Patnitop

Patnitop is a plateau at 2,024 metres above the Chenab on the Jammu–Srinagar highway, and almost everyone who stops there was on the way somewhere else. As a stop it works well. Deodar forest, open meadows and easy walking — this is not a trekking destination and does not pretend to be. The Skyview gondola at Sanasar runs 2.8 kilometres across the gorge and is the one thing here worth a detour on its own. Snow falls for a few weeks in January and February and the place fills up for it. The rest of winter it is cold and empty. March to June and September to November. Avoid the monsoon, when the highway below is prone to landslides and closures.