Char Dham Yatra from Haridwar 2026: Haridwar is the traditional starting point of the Char Dham Yatra — every road itinerary to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath begins here, on the banks of the Ganga. Our all-inclusive 9N/10D package starts at ₹20,999 per person and covers your AC vehicle, hotels, meals, guide, VIP darshan and free registration. We run this yatra from our own office in Bhupatwala, Haridwar — so everything on this page comes from groups we personally dispatch up the mountains every season.
What Is the Char Dham Yatra?
The Char Dham — literally "four abodes" — is Hinduism's most revered Himalayan pilgrimage circuit, set in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. You visit four shrines in a fixed clockwise order: Yamunotri (source of the Yamuna), Gangotri (source of the Ganga), Kedarnath (the twelfth Jyotirlinga of Shiva), and Badrinath (the abode of Vishnu). Completing the circuit is believed to wash away sins and grant moksha. From Haridwar the full road journey covers roughly 1,100 km over 9–12 days.
Two windows work best from Haridwar. May–June brings pleasant 10–20°C days, clear skies and the smoothest road conditions — ideal for first-timers and families, though it is peak season for crowds and hotel rates. September–October is the post-monsoon window: crisp visibility, fewer pilgrims and stable roads, best for senior citizens and a peaceful darshan. Avoid July–August — monsoon landslides regularly block the Kedarnath and Gangotri routes.
Day-by-Day Itinerary (from Haridwar)
Day
Route
Highlight
1
Haridwar → Barkot
Drive via Mussoorie; overnight Barkot
2
Barkot → Yamunotri → Barkot
6 km trek from Janki Chatti; Yamuna darshan
3
Barkot → Uttarkashi
Vishwanath Temple; overnight Uttarkashi
4
Uttarkashi → Gangotri → Uttarkashi
Ganga darshan on the Bhagirathi
5
Uttarkashi → Guptkashi
Scenic drive via Tehri Dam
6
Guptkashi → Kedarnath
16 km trek from Gaurikund (pony/heli optional)
7
Kedarnath → Rudraprayag
Morning aarti; descend & drive
8
Rudraprayag → Badrinath
Tapt Kund dip; Badrivishal darshan
9
Badrinath → Rudraprayag
Mana village; return drive
10
Rudraprayag → Haridwar
Drive back via Devprayag sangam
Char Dham Route Map & Distances
The clockwise circuit from Haridwar: Haridwar → Barkot → Janki Chatti → Yamunotri → Uttarkashi → Gangotri → Guptkashi → Gaurikund → Kedarnath → Rudraprayag → Joshimath → Badrinath → back to Haridwar.
Segment
Distance
Road time
Haridwar → Barkot
210 km
7–8 hrs
Barkot → Janki Chatti
45 km
1.5–2 hrs
Barkot → Uttarkashi
100 km
4 hrs
Uttarkashi → Gangotri
100 km
4 hrs
Uttarkashi → Guptkashi
220 km
8–9 hrs
Gaurikund → Kedarnath
16 km trek
6–8 hrs
Guptkashi → Badrinath
215 km
8–9 hrs
Badrinath → Haridwar
320 km
10–11 hrs
Our office is the starting point for pickups — here we are on the map in Bhupatwala, Haridwar:
From Haridwar: ₹20,999/person · 9N/10D · all-inclusive · 5% GST included · zero commission — you pay us directly
Not included: train/flight to Haridwar, pony/palki at Yamunotri & Kedarnath, helicopter charges, personal expenses, and travel insurance. Full breakdown on our Char Dham cost guide.
Mandatory Yatra Registration 2026 (step-by-step)
Registration is compulsory and checked at police barriers like Sonprayag. You can register two ways:
Online: visit the Uttarakhand government portal at registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in, enter your details, upload Aadhaar, and download your e-pass.
Offline: biometric counters at Haridwar railway station, Rishikesh ISBT and Jolly Grant Airport, open daily 4 AM–9 PM.
Or leave it to us — we complete registration for every pilgrim in our packages, free of charge.
How to Reach Haridwar (air / rail / road / helicopter)
By air: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (DED) is 35 km away — about 1 hour by road. By train: Haridwar Junction is well connected to Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata and Mumbai. By road: NH-334 from Delhi via Meerut and Roorkee, roughly 5.5 hours. By helicopter: the Char Dham heli yatra itself departs from Sahastradhara Helipad in Dehradun — we arrange transfers from Haridwar. If you are coming from a specific city, see our pickup pages for Delhi, Rishikesh and 20+ other cities.
💡 What we know as a Haridwar-based operator (since 2010)
Because our office and drivers are in Haridwar, our batches leave at first light and reach Barkot before the afternoon landslide-prone hours on NH-123. Hotels along the route are pre-blocked from March, well before peak May demand spikes. Pilgrims who start from Haridwar (rather than connecting through Delhi the same morning) consistently get the calmest first day and the best acclimatisation before the Kedarnath trek.
🙏 Haridwar → All Four Dhams
Book Your Char Dham Yatra from Haridwar
Free custom itinerary in 2 hrs · from ₹20,999/person · zero commission · registration handled free
The 2026 season opens on Akshaya Tritiya. Yamunotri and Gangotri open April 19, 2026; Kedarnath opens April 22; Badrinath opens April 23. All four dhams stay open until the second week of November 2026, closing around Bhai Dooj / Diwali. May–June and September–October are the most reliable windows for travel from Haridwar.
Our Char Dham Yatra from Haridwar starts at ₹20,999 per person for a 9N/10D all-inclusive road package — AC Tempo Traveller or Innova, hotels on twin sharing, daily breakfast and dinner, an experienced Garhwali guide, VIP darshan at all four dhams, and free biometric registration. Deluxe 11N/12D runs ₹45,000, and the 5N/6D helicopter package is ₹85,000. Prices are direct — no agent commission.
By road, plan 9 to 12 days starting and ending in Haridwar. The standard circuit is 9 nights / 10 days. Senior citizens should choose the 12N/13D pace, which adds an acclimatisation day before Kedarnath. By helicopter the entire yatra takes just 5N/6D, flying out of Dehradun rather than Haridwar.
Yes. Registration is mandatory and enforced at police checkpoints such as Sonprayag on the Kedarnath route. Register online at the Uttarakhand government portal (registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in) or in person at the biometric centres in Haridwar and Rishikesh before you start. Unregistered pilgrims are turned back at checkpoints. We complete registration for every pilgrim in our packages at no extra cost.
Yes, with the right pacing. Gangotri and Badrinath are fully motorable. Yamunotri (6 km) and Kedarnath (16 km) involve treks, but pony, palki and helicopter options cover these. Our Senior Citizen package includes ground-floor rooms, pony charges, an extra rest day, and oxygen cylinders in every vehicle. Over 30% of our pilgrims each year are 60 or older.
Choose road if you have 10–12 days, want the traditional immersive journey, and prefer a budget from ₹20,999. Choose helicopter if you are short on time or travelling with elderly pilgrims — it completes all four dhams in 5–6 days with VIP darshan, starting at ₹85,000 from Dehradun. Road departs directly from Haridwar; the helicopter yatra starts at Sahastradhara Helipad in Dehradun, 35 km away.
People Also Ask
The questions pilgrims most commonly search on Google about this yatra.
By road, 9 to 11 days is the standard from Haridwar — the most popular itinerary is 9 nights / 10 days. A fit adult can do it in 8 days at a hard pace, but that means 10+ hours in the vehicle some days. Senior citizens should allow 12–13 days with an acclimatisation day before Kedarnath. By helicopter the whole circuit takes just 5–6 days from Dehradun.
The full road circuit from Haridwar and back is roughly 1,100–1,400 km depending on the exact route. The longest single legs are Haridwar→Barkot (210 km), Uttarkashi→Guptkashi (220 km), and Badrinath→Haridwar (320 km). Yamunotri adds a 6 km trek and Kedarnath a 16 km trek on top of the drive.
Budget road packages from Haridwar start around ₹16,500–20,999 per person for 9–10 days, with deluxe (3-star hotels, Innova Crysta) running ₹26,500–45,000. The Char Dham by helicopter package is about ₹85,000 per person. Our 9N/10D all-inclusive from Haridwar starts at ₹20,999 with no agent commission.
Haridwar is one of Hinduism's seven holiest cities and the natural gateway to the dhams. It is densely connected by train and bus from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata, and Jolly Grant Airport (Dehradun) is about an hour away. Starting here — rather than connecting through Delhi the same morning — gives a calmer first day and better acclimatisation before the climbs.
The traditional clockwise order is Yamunotri → Gangotri → Kedarnath → Badrinath. From Haridwar the route runs Haridwar → Barkot → Yamunotri → Uttarkashi → Gangotri → Guptkashi → Kedarnath → Rudraprayag → Badrinath, then back to Haridwar via Devprayag.
Yes. Biometric registration is compulsory and checked at police barriers such as Sonprayag. Register online at the Uttarakhand portal (registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in) or at counters in Haridwar and Rishikesh before you travel. Unregistered pilgrims are turned back at checkpoints. We complete registration free for everyone in our packages.
Operations Manager & Content Lead, Shiv Ganga Travels
Sumit Mishra manages day-to-day operations at Shiv Ganga Travels and has personally accompanied pilgrim groups on the Char Dham circuit since 2015. He handles route planning, hotel pre-blocking during peak season, and yatra coordination for 500+ pilgrims annually. Everything published on this site is written from first-hand experience on these routes.
✓ 10+ years on Char Dham routes✓ 500+ pilgrim groups coordinated✓ Native Uttarakhand — Haridwar based