Char Dham (Uttarakhand)
Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — the four sacred Himalayan abodes of Uttarakhand.
About this yatra
The Char Dham of Uttarakhand — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — together form the holiest Himalayan pilgrimage every Hindu aspires to complete at least once. Yamunotri at 3,293 m is the source of the river Yamuna, where pilgrims cook rice in the Surya Kund hot springs as offering. Gangotri at 3,100 m is where Goddess Ganga descended to earth at the prayer of King Bhagiratha. Kedarnath at 3,583 m houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, where Lord Shiva is worshipped in his Sadashiva form — accessible by a strenuous 16 km trek from Gaurikund or by helicopter. Badrinath at 3,133 m is one of the four Adi Shankaracharya dhams of Vaishnava tradition, where Lord Vishnu meditated for thousands of years. The temples open in late April or early May after the Akshay Tritiya muhurat and close around Diwali in November as the upper Himalayas freeze over. The full circuit takes 10-12 days starting from Haridwar or Rishikesh. Helicopter packages connecting all four shrines complete the yatra in 2-3 days but cost ₹1.5-2 lakh per person. Yatra registration via the Tourism Board's Bio-metric system is mandatory since 2023.
Best time to visit
May-June and September-October. Closed November to April due to snow.
How to reach
Fly to Dehradun (DED) or Delhi (DEL), drive to Haridwar/Rishikesh start point. The full road circuit covers 1,600 km via Barkot, Uttarkashi, Guptkashi, Joshimath.
What to expect
Long mountain drives, two demanding treks (Yamunotri 6 km, Kedarnath 16 km — helicopter alternatives available), high altitude acclimatisation, sub-zero nights in Kedarnath even in summer.