Char Dham Yatra Tours & Experiences

Things to do in Char Dham

The yatra is the activity, with walks, rides and rituals between four temples; the Char Dham travel guide tells their stories.

Begin with the Ganga Aarti

Our Char Dham Yatra — 11 days starts with the evening aarti at Har Ki Pauri or a riverside ghat, and the 8 Days Mathura Vrindavan Kedarnath Haridwar Rishikesh Tour books seats at Har Ki Pauri.

Walk or ride up to Yamunotri

From Janki Chatti, where the road ends, the temple is a walk of about 5–6 km each way, and ponies and palanquins carry those who cannot walk it.

Bathe at Gangotri, then walk on to Gaumukh

Most devotees dip in the Bhagirathi before visiting Gangotri's temple. Gaumukh, the glacier snout where the river begins, lies 19 km further through the Gangotri National Park, and our Char Dham Yatra tour can include it for those with the time and fitness.

Climb to Kedarnath, or fly

Kedarnath, at 3,586 metres, is a 17 km climb from Gaurikund on foot, by pony or by palanquin; helicopters fly up from Guptkashi, Phata and Sersi. Our eleven-day yatra and the eight-day tour spend a night at the temple and walk down after morning darshan.

Visit Badrinath's hot springs and Mana

Badrinath's three thermal springs, Tapt Kund, Narada Kund and Surya Kund, are popular with devotees; Mana, the last village before the border, is about 4 km on.

Make darshan at the winter seats

From November to April, worship moves to lower seats, which Uttarakhand Tourism promotes as a winter circuit: Mukhba for Gangotri's goddess, Kharsali for Yamunotri's, Ukhimath for Kedarnath and Jyotirmath for Badrinath.

Choosing between our tours and experiences

All four of our trips here are tours: the eleven-day yatra for the full road circuit at a steady pace, the Char Dham Yatra tour to set your own length and temples, Helicopter Char Dham if time or mobility rules out the drives and walks, and the eight-day tour if Kedarnath matters most. Compare them on Char Dham Yatra tour packages.

When to go for these

Gangotri and Yamunotri open on Akshaya Tritiya, in April or May, Kedarnath and Badrinath a few days later; the first three close around Diwali, Badrinath in November. May and June are busiest, July and August bring landslides, and September and October are usually calmer.

Before you set out

Every pilgrim must register, free, online, by app or at counters in Haridwar and Rishikesh. Kedarnath helicopter tickets are sold only on IRCTC's HeliYatra site. Nights above 3,000 metres are cold, and anyone with a heart, lung or joint condition should see a doctor first.