Katra is the closest town to the Holy Vaishno Devi Shrine. Each years, thousands of tourists from around India and even other countries travel to this little town to visit the temple. While Jammu may be a bigger city Katra’s proximity to the temple and the fact that the trek up to the cave temple starts and ends here makes people  choose this town as their base. Accommodation available here ranges from free accommodation in halls arranged by the Vaishno devi board to budget hotels and luxury hotels. Thus, no matter what your budget is, you will find a place to stay quite easily. Here are a few tips on how to find the best accommodation in Katra for you.

Book Early

The Vaishno Devi shrine is open throughout the year but summer is when it sees the most number of pilgrims. This is because temperatures in the area can go quite low during the winters. Summer here is pleasant and not very hot. Hence, it is best to confirm your bookings as early as possible. Many hotels take booking up to a month or two in advance.

Make Group Bookings

It is best to travel up to the Vaishno devi shrine in a group. If you do not want to join a group of strangers put together by a travel agency, gather your friends and family for the trip. Travelling together will make the experience more enjoyable and help you stay within your budget for accommodation in Katra. It is especially important when making group bookings to confirm reservations early. Not only will this give you better rates, you will also be assured that all the rooms are close together. It wouldn’t be fun for half the group to stay in one hotel and the other half to be staying somewhere else.

Look Online and Offline

Today there are a number of hotel aggregator websites that offer to help you find the best hotel rooms within your budget. Go through them but do not trust them blindly. Ask people who have traveled to Katra before for their recommendations. In some cases, calling the hotel directly, especially when you’re making group bookings can help you get better rates. The hotel website itself may also offer discount packages that are unavailable on aggregator websites.

Clarify Your Needs

Everyone has different requirements from a hotel room. If you’re travelling with children, it is important to have room service or a restaurants available on the premises. You may also want an extra bed in the room. Similarly, if you’re traveling with an elderly person, a room on the ground floor would be ideal. To get the most satisfaction from your hotel booking, make these requirements clear when you book the room.

There are many different types of accommodation in Katra and hence you will always have a place to stay here. However, a little research can go a long way in ensuring that your stay is comfortable and matches your lifestyle requirements.