car. Few bus services from Katra are also available.
Mansar
About 59 km from Jammu, Mansar is a beautiful lake sounded by forest-covered hills with its length more than a mile and width half-a-mile. Besides being a popular excursion destination in Jammu, it also has provision for boating for which adequate facilities are provided by the J&K Tourism.Mansar is a holy site as well, sharing the legend and sanctity of Lake Mansarovar. There are ancient temples on the lake side, which are often visited by devotees in large numbers. Mansar can be reached from Jammu on the National Highway while traveling from Jammu to bordering state of Punjab. You can also reach from Udhampur (A District Headquarters, Udhampur is a town approximately 60 Kilometers away from Jammu on the National Highway while traveling from Jammu to Srinagar) on National Highway 1A.
Surinsar
Surinsar Lake is approximately 24 km from Jammu. The lake is a beautiful and peaceful site to watch.Surrounded by forests covered hilly terrains, the lake is a famous tourist spot.According to one Hindu mythology the origination of the lake is related to the legendary warrior from Mahabharata, Arjuna. It is believed that Arjuna shot an arrow into the Mansar land and the arrow pierced the earth and came out through at a place where Surinsar Lake is.Jammu Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation has made accommodation at this place for a comfortable stay.
Jhajar Kotli
35 Kms from Jammu on the National Highway leading towards Srinagar is the Jhajjar Kotli Tourist Complex, built on the banks of Jhajjar rivulet. The crystal clear, cool water of Jhajjar attracts picnickers in large numbers during the summer. A Tourist Cafetaria and a small Tourist Bungalow are the facilities provided here by JKTDC.
Jammu City
Places of attraction in and around Jammu: Raghunath Temple, Bawe wali Mata (Bahu fort), Har Ki Podi, Bagh-e-Bahu and Amar Mahal & Museum
Jammu is the winter capital of the J&K state and also known as "City of Temples". It is the winter capital of the state. It has many temples and shrines. Jammu is known for its landscapes, Dogra culture, ancient temples, Mubarak mandi palace, Raghunath temple, museums, gardens and forts. Vaishno Devi shrine which lies in Jammu Division attracts millions of devotees. Pilgrims intend to visit Vaishno Devi reach Jammu via Train or Air first, as Katra doesn't have any Air or Rail connectivity.