Located at an elevation of 3,500 m and surrounded by the enchanting snow-capped mountains, Panchtarni is a high altitude meadow on the banks of Panchtarni River in the Anantnag district of Jammu & Kashmir. The Panchtarni River gets its name from the confluence of five glacial water tributary streams in the Panchtarni Valley.
A trek to Panchtarni is an adventurous one and every year huge number of people go through the trek during the pious pilgrimage to Amarnath Temple. Panchtarni serves as the last stop for Amarnath Cave.
Panchtarni lies at a distance of 40 km from Pahalgam, which serves as the base camp for AmarnathYatra. From Panchtarni, a 6 km trek will take you to the holy Amarnath Cave.
The total distance from Pahalgam to Amarnath Temple is about 46 km which can be covered either by trek, ponies, palanquin, or helicopters.
Check out the detailed guide of Pahalgam-Amarnath Route
There is another shorter route to Amarnath Temple from Baltal. Baltal lies at a distance of 15 km from Amarnath Temple and the pilgrims have an option to either travel by feet or by helicopters. If you trek through this route, you will meet the Pahalgam route at Sangam, further ahead of Panchtarni. But if you take the helicopter ride from Baltal, your destination will be Panchtarni.
Check out the detailed guide of Baltal-Amarnath Route
The helicopter rides from both Pahalgam and Baltal will leave you at Panchtarni as the final destination. From Panchtarni, you can either undertake the 6 km trek towards Amarnath Cave or choose one of the transport options available there.
Ponies and palkies are available at Panchtarni. There are also good number of tented camp accommodation available at Panchtarni with numerous food stalls (langars).
There are no motorable roads leading to Panchtarni. To reach Panchtarni, you can either trek or book a helicopter from Baltal or Pahalgam. From Pahalgam, you can also use ponies and palanquin to reach Panchtarni.
The nearest motorable road from Panchtarni is Chandanwari which lies 15 kms ahead of Pahalgam. Buses are easily available from Pahalgam to Chandanwari.
You can reach Pahalgam from Srinagar and Jammu. Buses and taxis for Pahalgam from Srinagar and Jammu are easily available.
Get the detailed guide on How to Reach Amarnath Temple