Char Dham Yatra is not just a spiritual journey; it is a transformative experience that blends devotion, natural beauty, and self-discovery. Whether you’re seeking divine blessings or the serene tranquility of the Himalayas, this pilgrimage offers something for everyone.
Overview
Char Dham Yatra is one of the most sacred pilgrimages in Hinduism, covering four revered temples in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. This spiritual journey is believed to cleanse the soul and help attain moksha (liberation). Each of these Dhams is dedicated to a different deity and holds unique religious significance.
Itinerary
Arrival at the Airport / railway station met and assisted by RTT executive and later to drive to Haridwar, on arrival transfer to your hotel. Visit Har-ki-Pauri for Ganga Aarti in the evening. Back to your hotel, Night halt.
Haridwar: 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.
Drive to Barkot via Dehradun & Mussoorie. Enroute visit Kempty Fall and others later drive straight to your Hotel for night halt.
Drive to Hanuman Chatti, for Janki chatti (It helps to reduce the trek upto 8 kms), trek start from here to Yamunotri (6 kms). Either by walking 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 Jamnabai Kund’s warm water and having “Darshan” of pious “Yamunaji” returning to Hanumanchatti. Later, I drove back to Barkot. Overnight stay at hotel.
Hanuman Chatti: The confluence of Hanuman Ganga & Yamuna River.
Yamunotri Temple: Maharani Gularia of Jaipur built the temple in the 19th Century. It was destroyed twice in the present century.
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 on arrival Check in the Hotel, Later 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. The other important temples situated here are Annapurna Devi Temple, Ekadash Rudra, Bhairav, Gyaneshwar and Goddess Kuteti Devi.
We proceed to Gangotri (3048 mts), enroute we enjoy picturesque Harsil village, Bhagirathi River and the most magnificent view of the Himalayas. After Gangotri Darshan we return to Uttarkashi. Overnight stay at Uttarkashi.
Gangotri Temple: The temple, constructed by the Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa in the 18th Century, is situated on the right bank of Bhagirathi.
Submerged Shivling: Submerged in the river, this natural rock Shivling is the place where, according to mythology Lord Shiva sat when he received the Ganga in his matted lock. It is visible in winter months when water level decreases.
Kedar Ganga Sangam: Around 100 Yards from the Ganga Temple flows the river Kedar Ganga. Starting from the Kedar Valley, this river meets the Bhagirathi on its left bank.
Early morning, drive to Guptkashi .On Arrival Check in Hotel, night halt.
Morning drive to Sonprayag, Trek starts from Sonprayag 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. Later back to Guptkashi. 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 worshipped 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.
Morning take darshan at Shri Kedarnath Ji, later back to Guptkashi by Trek. Overnight stay.
Drive to Badrinath via Joshimath. Check in Hotel. Later in the evening visit Badrinath Temple for Aarti. 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.
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. Brahma Kamal is significant for Pinddan Shraddh of ancestors (Pitrus). 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. Later, I drove back to Rudraprayag via Joshimath. Check in Hotel.
Joshimath is situated on the slopes above the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga. Of the four ‘Maths’ established by Adi Shankaracharya, Joshimath is in the Badrinath to Joshimath and installed in the temple for people to worship. There are many temples in the township, the most important is the temple of Nir Singh in the commotion of Lord Vishnu. The left arm of this deity is with time and the popular belief holds that the day the arm completely withers Badrinath valley will cease to exist and the Gods will transfer the residence into the neighboring Niti Valley at Bhavishya Badri. Joshimath is connected by regular bus service to Rishikesh, Haridwar, Badrinath and many other centres in the region.
Morning drive back to Rishikesh. Check in Hotel. Later visit local sightseeing in Rishikesh. Overnight stay.Rishikesh, the ‘place of sages’ is a celebrated spiritual town on the bank of Ganga and is surrounded by 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. Temples & Sightseeing – Laxman Jhulla, Ram Jhulla, Triveni Ghat, Bharat Mandir, Ashram, Parmarth Ashram.
Drive back to Delhi . On Arr. Delhi, transfer to Railway Station / Airport.
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.
The Char Dham Yatra is a sacred pilgrimage in Uttarakhand to four holy shrines: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. It is one of the most revered journeys in Hinduism, believed to cleanse sins and lead to moksha (liberation).
Each Dham represents a different deity and element.
Yamunotri: Goddess Yamuna (purity of mind).
Gangotri: Goddess Ganga (purity of speech).
Kedarnath: Lord Shiva (purity of soul).
Badrinath: Lord Vishnu (purity of action).
Road: Buses and taxis are widely available.
Helicopter: Services are available for all four Dhams for quicker and easier travel.
Trekking: Required for Yamunotri (6 km from Janki Chatti) and Kedarnath (16 km from Gaurikund).
Registration is compulsory. It can be done online or at registration counters in Haridwar, Rishikesh, or Dehradun
Yamunotri: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Gangotri: 6:15 AM – 9:30 PM
Kedarnath: 4:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Badrinath: 4:30 AM – 9:00 PM