Char Dham Tour Packages

About Char Dham

The Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand covers four shrines in the Garhwal Himalaya, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The traditional order runs west to east, and most families take ten to twelve days for the full circuit from Haridwar, though a shorter Do Dham of Kedarnath and Badrinath is also common when time is short.

Yamunotri is the source of the Yamuna, reached by a walk of about six kilometres from Janki Chatti, with the Surya Kund hot spring beside the temple. Gangotri is a road head shrine on the Bhagirathi. Kedarnath needs a trek of roughly sixteen kilometres from Gaurikund, or a pony, palki or helicopter. Badrinath sits on the road near Mana village, with Tapt Kund below the temple.

This is a mountain journey at altitude, not a sightseeing tour. Days start before sunrise, drives are long and weather changes quickly. We handle the yatra registration, hotels along the route, the vehicle and driver, and the helicopter booking for Kedarnath if you want it, so the family only has to walk and pray.

Best places to see

• YamunotriThe source shrine of the Yamuna, reached by a six kilometre walk from Janki Chatti. Start at first light so you are back down before the afternoon weather turns, and take a dip at Surya Kund.
• GangotriThe shrine at the origin of the Ganges as the Bhagirathi, reachable by road. Evening aarti on the river is the highlight, and Gaumukh glacier lies further on for trekkers with a permit.
• KedarnathThe highest of the four, a stone temple below the Kedarnath peak, reached by a sixteen kilometre trek from Gaurikund or by helicopter from Phata, Sersi or Guptkashi. Morning darshan is calmer than the afternoon.
• Badrinath and Mana villageThe Vishnu shrine on the Alaknanda, with the Tapt Kund hot spring at its base and Mana, the last village before the border, a short drive above. Aarti in the evening is worth staying for.
• TriyuginarayanThe temple where Shiva and Parvati are believed to have married, with a fire said to have burned for ages. A short detour from Sonprayag, quiet in the morning.
• DevprayagThe confluence where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda become the Ganga, right beside the road. Stop in daylight to walk down to the sangam.
• Guptkashi and UkhimathThe overnight bases before Kedarnath, with the Vishwanath temple and the winter seat of the Kedarnath deity. Useful for acclimatising for a night.
• Haridwar and RishikeshThe start and end of the yatra, with the Ganga aarti at Har ki Pauri and Triveni Ghat. Reach the ghat well before sunset for a place to sit.

Suggested itinerary

• Day 1 Arrive Haridwar, evening Ganga aarti at Har ki Pauri, yatra registration checked and briefing for the route.
• Day 2 Drive to Barkot via Mussoorie and Kempty Falls, check in and rest for an early start.
• Day 3 Early drive to Janki Chatti, walk up to Yamunotri for darshan and Surya Kund, return to Barkot.
• Day 4 Drive to Uttarkashi, visit Vishwanath temple, overnight.
• Day 5 Day trip to Gangotri for darshan and the river aarti, back to Uttarkashi or on to Harsil.
• Day 6 Long drive to Guptkashi through Tehri and Srinagar, evening free, light dinner before the climb.
• Day 7 Sonprayag and Gaurikund, trek or helicopter to Kedarnath, night at Kedarnath or back down as planned.
• Day 8 Morning darshan at Kedarnath, descend to Guptkashi, drive on to Joshimath or Pipalkoti.
• Day 9 Drive to Badrinath, bathe at Tapt Kund, darshan, visit Mana village and Bheem Pul, evening aarti.
• Day 10 Drive back to Rishikesh via Devprayag, overnight and departure the next morning.

What is included

Best season

The shrines open around late April or early May on Akshaya Tritiya and Bhai Dooj respectively and close by mid November. May, June, September and October are the workable months. The monsoon from July to mid September brings landslides and road closures in Garhwal and is best avoided with elderly travellers. Late September and October give clear skies, cold nights and thinner crowds.

Good to know

• Char Dham yatra registration and a tourist care card are compulsory, and a health check with a doctor fitness certificate is required for the Kedarnath route. We complete the registration for every traveller before departure.
• Helicopter seats for Kedarnath are limited and sell out early, so decide on this at the time of booking rather than on the road.
• Kedarnath is at around 3,580 metres and Badrinath at about 3,130 metres. Keep one easy night at Guptkashi or Joshimath to acclimatise, drink water through the day and tell us about blood pressure, heart or breathing conditions in advance.
• Pack woollens, a windcheater, a raincoat, a torch, comfortable walking shoes with grip and any regular medicines with spares.
• Ponies, palki and porters at Gaurikund and Janki Chatti are paid locally at government rates, so keep some cash since network and card machines are unreliable.
• Meals on the route are simple vegetarian, alcohol and non vegetarian food are not appropriate on this yatra, and many stretches have no mobile signal.

Planning and cost

Flights or trains, hotels, transfers and sightseeing are arranged together by our team. Every plan is made for your dates and your group, so the cost is quoted after we know what you want. Price on request.