The trip from Delhi to Chardham Yatra with Tungnath & Hemkund Sahib typically lasts 10 to 15 days, depending on the pace of the pilgrimage. A sample itinerary might look like this:
Overview
These four shrines are situated in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand. The yatra is known for its spiritual significance, scenic beauty, and challenging terrains. The trip typically involves long-distance driving, trekking, and high-altitude travel.
Highlights
- The Tungnath Temple is the highest temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the world, situated at an altitude of 3,680 meters.
- The trek to the Tungnath Temple, starting from Chopta, offers breathtaking views of snow-covered peaks, alpine meadows, and verdant valleys.
- A significant pilgrimage site for Sikhs, Hemkund Sahib is a Gurudwara located at a height of 4,329 meters, dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh Guru.
Itinerary
Arrival Delhi Airport / Railway Station / Hotel, Meet & Assist further drive to Haridwar. Transfer to your Hotel. Visit Har-ki-Pauri for Ganga Aarti in the evening. Back to your hotel, Night halt.
Haridwar, lying at the feet of Shiva's hills, i.e., Shivaliks, in the Haridwar district of Uttaranchal Pradesh, is a doorway. Suryavanshi prince Bhagirath performed penance here to salvage the souls of his ancestors who had perished due to the curse of sage Kapila. The penance was answered and the river Ganga trickled forth forming Lord Shiva's locks and its bountiful water revived the sixty thousand sons of king Sagara. In the tradition of Bhagirath, devout Hindus stand in the sacred waters here, praying for salvation of their departed elder. It is a doorway to the sources of the Ganga and the Yamuna, 3000 to 4500 meters up into the snowy ranges of the central Himalayas. The 'Aarti' worship of the Ganga after sunset and the floating 'dia' (lamp) is a moving ritual.
Morning visit Haridwar Sightseeing & Temples. Later in the afternoon, drive to Mussoorie via Dehradun. Arrive Mussoorie, Check in at the Hotel. Rest day at leisure. Overnight stay.
Morning visit Mussoorie sightseeing. Later afternoon, Drive to Barkot enroute visit Kempty Fall and others. Later, I drove straight to Barkot. Check in Hotel. Overnight stay.
Drive to Jankichatti / Phoolchatti, trek start from here to Yamunotri (6 kms). Either by walk or by horse or by Doli at own cost.Arr. Yamunotri, One can cook rice by packing it in a cloth and dipping it in the hot water of the hot kund. Pilgrims take this cooked rice home as "Prasad". Here near the temple "Pooja" can be offered to Divya Shila, After taking bath in Jamunabai Hund's warm water and having "Darshan" of pious "Yamunaji" returning to Jankichatti. Later, I drove back to Barkot. Overnight stay at Hotel.
Yamunotri Temple : Maharani Gularia of Jaipur built the temple in the 19th Century. It was destroyed twice in the present century and rebuilt again.
Surya Kund : There are a Number of thermal springs in the vicinity of the temple, which flows into numerous pools. The most important of these is Surya Kund.
Divya Shila : A rock pillar, worshipped before entering the Yamunotri Temple.
Drive to Uttarkashi. Check in the Hotel, Later in the evening visit Vishwanath Temple. Night Halt.
Uttarkashi: Situated at the bank of river Bhagirathi. The temple of Lord Vishwanath is located here where a massive iron trident is erected.
Drive to Uttarkashi. Check in the Hotel, Later in the evening visit Vishwanath Temple. Night Halt.
Uttarkashi: Situated at the bank of river Bhagirathi. The temple of Lord Vishwanath is located here where a massive iron trident is erected.
Kedar Ganga Sangam : Around 100 Yards from the Ganga Temple flows the river Kedar Ganga. Starting from the Kedar Valle, this river meets the Bhagirathi on its left bank.
Early morning, drive straight to Guptkashi. Check in Hotel, night halt.
Morning drive to Gaurikund, Trek starts from Gaurikund to Kedarnath (3584 mts) on foot or on foot by pony / Doli. Tour members should carry personal medicines, heavy woolen, toiletries and clothes for an overnight halt at Kedarnath. Check in Hotel. Later visit Kedarnath Temple. Night halt.
Gaurikund : At a distance of 5 kms from Sonprayag and at an altitude of 1982 meters., one can take bath in the hot water pond here and visit the Gauri Temple. This is the place where Goddess Parvathi meditated to attain Lord Shiva. It is the base for a trek to Kedarnath.
Kedarnath : The Kedarnath shrine, one of the 12 jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, is a scenic spot situated, against the backdrop of the majestic Kedarnath range. Kedar is another name of Lord Shiva, the protector and the destroyer. According to legend, the Pandavas after having won over the Kaurava in the Kurukshetra war, felt guilty of having killed their own brothers and sought the blessings of Lord Shiva for redemption. He eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed he dived into the ground, leaving his hump on the surface. The remaining portions of Lord Shiva appeared at four other places and are worshiped there as his manifestations. The arms appeared at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the belly at Madmaheshwar and his locks (hair) with head at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath and the four above-mentioned shrines are treated as Panch Kedar.
Early morning, after Temple Darshan trek down to Gaurikund. Later, drive to Rudraprayag via Guptakashi. Check in at the Hotel at Rudraprayag. Night Halt.
Rudraprayag : It is the confluence of river Mandakini and river Alaknanda.
Drive to Badrinath via Joshimath. Check in Hotel. Later visit Badrinath Temple. There are other interesting sightseeing spots like Mana, Vyas Gufa, Maatamoorti, Charan Paduka, Bhimkund and the "Mukh" of the Saraswati River. Just within the three kms of Badrinath Ji. Overnight stay.
Badrinath one of the 'Four Dhams' is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage spots of the country and is situated at an elevation of 3,133 meters, guarded on either side by the two mountain ranges known as Nar & Narayan with the towering Neelkanth Peak providing a splendid backdrop. This revered spot was once carpeted with wild berries. Thus the place got the name "Badri van", meaning "forest of berries".
Tapt Kund : Natural thermal springs on the bank of the river Alaknanda, where it is customary to bathe before entering the Badrinath temple.
Narad Kund : A recess in the river, near Tapt Kund, forming a pool from where the Badrinath idol was recovered.
Brahma Kapal : A flat platform on the bank of river Alaknanda. Hindus perform propitiatory rites for their deceased ancestors.
Sheshnetra : 1.5kms. away is a boulder having an impression of the legendary serpent, better known as the Sheshnag's eye.
Charan Paduka : 3 kms. away is a beautiful meadow where the footprint of Lord Vishnu is seen on a boulder.
Mata Murti Temple : Devoted to the mother of Shri Badrinath Ji. Other important temples include Sesh Netra Temple, Urvashi Temple and Charan Paduka.
Mana Village : Inhabited by an Indo-Mongolian tribe, it is the last Indian village before Tibet.
Vasundhara : As the name suggests, vasundhara is a magnificent waterfall. This place is 5 kms. from Badrinath out of which 2 kms. is motorable upto Mana.
Bhim Pul : On the other side of Mana village, a massive rock forming a natural bridge, lies over the roaring Saraswati river. It presents a spectacular view of water thundering down through the narrow passage under the rock and is believed to have been placed there by Bhim, the second eldest among the five Pandava brothers.
Vyas Gufa (cave) : Near Mana Village, this is a rock-cave where Ved Vyas is believed to have composed the Mahabharata and the Qur'anic commentaries.
Early in the morning, pilgrims after having a bath in the Tapt Kund have the Darshan of Badrivishal. Brahamakapal is significant for Pinddan Shraddh of ancestors (Pitrus). Later drive back to Govindghat, Trek Start from here to Ghangaria (3000 mts). Arrive at Ghangaria, Check in at the Hotel. Overnight stay.
Ghangaria/Govind Dham : Situated in the midst of a pine grove, Ghangaria serves as a base for visiting Hemkund Sahib. It is the last human habitation in the valley. A tourist Lodge, log huts, tents and a Gurdwara provide comfortable accommodation.
After breakfast, start trekking to Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib, one of the holiest Sikh pilgrimages. Guru Gobind Singh meditated here. The place is described as Hemkunt Parbat Sapat Spring, the "lake of ice" "mountain" adorned with "seven peaks", surrounding the shrine, looming over lush green pastures. The tenth and penultimate Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, meditated for years in these mountains, finally leaving his earthly form and uniting with the Almighty. The star-shaped Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib Ji, at a height of over 4,239 mt, is as such, a memorial to Guru Gobind Singh ji and a reminder of the saint's mission. Snow-covered peaks and mountains make the backdrop for 'The Hemkund Lake'. Return to Ghangaria, Overnight stay.
Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib : This imposing star-shaped structure of stone and concrete masonry is one the shores of the lake. An outlet behind the Gurudwara is the source of the Lakshman Ganga.
Temple of Lord Lakshman : A small temple nearby, dedicated to Lord Lakshman.
After breakfast, trek to Valley of Flowers. Explore the valley and witness the rare Himalayan flora, i.e. Brahm Kamal (Saussurea Obvallata), Himalayan Blue Poppy (Meconopsis Aculeata) and many more. Return to Ghangaria for overnight stay.
Valley of Flower was discovered by Frank Smith while on the Expedition to Mt. Kamet. This picturesque Valley is covered by rare species of flowers & a wide variety of Butterflies, Musk Deer, Thar & serow are found here. Back to Ghangaria. Overnight stay.
After a 13 Kms trek from Ghangaria to Govind Ghat, drive to Jyotirmath / Pipalkoti / Kirti Nagar. Check in Hotel. Overnight stay.
Drive to Rishikesh, the 'place of sages' is a celebrated spiritual town on the bank of Ganga and is surrounded by the Shivalik range of the Himalayas on three sides. It is said that when Raibhya Rishi did hard penances, God appeared by the name of "Hrishikesh" and this area henceforth came to be known as Rishikesh.
Check in Hotel. Later in the evening visit Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan Ashram. Overnight stay.
Cost Includes
- Pick up and drop from the airport/railway/bus station.
- Accommodation on double/twin sharing basis.
- All breakfast included at hotels.
- All transfers and sightseeing by private vehicle.
- Driver’s bata, toll, parking, road tax, fuel charges All applicable taxes.
Cost Excludes
- Service Tax – 5% GST Extra.
- Any train, bus, or air price any more meals not listed in the package's contents.
- Any other destination not mentioned in itinerary.
- Any personal costs like phone, minibar, room service, laundry, etc.
- Any fees for services or activities not covered by the included.
- Additional fees during high season, long weekends, or festival periods.
May to October – Best weather for trekking and temple visits.
Kedarnath: Moderate (16 km uphill)
Tungnath: Moderate (4 km uphill)
Hemkund Sahib: Challenging (6 km uphill)
Basic vegetarian food is available near the temples and trekking routes.