The Char Dham is the most famous pilgrimage or tourist destination and mysterious place in India. The Char Dham is a set of four pilgrimage places located in Uttarakhand state. Uttarakhand is also known as dev Bhoomi ( land of god ). Uttarakhand is divided into two parts Garhwal and Kumaon. All char Dham is located in Garhwal valley. it’s a place where you can see numerous temples and welcome devotees all around the year. Among the countless religious sites and circuits that devotees visit in Uttarakhand, one of the most prominent is the Char Dham Yatra.
Uttarakhand is a state in northern India crossed by the lesser Himalayas. It’s known as the Hindu religion pilgrimages state.
This Yatra or pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites of Uttarakhand: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath – nestled high up in the Himalayas snow cap mountains, and visitors are also attracted by the mesmerizing scenic views of the mountains, waterfalls and amazing landscapes of this spiritual place. In Hindi, ‘Char’ means four, and ‘Dham’ refers to religious destinations. So let me introduce you a bit to those
Yamunotri: Yamunotri, also Jamnotri, is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the
Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of 3,293 meters (10,804 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately 150 kilometers (93 mi) North of Uttarkashi, the headquarters of the Uttarkashi district in the Garhwal Division of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the four sites in India’s Chhota Char Dham pilgrimage.
Gangotri: Gangotri is the highest temple dedicated to the goddess Ganga. The holy River Ganges originates from the Gangotri glacier, located here, and is called Bhagirathi. The main attraction in Gangotri is the Gangotri Temple, where Goddess Ganga is worshipped. Gomukh is the source of the Bhagirathi River in Gangotri Glacier, one of the primary headstreams of the Ganges River. The place is situated at a height of 13,200 ft (4,023 m) in the Uttarkashi district
Kedarnath: Kedarnath is a town located in Rudraprayag. The most mystic temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva, is said to be more than 1,200 years old. It was built by Adi Shankaracharya and is among one of the 12 jyotirlingas in India. Also, this is the most important in Panch Kedar. Elevation: 3,553 m ( 11,657 ft)
Badrinath: Badrinath is located in the Chamoli district in Uttarakhand, India. It’s also dedicated to
Lord Shiva. There is no historical record of Badrinath Temple but its mention can be traced to Vedic Scriptures. Badrinath Temple is reckoned to be a Buddhist Vihara until the 9th century when Adi Shankaracharya visited and converted it into a Hindu Temple. Evelation:
3,300 m ( 10,800 ft ) .
Char Dham yatra opens for 6 months a year from May to October. It’s open on the auspicious day of Akshay Tritiya of Chaitya month and remains open until Bhai Dooj. The complete yatra will take you 11 to 12 days.
Let’s quickly drive into the details of the yatra.
How to Reach there
To embark upon the Chota Char Dham Yatra, you’ll need to reach Haridwar.
Here is how,
By Air: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun is the nearest airport. From here you can take a private taxi or bus to reach Haridwar.
The Dehradun to Haridwar bus ticket fare starts from INR 100 per head and can go as high as INR 200 per head.
By train: Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kotdwar, and Dehradun are well connected to major cities of India by Railway Network. From here you can get the bus or you can hire a taxi as well towards your onwards journey
By bus: from Delhi, there is many buses or private taxi service available to reach Haridwar. The distance between Delhi to Haridwar is 214 km and it takes around 05 hrs 48 mins to reach Haridwar from Delhi by bus. The bus departing from Delhi reaches in the shortest time taking 05 hrs 48 mins to reach Haridwar. The first bus leaves at 12:15 AM and the last bus leaves at 11:55 PM from Delhi. Some of the most popular operators on this route are SHAKTI TRAVELS, Greenwoods, AG BUS
SERVICE, RAAVI TRAVELS AGENCY, and Tour Star Bus And Cargo. The shortest travel time of 03 hrs 34 mins is taken by bus from Delhi. The fare for buses on the Delhi and Haridwar route vary between Rs 340.2 to Rs 9450.0 as per the bus operator and bus type.
Short Itinerary of Char Dham Tour from Haridwar
Day 1: Haridwar to Barkot
Day 2: Barkot – Yamunotri – Barkot
Day 3: Barkot – Uttarkashi
Day 4: Uttarkashi – Gangotri – Uttarkashi
Day 5: Uttarkashi to Guptkashi
Day 6: Guptkashi – Kedarnath
Day 7: Kedarnath – Guptkashi
Day 8: Guptkashi to Badrinath
Day 9: Badrinath to Rudraprayag
Day 10: Rudraprayag to Haridwar
*Note: This Char Dham package is applicable from Dehradun, Rishikesh as well as Delhi also.
Tour Itineraries Day 1.
Haridwar – Barkot
Distance cover :210 km In the early Morning after doing breakfast start your journey from Hotel / Airport / Railway Station drives to Barkot it takes approximately 5 to 6 hrs depending on road conditions. On this journey enjoy to view mesmerizing views of the Himalayan and then reach Barkot, Check into the hotel Overnight stay at Barkot.
Day 2.
Barkot – Janakichatti – Yamunotri – Jankichatti – Barkot
Distence cover : 35 km Trek: 12 km
Alt: 3235 m
Early morning after breakfast, drive to Jankichatti / Phoolchatti. Start your trek from here to
Yamunotri (6kms) (Either by walk or by horse or by Doli will cost Rs 1800- 2000, Kandi will cost Rs
800-900 and Poni Rs 600-800). After arrival at Yamunotri take bath in the warm waters of Surya Kund (Hot Spring). You can have your lunch at Yamunotri and or head to the temple for prayers.Enjoy Darshan of”Yamunaji”. Return trek to Jankichatti. Later drive towards Barkot. Overnight stay at Barkot.
Day 3
Barkot – Uttarkashi
Distance cover: 100 km
The morning after breakfast, relax for a while. Later drive to Uttarkashi. Visit Shivgufa on the way to Uttarkashi. In Uttarkashi visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After that, check-in hotel. Day free for rest. Overnight stay at Uttarkashi.
Day 4
Uttarkashi – Gangotri – Uttarkashi (100 kms each side)
Distance cover: 200 km
Early morning after breakfast, drive to Gangotri. On the way visit Gangnani Hot Spring. Take a holy dip in Kund. Later drive to Gangotri via beautiful Harsil Valley. On arrival at Gangotri, take a holy dip in the sacred river Ganges which is also called Bhagirathi at its origin ( if you want). Perform Pooja and Darshan, after that relax for some time in the lovely surroundings. Later return drive to Uttarkashi. Overnight stay at Uttarkashi.
Day: 5
Uttarkashi – Guptkashi
Distance cover: 220 km
Early Morning after breakfast, drive to Guptkashi. En route, you can see the beautiful river Mandakini at Tilwara and the mountain view. The Mandakini River comes from Kedarnath, drive alongside the river to reach Guptakashi, and visit Ardh Narishwar Temple in Guptakashi. Check into the hotel arrival in Guptkashi. Overnight stay at Guptkashi.
Day 6
Guptkashi – Sonprayag – Kedarnath
Distance cover: 30 km
Trek 16 km
The morning after breakfast, today we will go to Kedarnath. To reach Kedarnath you will have two options. One if by trekking and the other is by Air via Helicopter. After reaching the Kedarnath visit Kedarnath Temple enjoys the “sandhya aarti” a magical moment in this holy place. Check in to the hotel/ashram. Visit Shankaracharya Samadhi. Overnight stay at Kedarnath.
Important Information:
By Helicopter: helicopter service is available from (Phata, Guptkashi, Sirsi, etc) helicopter time 6 am to 6 pm. Different aviation has a different location for their helicopter service. Kedarnath Ticket Price, One way – INR 2470/- Both ways – INR 4680/-; First flight timing, 06:30 am; Altitude, 6500 feet; advance booking is highly recommended for the helicopter. You can book your ticket form: https://heliservices.uk.gov.in/
By Trek: To reach Kedarnath by trekking route first you have to reach Gaurikund. drive Guptkashi to Sonprayag early in the morning after breakfast. From Sonprayag 5 km drive to Gaurikund local jeep is available to share jeep will cost you 20 to 30 rs. Per person. From Gaurikund to Kedarnath is a further 14 kms trek.
Horse / Pony / Palakhi is also available for trekking at Gaurikund. Cost according to the time and availability approximately 2000 to 10000 per person.
Day 7
Kedarnath – Sonprayag – Guptkashi
Trek16 km
Early Morning after breakfast explore nearby areas by walking at Kedarnath and enjoy the mystic place on earth. Later reach Guptkashi as per your choice by trek or Helicopter ( information already given ). Do launch at any suitable location while trekking. On arrival check in to the hotel in Guptkashi. Overnight stay at Guptkashi.
Day 8
Guptkashi – Joshimath – Badrinath
Distance cover; 220 km
The morning after breakfast, drive to Badrinath Guptkashi is located around 46 KM away from Badrinath so if you travel at the consistent speed of 50 KM per hour you can reach Badrinath in 3 hours and 35 minutes. bus fare is around 150- 200 rs per person. Check in to the hotel arrival in Badrinath. Pilgrims after having a bath in the Taptkund have the Darshan of Badrivishal & Aarti in the evening. Overnight stay at Badrinath.
Day 9
Badrinath – Joshimath – Rudraprayag
Distance cover 160 km
Morning enjoys the after breakfast, drive for Rudraprayag via Joshimath. Visit on the way Darshan of VishuPrayag, Narsingh Temple in Joshimath, KarnPrayag, and NandPrayag the holy places as well as scenic views of the mountains. Check into the hotel arrival in Rudraprayag. Overnight stay at Rudraprayag.
Day 10
Rudraprayag – Rishikesh – Haridwar
Distance cover; 165 km
The morning after breakfast, drive for Haridwar / Dehradun / Rishikesh.
Permits: Either online or offline, you can use these documents for Char-dham bio-metric registration. Here are the details of the document you need. Id cards like Aadhar cards, voter id cards, PAN numbers, driving licenses, or passports.
Important things to carry :
Id card: like Aadhar card, voter id card, PAN number, driving license, or passport. For making permits.
Warm clothes: Even during summers, the weather remains very cold in the Evening. Therefore, it is a must or you to carry enough warm clothes to protect yourself. Carry an extra set of socks also.
Medicine: at a high elevation, you would come across weather changes, and due to high altitude you may feel less oxygen. There are high chances for you to catch a cold and have a fever in those temperatures as Well as AMS ( Altitude Mountain sickness. Therefore, it is recommended to carry enough medicines that you would require during the trip. You must also carry medicines for stomach problems, vomiting, vertigo, pain killer, fever media, etc.
Moisturizer creams.
Good boat: As you have to walk a lot and also at an elevation, you should wear good and strong boots that help you while trekking. Wear something that is not slippery, as you will have to walk in the snow. Wear something comfortable and strong, as you will have to walk for long hours.
Carry dry fruits, chocolates, wafers, biscuits, and lots of snacks. As you would be trekking, it is advised not to have heavy foods and eat these light snacks from time to time. This would help you keep the energy you will need to complete the yatra
You have to keep yourself hydrated to complete the yatra. There are regular water points available. You can fill your bottles from there. However, you can carry your bottles if you don’t want to have the water provided to you. You can carry Oral rehydration solutions also which are also highly recommended.
If you are traveling to Kedarnath from June to August, it is a must for you to carry umbrellas/raincoats. These are the monsoon months and there are heavy rains during this season. Even when you are traveling in other months it is advised to keep umbrellas/raincoats.
Must carry a rechargeable torch. You might be trekking at night so it will be helpful to carry a torch.
Sunglasses and sun cream are highly recommended because it’s situated at a high altitude and the trekking duration is long so a long time directly exposed to sunlight can affect your sink, It can give protection from sunburn.
Walking stick is available there. You can buy it to make your Yatra more convenient.
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