VAISHNODEVI YATRA DETAILS PART I - HELICOPTER TICKETS

The base camp Katra, is located at an altitude of 2500 feet above the sea level; whereas Mata's Bhawan is located at 5200 feet. The distance between Katra to main shrine is approximately 13 Km. by trekking through the roads on Trikuta Mountain. One of the most preferred routes to reach Vaishno Devi is through the helicopters. The shrine board has made it easier for the devotees to undertake the Helicopter Darshan for Vaishno Devi. The visit to the holy shrine within the folds of Trikuta Mountain, via helicopter is just a start of this ecstatic and thrilling journey. There are a certain rules to book your helicopter ticket from the official website of the shrine board. 

Steps to book Helicopter Tickets

The shrine board has made arrangements with the Pawan Hans andGlobal Vectra helicopter services for the Yatries. These helicopters will take the pilgrims from the foothills of Katra and drop them at Sanjhichhat. The steps to book your helicopter ticket for Vaishno Devi is given below:

1.  Register yourself with the official site of Vaishno Devi.
2. Fill in the form with your name, age, address, mobile number, e-mail id and other mentioned details. Choose your desired username and fill it up in the registration form.
3. Once you submit the form, you will receive the password in the e-mail id mentioned above.
4. Use the password and username to log in and open the home page.
5. Herein you can manage your account and avail the online facility of the shrine board to book Helicopter tickets, Yatra Parchi, Attka Arti darshan, SSVP poojan, room bookings and other individual poojan.
6. For booking the helicopter tickets use the tab on the top of the page and press 'Helicopter Services'.
7. Now plan the yatra by inputting your desired route (either UP or DOWN or both), the number of passengers (maximum five) and the reservation date. 
8. The site will show the seat availability along with the flight timings and fare per person. Click on the 'Book Now' button for your desired date helicopter bookings.
9. You will be forwarded to the next screen and required to fill up the details of the passenger along with the ID Proof number and age. Fill up the entire details, failing which you may not proceed to the next step.
10. Click on 'Proceed to Book' and make the final payment with your internet banking or credit card or the debit card.

You will be shown the final screen stating the success of your transaction along with a unique transaction ID.

Print out the ticket and carry the mentioned ID proofs in original while undertaking the helicopter journey for Vaishno Devi.

Helicopter Fare and other Details

Helipad at Vaishno Devi (Sanji Chhat)

• According to the Shrine Board the present helicopter fare for Katra to Sanjhichhat or Sanjhichhat to Katra is ` 699/- per person. The fares are subject to change as per the decision of the Board.
• Passengers should report at the helipad at least an hour before the scheduled departure of the helicopter. Late reporting may lead to the transfer of your confirmed seats to other passengers.
• Children's below 2 years of age can travel for FREE of cost and need to be carried on the lap of their parents or guardian. 
• The normal time taken by the helicopters to reach Sanjichhat from Katra is about 8 minutes.
• A maximum of 5-6 passengers can be accommodated in the helicopter's for Vaishno Devi Darshan.
• The helipad at Katra is approximately 2 Km. from the bus stand and is on the Udhampur road.
• The helipad at Sanjichhat is about 2.5 Km. from the Vaishno Mata Bhawan.
• Once the booking is confirmed it can't be cancelled or preponed or postponed.
• Full refund of the helicopter ticket fare can be only given in the case of cancellation of helicopter flights either due to bad weather or any other technical problems.
• Devotees should take their Yatra Parchi from the officials at helipad before boarding the helicopters.

Tips to Remember

• The helicopter bookings for Vaishno Devi can be done for a maximum of 30 days and a minimum of 4 days in advance. For example - If today is 25 October, then you can book the helicopter tickets from 29 October till 24 November.
• The online booking starts exactly at 00:00 Hrs, so it is recommended to book the tickets at the mid night if you want to have a confirmed seat.
• In some cases devotees don't get the final confirmation screen while booking, and their bank account gets debited for the booked amount. In such a case you should check the 'Successful Transactions', 'Failed Transactions' and 'Refund Status of Failed Transaction'; before booking your ticket again.

If you see the transaction in the 'Successful Transactions', then you should not repeat the same transaction again.

If you see the transaction in the 'Failed Transactions' or the 'Refund Status of Failed Transaction' then the booking is not done and any amount if debited shall be returned by the Board in due course of time.

• The schedule for your helicopter tickets should coordinate with the bookings at the Hotels in Katra and the overall plan for theholy trip. Since you will not get any refunds for cancellation of a confirmed helicopter ticket.
• Keep a valid age proof for the children's below 2 years of age who are availing free of cost tickets. 
• You are permitted to book a maximum of 5 helicopter seats per calendar month for Katra to Sanjhichhat /Sanjhichhat to Katra.
• Don't forget to carry your ID's which you have mentioned in the registration form of helicopter tickets.