Uttarakhand Char Dhām Yātrā

10–12 days · May–June, Sept–Oct · from Haridwar/Rishikesh

The traditional order runs west to east: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, then Badrinath. Each shrine opens around Akṣaya Tṛtīyā (April/May) and closes around Dīpāvalī–Bhāī Dūj (October/November); the exact dates are announced every year.

Day 1 — Haridwar or Rishikesh to Barkot via Dehradun, a long mountain drive of about 7–8 hours. Night halt at Barkot.

Day 2 — Drive to Janki Chatti, the road-head, and trek about 6 km (steep) on foot, by pony or palanquin to Yamunotri. Bathe at the hot spring, offer rice cooked in the Sūrya Kuṇḍa, take darśana and come down. Night at Barkot or Janki Chatti.

Day 3 — Barkot to Uttarkashi (about 100 km). Evening darśana at the Kāśī Viśvanāth temple in Uttarkashi.

Day 4 — Uttarkashi to Gangotri (about 100 km; the road goes up to the temple, at about 3,100 m). Snāna or ācamana in the Bhāgīrathī, darśana, and back to Uttarkashi or a halt at Harsil.

Day 5 — Uttarkashi to Guptkashi or Sitapur, a long drive of most of the day. Night halt near Sonprayag.

Day 6 — Shuttle from Sonprayag to Gaurikund, then trek about 16–18 km to Kedarnath (on foot, pony, palanquin or porter). Evening āratī; night at Kedarnath.

Day 7 — Early-morning darśana, the Ādi Śaṅkarācārya Samādhi and Bhīm Śilā, then trek down. Night at Guptkashi or Sitapur.

Day 8 — Drive to Badrinath via Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag and Joshimath (Jyotirmath) — about 8–10 hours. Night at Badrinath.

Day 9 — Bath at Tapta Kuṇḍa, darśana of Badrīnārāyaṇa, piṇḍa-dāna at Brahma Kapāl if you wish, and a visit to Māṇā village. Drive down to Joshimath or Rudraprayag.

Day 10 — Back to Rishikesh or Haridwar via Devprayag, the confluence where the Alaknandā and Bhāgīrathī become the Gaṅgā.

Days 11–12 — Buffer days for landslides, weather or rest. Do not skip them in the plan.

Keep the budget simple: state-run (GMVN) guest houses, temple-committee rooms, dharmaśālās and modest lodges along the route are enough; book rooms at Kedarnath and Badrinath early, as they are limited. Online registration with the Government of Uttarakhand is mandatory — carry it with a photo ID. Helicopter seats for Kedarnath are sold only through the official portal; beware of fake websites. Check the official sites for opening dates, road advisories and any darśana token system.

10–12 days · May–June, Sept–Oct · From Haridwar/Rishikesh · Strenuous · two treks, high altitude · Registration mandatory

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