The Char Dham Yatra is Uttarakhand’s defining journey – four Himalayan shrines, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, covered in one circuit through the Garhwal Himalaya between late April and early November. (Do not confuse it with the original four-abode Char Dham of Adi Shankaracharya spread across India – this is the Uttarakhand “Chota Char Dham”, and it is what almost everyone means by the name today.)
The 2026 season at a glance
| Shrine | Opened | Closes | Altitude | Trek |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamunotri | 20 April (Akshaya Tritiya) | ~11 November | ~3,290 m | 6 km from Janki Chatti |
| Gangotri | 20 April | ~10-11 November (Diwali) | ~3,100 m | Motorable to the temple |
| Kedarnath | 22 April | ~11 November (Bhai Dooj) | 3,583 m | 16 km from Gaurikund |
| Badrinath | 23 April | ~13 November | ~3,300 m | Motorable to the temple |
Full dates and the winter-abode list: Char Dham opening and closing dates.
The route, in the traditional order
Pilgrims travel west to east – Yamunotri, then Gangotri, then Kedarnath, then Badrinath. The classic road circuit from Haridwar covers roughly 1,600 km over 10-12 days:
| Leg | Rough distance |
|---|---|
| Haridwar → Barkot (Yamunotri base) | ~180 km |
| Barkot → Janki Chatti; trek to Yamunotri and back | ~45 km + 12 km trek |
| Barkot → Uttarkashi → Gangotri | ~220 km |
| Gangotri → Guptkashi | ~250 km |
| Guptkashi → Gaurikund; 16 km trek to Kedarnath and back | ~30 km + 32 km trek |
| Guptkashi → Joshimath → Badrinath | ~220 km |
| Badrinath → Rishikesh/Haridwar | ~300-320 km |
Before you commit: the five essentials
- Registration is mandatory and free for every pilgrim – complete it on the official Tourist Care Uttarakhand portal before you travel.
- Timing: the best windows are May-June (everything open, peak crowds) and September-early October (post-monsoon clarity, thinner queues). Monsoon legs need buffer days; see driving in the hills.
- Fitness and altitude: Kedarnath’s 16 km trek at 3,583 m is the circuit’s hard day; Badrinath and Gangotri are motorable.
- Short on time? The Do Dham Yatra (Kedarnath-Badrinath) compresses the journey to 5-6 days, or a helicopter plan to a day.
- Extend it: the Hemkund Sahib trek shares the Ghangaria base with the Valley of Flowers.
When to go: best season guide | May | September | October
