Every year, between April and November, lakhs of pilgrims climb into the Garhwal Himalayas to visit four temples — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — that sit above 3,000 metres. The Char Dham Yatra is not an easy holiday, and that's exactly the point. Here's everything you need before you go, with the official 2026 dates.
The 2026 opening dates (announced)
| Dham | Opening date 2026 | Altitude |
|---|
Closing happens around mid-November (Kedarnath 11 Nov, Badrinath 13 Nov, tentatively). Book nothing after October without checking closure news first.
Registration — free, but don't skip it
Registration is mandatory for every pilgrim and costs nothing. Online registration opened on 6 March 2026 on the Uttarakhand government's Tourist Care portal; offline counters open 17 April at Haridwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun. You carry the QR-coded slip with your ID and show it at checkpoints along the route. Do it online before you travel — standing in an offline queue on the day you arrive is nobody's idea of a good start.
The route (in the traditional order)
1. Yamunotri — the westernmost dham. A 5–6 km trek from Janki Chatti (or a pony/palki) to the temple at the source of the Yamuna. Hot spring at Surya Kund.
2. Gangotri — the source of the Ganga, set in a valley of pines. Easiest access — the temple is road-head, no trek.
3. Kedarnath — the hardest and most powerful. A 16 km trek from Gaurikund (pony, palki or helicopter available) to the Shiva Jyotirlinga that survived the 2013 floods.
4. Badrinath — Vishnu's dham on the Alaknanda, near the last village of Mana. Road access right up to the temple.
9–12 days, three ways to do it
- Road (standard): 10–12 days from Haridwar. Best for fit pilgrims and first-timers who want the full experience.
- Helicopter (fast/luxury): 5–6 days, no trekking, ₹1.5–2.5 lakh per person. For seniors, NRIs, or short schedules.
- Do Dham / Teen Dham (shortened): Kedarnath + Badrinath (6–8 days) or skipping Yamunotri (8 days). Good if time or fitness is limited.
What it costs (honest range)
A mid-range 10-day road package runs ₹28,000–₹35,000 per person including hotels, transport, meals and basic guidance — excluding travel to Haridwar. Helicopter packages are a different bracket entirely. Budget extra for ponies/palkis (₹1,500–₹4,000 per stretch) and warm clothes.
The tips nobody tells you
- Acclimatise. You go from 300 m to 3,500 m in days. Keep day one easy, hydrate, and don't rush the treks.
- Book early for May–June. The season peaks in May–June (and again Sept–Oct); hotels in the small dham towns fill fast.
- Carry layered woollens even in May — Kedarnath and Badrinath can be near freezing at dawn.
- Satvik meals are the norm — and honestly the best way to do this yatra, which is why our tours run a full Maharaj kitchen.
---
Book it: our Char Dham packages run from Haridwar (10D/9N from ₹28,000) or Delhi (12D/11N from ₹34,093), with satvik meals, Innova transport and registration assistance included. See Char Dham packages → or WhatsApp +91 88497 20561.
*Read next: Kedarnath guide · Do Dham guide*
