Do Dham Yatra from Haridwar

Package services begin ex Haridwar or Dehradun, and a pre tour Haridwar night can be added on request. After breakfast, depart along the Ganga valley, stopping for views of Devprayag, the confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. Arrive at Guptkashi or Sitapur by evening, check in and rest in preparation for the Kedarnath leg.

Today brings the most awaited and most demanding part of the yatra, the darshan of Shri Kedarnath Ji. Drive early to Sonprayag, where a government taxi takes you on to Gaurikund on direct payment, and the trek begins. The old 14 km path along the Mandakini was washed away in places, so the current route runs approximately 16 to 17 km, climbing from about 6,500 ft to the temple at 11,760 ft. It is not comfortably covered in a single day, so an overnight halt at Kedarnath is planned, and pilgrims who are not physically strong are advised to hire a pony or pithu. Those who fly are dropped at the scheduled helipad at the given time. At the shrine there is darshan of Kedarnath Ji and of Bhim Shila, the giant boulder that shielded the temple during the 2013 disaster.

Trek down from Kedarnath to Gaurikund and Sonprayag, then transfer to Sitapur or Guptkashi. This night is deliberately kept in the base sector as buffer time, so that a last minute delay caused by bad weather, a technical issue with the helicopter or a medical reason can be absorbed without disturbing the rest of the programme. If you descend early, the day can be used for darshan at Shri Triyugi Narayan Temple, which is optional and chargeable extra, or for an optional halt at Chopta or Ukhimath.

After an unhurried breakfast, proceed to Govindghat via Ukhimath, Chopta, Pipalkoti and Joshimath. The road from Guptkashi to Chopta and on to Pipalkoti suits small vehicles, and the stretch from Pipalkoti to Joshimath is better. We prefer Govindghat or Pipalkoti over Badrinath for this night. The Sitapur to Badrinath run in one go is long and tiring and often lands pilgrims in Badrinath late at night, leaving services difficult to manage and the next day rushed. The Govindghat to Badrinath road via Lambgarh is also prone to disruption and is never advisable late in the evening. Staying lower allows gradual acclimatisation before Badrinath and leaves time for Hemkund Sahib Ji or the traditional markets of Pipalkoti and Joshimath.

Early morning, take a holy dip in the Tapt Kund and proceed for darshan of Badri Vishal. Badrinath, the holiest of the four shrines, lies on the left bank of the Alaknanda between the Nar and Narayan ranges with the Neelkantha peak as backdrop, and the valley takes its name from the wild berries, or badris, that once carpeted the spot. Continue to Nag Nagin Pith, an important site for Sarpkal Dosh Nivaran, then drive up to Mana Village, the last Indian village before Tibet, to see Vyas Cave, Ganesha Cave, Keshav Prayag and the origin of the Saraswati. Also visit Charan Paduka, Ekadasi Gufa, Hanuman Gufa, Narad Kund, Brahma Kapal and Sheshnetra before returning via Pandukeshwar.

Descend along the Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag and Karnaprayag view points, continuing via Rudraprayag and Devprayag to Rishikesh. At Rishikesh, Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula are pedestrian only, so the vehicle waits at the parking. If the timing suits, attend the Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan before proceeding to your departure point at Haridwar railway station or Dehradun airport.