Day one of the itinerary is dedicated to visiting the Vaishno Devi Temple located in the town of Katra, Jammu, and Kashmir. The temple is devoted to Goddess Vaishnodevi and is famous for its beautiful mountainside location and great spiritual significance. To reach the temple, you'll need to trek from Katra Basecamp, which is around 12 km away, and can take up to 2 hours. Once you've reached the temple gates, you'll need to climb 500 stairs to reach the main temple area, which might be a bit hectic. But, the spiritual satisfaction after darshan makes it all worth it.
On the second day, you can visit the Bhairon Temple dedicated to Bhairon baba, situated in the Bhairon valley, which is around 7 km from Katra basecamp. Besides this, you can also visit the Ardh Kuwari Cave, situated in the mountains midway en route to the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji. Ardh Kuwari is the point where Mata Vaishno Devi Ji meditated for nine months before finally appearing in front of the demon Bhairon Nath. It takes around 6-7 hours to cover both these locations, and one needs to trek for about five kilometers while enjoying the mountain views all around.
If you have more time, you can explore other attractions such as Patnitop, Sanasar, and the famous Raghunath Temple, situated in Jammu. Or else, if constrained on time, you can skip visiting Bhairon Temple and only visit Ardh Kuwari Cave. Make sure to wear comfortable trekking shoes, carry a water bottle, and keep some energy-boosting snacks with you. Also, check the weather forecast before leaving, as the region is prone to sudden weather changes. Finally, don't forget to carry your ID proof and register themselves before heading for the trek.