Everyone knows Kedarnath. Few know there are actually five Kedar temples — and that the one most people can comfortably do is also the world's highest Shiva temple. The Panch Kedar circuit is Uttarakhand's quiet masterpiece: five shrines tied to the Mahabharata, spread across the Garhwal hills at wildly different difficulty levels.
The five temples, hardest to easiest
| Temple | Altitude | How hard |
| Kedarnath | 3,583 m | 16 km trek (or pony/helicopter) |
| Madhyamaheshwar | 3,490 m | 16 km trek, remote |
| Rudranath | 3,600 m | 20+ km trek, toughest |
| Tungnath | 3,680 m | 3.5 km from Chopta — easy |
| Kalpeshwar | 2,200 m | Short walk, most accessible |
The legend: after the Kurukshetra war, the Pandavas sought Shiva's forgiveness, but he evaded them by turning into a bull and sinking into the ground at Kedarnath. His body parts reappeared across the hills — the hump at Kedarnath, the arms at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the navel at Madhyamaheshwar, and the hair at Kalpeshwar.
Start with Tungnath (seriously)
Chopta → Tungnath is the classic first taste: a 3.5 km ridge walk through rhododendron forest that opens onto a meadow with the stone temple at the top and a wall of snow peaks behind. It takes 2–3 hours up, an hour down. Kids do it. Fit seniors do it. In winter (Dec–Mar) the trail turns into a snow trek, and Tungnath remains one of India's most beautiful winter walks to the closed temple.
If you're already doing Char Dham, adding Tungnath is a one-day detour between Guptkashi and Badrinath — that's our Char Dham + Tungnath route.
The full Panch Kedar (13 days)
Doing all five in one go is a serious undertaking — 13 days, multiple 16–20 km treks, basic lodging in Rudranath and Madhyamaheshwar, and a fitness level most of us don't have. It's for committed trekkers, not casual pilgrims. Our 13D/12N Panch Kedar package (from ₹47,447) handles the logistics, but you handle the legs.
Best time
May–June and September–October. Monsoon (Jul–Aug) makes the longer treks risky; winter closes everything above the snowline except the Chopta-Tungnath snow walk (for experienced trekkers only).
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Book it: Char Dham + Tungnath (11D/10N from ₹31,046) or the full Panch Kedar (13D/12N from ₹47,447), with satvik meals and trek support. See packages → or WhatsApp +91 88497 20561.
*Read next: Kedarnath guide · Char Dham 2026 guide*
