India · Spiritual · Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand
Char Dham (Kedarnath–Badrinath–Gangotri–Yamunotri)
Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand · 3,048–3,583 m
Trace Hinduism's holiest high-altitude circuit—four shrines above 3,000 metres where glacier-fed rivers, vertical meadows, and millennia of devotion converge in a single unforgettable journey.
The Char Dham circuit—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath—is Hinduism's supreme high-altitude pilgrimage, combining sacred darshan, glacier treks, and raw Himalayan grandeur across four river valleys in a single looping yatra. Every day brings a different ecosystem: hot spring terraces, Bhagirathi gorges, alpine meadows, and the snow-bound peaks above Badrinath that feel like the literal roof of the known world.
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Go in
In season, days sit around 15° and nights near 6°.
What you'll see & do
The sights worth the trip, and how to spend the days around them.
To see
- Kedarnath Temple (3,583 m) — one of 12 Jyotirlingas, backdrop of Kedarnath and Kedar Dome peaks
- Badrinath Temple (3,133 m) — Vishnu's abode on the Alaknanda, flanked by Nar and Narayan peaks
- Gangotri Temple & Bhagirathi Gorge (3,048 m) — origin of the Ganges ritual, dramatic grey-cliff canyon
- Yamunotri Temple & Surya Kund hot springs (3,293 m) — sulphurous 88°C pools used to cook prasad rice
To do
- Helicopter transfer to Kedarnath (Phata or Sersi heli-pad; 7-min flight, saves 16 km trek each way)
- Trek Janki Chatti to Yamunotri Temple (6 km, ~3 hrs, steep but well-maintained mule track)
- Sunrise aarti and darshan at each shrine — arrive before 6 am to beat 2–3 hr queues in peak May–Jun
- Ritual dip in Tapt Kund (45°C thermal spring beside Badrinath Temple) before morning puja
Before you go
- IRCTC HeliYatra (heliyatra.irctc.co.in) holds the exclusive mandate for all Kedarnath helicopter bookings — peak May–June slots sell out within 60–90 minutes of the portal opening in mid-April; pilgrims who miss opening day (6 PM IST) face the 16 km, 1,460 m ascent with no helicopter fallback.
- NH-7 and NH-707 can close for 3–7 days at a stretch during July–August monsoon landslides with no usable alternative road, stranding clients who then miss flights and face extortionate last-minute rebooking costs.
- BKTC announces Kedarnath and Badrinath kapat dates on Maha Shivratri — 8–10 weeks before opening (15 February 2026 for 22 April 2026 Kedarnath) — so operators who lock in transport before that date are committing on historical precedent, not confirmed dates.
Days, already shaped
3-day plan
- Day 1: Dehradun → Sahastradhara heli-pad → helicopter to Kharsali/Pharsali → Yamunotri darshan → drive to Uttarkashi; Gangotri evening arrival
- Day 2: Gangotri sunrise darshan + Bhagirathi ghat → drive to Guptkashi/Phata → helicopter to Kedarnath → darshan → return base; evening drive toward Joshimath
- Day 3: Badrinath sunrise darshan + Tapt Kund dip + Mana village → helicopter or drive Joshimath → Rishikesh (5 hrs)
5-day plan
- Day 1: Haridwar/Rishikesh → Barkot (200 km, 7 hrs); overnight, briefing
- Day 2: Janki Chatti → 6 km trek/pony → Yamunotri darshan → return Barkot → drive Uttarkashi (4 hrs)
- Day 3: Gangotri darshan + riverside puja → Bhagirathi gorge walk → overnight Uttarkashi
- Day 4: Long drive Uttarkashi → Phata/Sitapur (8 hrs via Tehri bypass) → helicopter Kedarnath darshan → drive Joshimath
- Day 5: Badrinath sunrise darshan + Mana village + Tapt Kund → Joshimath overnight or drive Rishikesh
7-day plan
- Day 1: Haridwar → Barkot (200 km, 7 hrs); check-in, acclimatize at 1,220 m
- Day 2: Janki Chatti → 6 km trek to Yamunotri (3,293 m) → Surya Kund hot springs → return Barkot
- Day 3: Barkot → Uttarkashi (115 km, 4 hrs); evening Vishwanath Temple; acclimatize at 1,150 m
- Day 4: Uttarkashi → Gangotri (100 km, 3 hrs) → temple darshan + Bhagirathi aarti → return Uttarkashi
- Day 5: Long drive Uttarkashi → Guptkashi/Phata (250 km, 8–9 hrs via Tehri–Srinagar–Rudraprayag)
- Day 6: Helicopter Phata/Sersi → Kedarnath (3,583 m) → darshan → return base → evening drive to Badrinath (3 hrs); overnight Joshimath
- Day 7: Badrinath sunrise darshan → Mana village + Bhim Pul → Tapt Kund dip → drive Joshimath/Rudraprayag; onward to Rishikesh
Getting there, permits & day trips
By air — Jolly Grant Airport (DED), Dehradun — 45 min drive to Rishikesh circuit start; connected to Delhi (45 min), Mumbai, Bangalore. Nearest heli-pads to shrines: Sersi/Phata (Kedarnath), Harsil/Pharsali (Gangotri/Yamunotri), Badrinath town. No scheduled commercial flights to shrine towns.
By rail — Haridwar Junction (HW) — 5 hrs from New Delhi on Shatabdi/Nanda Devi Express; Rishikesh station (RISHIKESH) 6 hrs, less frequent. No rail line beyond Rishikesh into Garhwal hills. Pre-book well in advance during Apr–Jun.
By road — Delhi → Haridwar 220 km, ~5 hrs (NH-58); Haridwar → Barkot 200 km, ~7 hrs; full road circuit Haridwar–Barkot–Uttarkashi–Guptkashi–Badrinath–Joshimath–Haridwar ~1,100 km, 10–12 days. Shared tempo-travellers and private AC cabs widely available from Haridwar/Rishikesh stands (₹18,000–35,000 per cab for full circuit).
On a Driftibo trip we handle the transfers.
Permits & entry — Indian citizens need no visa or inner-line permit for the four shrine sites; yatra registration is mandatory via registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in or at Haridwar/Rishikesh Tourism Department counters — the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board was abolished in November 2021 and has no current authority — carry the QR-code slip at all shrine check-posts. The Gaumukh glacier trek requires a separate Forest Department permit (₹150/day for Indians, ₹600/day for foreigners), capped at 150 trekkers daily; obtain it at the DFO/Gangotri National Park office in Uttarkashi or the Gangotri forest checkpoint — a district single-window portal (swsuttarkashi.com) exists but is intermittent, so treat in-person as the failsafe and reconfirm online availability before quoting clients. Since September 2024, Gaumukh trekkers must additionally present a registered local guide, proof of trekking insurance, and a medical fitness certificate at the Gangotri National Park checkpoint; groups without a registered guide are turned back even with a valid permit. All Kedarnath helicopter bookings are handled exclusively through IRCTC HeliYatra (heliyatra.irctc.co.in) — there is no operator quota or separate advance-booking channel; the portal opens mid-April (roughly one week before the season), and peak May–June slots sell out within 60–90 minutes of going live. Shrine opening dates are announced annually: the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) declares Kedarnath and Badrinath dates on Maha Shivratri, 8–10 weeks before opening (15 February 2026 for a 22 April 2026 Kedarnath opening), and the Gangotri-Yamunotri Mandir Samiti sets the other two. NH-7 (Rishikesh–Badrinath corridor, formerly NH-58) and NH-707 (Rishikesh–Barkot–Yamunotri corridor, formerly NH-94) can close without notice July–September due to landslides, with unpredictable BRO clearance times; using the old highway numbers in client materials causes confusion when pilgrims cross-check BRO or NHAI advisories.
Day trips nearby
- Valley of Flowers National Park (UNESCO, 3,658 m) — 13 km from Govindghat near Badrinath; peak Jul–Aug bloom but accessible Sep too
- Hemkund Sahib (4,329 m) — Sikh shrine, same Govindghat trail fork; combine with Valley of Flowers for 1-night extension
- Auli ski slopes and Gorson Bugyal — 16 km from Joshimath; cable car viewpoint across Nanda Devi massif in clear weather
- Harsil valley — 24 km downhill from Gangotri; Wilson Estate, apple orchards, Tibetan-influenced village; good half-day detour
Seasons and access shift — we reconfirm every detail before we quote.