🛣️ Live route conditions · 2026 season

Char Dham Road Status Today — All Four Routes (2026)

Yamunotri · Gangotri · Kedarnath · Badrinath — open/closed status, highway completion, landslide stretches and the official links to verify before you drive.

Quick answerAs of October 29, 2026, the Char Dham Yatra is running on all four routes, and snow fell at all four shrines on October 29. Rudraprayag Police said snow at Kedarnath had brought the temperature down and asked pilgrims to carry warm clothes; Uttarkashi Police reported light snow with rain at Yamunotri and Gangotri, where it was the season’s first snow (ETV Bharat); and snow covered the peaks above Badrinath. None of the three district police forces reported a highway closure. The closing dates: Gangotri at 12:05 PM on November 10, Yamunotri at 10:28 AM and Kedarnath at 8:30 AM on November 11 (Bhai Dooj), and Badrinath at 9:37 PM on November 16. IRCTC’s last Kedarnath helicopter window runs to November 9. These are mountain roads and they close without notice; the most delay-prone stretches are Rudraprayag to Sonprayag for Kedarnath and Barkot to Janki Chatti for Yamunotri, both of which shut for hours after heavy rain. A night-driving ban runs 10pm to 4am on all four routes. For live status call the state control room on 1070, the district on 1077, or 112 in an emergency.
📅 Last verified: October 29, 2026·✍️ By Dhanesh Chandra Mishra, compiled from Uttarakhand Police, IMD and district bulletins

Short answer: yes, on all four routes — as of October 29, 2026, 7 PM, the Char Dham Yatra is running everywhere. Snow fell at all four shrines on the morning of October 29, and the three district police forces reported no highway closure. Carry a warm jacket, gloves and a raincoat: police at Kedarnath and Uttarkashi issued cold-weather advisories today, and rain is forecast to November 1. The closing dates: Gangotri at 12:05 PM on November 10, Yamunotri at 10:28 AM and Kedarnath at 8:30 AM on November 11 (Bhai Dooj), and Badrinath at 9:37 PM on November 16. Chirbasa, about 2.5 km above Gaurikund, is still the stretch that can shut after a storm, so walk it early. Leave Joshimath early for Badrinath, and build in a buffer at Sarigad on the Yamunotri road. For a Kedarnath helicopter seat up to November 9, book only on heliyatra.irctc.co.in.

⛈️ Monsoon advisory

Where things stand (October 29, 2026, updated 7 PM): the Char Dham Yatra is running on all four routes, a month after it restarted on September 28 following the September 26–27 suspension, and Gangotri closes in twelve days. Snow fell at all four shrines on the morning of October 29. Rudraprayag Police said at 11:45 AM that snow at Kedarnath had brought the temperature down, asked pilgrims to wear a warm jacket, woollens, a cap, gloves and warm socks, to take hot drinks, not to stand about in the open cold, and to get medical help at once for heavy shivering or breathing trouble, with special care for children and elderly pilgrims; District Magistrate Vishal Mishra made the same appeal (ETV Bharat). It was Kedarnath’s second snowfall in a week. Uttarkashi Police said at 11:56 AM that light snow and rain were falling at Yamunotri and Gangotri and asked pilgrims to carry warm clothes, an umbrella and a raincoat, and to call 112 in an emergency; at Gangotri it was the season’s first snow, starting at about 10 AM, with heavy snow on the Gomukh track (ETV Bharat). At Badrinath the snow settled on the high peaks, including Nar-Narayan, rather than in the town (ETV Bharat; Amar Ujala). Light rain fell lower down in Rudraprayag, Ukhimath and Guptkashi (Amar Ujala). None of Rudraprayag, Chamoli or Uttarkashi Police’s posts on October 28 and 29 mentions a highway closure. Kedarnath had 8,376 darshans on October 28, taking the season to 18,53,032, and Badrinath had 21,06,837 by October 24 (Amar Ujala). The first snow of the season had already fallen at Yamunotri on October 25, with snow at Kedarnath the same day (PTI). IMD had forecast rain at some places in Uttarakhand to November 1, heavy at some places on October 30 (Aaj Tak, October 27), so expect wet, slippery roads on the 30th. On October 22 Rudraprayag Police said the weather at Kedarnath was completely clear and the yatra was running smoothly, with parking at Sitapur and Sonprayag largely full. District magistrates can still pause it locally if a road is blocked or the weather turns. At Kedarnath, Rudraprayag Police said at 12:30 PM on October 11 that the weather on the footpath was clear and pilgrims were moving through Bhimbali on foot, by horse and mule and by palki, and at 1 PM that the weather at the temple was clear and pilgrims were also arriving by helicopter; they asked pilgrims to carry warm clothes, a jacket, a cap and their own medicines because the weather there can change. Horses and mules have run since early October, and police fined 35 operators on October 5 for licence breaches, so ask to see a passenger licence before you hire. The Chirbasa stretch, about 2.5 km above Gaurikund, slid repeatedly in September, so walk it early and keep a spare day. The last Kedarnath helicopter window of the season opened on IRCTC HeliYatra at 3 PM on October 9, for journeys from October 16 to November 9; book only on heliyatra.irctc.co.in, and only with a Char Dham registration number. Badrinath is the busiest shrine of the season: on Sarvapitru Amavasya, October 10, 28,094 pilgrims had darshan and crowds filled Brahma Kapal for pind-daan from early morning, taking the season to 19,85,318 (Aaj Tak, October 11), past the shrine’s previous record of 18.39 lakh in 2023 (IANS). With Pitru Paksha over the crowd should ease, but the road at Joshimath is the bottleneck: on October 8 the gate system, which holds one direction for about an hour while the other moves, built a queue of 7–8 km from the Joshimath petrol pump through Narsingh temple and Marwari Chowk to Jogidhara, and pilgrims waited one to three hours (Aaj Tak). Police have run that gate on the damaged Jyotirmath–Marwari stretch since September 24, so leave Joshimath early in the morning. Hemkund Sahib closed for winter at about 1 PM on October 10 after the final ardas, a day after fresh snow there (Amar Ujala), and the Lokpal Lakshman temple beside it closed the same day; the Govindghat–Ghangaria trek is shut until next season. On the Yamunotri highway, overnight rain and storms brought debris down at Sarigad early on October 7: Amar Ujala reported the road between Pali Gad and Janki Chatti reopened that morning while Sarigad stayed shut, and by evening the highway was open but stop-start, with Jangal Chatti, Durbil Band, Jarjar Gad and Syanachatti also affected and NH Executive Engineer Manoj Rawat keeping machines at the weak spots. That was Sarigad’s second slide in a week after the six-hour closure on October 2, so do not reach it late in the day. Uttarkashi Police’s posts through October 12 mention no highway closure, and their October 12 post shows Yamunotri darshan running. Chamoli Police’s posts through 6:41 PM on October 12 mention no blockage on NH-58. The Uttarakhand Tourism Department counted 56.89 lakh Char Dham and Hemkund pilgrims up to October 7, with 35,000–45,000 arriving a day in the first week of October (ETV Bharat). The closing dates were announced on Vijayadashami, October 20: Gangotri closes at 12:05 PM on November 10 (IND24), Yamunotri at 10:28 AM and Kedarnath at 8:30 AM on November 11 (Bhai Dooj; Panchjanya), and Badrinath at 9:37 PM on November 16. IMD’s district-wise warning page has not loaded for us since October 22, so check mausam.imd.gov.in before you set off. Nights at the shrines are now below freezing, with fresh snow at all four on October 29, so carry proper warm layers, gloves and rain gear. Earlier this season the Badrinath highway was blocked for about six hours at Parthadeep near Nandprayag on September 4 and for about eight hours at Hathi Pahad on August 27, and the Gangotri and Yamunotri highways took repeated hits at Dharasu, Bhatwadi and Nalupani, and at Syanachatti, Ranachatti and Silai Band. The PWD network recorded 1,393 road closures this season against 2,013 by the same point last year, and no Badrinath closure ran past 24 hours. Night driving on Char Dham routes remains banned between 10 PM and 4 AM, and hill-route vehicles need a valid Green Card. Confirm the morning you travel — our drivers report daily, or use the official links below.

Latest road updates (October 29, 2026)

Dated bulletins compiled from official sources — Uttarakhand Police, IMD and the district administrations — and news reports, most recent first. These are point-in-time events; a stretch that shut in the morning is often cleared by afternoon, so always confirm live before you roll.

Oct 29 · 7 PM
Snow at all four shrines, roads open. Snow fell at Kedarnath on the morning of October 29, its second in a week; Rudraprayag Police said at 11:45 AM that it had brought the temperature down and issued a cold-weather advisory (warm jacket, woollens, cap, gloves and warm socks, hot drinks, no lingering in the open, immediate medical help for heavy shivering or breathing trouble, extra care for children and the elderly), and posted video of the snow-covered shrine at 5:23 PM. District Magistrate Vishal Mishra asked pilgrims to take precautions against the cold (ETV Bharat). Amar Ujala reported light rain lower down in Rudraprayag, Ukhimath and Guptkashi, and counted 8,376 darshans at Kedarnath on October 28 and 18,53,032 for the season. Uttarkashi Police said at 11:56 AM that light snow and rain were falling at Yamunotri and Gangotri and asked pilgrims to carry warm clothes, an umbrella and a raincoat; at Gangotri it was the season’s first snow, from about 10 AM, with heavy snow on the Gomukh track (ETV Bharat, 1:16 PM). At Badrinath snow covered the high peaks, including Nar-Narayan (ETV Bharat, 1:31 PM; Amar Ujala). Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi Police posts on October 28 and 29 mention no highway closure. IMD had forecast rain at some places in Uttarakhand to November 1, heavy at some places on October 30 (Aaj Tak, October 27); IMD’s own site would not load for us, so check it the morning you drive.
Oct 27 · 10 PM
All four routes running, first snow of the season, and rain due from tomorrow. PTI reported the season’s first snowfall at Yamunotri on Sunday, October 25, and snow at Kedarnath as temperatures dropped, with no disruption to the yatra; about 6,000 pilgrims had reached Yamunotri on October 24, and Vinit Posti of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee asked pilgrims to carry their medicines and take care. Amar Ujala counted 21,06,837 pilgrims at Badrinath by October 24. The Kedarnath closing time is 8:30 AM on November 11 (Panchjanya, October 21). Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi Police’s posts on October 26 and 27 mention no highway closure; at 8:45 PM on October 27 Rudraprayag Police posted about a PAC head constable at the Kedarnath temple exit returning a pilgrim’s lost purse, and their evening posts showed aarti at Tungnath and Madmaheshwar. Aaj Tak, citing IMD at 9:54 PM, reported rain at some places in Uttarakhand from October 28 to November 1, heavy at some places on October 30, and thunder with winds gusting to 50 km/h on October 29 and 30; IMD’s own site would not load for us, so check mausam.imd.gov.in before you set off, and expect slippery roads and colder nights.
Oct 22 · 8 PM
Closing dates are fixed and all four routes are running. On Vijayadashami, October 20, the dates were announced: Badrinath closes at 9:37 PM on November 16, fixed at the temple by Rawal Amarnath Namboodiri and the Dharmadhikari after the panchang reading (ETV Bharat), with the panch puja from November 12 and the utsav doli leaving on November 17 for Pandukeshwar and the winter seat at Narsingh temple, Jyotirmath. Kedarnath closes on Bhai Dooj, November 11, with the muhurat fixed at Omkareshwar temple, Ukhimath; Yamunotri closes at 10:28 AM on November 11; Gangotri on November 10 (liveskgnews); Tungnath on November 6 and Madmaheshwar on November 16 (Amar Ujala). Badrinath is three days later than the November 13 we had expected. On October 22 Rudraprayag Police posted at 8:22 AM that the weather at Kedarnath was completely clear and the yatra running smoothly, and at 9:03 AM that parking at Sitapur and Sonprayag was largely full with normal pilgrim movement. Uttarkashi and Chamoli Police posts on October 21 and 22 mention no highway closure. IMD’s district-wise warning page would not load for us today, so check mausam.imd.gov.in before you set off; nights at the shrines are freezing.
Oct 12 · 10 PM
All four routes open, and the weather is settled for three days. Uttarkashi Police posted at 4:03 PM about officers carrying a pilgrim with disabled legs to darshan at Yamunotri, so the shrine is running, and neither they nor Chamoli Police (through 6:41 PM) reported a highway closure today. IMD’s district-wise warning page, updated today, has no warning for any yatra district from October 12 to 14, a yellow thunderstorm, lightning, squall and strong-wind warning for Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Pauri and Dehradun on October 15 (Chamoli is clear), and nothing on October 16. IRCTC HeliYatra’s home page still lists October 16 to November 9 as the Kedarnath window, the last of the season. Sharadiya Navratri began on October 11, which fixes Vijayadashami, and the temple committee’s closing-date announcement, on October 20.
Oct 10–11
Hemkund Sahib closed for winter at about 1 PM on October 10 after the final ardas at 12:30 PM, a day after fresh snow there; the Lokpal Lakshman temple beside it closed the same day. Outlets differ on the season total: ETV Bharat reported 3,84,573 pilgrims since the May 23 opening, Aaj Tak 3,90,696. The same day was Sarvapitru Amavasya, and Badrinath had 28,094 darshans, the busiest day of Pitru Paksha, with crowds at Brahma Kapal for pind-daan from early morning; the season total reached 19,85,318, a record for the shrine (Aaj Tak, October 11, quoting Dharmadhikari Swayamvar Semwal). On October 11 Rudraprayag Police said at 12:30 PM and 1 PM that the weather on the Kedarnath footpath and at the temple was clear and the yatra was running smoothly on foot, by horse and mule, by palki and by helicopter, and asked pilgrims to bring warm clothes and their own medicines.
Oct 7–8
Overnight rain and storms brought debris down on the Yamunotri highway at Sarigad early on October 7. Amar Ujala reported at 8:59 AM that the road had reopened between Pali Gad and Janki Chatti but was still shut at Sarigad, with NH Executive Engineer Manoj Rawat’s crews working on it; by 7:06 PM the highway was open but kept stopping as debris fell, with Jangal Chatti, Durbil Band, Jarjar Gad and Syanachatti also affected and the Sarigad stretch muddy and waterlogged. On the Badrinath road on October 8, the Joshimath gate system built a queue of about 7–8 km from the petrol pump through Narsingh temple and Marwari Chowk to Jogidhara, and pilgrims waited one to three hours (Aaj Tak). The Uttarakhand Tourism Department’s figures to October 7: 56.89 lakh pilgrims this season — Badrinath 19,13,895, Kedarnath 16,78,866, Gangotri 9,09,983, Yamunotri 8,10,343 and Hemkund Sahib 3,75,841 — with 35,000–45,000 a day in the first week of October (ETV Bharat, October 8).
Oct 8 · 9 PM
Normal running on all four routes, heavy crowds at Badrinath, and the last Kedarnath helicopter window opens tomorrow. Rudraprayag Police said at 5 PM that the Kedarnath yatra in the Sonprayag area was normal and pilgrims were moving smoothly, and at 8:01 PM counted 7,909 pilgrims at the temple — 4,552 men, 3,293 women and 64 children — taking the season to 16,86,775; earlier, police at Bhimbali and Linchauli reunited a 15-year-old girl who had been separated from her family near the Kedarnath commercial helipad. Chamoli Police said at 4:28 PM that Pitru Paksha has brought a surge of pilgrims to Badrinath and to Brahma Kapal for pind-daan, with more than 19 lakh darshans at Badrinath this season; our own team was at Badrinath and at Dhari Devi today and found the temple forecourt packed on a weekday. IRCTC HeliYatra’s home page says Kedarnath bookings open at 3 PM on October 9 for journeys from October 16 to November 9, the last window before the temple closes. IMD’s district-wise warning page, updated today, has a yellow thunderstorm, lightning and squall warning for Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Tehri, Pauri and Dehradun today; for those six and Haridwar on October 9, with heavy rain also flagged for Dehradun; for Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Tehri and Dehradun on October 10; and nothing on October 11 and 12. Uttarkashi Police’s posts from October 6 to 8 and Chamoli Police’s through 4:28 PM mention no highway blockage, and we found no fresh report from the Sarigad slide zone on the Yamunotri road since October 3.
Oct 5 · 8 PM
Kedarnath is busy and horses are back on the path. Rudraprayag Police said at 7:45 AM that very large numbers of pilgrims had reached the temple and were queueing for darshan, and at 7:19 PM counted 15,881 that day — 8,563 men, 7,215 women and 103 children — taking the season to 16,54,188. At 2:51 PM they said joint police and district teams were checking horse-mule operators and hawkers along the footpath, including ID cards, licences and whether operators holding goods-carrying licences were taking passengers; Amar Ujala reported at 6:40 PM that 35 operators were fined ₹500 each, 5 at Gaurikund, 8 at Bhimbali and 22 at Linchauli. IMD’s district-wise warning page, updated today, has a yellow warning for thunderstorm, lightning and strong winds in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli today and on October 8 and 9, with none for them on the 6th and 7th. IRCTC HeliYatra still lists October 1–15 as its latest Kedarnath window. Chamoli and Uttarkashi Police posted nothing about the highways.
Oct 2–3, 2026
A landslide at Sarigad shut the Yamunotri highway for about six hours on Friday, October 2, without rain to set it off; it reopened around midnight, and on the 3rd the road opened and closed intermittently as debris kept falling. Evening buses from Dehradun and Vikasnagar reached Naugaon and Barkot only at 2:30–3 AM, and a resident of Dhamat said 28 km had taken ten hours. CO Barkot Chanchal Sharma said a police team stayed posted at the slide; locals say the spot has been giving trouble for two months (Amar Ujala, October 3, 4:33 PM).
Sep 30 · 8 PM
Kedarnath’s foot yatra kept running, with a large crowd at the temple. Rudraprayag Police said at 5:01 PM that pilgrims who left Sonprayag and Gaurikund on the morning of the 29th had only reached the temple late that evening, after the heavy rain of the 27th and the path closure of the 28th kept people away, and that the crowd there was large again on the 30th. At 5:09 PM they reported that a large boulder near Chirbasa, about 2.5 km above Gaurikund, had been cleared from the path by PWD workers, and at 7:28 PM that 15,562 pilgrims had reached the temple that day, taking the season total to 1,577,461. Their 9:24 PM post on the 29th had listed horses, mules and dandi-kandi again for the 30th; none of the posts we could read says whether they actually ran, so confirm at Sonprayag before you pay for one. IMD’s district-wise warning page shows no warning for any Uttarakhand district from September 30 to October 4, and IRCTC HeliYatra’s latest Kedarnath window is still October 1–15. We found no blockage reported on the Yamunotri, Gangotri or Badrinath roads: Uttarkashi Police’s posts through 6:17 PM and Chamoli Police’s through 7:32 PM did not mention the highways.
Sep 29 · 10 PM
Kedarnath’s foot yatra ran through the day, and the plan for September 30 lists pony and palki again. Amar Ujala quoted District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar at 9:21 AM saying the Chirbasa footpath was normal and the route had been opened that morning. Rudraprayag Police said at 1:14 PM that pilgrims who left Gaurikund that morning had reached Linchauli in clear, bright weather, and at 3:29 PM that the foot yatra was running smoothly. At 5:41 PM they reported that the damaged stretch near the Chirbasa helipad, about 2.5 km above Gaurikund, had been crossed safely with district administration, police, SDRF, DDRF and NDRF teams present, and gave BKTC’s counts: 4,160 pilgrims at the temple by 5 PM and 1,561,899 so far this season. At 9:24 PM they posted the plan for Wednesday, September 30: clear weather on the route and at the temple, the foot yatra starting from Gaurikund at the scheduled time after the Sonprayag shuttle, pilgrims free to go on foot, by horse-mule or by dandi-kandi (palki-pitthu), helicopters running smoothly, and special care near Chirbasa, where police and administration teams will be present and pilgrims should cross under their guidance. That reverses the morning’s walkers-only arrangement, but it is a plan, so confirm at Sonprayag that horses and palkis are actually running before you pay for one. IMD’s district-wise warning page, updated September 29, shows no warning for any Uttarakhand district from September 29 to October 3. We found no blockage reported on the Yamunotri, Gangotri or Badrinath roads: Uttarkashi Police’s only post of the day (12:16 PM) was about the high-altitude rescue, Chamoli Police’s posts through 7:49 PM did not mention the highway, and Amar Ujala reported clear weather and rising pilgrim numbers at Yamunotri. On the rescue above Gangotri, ETV Bharat reported at 10:01 AM that all 19 trekkers stranded at Kalindi Khal were out, and Times Now said at 1:09 PM that 16 more mountaineers were flown out of Kalindi Pass and Mount Jogin, taking the two-day total to 56 and completing the Kalindi Pass operation; Amar Ujala’s count is 60, so outlets differ on the totals, and Uttarkashi Police said the rescue of trekkers and porters in the high Himalaya was still continuing.
Sep 29 · AM
The Kedarnath foot yatra restarted this morning, for walkers only. Rudraprayag Police said at 8:53 PM last night that the footpath near Chirbasa, about 2.5 km above Gaurikund, was still damaged by debris and stones, that the weather in the Kedar valley had turned bad later in the day so the path could not be restored, and that the decision on restarting would be taken only after the night’s weather and the path had been checked this morning. At 7:16 AM they reported that the foot yatra had begun from Sonprayag and Gaurikund, with pilgrims sent up in small groups; because the path near Chirbasa is narrow, horses, mules and palkis are not running for now and only walkers are being sent ahead. A 7:54 AM post said helicopters are also flying smoothly and asked pilgrims to travel with the weather and path conditions in mind. IMD Dehradun’s 9:30 AM district bulletin carries no weather warning for September 29 to October 3: very light to light rain or a thundershower at isolated places in every district today, at isolated places in the hill districts on the 30th and in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh on October 1 and 2, then dry everywhere on October 3 and 4 — a step down from the light to moderate showers at a few places in the yatra districts that last evening’s bulletin had for today. Neither Uttarkashi nor Chamoli Police had posted about a blocked highway by about 9:30 AM, and we found no report of a blockage on the Yamunotri, Gangotri or Badrinath roads this morning. Above Gangotri, Amar Ujala reported at 9:09 AM that four more trekkers were brought out of Kalindi Khal to the Harsil helipad, after 29 were brought out of Auden’s Col and 11 from the Kalindi Pass base on the 28th; it counted 97 mountaineers still stranded on other peaks and passes, with SDRF, ITBP, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and Forest Department teams involved. The Hemkund Sahib yatra, suspended with the rest on the 26th, restarted on the 28th from Govindghat: at most 2,500 pilgrims a day are being allowed, people over 60 and children are not being permitted for now while snow lies on the trail, and at least 750–800 set out on the first day (The Tribune).
Sep 28, 2026
The yatra restarted, but the Kedarnath trek shut again by afternoon. Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop ordered the Char Dham Yatra resumed this morning as the weather improved (Panchjanya, 10:37 AM), with district magistrates free to pause it locally if roads block. Uttarkashi Police said at 8:18 AM that the Yamunotri and Gangotri yatra is running normally; the restart sent two days of held traffic up NH-134 at once, and Amar Ujala reported a jam of about two kilometres from Silai Band to Syanachatti at 12:35 PM, with the Bhandeli Gad alternative footpath to Yamunotri muddy and risky by the evening. Rudraprayag Police reported normal traffic through Sirobagarh at 9:51 AM, and Badrinath and Brahmakapal were busy again once the weather cleared. On the Kedarnath trek, Amar Ujala reported that a five-year-old boy from Etah, Uttar Pradesh, returning from darshan in a kandi with his parents, had been killed by falling stones near Chirbasa on the evening of September 27, and that rescue teams took about 1,500 stranded pilgrims across overnight. Repairs at Chirbasa ran through the morning while returning pilgrims were escorted across, and helicopters flew pilgrims up while the weather held, but early-afternoon rain brought another landslide. DDMO Nandan Singh Rajwar said the Kedarnath yatra was stopped at 1 PM, with pilgrims held at Sonprayag and Gaurikund and those coming down held at halts on the way, until the path is reopened. At 5:30 PM Rudraprayag Police said the stretch remains extremely sensitive, with stones falling continuously. Elsewhere, the Rudraprayag–Pokhari road was shut for about seven hours by boulders at Bajun Bend until about 1 PM, and in Uttarkashi a rescue is under way for trekkers and mountaineers caught in the high Himalaya during the storm; Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed it at the State Emergency Operation Centre and District Magistrate Prashant Arya went to Harsil. IMD Dehradun’s 6 PM forecast carries no warning for September 29 through October 2, with light showers at a few places in the yatra districts on the 29th and isolated ones after.
Sep 27, 2026
The yatra stayed suspended all day, and by 8 PM no restart had been announced. The Rishikesh–Badrinath highway was blocked at Sirobagarh, on the Rudraprayag–Pauri border, at about 8 AM when rocks and debris came down, stranding pilgrim vehicles on both sides; Srinagar Police asked drivers to wait at safe places, and Rudraprayag Police reported the road reopened at 4:25 PM after clearing. On the Kedarnath trek, debris and stones blocked the footpath near Chirbasa, about 2.5 km above Gaurikund — the stretch damaged on September 11 and 13 — and Rudraprayag Police said at 6:43 PM that continuous rain and falling stones had stopped it being cleared. At 7:45 PM they said the decision on reopening the foot yatra will be taken on the morning of September 28, once the weather and the path have been checked. In Uttarkashi, Amar Ujala reported at 5:40 PM that the Gangotri highway was blocked by debris at Dharasu, opening and closing intermittently, and the Yamunotri highway at Chami and Barnigad; one to four feet of snow fell on the Gomukh track and in the Nelang–Jadung valley. IMD Dehradun’s warning for the day had Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Pauri on red and Dehradun, Tehri and Haridwar on orange; for September 28 every yatra district is on yellow, with heavy rain only in Uttarkashi and Dehradun, and September 29 and 30 carry no warning. Rudraprayag Police advised pilgrims to carry warm clothes for Kedarnath once the yatra restarts, since snow on the surrounding peaks has brought the temperature down sharply.
Sep 26, 2026
The Char Dham Yatra is suspended until September 27. It was still running in the morning: All India Radio reported at 9:44 AM that it would continue, with pilgrims held at holding areas in heavy rain, and Rudraprayag Police said at 8:50 AM that the Kedarnath foot yatra was moving smoothly in light rain, although helicopter services were disrupted by bad weather. Around midday the Uttarkashi district magistrate stopped the Gangotri and Yamunotri yatra, holding pilgrims at the Heena and Dobata holding points (Amar Ujala, 1:26 PM). IMD Dehradun’s 12:30 PM district warning raised Rudraprayag and Chamoli to a red alert for today — heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain at isolated places — and kept Dehradun, Tehri and Pauri on red for September 27. Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop then suspended the yatra on all four routes from the afternoon of the 26th through the 27th; Chamoli Police announced it at 2:44 PM, Uttarkashi Police at 5:18 PM and Rudraprayag Police at 6:01 PM, asking pilgrims not to travel and to stay at safe places until a restart is announced. The Hemkund Sahib yatra and high-altitude trekking are suspended too. At 6:36 PM the Sonprayag station house officer, Suresh Chandra Baluni, was telling pilgrims held in the Sonprayag area about the suspension and asking them to stay somewhere safe. Rain reached the routes in the afternoon — 41.5 mm at Janki Chatti, 35 mm at Gangotri and 38.5 mm at Auli between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM — and IMD’s 6:30 PM warning keeps Dehradun, Tehri and Pauri on red for September 27, with heavy to very heavy rain at a few places in every other district. Rudraprayag Police reported rain at Kedarnath and light snow on the hills around it at 12:28 PM, and Chamoli Police posted Hemkund Sahib under snow. No highway blockage on the four dham routes had been reported by 7 PM.
Sep 25, 2026
The forecast hardened. IMD Dehradun’s district warning issued at 6:30 PM raised September 27 to a red alert for extremely heavy rain in Dehradun, Tehri, Haridwar and Pauri and added Rudraprayag to the orange list for the 26th; IMD’s national bulletin that night flagged extremely heavy rain over Uttarakhand on both the 26th and the 27th. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami asked residents and pilgrims to avoid unnecessary travel on both days and put district officials on round-the-clock alert, and Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman ordered special monitoring of the Char Dham routes, weather-based regulation of hill traffic and JCBs stationed at slide zones. Rudraprayag’s district magistrate closed schools and anganwadi centres for September 26. On the ground the day was quiet: Rudraprayag Police posted video from Linchauli at 2:52 PM saying the Kedarnath yatra was running smoothly, and IMD recorded just 3 mm at Soneprayag between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM. On the Badrinath highway, Amar Ujala reported that police had brought back the gate system on the Jyotirmath–Marwari stretch from September 24, because of hill-cutting work and rising yatra traffic.
Sep 24, 2026
A late wet spell is on the way. IMD Dehradun's district warning, issued at 6 PM, has heavy to very heavy rain at a few places in Chamoli, Dehradun and Pauri on September 26, and in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri on September 27, with very intense to extremely intense spells, lightning and gusty wind of 30–50 km/h; heavy rain continues at isolated places in Uttarkashi and Dehradun on September 28, and the state outlook eases from September 29. IMD's national bulletin tonight flags isolated extremely heavy rain over Uttarakhand on September 26, and puts the monsoon withdrawal line just west of the state, through Chandigarh and Muzaffarnagar. On the Kedarnath trek, Rudraprayag Police said at 4 PM that the stretch near Chirbasa, about 2.5 km above Gaurikund, is still damaged: the executing agency repairs it in the gaps when pilgrim numbers are low, police escort people across when they are moving, and the foot yatra is currently running smoothly. None of the Rudraprayag, Chamoli or Uttarkashi police accounts reported a blockage on the four dham highways on September 23–24. IRCTC has not yet opened a Kedarnath helicopter window beyond October 15.
Sep 23, 2026
Snow on the high trail above Badrinath. Amar Ujala reported snowfall on the Badrinath–Satopanth route on the evening of September 23 as the weather turned, heavy around Chakratirth. That is the trekking trail beyond Mana, not the motor road to the temple, but it is the first sign of the season turning at Badrinath — nights in the town get cold from here.
Sep 22, 2026
IRCTC HeliYatra opened the next Kedarnath booking window today at 3 PM, for travel between October 1 and 15 — about 8,340 tickets in this release, on the Sirsi, Phata and Guptkashi sectors. Hemkund Sahib bookings opened at 5 PM for October 1 to 10. Char Dham registration is mandatory before you can book, and heliyatra.irctc.co.in is the only official site; UCADA CEO Prateek Jain has again warned against lookalike booking sites. The MI helicopter service from Jolly Grant stays suspended with an engine fault, while charter operations from Sahastradhara continue. On the ground, Rudraprayag Police reported this morning that the Kedarnath yatra is running smoothly with pilgrims queuing for darshan.
Sep 15, 2026
The Kedarnath trek reopened. Rudraprayag Police cleared the route for pilgrim movement at about 8:30 AM after police, district disaster-response teams and PWD crews removed the debris near the Chirbasa helipad, roughly 2.5 km above Gaurikund. By 10:15 AM the State Emergency Operation Centre reported 7,350 pilgrims moved through the affected section — those coming down from Kedarnath escorted across to Gaurikund, and those held at Sonprayag released upward. The second phase of the Char Dham Yatra began the same day, with Kedarnath helicopter services resuming after the monsoon suspension.
Sep 13–14, 2026
The hillside came down again near Chirbasa at about 5:05 PM on September 13, blocking the path a second time, and Rudraprayag Police said it was not safe to reopen while rain continued and stones kept falling. One local resident was killed by a boulder on September 14. That evening roughly 7,200 pilgrims and about 1,200 mules were moved off the route by the SDRF post at Sonprayag working with police, DDRF and the district administration; pilgrims were held at Sonprayag, Gaurikund and Jungle Chatti, and those above the slide were walked down from Bhimbali to Gaurikund one at a time under escort.
Sep 12, 2026
After rain overnight on September 11 the Kedarnath trek was blocked again near the Chirbasa helipad by fresh debris and stones. The District Disaster Management Officer, Nandan Singh Rajwar, stopped pilgrim movement at Sonprayag and Gaurikund as a precaution, DDMA teams from Guptkashi were sent to clear the path, and the administration said the route would reopen only once restored and declared safe.
Sep 11, 2026
A rockfall on the morning of September 11 brought stones and debris down from the hillside near the Chirbasa helipad on the Kedarnath trek, damaging part of the route. Foot pilgrims were moved through under regulation while crews cleared the path; horse, mule and dandi-kandi services were halted because of the boulders on the track.
Sep 4, 2026
The Badrinath highway (NH-58) was blocked for about six hours at Parthadeep near Nandprayag in Chamoli, from roughly 6 AM to noon, after heavy rain brought a large volume of debris down onto the road. Around 500 pilgrims were held up. NHIDCL cleared it with two JCBs under Executive Engineer Onkar Pandey, while police diverted small vehicles via the Nandprayag–Saikot–Kothialsain road. NHIDCL had concreted about 20 metres of this stretch earlier in the season, but the monsoon reactivated the slide zone.
Sep 3, 2026
Heavy rain in Rudraprayag pushed the Alaknanda and Mandakini close to warning level, and residents were told to keep away from riverbanks. IMD placed Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Bageshwar under an orange alert for very heavy rain on September 3–4, with lighter rain expected through September 7. No highway blockage was reported on the yatra routes that week.
Sep 1, 2026
IMD Dehradun keeps heavy rain at isolated places in the forecast for September 1 across Pauri, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Nainital, Champawat and Haridwar. Unlike the mid-August spell, this one does name all three yatra districts — Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Rudraprayag. The standing State Emergency Operations Centre direction applies: trekking is not to be permitted while rain is actually falling, so a Gaurikund start can be held at the barrier and released when it eases. State control room 0135-2710306, toll-free 1070.
Aug 31, 2026
A wet end to the month. IMD forecast heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Dehradun, Bageshwar, Chamoli and Nainital, with thunderstorms, lightning and very intense to extremely intense spells in the same four districts, plus heavy rain across Tehri, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar. The standing warning with this pattern is small-to-moderate landslides blocking hill highways across Garhwal and Kumaon.
Aug 29, 2026
Kedarnath helicopter services are being prepared to resume on September 15. Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra confirmed that a DGCA team will inspect in the first week of September and that services resume after it, with heli-ticket booking dates announced separately. The services have been suspended since July 1 for the monsoon. This is the second phase of the Kedarnath Yatra, running from September until the temple closes in November — treat September 15 as the plan rather than a fixed date, since it depends on the inspection clearing.
Aug 27, 2026
The Badrinath highway collapsed at Hathi Pahad, the chronic slide point close to Badrinath, and took about eight hours to restore once the debris was cleared. This was the longest single closure on the route this season — by the state PWD's own comparison, no Badrinath blockage ran past 24 hours in 2026, against repeated multi-day closures in earlier years.
Aug 14–17, 2026
IMD Dehradun issued a fresh multi-day warning on the afternoon of August 14. The orange alert moves district to district: August 14 covered Dehradun, Pauri, Haridwar, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Nainital; August 15 narrowed to Pithoragarh and Bageshwar; August 16 covers Dehradun, Champawat, Bageshwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital; August 17 covers Dehradun, Pauri and Tehri. Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Rudraprayag — the three districts the yatra routes actually run through — are on yellow alert rather than orange for this spell. The State Emergency Operations Centre ordered that trekking not be permitted during active rainfall, put road-clearing crews on standby for national and state highways, and arranged food and medical kits for anyone stranded. State control room 0135-2710306, toll-free 1070.
Aug 13, 2026
Char Dham registrations for the 2026 season crossed 50 lakh — Kedarnath 19.34 lakh and Badrinath 17.79 lakh between them. The two shrines have taken more than ₹74.5 crore in offerings and revenue so far, roughly ₹37 crore of it at Kedarnath. Officials confirmed arrangements were running normally despite the seasonal rain.
Aug 11, 2026
The state reported the yatra continuing smoothly through the monsoon, with 30,62,228 pilgrims having completed darshan at the two main shrines — 16,12,112 at Kedarnath and 14,50,116 at Badrinath. Worth knowing if you are planning a September trip: this is already a record-pace season, so book hotels and vehicles earlier than you normally would for the post-monsoon window.
Aug 7, 2026
Asan Barrage near Dehradun released roughly 39,000 cusecs into the Yamuna for about three hours after debris clogged the trash-rack screen; five warning sirens sounded at 8:15 AM. No Char Dham highway was cut, but it is a fair marker of how much water the catchments were carrying this week.
Aug 6, 2026
A heavy-rain day that hit three of the four routes. The Badrinath highway was blocked near Helang (Chamoli) when debris and loose rock came down; the Chamoli administration asked pilgrims, tourists and residents to avoid unnecessary travel on the stretch until it was declared safe. The Gangotri highway (NH-34) was blocked near Dharasu Nalu Pani, then reopened for small vehicles near Papdagad with heavy vehicles restored after. The Yamunotri highway (NH-134) was blocked near Silai Bend in the Durbil area and again near Silaiband at Syanachatti. NHAI, BRO and PWD crews worked all three with heavy machinery.
Aug 5, 2026
IMD placed ten Uttarakhand districts on alert through August 10 — orange alert for Dehradun and Bageshwar, heavy rain forecast for Tehri, Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Nainital, Champawat and Pithoragarh. Schools shut in Dehradun and Bageshwar. CM Dhami directed SDRF, NDRF and district administrations to stay on immediate-response footing; pilgrims were asked to follow advisories and keep clear of rivers and drains.
Aug 3–4, 2026
The Karnaprayag–Nainisain motor road in Chamoli was cut for more than 24 hours after a section of hillside collapsed near Peepalsera. This is a district link road, not one of the four dham highways, but it is the connection dozens of villages depend on and it has come down repeatedly since late July — worth knowing if your itinerary uses Karnaprayag as a halt.
Jul 30, 2026
Char Dham Yatra resumed at 6 AM across all four routes after a two-day administrative halt. The Special Officer on Duty confirmed the pilgrimage restarted smoothly on directions from the Garhwal Commissioner; minor blockages from ongoing rain are still being cleared as they occur.
Jul 28–29, 2026
Yatra paused for two days as heavy rain triggered fresh landslides: the Badrinath highway (NH-58) was blocked near Bhanerpani in the Pipalkoti area (Chamoli district), and the Pokhari–Rudraprayag motor road was blocked about 1 km before Guniyala Khal by large rocks and debris. NDRF, SDRF, police and road-clearing crews were deployed; rivers in Rudraprayag district (Alaknanda, Mandakini) neared warning levels and IMD issued red/orange alerts.
Jul 12, 2026
Landslide blocked the Kedarnath highway at Munkatiya, near Sonprayag (Rudraprayag), after continuous heavy rain. JCBs deployed and vehicular movement restored; the district disaster control room confirmed the yatra continued. Debris also fell near Mussoorie Bend (Kempty) on the Tehri side, briefly suspending the Nainbagh route.
Jul 3, 2026
IMD issued an orange alert for heavy-to-very-heavy rain across Uttarakhand. Authorities advised pilgrims to avoid unnecessary night travel and expect 3–5 hour delays on major highways; NH-58 near Joshimath reported partial blockage, with Patalganga and Tangni points shutting intermittently.
Jul 1, 2026
Kedarnath helicopter services suspended due to poor visibility and high winds; shuttle and pony/palki operations from Gaurikund continued as weather allowed.
Apr 2026
Government sanctioned ₹461 crore for landslide mitigation at 17 sensitive locations on the Yamunotri route (NH-134) — slope and drainage work is ongoing, so expect single-lane stretches this season.

Sources: Uttarakhand district disaster control rooms, IMD advisories and on-ground driver reports. For anything happening right now, call the helplines listed under live road status.

Char Dham road status today — quick view

Yamunotri
● Open · Sarigad slide zone, allow buffer
NH-134, Dharasu → Barkot → Janki Chatti
Gangotri
● Open · closes Nov 10
NH-34, Uttarkashi → Harsil → Gangotri
Kedarnath
● Open · closes Nov 11
NH-109, Rudraprayag → Sonprayag → Gaurikund
Badrinath
● Open · leave Joshimath early
NH-58, Joshimath → Govindghat → Badrinath

Status reflects the typical October 29, 2026 season picture, not a minute-by-minute feed. Always verify live before travel.

Should I drive it now? Quick risk check

Pick a route and travel month for an honest read — and exactly which source to verify on the day.

Route
When are you travelling?
Peak season — clear & dry
● Good to go — Kedarnath, Apr–Jun
Road runs to Sonprayag/Gaurikund then a 16 km trek. Fata–Sitapur is ~99% widened, but Sirobgad, Munkatiya (Sonprayag) and Sitapur are landslide-sensitive in rain.
Still confirm the morning you drive — UTDB advisories + IMD district warning.

Planning aid only — not a live feed. Roads can shut within hours during monsoon. Verify with UTDB, IMD and the district control room before you set off.

Route-by-route road condition

Yamunotri road condition — Open · Sarigad slide zone, allow buffer

The slowest-progressing route under the all-weather project (~57% widened). Expect narrow single-lane patches between Dharasu Bend and Janki Chatti, plus the most frequent monsoon landslide closures of the four. The last 5–6 km from Janki Chatti to the temple is a steep trek or pony/palki. Current watch (October 29, 2026, 7 PM): the yatra is running, and Uttarkashi Police’s posts on October 29 mention no closure on NH-134. Uttarkashi Police said at 11:56 AM that light snow and rain were falling at Yamunotri, and asked pilgrims to carry warm clothes, an umbrella and a raincoat. The season’s first snow there fell on October 25 (PTI). IMD had forecast rain at some places in Uttarakhand to November 1, heavy at some places on October 30 (Aaj Tak, October 27), and rain is when Sarigad slides, so keep a buffer. Yamunotri closes for winter at 10:28 AM on November 11. Earlier, on October 22: Uttarkashi Police’s posts on October 21 and 22 mentioned no closure. Earlier, on October 12: the yatra is running, and Uttarkashi Police’s October 12 post shows darshan going on at the shrine. The weak spot is Sarigad, which slid twice in a week: a landslide with no rain behind it shut NH-134 for about six hours on October 2, and overnight rain brought debris down again early on October 7, when the road reopened between Pali Gad and Janki Chatti in the morning but stayed shut at Sarigad, and by evening was open but stop-start, with Jangal Chatti, Durbil Band, Jarjar Gad and Syanachatti also affected (Amar Ujala). NH crews under Executive Engineer Manoj Rawat keep machines at the weak spots. We found no report of a closure since, but allow several hours of buffer and do not reach Sarigad late in the day. IMD has no warning for Uttarkashi from October 12 to 14, a yellow thunderstorm and strong-wind warning on October 15, and none on the 16th. It is cold at the shrine now. This route took repeated hits through the first week of September — Syanachatti, Ranachatti and Silai Band are the named trouble points, and NH-134 was blocked twice on August 6 near Silai Bend in the Durbil area and near Silaiband at Syanachatti. This is the route where a rain day is most likely to cost you hours, so build the buffer here.

Gangotri road condition — Open · closes Nov 10

Largely motorable right up to the temple. The Uttarkashi–Gangotri stretch is scenic but has a handful of chronic slide spots near Gangnani and Sungar that get cleared quickly. Snow can briefly shut the road in early and late season. Current watch (October 29, 2026, 7 PM): the yatra is running, and Uttarkashi Police’s posts on October 29 mention no closure on NH-34. The season’s first snow fell at Gangotri from about 10 AM on October 29, with heavy snow on the Gomukh track (ETV Bharat), and Uttarkashi Police reported light snow and rain at the shrine. IMD had forecast rain at some places in Uttarakhand to November 1, heavy at some places on October 30 (Aaj Tak, October 27), and nights at Gangotri and Harsil are below freezing. Gangotri closes for winter at 12:05 PM on November 10 (IND24). Earlier, on October 22: Uttarkashi Police’s posts on October 21 and 22 mentioned no closure. Earlier, on October 12: the yatra is running, and we found no report of a blockage on NH-34 since the restart on September 28; Uttarkashi Police’s posts through October 12 mention none. Gangotri recorded 9,09,983 pilgrims this season up to October 7 (Uttarakhand Tourism, via ETV Bharat). One to four feet of snow fell on the Gomukh track and in the Nelang–Jadung valley on September 27, so nights at Gangotri and Harsil are cold. IMD has no warning for Uttarkashi from October 12 to 14, a yellow thunderstorm and strong-wind warning on October 15, and none on the 16th. Through early September the recurring slide zones were Dharasu, Bhatwadi and Nalupani, with sudden falls on the Bhatwadi–Dabrani stretch; on August 6 NH-34 was blocked near Dharasu Nalu Pani and reopened near Papdagad for small vehicles first, with heavy vehicles restored after — the usual sequence here, so a car gets through well before a bus does.

Kedarnath road condition — Open · closes Nov 11

The road end is Sonprayag; from there a shuttle runs to Gaurikund, and the 16–18 km trek (or pony/palki) begins. The Fata–Sitapur section is now about 99% widened, so the drive up is far smoother than it used to be. Current watch (October 29, 2026, 7 PM): the yatra is running. Snow fell at Kedarnath on the morning of October 29, its second in a week, and Rudraprayag Police said at 11:45 AM that the temperature had dropped and asked pilgrims to wear a warm jacket, woollens, a cap, gloves and warm socks, and to get medical help at once for heavy shivering or breathing trouble; District Magistrate Vishal Mishra made the same appeal (ETV Bharat). Their posts on October 28 and 29 mention no closure of the road or the footpath. Kedarnath had 8,376 darshans on October 28 and 18,53,032 for the season (Amar Ujala). The path can be icy in the early morning, and IMD had forecast rain at some places in Uttarakhand to November 1, heavy at some places on October 30 (Aaj Tak, October 27), so walk Chirbasa early and keep a spare day. Kedarnath closes at 8:30 AM on Bhai Dooj, November 11 (Panchjanya). Earlier, on October 22: Rudraprayag Police said at 8:22 AM that the weather at the temple was completely clear and the yatra was running smoothly, and at 9:03 AM that parking at Sitapur and Sonprayag was largely full. Earlier, on October 12: the Kedarnath yatra is running in full. Rudraprayag Police said at 12:30 PM and 1 PM on October 11 that the weather on the footpath and at the temple was clear and pilgrims were reaching the temple on foot, by horse and mule, by palki and by helicopter, and asked them to carry warm clothes, a cap and their own medicines. The season reached 16,86,775 by October 8 (Rudraprayag Police). Horse and mule operators were checked for licences along the path on October 5, and 35 were fined ₹500 each at Gaurikund, Bhimbali and Linchauli (Amar Ujala), so ask to see a passenger licence before you hire. The weak point is still Chirbasa, about 2.5 km above Gaurikund: rockfall shut the footpath there on September 11 and 13, falling stones killed a five-year-old pilgrim in a kandi there on September 27, a fresh slide stopped the yatra on September 28, and PWD workers cleared a large boulder there on September 30. IMD has no warning for Rudraprayag from October 12 to 14 and a yellow thunderstorm and strong-wind warning on October 15; an afternoon storm can hold the helicopters and loosen stones at Chirbasa, so walk that stretch early and keep a spare day. Helicopters: the season’s last IRCTC window, for journeys from October 16 to November 9, opened on October 9 — book only on heliyatra.irctc.co.in, with your Char Dham registration number. The Munkatiya point near Sonprayag is the road's own weak spot in heavy rain.

Badrinath road condition — Open · leave Joshimath early

You can drive to the temple gate — no trek. The one stretch to respect is the gated section around Joshimath–Badrinath, where the army/BRO regulate one-way traffic through narrow cuttings. Current watch (October 29, 2026, 7 PM): Chamoli Police’s posts on October 28 and 29 mention no closure on NH-58. Snow fell on the high peaks around Badrinath, including Nar-Narayan, on the morning of October 29, while the town itself turned cold (ETV Bharat; Amar Ujala). Badrinath had 21,06,837 pilgrims by October 24 (Amar Ujala). IMD had forecast rain at some places in Uttarakhand to November 1, heavy at some places on October 30 (Aaj Tak, October 27). The Joshimath gate system was the bottleneck through mid-October, so leave Joshimath early. Badrinath closes at 9:37 PM on November 16. Earlier, on October 22: Chamoli Police’s posts on October 21 and 22 mentioned no closure. Earlier, on October 12: the yatra is running and Badrinath is having a record season — 28,094 darshans on Sarvapitru Amavasya, October 10, and 19,85,318 for the season, past the 2023 record of 18.39 lakh (Aaj Tak; IANS). The bottleneck is the road at Joshimath, not the highway itself: since September 24 police have run a gate system on the damaged Jyotirmath–Marwari stretch, holding vehicles bound for Badrinath between the Jyotirmath petrol pump and Narsingh temple and those coming down near Marwari, releasing each side in turn (Amar Ujala, quoting Kotwal Devendra Rawat). Each side waits about an hour, and on October 8 the queue ran 7–8 km to Jogidhara with waits of one to three hours (Aaj Tak), so leave Joshimath early. We found no report of a blockage on NH-58 since the September 27 closure at Sirobagarh, and Chamoli Police’s posts through 6:41 PM on October 12 mention none. Hemkund Sahib closed for winter at about 1 PM on October 10, after fresh snow the day before, so the Govindghat–Ghangaria trek is shut until next season. IMD has no warning for Chamoli from October 12 to 16. Nights at Badrinath are cold now. The route's last two closures were both cleared the same day — about six hours at Parthadeep near Nandprayag on September 4, with roughly 500 pilgrims held up and NHIDCL clearing it with two JCBs, and about eight hours at Hathi Pahad on August 27. No Badrinath closure has run past 24 hours this season, which is better than the route's recent record. Helang, Patalganga, Tangni, Lambagad and Pipalkoti are the recurring boulder-fall points during heavy rain. Time your run with the gate timings and check the morning status.

Char Dham route map, distances & driving times

Most pilgrims base out of Haridwar or Rishikesh. Here are the approximate road distances and realistic driving times from Haridwar — mountain roads are slow, so budget more than a flatland map suggests.

Route
Distance
Drive time
At the end
Haridwar → Janki Chatti (Yamunotri base)
~225 km
8–9 hrs
+ 5–6 km trek to temple
Haridwar → Gangotri
~250 km
9–10 hrs
Motorable to temple
Haridwar → Sonprayag (Kedarnath base)
~245 km
8–9 hrs
+ 16–18 km trek to temple
Haridwar → Badrinath
~320 km
10–11 hrs
Motorable to temple

Distances are approximate and vary with diversions. See our full Char Dham route map for the stop-by-stop plan.

Char Dham highway project — where it actually stands

The roads keep improving because of the Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana (the all-weather road project), launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. It widens about 825 km of national highways to the four shrines, split into 53 packages and built by Uttarakhand PWD, the BRO and NHIDCL.

By mid-2025, roughly 629 km were complete. That is why the drive to Kedarnath and Badrinath feels so much smoother than it did a decade ago — the Kedarnath-side Fata–Sitapur section is now about 99% done. The laggard is the Yamunotri route (NH-134), only ~57% widened, with land acquisition still pending in patches. In April 2026 the government sanctioned ₹461 crore for landslide mitigation at 17 sensitive locations on NH-134, but that slope and drainage work isn't finished, so the Yamunotri leg stays the bumpiest of the four.

825 km
total project
53
packages
~629 km
done (mid-2025)
~57%
Yamunotri NH-134

Road conditions by season

Summer (Apr–Jun): the easiest window. Roads are clear and dry; the only real friction is traffic at peak darshan dates and the odd queue at single-lane stretches. Start early each morning to beat both.

Monsoon (Jul–Aug): the risky stretch. Heavy rain triggers landslides and short closures, and the Yamunotri and Kedarnath approaches are the first to shut. The yatra doesn't stop, but you build in buffer days and never drive these roads after dark.

Post-monsoon (Sep–Nov): our favourite. Skies clear, slides ease off, crowds thin out, and the mountains look their best before the temples close for winter. Carry warm layers — nights get cold fast.

Landslide-prone stretches & alternative routes

The spots that cause most delays are Dharasu–Janki Chatti (Yamunotri, with Silai Bend and Syanachatti both coming down on August 6), around Gangnani and Dharasu Nalu Pani (Gangotri), Rudraprayag–Sonprayag and Munkatiya (Kedarnath), and Helang, Patalganga, Tangni and Lambagad on the run up to Badrinath. JCB teams clear them quickly, but a blockage can cost you a couple of hours.

When the main highway shuts toward Kedarnath or Badrinath, drivers fall back on these approaches:

Mountain driving rules on the Char Dham routes

These are enforced at checkposts, not advisory. The night ban in particular catches out drivers who plan to make up time after dark.

10 PM–4 AM vehicle ban
All vehicles, private and commercial, are banned from every Char Dham route between 10 PM and 4 AM. Plan to reach your overnight stop by 9 PM at the latest.
Heavy vehicle restrictions
Commercial trucks over 7.5 tonnes are restricted on several sections, and large tourist buses are often directed via alternate routes in peak season.
Vehicle fitness and permits
Commercial vehicles need valid Uttarakhand Tourism permits. Private vehicles need a valid PUC certificate and should carry a spare tyre.
No stopping in rockfall zones
Yellow and red marked stretches mean active rockfall risk. Do not stop, photograph or walk there. Keep moving.
No overtaking on narrow sections
On single-lane stretches follow the traffic marshal. Overtaking on mountain bends is the single biggest cause of accidents on these roads.
Green Card for non-Uttarakhand vehicles
Vehicles registered outside Uttarakhand need the ₹50 Green Card from greencard.uk.gov.in. It is checked at entry checkposts.

How to check live road status today

Don't plan around a forwarded WhatsApp clip. Check the sources that actually carry verified advisories, and call a local control room for anything happening right now:

There are also 177 ambulances stationed along the routes and an AIIMS Rishikesh helicopter ambulance for emergencies — useful to know if you're travelling with elderly pilgrims. Honestly, the quickest real-time check we have is calling our own drivers each morning before they roll; if you're booked with us, just ask and we'll tell you exactly what's moving.

Is the road safe for senior citizens and children?

For the most part, yes — if you choose the right legs. Badrinath needs no trek and Gangotri is motorable to the temple, so both are comfortable for elderly pilgrims and small kids. Kedarnath is the one to plan: arrange a pony or palki rather than attempting the 16 km trek with seniors. The helicopter shortcut is back — services resumed on September 15 after the monsoon suspension and IRCTC is selling sectors again — but flights are weather-dependent and seats are limited, so hold the pony or palki booking as the fallback and treat the chopper as the bonus. Check first, though: on the morning of September 29 Rudraprayag Police said horses, mules and palkis were not running near Chirbasa while the path there is narrow, and their plan for September 30 listed them again, but we could not confirm that they had restarted, so check at Sonprayag before you rely on them. Give yourself a rest day to adjust to altitude, travel only in daylight on the hill sections, and keep medicines and a power bank within reach.

Plan the rest of your yatra:
Char Dham Yatra Packages →Char Dham Route Map →Kedarnath Yatra →Badrinath Temple Guide →Badrinath Weather →Char Dham Cab Booking →

Want the road called before you leave?

We run Char Dham trips out of Haridwar daily — our drivers know which stretch is moving today. Ask us to plan around it.

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People Also Ask

The questions pilgrims most commonly search on Google about this yatra.

As of October 29, 2026, 7 PM, yes on all four routes. Snow fell at all four shrines on the morning of October 29 — at Kedarnath, at Yamunotri and Gangotri with rain, and on the peaks above Badrinath — but Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi Police reported no highway closure. IMD had forecast rain at some places in Uttarakhand to November 1, heavy at some places on October 30 (Aaj Tak, October 27), so allow extra time and carry warm and rain layers. Gangotri closes at 12:05 PM on November 10, Yamunotri (10:28 AM) and Kedarnath (8:30 AM) on November 11, and Badrinath at 9:37 PM on November 16. The last Kedarnath helicopter window, to November 9, is on IRCTC. Check the police accounts the morning you travel.
No. Vehicle movement on all Char Dham routes is banned between 10 PM and 4 AM — for private and commercial vehicles alike. The rule cuts accident risk from fog, landslide debris and poor visibility on narrow hill roads, and violations attract penalties. Plan each leg so you reach your night halt before 8–9 PM.
Every commercial passenger vehicle running on Uttarakhand hill routes — Char Dham, Chopta and other hill destinations — must carry a valid Green Card issued after a fitness check by the transport department. Vehicles without one are turned back at checkpoints. All Shiv Ganga Travels vehicles carry current Green Cards and trip cards, so our guests never face this issue.
Yamunotri (NH-134) is the roughest. It is only about 57% widened under the all-weather project, has narrow single-lane sections between Dharasu and Janki Chatti, and historically sees the most landslide closures. The government approved ₹461 crore in April 2026 for slope and drainage work at 17 sensitive spots on this stretch, but it is not finished yet.
No. The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana covers about 825 km across 53 packages. Roughly 629 km were complete by mid-2025, so most of the network is done but pockets — chiefly the Yamunotri route — are still under construction. The Kedarnath route (Fata–Sitapur) is about 99% complete.
Use official sources, not random social posts: the UTDB tourism site for advisories, the IMD site for district rain warnings, and the Uttarakhand Police / district control room helplines (112 and 1070) for live closures. We also call our drivers on the ground each morning — that is usually the fastest read on what is actually moving.
The usual trouble spots are the Dharasu–Janki Chatti section on the Yamunotri route, patches near Gangnani on the Gangotri road, the Rudraprayag–Sonprayag stretch toward Kedarnath, and the gated Joshimath–Badrinath cuttings. These get cleared fast by JCB teams, but they cause the delays you hear about.
Yes, with planning. Badrinath needs no trek at all and Gangotri is motorable to the temple, so both suit elderly pilgrims. For Kedarnath, a pony or palki avoids the trek, and helicopter services have been running again since September 15 after the monsoon suspension — but sectors are limited and weather cancels flights, so keep the pony or palki as the fallback rather than building an elderly pilgrim's day around the chopper alone. Check before you go: on the morning of September 29 Rudraprayag Police said horses, mules and palkis were not running near Chirbasa while the path there is narrow, and their plan for September 30 listed them again, but we could not confirm that they had restarted, so check at Sonprayag before you plan an elderly pilgrim's Kedarnath day around them. Build in a rest day to acclimatise, travel by daylight, and keep medication and a charged phone handy. There are 177 ambulances on the routes and an AIIMS Rishikesh helicopter ambulance for emergencies.