Char Dham Yatra is referred to the tour of the four Hindu religious sites in Uttarakhand – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath.
Nestled in the lofty Himalayas, these four sites are the epicenter of religious activity in north India. As per ancient hindu traditions, the Char Dham Yatra is undertaken from the west to the east – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Note : The tour starts and ends at Haridwar. You can combine this trip with pre and post tours to neighboring destinations like Hrishikesh and Corbett.
Route : Haridwar → Yamunotri → Gangotri → Kedarnath → Badrinath → Haridwar
Duration : 11 Days / 10 Nights
Itinerary
Day 1 Haridwar – Barkot (185Kms / 7 hours)
After breakfast, leave for Barkot. Barkot is a place of great scenic beauty with spectacular views of snow-capped mountains all around. A magnificent view of the eternal snow peaks of Bandar Poonch can be seen from here.
Overnight at the camp, Barkot.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Day 2 Barkot – Yamunotri – Barkot (38Kms/2 hours, local taxi drive 7
Kms/1 hours, 6 Kms/3 hours trek one way)
After an early breakfast, proceed to Hanumanchatti via Syanachatti (5 Kms before Hanumanchatti). From here local taxis are available for Jankichatti. From Jankichatti begin the trek to Yamunotri (6 km/3 hours) to visit the temple of Goddess Yamuna. Take a holy dip in the nearby tank filled by hot springs. Return to Barkot in the evening.
Overnight at the camp, Barkot.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3 Barkot – Harsil (151 Kms, 6-7 hours)
After breakfast, proceed to Harsil – one the most beautiful valleys in the Uttarakhand. En-route stop at Gangnani for a hot water spring dip.
Overnight at the camp, Harsil.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4 Harsil – Gangotri – Uttarkashi ( 105 Kms )
After breakfast, proceed to Gangotri (22 Kms/1 hr). On arrival take a holy dip in the The Ganges, also called Bhagirathi at its origin. Perform pooja and relax in the lovely surroundings. In the afternoon return back to Harsil for Lunch. Post Lunch proceed to Uttarkashi.
Overnight at the Hotel, Uttarkashi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5 Uttarkashi- Guptakashi ( 212 Kms/ 8-9 hours )
After early breakfast, proceed to Guptakashi (212 Kms).
Overnight at the camp, Guptakashi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6 Guptakashi – Kedarnath (32 Kms drive- 1 hr / 14 Kms Trek /
5 hours)
After breakfast, proceed to Gaurikund (32 Kms / 1hr). Take a holy dip at Taptakund and begin the trek to Kedarnath (14 Kms/5 hours). In the evening visit Kedarnath Temple for Darshan, Aarti & pooja.
Overnight at Punjab & Sindh Awas or similar.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7 Kedarnath – Guptakashi (14 Kms Trek – 3 hours/ 32 Kms Drive –
1 hr)
After breakfast, proceed towards Guptakashi with a stopover at Taptakund.
Overnight at the camp, Guptakashi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 8 Guptakashi – Joshimath by Chopta (141 Kms / 5-6 Hrs)
After breakfast, proceed to Joshimath (141 Kms / 5-6 hours), one of the most beautiful sites on the whole trip. Enjoy the beautiful drive through medicinal forests. On arrival check in at your Chardham camp. Evening is free for you to explore Joshimath on your own.
Overnight at the camp, Joshimath.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 9 Joshimath – Badrinath – Joshimath ( 45 Kms drive one way/ 2
Hrs)
After breakfast, proceed to Badrinath. On arrival go for holy Darshan and spend time visiting Mana Village. Return to Joshimath in the evening.
Overnight at the camp, Joshimath.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 10 Joshimath – Haridwar (274 Kms/ 9-10 hours)
After breakfast, proceed to Haridwar (274 Kms/ 9-10 hours). Rest of the day will be at leisure.
Overnight at Haridwar.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 11 Departure from Haridwar
Post breakfast check out of the hotel and proceed to onward destination
Meals: Breakfast
Inclusions:
- Accommodation on twin sharing basis at the mentioned hotels or similar
- Meal Plan: As specified above
- Transportation using Non air conditioned vehicle as under:
Char Dham Camps
The camps provide accommodations in cottage tents with attached baths and showers. Hospitality is not restricted just to sumptuous cuisine, hygienic and comfortable accommodation. It goes beyond this established norm. Set amidst the serenity of the plush flora, the camps promises you the finest accommodation in Chardham. So get set to enjoy your Char Dham Yatra amidst the folds of snow-covered peaks of the lofty Garhwal Himalayas.
Facilities include:
- Attached baths and toilets with running Hot & Cold water
- Multi cuisine dining facilities serving sumptuous vegetarian wholesome food.
- Regional cuisine like South Indian, Gujrati and Marwari food are easily available.
- Hot water bottles as sun down service
- Golghar Lounge
- Umbrellas during trek to Kedarnath
- Assistance for shrine visit and arrangement of Pony and Palanquins( Palki)
- Local Masseurs at Barkot and Guptakashi
Connectivity
By road : Haridwar is accessible by a National Highway and the distance is approximately 210 kms / 5 hours.
By flight: The nearest airport is Jolly Grant airport which is 30 kms / 45 minutes drive from Haridwar. There are regular flights to/from Delhi.
By train : There are 2 fast trains that connect Delhi – Haridwar – Delhi.
Camps
Barkot
This is located on slightly raised land along the banks of the Yamuna in the area that is known as the Rawain – essentially the valley of the River Yamuna. The most striking aspect of Barkot is its natural setting – a backdrop of the magnificent Banderpunch range and verdant hills and terraced fields in the foreground. Nature was preserved here in its pristine glory as it was only in the 1940s that outsiders in the form of trekkers and adventurers finally managed to make their way to this remote region.
Harsil
At an altitude of 2745 meters ,20 Kms before Gangotri there is only one word to describe Harsil: stunning! It is situated in a valley on the bank of river Bhagirathi, at the confluence of the Jalandhari Gadh and the Bhagirathi, nestled in the shadow of the huge mountain that lies at the head of the Baspa Valley (Himachal Pradesh). Harsil is connected to the Baspa valley by several passes such as the Lamkhaga Pass. Apart from Matri and Kailash mountains, on the right side there is the Shrikanth peak behind which lies Kedarnath and in the rear there is Banderpunch. This sylvan hamlet is well-known for its natural beauty and delicious apples. The winding shady roads, tall conifers, lofty mountains, the turbulent Bhagirathi, apple orchards, streams, waterfalls and green meadows — all add to Harsil’s allure.
A narrow lane runs through Harsil and is bordered on both sides by wooden houses in typical Garhwali architectural style. There are little streams, swept by willow tress, with dainty bridges across them and forest trails you can follow to your heart’s content. Harsil lay on the old caravan trail between Tibet and India, when trade and marriages flourished between the two countries. Harsil has a sizeable Bhotia population – many of whom use Harsil as their winter base.
Maneri
Roughly 13 km upstream of Uttarkashi is the village of Maneri. Here, a lake – of an unbelievably beautiful and clear colour reflecting the surrounding conifers– has been formed by damming the Bhagirathi, which is fast becoming a popular tourist attraction. The Maneri-Bhali project, which supplies 93 MW of power to Uttarakhand, is located on the left bank of Bhagirathi, close to Uttarkashi.
Guptakashi
Located at an altitude of 1319 meter Gupkashi offers a panoramic view of the Mandakini valley below, Chaukhamba, Mandakini Darshan, Badrinath, Neelkanth, Ukhimath and the snow ranges of the Kedarnath atop ahead. It is a major town before Gaurikund – with services and facilities of a post and telegraph office, banks, a hospital, a police station and eateries.
The temples in Guptkashi are believed to be as old as time itself.Barely a kilometre or two down from Guptkashi, on the track to Ukhimath, is the Vidyapeeth, the most historic Sanskrit and Ayurved school in the entire state. It is no wonder that Guptkashi has a rich tradition of Ayurved practice and a host of Ayurvedacharya or practitioners of Ayurved.
Joshimath
Located at an altitude of 1875 meters Joshimath is the place where Adi Shankracharya, the 8th century religious reformer, attained enlightenment, and it is here that he set up the first ever Math or centre of learning before establishing the Badrinath shrine and three more Maths in different corners of the country. The town is also the seat of the Badrinath shrine in the winter months, and it is worshipped at the beautiful and ancient Narsingh Temple here. Its proximity to Badrinath, Auli and Niti Valley makes Joshimath an important tourist destination – and the combination of spiritualism and adventure that it offers visitors makes it an exciting place at any time of the year.
informative post !