CHAR DHAM YATRA

Destinations: Haridwar, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath

Duration: 10 days, 10 nights

Source: GMVN

Distance: Over 1,500 kms from Haridwar; For Family and Group Travel

Experiences: Trekking

Budget: Approximately between INR 18,000 and 25,000 (per person)

For details,

Start
DAY
1

HARIDWAR TO PHOOLCHATTI, VIA BARKOT

This scheduled tour starts from Haridwar and you will have to report one day before departure at the Rahi Motel in Haridwar. The tour starts every Monday and the package includes Sunday night’s hotel accommodation as well. Meals will have to be paid for. The mode of transport is a 27-seater, non-air-conditioned bus. The bus departs at 7 am. The road to Barkot is very scenic and you will arrive at around 1 pm. After a one-hour lunch break, the bus will start again for Phoolchatti. You reach the small hamlet of Phoolchatti at 5.30 pm. Check into the hotel, have dinner and relax. The distance between Haridwar and Phoolchatti is 236 kms but the roads are good and the journey is smooth.

DAY
2

PHOOLCHATTI TO YAMUNOTRI

The second day will include an 8-km drive and a 10-km trek (to & fro). You will depart from Phoolchatti at 6 am and breakfast will be at the GMVN Tourist Rest House in Jankichatti. You will arrive at Yamunotri at around 11 am. Visit Yamunotri, take a holy dip in the kund, offer prayers and puja and halt for lunch. After an hour, start your return journey to Phoolchatti and you will be back by evening. Check into the accommodation at Phoolchatti.

DAY
3

PHOOLCHATTI TO HARSIL

On this day you will travel entirely by bus, departing at 6 am, to cover 200 kms. Breakfast halt will be at Barkot and the bus will arrive at Uttarkashi at around 1 pm. Visit Vishwanath Temple and depart from Uttarkashi at around 2 pm. You will arrive at Harsil at around 5 pm for night-stay.

DAY
4

HARSIL TO GANGOTRI AND UTTARKASHI

The bus will depart from Harsil at 6 am and the breakfast halt will be at the Tourist Rest House in Gangotri. You will arrive in Gangotri at around 7.30 am. After a holy dip in River Ganga, offer your prayers at the temple and you will depart from Gangotri post-lunch at about 1 pm. You will reach Uttarkashi, your halt for the night, at around 4.30 pm. The entire route from Harsil is about 125 kms.

DAY
5

UTTARKASHI TO GUPTKASHI, VIA CHAMBA/NEW TEHRI

Around 275 kms has to be covered on the 5th day and the bus will depart from Uttarkashi at 6 am. Breakfast will be at the GMVN tourist rest house at Chinyalisaur. You will arrive at Chamba/NewTehri at around 12. You can explore New Tehri and visit the Tehri Dam. You will leave New Tehri at around 1 pm. Lunch halt will be at the GMVN tourist rest house at Srinagar. The bus will reach Guptkashi at around 5.30 pm. Check into your accommodation and rest.

DAY
6

GUPTKASHI TO KEDARNATH, VIA GAURIKUND

On this day you will be travelling by bus for about 35 kms and then you will trek for about 17 kms.

The bus will depart at 6 am and arrive at Gaurikund around 9 am. You can also choose to travel on a pony or hire a doli (palanquin). From Gaurikund, you will depart at about 10 am to reach Kedarnath at around 5 pm.You can watch the evening aarti (divine ritual) at the Kedarnath temple and retire for the night.

DAY
7

KEDARNATH, GAURIKUND/RAMPUR TO TILWARA

Leave your hotel early so that you get ample time to pray at the Kedarnath temple. Post prayers and breakfast, you will start your 17-km trek back to Gaurikund. You can also choose to travel on a pony or hire a doli. You will arrive at Gaurikund/Rampur at around 1 pm. After lunch, you will board the bus and proceed your journey towards Tilwara, around 60 kms away. You will reach Tilwara by 5 pm and halt for the night.

DAY
8

TILWARA, JOSHIMATH, BADRINATH

From Tilwara, Joshimath is about 170 kms away and you will be arriving at around 12. Breakfast halt will be at the GMVN tourist rest house at Gauchar. Spend about an hour in Joshimath, visiting the Narsing temple. Post-lunch, you will leave Joshimath at around 1 pm and reach Badrinath at around 4.30 pm. Enjoy the evening aarti (divine ritual) at the Badrinath temple and offer prayers. You will be staying in Badrinath for the night.

DAY
9

BADRINATH, JOSHIMATH, KALESHWAR

You will start your day at 9 am after offering your morning prayers at the temple and a holy dip in the kund. You can also explore Mana, the last Indian village, around 20 kms from the country’s international border. You will arrive at Joshimath at around 11 and stop for lunch at the GMVN rest house. After lunch you will leave Joshimath around 2 pm. If you want, you can visit Auli by a cable car. After covering 114 kms (from Badrinath), you will reach Kaleshwar in the evening.

DAY
10

KALESHWAR, KAUDIYALA, HARIDWAR

On the last day of the tour you will cover around 230 kms by bus, departing Kaleshwar at around 7 am. You will reach Kaudiyala at about 1 pm and halt for lunch. After an hour’s stop, the journey will resume, ending at Haridwar at around 5 pm.

End