Delhi to Kedarnath cab
Fare, distance and the road itself — written by the people who drive it.
A retired Indian Army officer who founded Shiv Ganga Travels in Haridwar in 2010 and pioneered the zero-commission model for Char Dham operators here. About us
Fares and road notes on this page reviewed July 30, 2026.
Delhi is where most Kedarnath trips actually start, because it is where the flights and long-distance trains land — and it is also the route almost every operator quotes as a single reckless number. 445 km to Gaurikund is 12 to 14 hours of driving on top of each other, and nobody, including us, will put you in a car for that in one push and then send you up a 16 km trek the same morning. We run it as two proper days: Delhi to Haridwar or Rishikesh on day one, the Mandakini valley to Guptkashi on day two, trek on day three. Same vehicle and driver the whole way.
Delhi to Kedarnath taxi fare
One-way bands by vehicle. Every quote we send is a single fixed all-in number — fuel, driver, tolls, state taxes and parking already inside it.
| Vehicle | Seats | One-way fare |
|---|---|---|
| Swift Dzire | 4 | ₹8,000–₹10,000 |
| Maruti Ertiga | 6 | ₹10,500–₹13,000 |
| Innova Crysta | 6 | ₹12,500–₹15,500 |
| Tempo Traveller | 12 | ₹18,000–₹22,500 |
Indicative 2026 one-way bands. We confirm one fixed all-in price on enquiry — no per-km surprises, no hill surcharge sprung on you at Rudraprayag. Round trips with halts are quoted as a package.
Exactly what the fare covers
Most operators in this market publish a number and leave the rest for the end of the trip. Here is the whole thing, both columns.
- Fuel for the whole journey
- Driver charges, his food and his night halt
- All tolls, state border taxes and green tax
- Parking at temples and viewpoints
- Green Card and trip permit for hill routes
- Oxygen cylinder on board above 2,500 m
- Basic first-aid kit
- GST
- Your hotel or lodge — we can book it, billed separately
- Meals for passengers
- Pony, palki, porter or helicopter charges
- Temple pujas, VIP darshan or aarti tickets
- Anything caused by a landslide, roadblock or weather halt beyond the planned days
- AC in the hills — ₹2,000 extra if you want it running above the valleys
Where you actually stop
End of the expressway leg, about 210 km and 4–5 hours in. The natural first-night stop.
Where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet and become the Ganga.
Mandakini joins the Alaknanda; the road turns up the Kedarnath valley.
The overnight base at 1,319 m — proper hotels, hot water, 30 km from Sonprayag.
Where private vehicles stop. Shuttle jeeps run the last 5 km to Gaurikund.
Trek start at 1,982 m — 16 km of climbing above it.
Rules of the road up here
Hill routes in Uttarakhand run on rules that catch first-time visitors out. None of these are ours — they are the administration's, and they shape how the trip has to be planned.
Vehicle movement on the Char Dham roads is banned between 10 PM and 4 AM by the district administration. We plan every pickup so you reach your halt in daylight — anyone promising to drive you through the night is planning to be stopped at a checkpost.
Every commercial vehicle on a Char Dham route needs a Green Card (a fitness certificate specific to hill driving) plus a trip card for the journey. Ours are current on every vehicle we send. Without them you get turned back, usually at Rishikesh or Sonprayag.
All four dhams need a biometric registration before darshan. It is free and done online at registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in, or at the counters in Haridwar and Rishikesh. We do it for you as part of the booking if you send us your ID details.
Private vehicles stop at Sonprayag. The last 5 km to Gaurikund runs on a timed one-way shuttle with slots assigned by the police. Your driver parks at Sonprayag and waits — the main luggage stays with the vehicle.
The vehicle you travel in
Our own vehicles, not a marketplace of whoever is nearest.
Toyota Innova Crysta
The one we put senior travellers in. On the Rudraprayag–Guptkashi stretch the difference in ride quality is not subtle.
- Seats
- 6 + driver
- Luggage
- 4 large + 2 cabin bags
- Best for
- Families of 4–6, and anyone who wants the most comfortable seat on the hill
- Availability
- Included in deluxe and private packages
- Captain seats in the middle row
- AC in the plains
- Charging points at every row
- Best suspension on the circuit
Cancellation, in plain terms
| More than 48 hours before pickup | Full refund of anything paid |
|---|---|
| 24–48 hours before pickup | 50% of the advance retained |
| Under 24 hours, or no-show | Advance retained |
| Cancelled by us, or road closed by administration | Full refund, or reschedule at no charge |
We do not take payment online. Most bookings run on a small advance over UPI and the balance to the driver at the end of the trip, so there is rarely anything to refund.
What our passengers say
Booked after comparing four operators. What sold me was that the person who answered the phone was the person who ran the trip. Hotels, vehicle and darshan slots were exactly as quoted. The Kedarnath trek support was the strongest part — our guide walked at my father’s pace the whole way and never once made it feel like a problem.
Eight of us, including my parents at 72 and 69. Palki was arranged for both at Kedarnath without any fuss. Ramesh bhai, our driver, was calm on roads that frightened me and knew every tea stop worth stopping at. Ground-floor rooms at every hotel, as promised.
The price I was quoted in February was the price I paid in May. After what I read about agent markups, that alone was worth it. Badrinath darshan was handled well and Tapt Kund before the 4:30 AM slot was something I will remember for a long time.
Delhi to Kedarnath, answered
About 445 km to Gaurikund — roughly 210 km to Haridwar plus another 235 km up the Mandakini valley. That is 12 to 14 hours of total driving, which we split across two days rather than one, with a Haridwar or Rishikesh halt on day one.
Direct operator — our own vehicles and our own drivers, no broker in between. Operating from Haridwar since 2010.
- Registered travel operator based in Haridwar since 2010
- Own fleet — Innova Crysta, Ertiga, Tempo Traveller, Scorpio
- Every vehicle carries a current Green Card and trip permit
- Drivers who run the Garhwal routes year-round, not seasonal hires
Related routes and guides
Book your Delhi → Kedarnath cab
Send us the date and how many of you there are. We reply with one fixed all-in fare — usually within two hours.