According to Hinduism, no other act is regarded as holy and pious than to take one’s parents for the Char Dham pilgrimage. It is not common knowledge that Char Dham pilgrimage follows a set route that ends with covering the four most holy temples. The first destination should be Yamunotri, followed by Gangotri then Kedarnath, finally completing the journey with the last stop at Badrinath.

The temples are accessible by the masses for only a limited period of time. The duration falls between the months of April to October/November. The duration and dates vary every year. However, these dates are showcased on the website of Uttarakhand Tourism every year. Snowfall blocks the pilgrimage tour. However, the suggested time for visiting these sites is the months picked by the Uttarakhand Tourism website as finding transportation and accommodation becomes a task in an odd season.

These temples are located closely but due to the mountain terrain, traveling becomes a cumbersome task. The geography makes it impossible to have any direct road connecting all the four sites. Hence, pilgrims have to follow a longer route with nearly a day’s drive from one spot to another. If anyone embarking on this holy Yatra for the first time or having issues in planning their trip properly then they can check Char Dham Yatra Packages designed by several travel companies.

Day 01: Rishikesh to Janki Chatti

The buses leave approximately around 4 AM from Rishikesh and after a journey of 10-11 hours reach Janki Chatti. The bus organization offers the availability of advance booking as well as on the spot booking. In case one misses their bus, the region witnesses enough taxis making way to Janki Chatti as well. However, there is a cost difference between bus and taxi.

To reach the first spot, Yamunotri, the closest road is Janki Chatti. From there one has to trek for 5km. The trek usually takes 4-5 hours. Upon reaching the temple, it will take another hour to enter. Due to the high tourist influx, there are sufficient low budget hotels as well as guest houses. However, in peak season accessing either one of these becomes challenging so advance booking is suggested.

Day 02: From Yamunotri to Janki Chatti

Yamunotri is the point from where the Yamuna originates. According to Hinduism, bathing in the waters of Yamuna absolves one of all their sins and crimes. The route between Janki Chatti and Yamunotri is a wide path made of concrete. There is a rest house by the name of GMVN that lies between the starting points. The town ends after a kilometer after the route begins to become steeper. Three temples occur along the way, a hot spring awaits the onlookers at Yamunotri as well. It takes approximately 4-5 hours to come back to Janki Chatti from Yamunotri.

Day 03: Janki Chatti to Gangotri

It is a tedious journey from Janki Chatti to Gangotri. If you take a bus in the morning around 6, you can reach Gangotri before sunset. The temple is located amid the town itself. Many travelers get confused with Gomukh and pay their homage there. However, the temple is a separate entity. It takes two days to reach from Gomukh to Gangotri. It is an 18+18km long trail.

Day 04: Gangotri to Bhojbasa

It takes two days to reach from Gangotri to Gomukh. The first spot to stop at is a valley called Bhojbasa. It is a 14 km trek from Gangotri to Bhojbasa. The Gangotri begins at the frontier of the temple itself. The trek includes 100 stairs followed by a steep climb, although it sounds exhausting later it only has a convenient uphill climb only. It takes approximately 7 hours to finish the trek. If you want more information and convenience, it is better that you opt for a guide. Bhojbasa harbors a GMVN government guest house. This property is cheap but there is a much cheaper Lal Baba Ashram, which offers a stay for one night including food for INR 250/- only.

Day 05: Bhojbasa to Gomukh-Back to Gangotri

Bhojbasa is situated at a mere distance of 4km from Gomukh. One can reach Gomukh within half an hour. Gomukh is where Ganga originates from which in totality completes one’s visit to Gangotri.

It does not do to spend so much time trekking and not enjoy the sites. Take some time out and take a walk back to Bhojbasa later. One can find accommodation at Gangotri later for a night stay.

Day 06: Gangotri to Gauri Kund. And A Pit Stop At Sonprayag

The longest journey you will have to undertake during this pilgrimage is from Gangotri to Gauri Kund. A total of 310km which can take as much as 14 hours to complete. The buses leave early in the morning, around 4AM till 7AM. After that, there are no direct buses. For Kedarnath, one has to first obtain a medical fitness certificate. There is a center at Sonprayag which provides medical certificates. They run a small examination test which demonstrates your health and gives you the certificate easily. If you are not medically fit, then you can opt for flying via a helicopter. The bus stops at Sonprayag.

Day 07: Gauri Kund to Rambara

Some people begin their journey from Gauri Kund to Kedarnath and complete it in one day. However, if you have abundant time then taking two days for the same journey makes it easier for travelers. After the floods and damage in 2013, iron roads with a distance of 8ft are attached to trails to ensure safety. Rambara has situated around 11 km from Gaurikund. The GMVN site at Rambara offers tent accommodation as well as fresh food and hot showers.

Day 08: Rambara to Kedarnath. And Back to Gauri Kund

Kedarnath is just 3km away from Rambara. Once you reach Kedarnath, the first thing that comes in front of your eyes is the unmissable huge commercial helipad. Adjacent to the helipad there are some camps and cottages situated by NIM for tourists to stay at night. Generally, these stay abodes go overbooked during peak season so it is better advised to either pre-book or stay at Rambara. It also takes approximately – hours just to enter the temple due to the crowd so try starting the pilgrimage early. You can take a walk back to Gaurikund and stay the night there. You can also opt for a shared taxi to Sonprayag.

Day 09: Gauri Kund/Sonprayag to Badrinath

There is a 300 km trek from Badrinath to Sonprayag/Gauri Kund. It takes approximately 11 hours to complete the trek. Buses are accessible from a similar point in Sonprayag where you got down at before for medical certificates. If you have plans including Rishikesh then it would be better if you take the bus the day after an early morning and visit the temple at night. Later you can take another bus for the following day. The buses are available at 4AM in the morning as well.