Registration opens March 6 · 100% free · QR e-pass
Kedarnath Yatra Registration 2026
Step-by-step guide: Online · WhatsApp (8394833833) · Offline counter. Daily limit: 18,000 pilgrims. Without a valid QR pass, you are turned back at Sonprayag.
DCDhanesh Chandra MishraUpdated May 20266 min read
Cost
FREE (₹0)
Daily limit
~18,000/day
WhatsApp
YATRA → 8394833833
Temple opened
April 22, 2026
Direct Operator
You book with the people who run your yatra — no reseller in between, no reseller markup either.
Zero Commission
The price you see is the price we charge. No agent cut quietly folded into the quote.
Local Handling
Haridwar-based, on the ground every season — hotels, drivers and guides we know personally.
Critical: Without a valid QR-coded Yatra Registration Letter, you will be turned back at the Sonprayag barrier — even if you have reached Sonprayag from across India. Register before you travel, not at the last minute.
Method 1 — Online Registration (Recommended)
1
Go to the official portal
Open registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in in your browser. This is the ONLY government-authorised portal. Beware of fake registration sites — check the URL carefully. The .uk.gov.in domain is Uttarakhand government.
2
Create your account
Click "Register/Login" → Enter your mobile number → Verify with OTP → Set a password. One mobile number can register a group of up to 5–8 pilgrims under a single account.
3
Create Tour Info
After logging in, click "Create/Manage Tour Info" → Select "Char Dham Yatra 2026" → Choose Kedarnath as your destination → Select your travel date. Choose a date that gives you flexibility — the portal allows some date changes.
4
Add pilgrim details
Enter: Full name (exactly as per ID), age, gender, address, Aadhaar number. Upload a passport-size photo (JPG/PNG, 10KB–150KB). If registering a group, add each member individually.
5
Download your QR-coded e-pass
After submission, your Yatra Certificate generates immediately with a unique QR code. Download and save it. Print a physical copy AND keep it on your phone. The QR code is scanned at Sonprayag, at the helipad (if flying), and at the temple entry point.
Pro tip: The portal sees the highest traffic in the first week of March and again in late April. Register between 5:30–7:30 AM IST for the smoothest server experience.
Method 2 — WhatsApp Registration (Fastest During Peak)
💬 WhatsApp — Often Faster Than the Website
1. Save +91-8394833833 in your contacts
2. Open WhatsApp and send the word: YATRA
3. The government chatbot guides you through a structured question sequence — name, age, ID, travel date, Kedarnath as destination
4. The QR-coded e-pass is sent back to you on WhatsApp
This method works when the website is slow or overloaded — which happens frequently during peak registration windows.
Method 3 — Offline Counter Registration
If you cannot register online, offline biometric counters are available at multiple locations. However, in peak season (May–June), queues at offline counters can be 2–4 hours long. Online or WhatsApp registration is always preferred.
📍 Haridwar (main centre)
📍 Rishikesh
📍 Sonprayag
📍 Guptkashi
📍 Dehradun airport
Offline counters open from April 15, 2026. Carry original Aadhaar + passport photo. Biometric scan done on-site.
Why the 18,000/Day Limit Matters
The government set a daily pilgrim cap after the 2013 Kedarnath floods, which killed over 5,000 people — in part because the area was completely overwhelmed with unregistered pilgrims. The 2026 cap is approximately 18,000 pilgrims per day at Kedarnath (15,000 at Badrinath). This is a hard limit enforced at the Sonprayag barrier.
In May and June, this cap fills within days of slots opening. If you plan to travel in May (peak season) or during school holidays, you may find your exact dates unavailable. Register as early as possible — ideally in the first week of March when the portal opens. If your preferred date is full, the system places you on a waitlist. Cancellations do open up regularly.
Helicopter Yatra — Special Registration Notes
Critical — helicopter booking requires registration first: In 2026, you CANNOT book a Kedarnath helicopter ticket on IRCTC without a Yatra Registration Number. Complete the registration first at registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in, get your registration number, then go to heliyatra.irctc.co.in to book the helicopter ticket. Anyone claiming to sell helicopter tickets without this registration is operating a scam.
E-Pass, Registration, Travel Pass — Same Thing, Three Names
People search for the "Kedarnath e-pass", the "Uttarakhand travel pass" and the "yatra registration" as if they were three documents. They are one: the QR-coded Yatra Registration Letter the portal generates after you submit your details. In some earlier seasons a separate biometric step was done at Rishikesh or Sonprayag; since the system moved fully online, the QR letter itself is your biometric-linked pass, verified against your Aadhaar at the checkpoint. There is no separate e-pass to apply for and nothing extra to pay.
One pass covers your whole route too — if your trip includes Badrinath, you select both dhams in the same tour entry rather than registering twice. The Badrinath-Kedarnath e-pass rumor of separate applications comes from the pre-2022 system and no longer applies.
Which Website Is Which — Don't Register on the Wrong One
Three official-looking sites confuse almost everyone, so here is the clean split. registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in is the Uttarakhand Tourism registration portal — the only place your yatra registration happens. badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in belongs to the BKTC (Badri Kedar Temple Committee), the body that runs both temples — you use it for puja bookings, donation receipts and temple announcements, not for registration. And heliyatra.irctc.co.in is IRCTC's helicopter portal, which only works after you already hold a registration number.
If a site asks for a registration "fee", close the tab — the government pass is free. The only money that changes hands officially is for helicopter tickets (IRCTC) and BKTC puja bookings.