(Route - Haridwar - Dehradun - Mussoorie - Barkot - Hanuman Chatti - Janki chatti)

• Start your journey from Haridwar early in the morning.
• The 230 km journey is made beautiful by the view of the mountains which welcomes travellers once they cross Mussoorie.

Reach Janki Chatti – Janki Chatti is 136 km from Mussoorie. Stay overnight at Janki Chatti. There are Guesthouses & Dharamshala available for Rs.700 to Rs.1500 per night.

Wake up early in the morning and start off on the 5 km trek to Shri Yamunotri Dham. Porters and ponies are also available.

• The trekking trail is laborious, with stairs made only in a few places. The steps being higher than usual, the uphill trek is slightly challenging. It takes about 3 hours to reach Yamunotri Dham from Janki Chatti.

Tapta Kund is a hot water spring where travellers may refresh themselves. Devotees may take bath in the Yamuna River as well.

• It could take 2 hours in queue for the Darshan if you undertake the pilgrimage during the peak Yatra season.
• If time permits, you may visit the Garud Ganga, which is an uphill trek of almost 800 metres from Yamunotri Dham.
• The downhill trek takes around one and a half hours’ time. So it is advisable to return to Janki Chatti after the temple visit.

Overnight Stay at Janki Chatti.

Start early in the morning from Janki Chatti to reach Uttarkashi (125 km via Dharasu)

• Visit Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple – this is one of the oldest temples of the area, built on the banks of River Bhagirathi. Lord Shiva is worshipped as a swayambhu Shivalinga.

The linga is 56cm in height and it leans towards the south. Goddess Parvati is worshipped in the adjoining Shakti Temple. A 6mt high Trishul (Trident) is believed to have been preserved here for over 1500 years.

Harsil is a peaceful Himalayan village, 80 km from Uttarkashi. The wooden houses are a characteristic architecture of this place. It is also famous for being the shooting location of many Bollywood films.

• You may also visit the Bagori Village – just a km away from Harsil. You can buy hand-made woollen items from the villagers at reasonable prices.
• Overnight Stay at Harsil

There are many hotels, guesthouses and homestays available here.

Travel 25 km from Harsil to reach Shri Gangotri Dham. it is advisable to start around 6 am from Harsil. This is a motorable road.
Explore Hotel Options in Harsil

If travelling between May and mid-June, be prepared to stand 2 hours in queue for Darshan.

• As per Hindu mythology the most sacred of all rivers, Ganga, descended from heaven to earth at Gangotri, when Lord Shiva released the mighty river from his locks.
• The Bhagirath Temple, near the banks of the river, is the place where Rishi Bhagirath had meditated for 1000 years so that Ganga would cleanse the sins of his forefathers.
• Pilgrims prefer to take a holy dip in the river and pay reverence to the deity in the temple.
• The actual origin of the river is at Gaumukh in the Gangotri glacier, 19 km away from Gangotri and it is accessible by trekking.

Travel 166 km from Gangotri to reach Budha Kedar.

• Budha Kedar is another holy temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located at the confluence of two rivers - Bal Ganga & Dharam Ganga. The Shivling here is considered to be the biggest in North India. It is also unique because the families of Lord Shiva and the Pandavas are engraved upon the Shivalinga.
• Overnight stay at Budha Kedar. 

Travel 125 km to Guptkashi. It takes around 4 and a half hours’ time.

• Guptkashi is a religiously important town of Uttarakhand. It houses ancient temples like the Vishwanath temple and Ardhnareshwar temple. Also visit the Manikarnika Kund where two streams of Ganga and Yamuna meet.

Sonprayag is a major junction, 30 km from Guptkashi. In peak Yatra season, accommodation runs scarce in Sonprayag. Hence, tourists may stay the night in Gaurikund (4 km) towards Kedarnath. The trek to Shri Kedarnath Dham begins from Gaurikund.

• Another place of mythological importance is the Triyuginarayan Temple, which is 13 km from Sonprayag. Lord Shiva and Parvati are believed to have married at this spot.
  
  

Overnight stay at Sonprayag / Gaurikund.

Start off early in the morning for the yatra to Shri Kedarnath Dham. Shared jeeps are available from Sonprayag to Gaurikund. During the peak season, it could take up to 2 hours to get a turn in the jeep.

• It takes around 7-8 hours of trekking along a 22 km route to reach Shri Kedarnath Dham.

• Ponies and mules are also available on this route. For Children & senior citizens, porters carry tourists in palki too.
• Book your stay at Shri Kedarnath Dham. In peak season tourists must pre-book as lodging facilities are limited. Rooms with even basic facilities could cost over Rs.3000 per night.
• Pilgrims may visit the temple for evening aarti. There are basic dhabas offering vegetarian food, where pilgrims may have dinner.
• Overnight stay in Kedarnath.

Visit the shrine of Kedarnath Ji for morning darshan. Kedarnath is the highest of the 12 Jyotirlinga dedicated to Lord Shiva at 11750ft.

• Have breakfast and walk back towards Sonprayag. Tourists should reach Sonprayag by the Afternoon.

• Travel 150 km from Sonprayag to Pipalkoti.
• Stay the night at Pipalkoti.

Start off early in the morning from Pipalkoti and reach Joshimath (35 km).

• Visit the Narsingh Temple - Dedicated to Narasimha Avatar of Lord Vishnu. This temple is also the winter abode of Lord Badrinath.

Kalpavriksha is a century-old wish-fulfilling tree within the temple compound. Adi Guru Shankaracharya had meditated for several years at this place.

• Travel to Shri Badrinath Dham (40 km from Joshimath).
• Overnight stay at Badrinath.

Devotees bathe in the Tapta Kund (a hot water spring) and then proceed to the main temple.

• Shri Badrinath Dham is the final site in the circuit of Char Dham of Uttarakhand. Lord Badri Narayan is worshipped as an idol made of black stone.
• Have breakfast in any of the restaurants near the temple or in the GMVN Guest House.

You can also visit the Mana Village - which is popularly called the last village of India. Vyas Gufa and Bheem Pul are few spots linking legends of Mahabharata with the place.

• Return from Badrinath to reach Rudraprayag – this route would cover four of the 5 Prayag (confluence of holy rivers) in this sequence:
  • Vishnu Prayag - confluence of Dhauliganga & Alaknanda – 40 km
  • Nandprayag - confluence of Nandakani & Alaknanda – 70 km
  • Karnprayag - confluence of Alaknanda & Pindar River – 20 km
  • Rudraprayag - confluence of Mandakini and Alakananda – 35 km

Overnight stay at Rudraprayag.

Prepare for the final day of the pilgrimage. Get ready & proceed towards Haridwar.

• Halt at Shri Dhari Devi Temple (20 km away). The presiding deity is considered the guardian of the Char Dham. Located in the middle of the Alaknanda River, this requires an easy trek of about a km downhill from the NH7.

Devprayag is the fifth Prayag that you will come across around 47 km from Dhari Devi Temple. This is the confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda Rivers.

• Haridwar is another 95 km from Devprayag.
• Return to your home location from Haridwar.