Ranchi to Patratu Valley cab - 40 km, fares and drive time
Patratu Valley is 40 km from Ranchi to the dam and boating point - the valley viewpoint at the top of the hairpins is about 31 km out - and a cab takes about 1 hour 30 minutes via Kanke, Pithoria and the Patratu Ghati road, with Raahi Saarthi day-trip fares starting at ₹2,299.
Patratu Valley is the shortest genuinely spectacular drive out of Ranchi. The road is State Highway 2 through Kanke and Pithoria - not the Ormanjhi highway - and past Pithoria it drops into a valley of reservoir water and forested ridgeline through about a dozen hairpin switchbacks (11 by our count of the OpenStreetMap road, 9 of them stacked below the viewpoint), with more than two dozen sharp bends in all. The viewpoint at the top of the main stack is about 31 km from Ranchi Junction (28 km from Albert Ekka Chowk); the reservoir and Patratu Lake Resort are about 7 km further down, 38-40 km from the city. It has become the default evening escape for Ranchi families, and because the payoff is a sunset, our most-requested departure is early afternoon rather than morning.
What you'll pass on the way
- Kanke - where Kanke Road leaves the city
- Pithoria Chowk - about 18 km out; the first short drop, with 2 hairpins, starts just after
- Patratu Valley viewpoint - the top of the main hairpin stack, about 31 km from Ranchi Junction
- Patratu Dam and Lake Resort - about 7 km down the hairpins from the viewpoint
Things to do there
- Patratu Ghati viewpoint - the classic photo stop
- Boating on Patratu reservoir - limited in 2026, fares set at the ghat
- Patratu Lake Resort for lunch - ₹20 entry
- Sunset from the upper ghat bends
Fixed fares
| Car type | One-way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|
| Hatchback (4 pax) | ₹1,299 | ₹2,299 |
| Sedan (4 pax) | ₹1,499 | ₹2,799 |
| SUV / Ertiga (6 pax) | ₹1,899 | ₹3,499 |
| Innova Crysta (7 pax) | ₹2,399 | ₹4,299 |
| Tempo Traveller (12 pax) | ₹3,999 | ₹6,499 |
Every fare is all-inclusive - fuel, parking, driver allowance, inter-state permits and 5% GST. A one-way booking carries no empty-return charge.
- Distance
- 40 km
- Drive time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Highways
- SH-2 (Ranchi-Kanke-Pithoria-Patratu road)
- Via
- Kanke → Pithoria → Patratu Ghati
- Toll plazas (one way)
- 0
- Best time to visit
- August to February - monsoon greens the valley, winter clears the air
- Best departure time
- 13:00 (reach for sunset, back in Ranchi by 20:00)
- Cheapest one-way
- ₹1,299
Frequently asked questions
How far is Patratu Valley from Ranchi?
Patratu Valley is about 31 km from Ranchi Junction to the viewpoint at the top of the hairpins (28 km from Albert Ekka Chowk), and 38-40 km to Patratu Dam and the Lake Resort, where the boats are. A cab takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to the dam via Kanke and Pithoria on State Highway 2, because the last stretch is the Patratu Ghati hairpins, which cannot be rushed.
What is the distance from Patratu Valley to Patratu Dam?
Patratu Dam and the Patratu Lake Resort boating point are about 7 km below the Patratu Valley viewpoint - 15 to 20 minutes down the main stack of 9 hairpins (JTDC gives 7.3 km). From Ranchi that makes the viewpoint about 31 km and the dam 38-40 km. Patratu town and its railway station are a further 7-8 km past the resort.
How many hairpin bends are there on the Patratu Ghati road?
The Patratu Ghati road has about a dozen hairpin switchbacks - 11 by our count of the OpenStreetMap road, 9 of them stacked below the valley viewpoint and 2 just after Pithoria - and more than two dozen sharp bends in all. The '27 hairpins' often quoted has no published source; counting every bend sharper than 90 degrees gives 27-30, but most of those are not hairpins.
What is the cab fare from Ranchi to Patratu Valley?
A Raahi Saarthi round-trip cab from Ranchi to Patratu Valley starts at ₹2,299 for a hatchback, ₹2,799 for a sedan and ₹3,499 for an Ertiga SUV, including waiting time at the viewpoint and the dam.
Is boating open at Patratu Dam in 2026?
Only partly. The district halted all boats at Patratu Dam on 4 May 2026 until operators filed safety affidavits, and as of 19 July 2026 (Prabhat Khabar) the tourism department's boat club was still locked; only the local boatmen's association was running limited rowing and motor-boat trips, at fares set at the ghat. Patratu Lake Resort entry was ₹20, with parking ₹20 for a bike and ₹50 for a car (December 2024 report).
What is the best time of day to visit Patratu Valley?
Late afternoon. Leave Ranchi around 13:00, reach the Patratu Valley viewpoint by about 14:15, spend the afternoon down at the reservoir, and come back up for the sunset from the upper hairpins - which is the view the valley is famous for. Mornings are hazier and the light is flat against the ridge.
Is the Patratu Ghati road safe by car?
Yes. Patratu Ghati is a well-surfaced two-lane road with crash barriers on the exposed bends, and Raahi Saarthi drivers run it several times a week. The caution is weekend evening traffic - the hairpins get crowded with parked cars at sunset, so we drop and pick up rather than park at the viewpoint.
Nearby places to visit
Other routes from Ranchi
Fares and details last reviewed:
Book your Ranchi to Patratu Valley cab
Fixed fare, no advance payment, GPS-tracked. Pay after the ride.