Char Dham Tour

You arrive at Delhi Airport. India is a country known for its hospitality, with a culture rooted in tradition and a history kept alive in music and dance. You will be met at the airport and, if time permits, taken to Akshardham. Overnight in Delhi.

After breakfast, you drive to Mussoorie. On arrival, you check in to the hotel. Overnight in the hotel.

Barkot is located in the Rawain Valley of Uttarkashi District on the banks of the Yamuna. The people of Rawain were long cut off from the rest of Garhwal by the area's remote location, and their culture is similar to, yet distinct from, the rest of Garhwal. This makes the area particularly interesting. Barkot also has views of the Banderpunch range and considerable natural beauty. Its location on the route to Yamunotri Dham adds to its importance.

After an early breakfast, you drive by jeep to Janki Chatti, the starting point of the trek. You trek 7 km to Yamunotri, one of the four sacred shrines of Uttarakhand and the source of the Yamuna River. You visit the Yamunotri Temple, dedicated to the goddess Yamuna and built by Queen Gularia of Jaipur; Suryakund, a hot spring with a temperature of 190°F, where pilgrims tie rice and potatoes in muslin cloth and cook them in the water; and Divyashila, a rock pillar worshipped before entering the Yamunotri Temple. You then trek back to Janki Chatti and drive back to Barkot for the night. Between Hanuman Chatti and Janki Chatti (10 km each way), we may use local jeeps because of poor road conditions. This is decided on the spot when you reach Hanuman Chatti.

After breakfast, you drive to Uttarkashi, have a quick lunch and continue to Gangotri. On arrival, you check in to the hotel. We visit the temple for the Aarti. Overnight in Gangotri. Gangotri Dham: the temple is a modest granite structure first built in the 18th century and later rebuilt. Hindus believe that the goddess Ganga was brought down to earth by the mythological king Bhagirath, and the Ganga is believed to contain “Amrit”, a holy nectar.

After breakfast, you trek to Bhojbasa (approximately 14 km) and continue to Gaumukh and back to Bhojbasa (approximately 8 km in total). Overnight at a guest house with dormitory beds only and shared toilets. Dormitory beds cannot be booked in advance. Lunch and dinner are paid for directly at the canteen in Bhojbasa.

Early in the morning, you trek downhill to Gangotri (approximately 14 km). Depending on time and walking pace, we may reach Gangotri early in the morning.

After breakfast, you drive to Uttarkashi. Later, you visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the town, one of the Jyotirlingas. Overnight in Uttarkashi.

After breakfast, you check out of the hotel and drive to Guptkashi. On arrival, you check in to the hotel for the night.

In the morning you drive to Gaurikund and start the trek to Kedarnath, arriving in the afternoon. You visit Kedarnath Temple and stay overnight in a tented camp. Gaurikund lies 5 km from Sonprayag at an altitude of 1,982 metres. You can bathe in the hot spring here and visit the Gauri Temple. This is where the goddess Parvati is said to have meditated to win Lord Shiva. It is the starting point for the trek to Kedarnath. Kedarnath: the Kedarnath shrine, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, stands against the backdrop of the Kedarnath range. Kedar is another name for Lord Shiva, the protector and the destroyer. According to legend, the Pandavas, after defeating the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war, felt guilty for having killed their own relatives and sought the blessings of Lord Shiva for redemption. He avoided them repeatedly and, while fleeing, took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull. When they followed him, he dived into the ground, leaving his hump on the surface. The remaining parts of Lord Shiva appeared at four other places, where they are worshipped as his manifestations: the arms at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the belly at Madhmaheshwar and his hair and head at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath and these four shrines together are known as the Panch Kedar.

In the morning you trek down to Gaurikund and drive to Chamoli. On arrival, you check in to the hotel for the night.

In the morning you drive to Joshimath, leave your bags there and continue to Badrinath. On arrival at Badrinath, you visit the holy temple. Later in the day, you drive back to Joshimath for the night in a hotel. Badrinath, one of the Four Dhams, is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage sites in India. It lies at an elevation of 3,133 metres between two mountain ranges known as Nar and Narayan, with Neelkanth Peak rising behind it. The area was once covered in wild berries, which gave the place the name “Badri Van”, meaning “forest of berries”.

After breakfast, you drive back to Rishikesh. On the way, you make a short photo stop at Devprayag to see the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers, then continue to Rishikesh and check in to the hotel. Devprayag is a small town at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers. From this point onwards the combined river is called the Ganga; above it, the Bhagirathi is considered the Ganga. The place is of great religious importance, as it is here that the Ganga takes its full form. The town is named after the sage Dev Sharma, who lived and meditated here and is said to have been blessed with a vision of God. Devprayag is a popular destination for Hindu pilgrims. Ritual bathing takes place at two basins cut into the rock at the junction of the holy rivers: the Brahm Kund on the Bhagirathi and the Vashisht Kund on the Alaknanda. In the evening, if time permits, you attend the Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan, Ram Jhula. Overnight in the hotel.

A full day exploring Rishikesh, followed by the Ganga Aarti in the evening.

After a relaxed breakfast, you drive to Haridwar and then on to Delhi.