Uttarakhand · Operating since 2014
Char Dham Yatra
from Chennai
from Chennai
From the Coromandel coast to 3,583 metres at Kedarnath — four shrines across twelve days, paced so that a family arriving from sea level can actually complete it. Planned and run from Dehradun.
11 Nights / 12 Days
Return flights included
Registration included
Private vehicle
The climb — from sea level to the four shrines
Home
Chennai
6 m
First
Yamunotri
3,293 m
Second
Gangotri
3,100 m
Third
Kedarnath
3,583 m
Fourth
Badrinath
3,133 m
The journey
Sea level to 3,583 metres, with a night at the top
The Char Dham Yatra takes you to four of the holiest shrines in Hinduism — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — set deep in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand. From Chennai that is more than 2,300 kilometres before the pilgrimage itself even begins, which is exactly why it needs to be planned properly rather than pieced together on the way.
We handle your return flights, your Char Dham registration, every hotel, every kilometre of mountain driving and every meal, so that you land in the north and simply start your yatra. Our office is in Dehradun, at the head of the entire circuit, and we have worked this route since 2014 under certification from the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board.
Chennai sits about six metres above the sea. Kedarnath sits at 3,583. That gap is the single thing first-time pilgrims from the south underestimate most.
It is also the reason this itinerary runs over twelve days rather than being compressed into seven or eight, and why we sleep at Kedarnath instead of racing 38 km up and down in one day. You gain height gradually — Dehradun, then Barkot, then Uttarkashi, then Guptkashi — giving your body real time to adjust before the two hardest temple days. Operators who cut this to a week are cutting the acclimatisation, not the driving. Slower is safer here, and it also means you see the Himalayas properly instead of only from inside a car.
The traditional order runs west to east — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, then Badrinath — and that is the clockwise sequence we follow, exactly as prescribed.
At a glance
Package snapshot
Duration
11 Nights / 12 Days
Flights
Return Chennai ⇄ north India, included
Yatra starts
Dehradun
Destinations
Yamunotri · Gangotri · Kedarnath · Badrinath
Hotels
3-star deluxe rooms throughout
Meals
Daily pure vegetarian breakfast & dinner
Best season
May–June and September–October
Group size
Private — your family, your own vehicle
Suited to
Families, seniors, groups
Getting there
Two ways to fly up from Chennai
There is no true non-stop service between Chennai and Dehradun. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you a one-stop flight under a single number. We would rather show you both routings honestly and book whichever suits your group and your dates better.
Option one
Through-flight to Dehradun
One stop · one ticket
MAAChennai
✈ approx 4h 25m
DEDDehradun
IndiGo and Air India run same-ticket services that touch down once en route and continue to Jolly Grant Airport. You land 30 km from your first hotel and skip the long road transfer altogether. Best for families and seniors — the stop costs you an hour or so, the saved drive costs you half a day.
Option two
Non-stop to Delhi, then by road
Non-stop · then 6 hrs by car
MAAChennai
✈ approx 2h 45m
DELDelhi
Frequent non-stop flights, so more choice of timings and often the cheaper fare. Our driver meets you at Delhi airport and drives you up to Dehradun, roughly six hours through the plains. Best when your group wants an early-morning departure or the fare difference is large.
Airlines, flight numbers, timings and operating days change with the season, and seats on the Dehradun routing sell out early during yatra months. We check both options against your dates when you enquire, tell you what each costs and how each affects your first day, and ticket whichever you choose. Jolly Grant Airport (DED) is 30 km from Dehradun city and 35 km from Rishikesh.
Day by day
The full itinerary
Darshan days are marked in saffron. Everything between them is deliberately paced to let you acclimatise.
1
Chennai → Dehradun
Flight, then transfer to your hotel640 m
Fly up from Chennai on whichever routing we have booked for your group. Our driver meets you on arrival — at Jolly Grant Airport if you are on the Dehradun flight, or at Delhi airport if you are routing through Delhi — and takes you to your hotel in Dehradun. Your driver and our office team run through the days ahead with you before you sleep.
Overnight DehradunMeals Dinner
2
Dehradun → Barkot
140 km · 5 hrs1,220 m
After breakfast you drive to Barkot via Mussoorie and down into the Yamuna valley. The road climbs steadily and the views open up almost immediately. Evening free.
Overnight BarkotMeals Breakfast, Dinner
3
Yamunotri Darshan
45 km drive · 6 km trek each way3,293 m
An early start. Drive to Janki Chatti, where the road ends and the 6 km trek to Yamunotri begins. You can walk it, or take a pony or doli at your own cost. At the top, pilgrims bathe in the hot spring at Surya Kund and cook rice in its waters as prasad before darshan of Goddess Yamuna. Trek back down and return to Barkot.
Overnight BarkotMeals Breakfast, Dinner
4
Barkot → Uttarkashi
85 km · 3 hrs1,158 m
A short, easy driving day — a welcome one after Yamunotri. Stop at Shiv Gufa en route. In Uttarkashi, visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Afternoon free to rest.
Overnight UttarkashiMeals Breakfast, Dinner
5
Gangotri Darshan
100 km each way3,100 m
Drive to Gangotri through the Harsil valley, stopping at the Gangnani hot spring on the way. At Gangotri the Bhagirathi runs clear and freezing beside the temple; pilgrims bathe here, perform puja and collect Gangajal to carry home. Return to Uttarkashi in the evening.
Overnight UttarkashiMeals Breakfast, Dinner
6
Uttarkashi → Guptkashi
220 km · 8 hrs · longest drive1,319 m
You cross from the Bhagirathi valley into the Mandakini valley, following the river that comes down from Kedarnath itself. Visit the Ardhanarishwar Temple at Guptkashi. Early night — tomorrow is the biggest day.
Overnight GuptkashiMeals Breakfast, Dinner
7
Gaurikund → Kedarnath
19 km trek up · 8–10 hrs · the longest day3,583 m
Start before dawn with a packed breakfast. Your vehicle drops you at Sonprayag; a shared local jeep runs the 5 km to Gaurikund. From there the trek to Kedarnath is roughly 19 km and takes most people eight to ten hours. Ponies, palkis and pithoos are available at Gaurikund at your own cost, and helicopter tickets can be arranged separately on request. You arrive in the late afternoon as the day-trippers are heading back down. Tonight you stay at Kedarnath itself — lodging up here is simple by necessity, in huts or tented accommodation with limited heating and hot water, and we book the best available for your dates.
Overnight KedarnathMeals Breakfast, Dinner
8
Kedarnath Darshan → Guptkashi
Morning aarti · 19 km trek down3,583 → 1,319 m
You wake at the temple. Morning darshan and aarti happen before the day's trekkers have finished climbing from Gaurikund, which is the quietest hour Kedarnath offers and the whole reason for the overnight — one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, without the queue. After breakfast, trek the 19 km back down to Gaurikund at your own pace, take the jeep to Sonprayag where our driver is waiting, and return to Guptkashi.
Overnight GuptkashiMeals Breakfast, Dinner
9
Guptkashi → Joshimath
200 km · 7 hrs · recovery day1,875 m
A restful driving day after two hard days on the Kedarnath trail, along the Alaknanda. Check in at Joshimath and recover.
Overnight JoshimathMeals Breakfast, Dinner
10
Badrinath Darshan → Rudraprayag
120 km · 4 hrs3,133 m
Drive to Badrinath, bathe in the Tapt Kund hot spring and take darshan of Badrivishal. Nearby you can visit Mana — the last village before the Tibet border — along with Vyas Gufa, Bhim Pul, Charan Paduka and the source of the Saraswati. On the return, stop at Narsingh Temple in Joshimath and the confluences at Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag and Karnprayag.
Overnight RudraprayagMeals Breakfast, Dinner
11
Rudraprayag → Haridwar
158 km · 4.5 hrs314 m
Descend out of the hills to Haridwar. Evening at Har Ki Pauri for the Ganga Aarti — a fitting close to the yatra.
Overnight HaridwarMeals Breakfast, Dinner
12
Haridwar → Chennai
A relaxed morning. Depending on your flight timing there is usually room for darshan at Mansa Devi or Chandi Devi, or shopping for prasad and Gangajal to carry home, before your transfer to the airport.
Meals Breakfast
What you pay for
Inclusions and exclusions
Included
✓Return economy airfare from Chennai, on the routing we agree with you
✓Airport pickup and drop at the arrival airport
✓All transport in a private vehicle with driver
✓Char Dham Yatra registration for every traveller
✓10 nights in 3-star deluxe hotels, plus one night at Kedarnath
✓Daily pure vegetarian breakfast and dinner
✓All sightseeing and transfers as per itinerary
✓Driver allowance, toll, parking and state taxes
✓On-ground support from our Dehradun office throughout
Not included
×Lunches and any meals not listed
×5% GST
×Pony, palki, doli, pithoo and helicopter charges
×Shared jeep, Sonprayag – Gaurikund – Sonprayag
×Guide services (can be arranged at extra cost)
×Personal expenses, tips, shopping, puja offerings
×Travel insurance of any kind
×Costs arising from landslides, road blocks, weather closures or flight cancellations
×Anything not listed under Inclusions
The vehicle is provided as per the itinerary and is not at disposal. Rates are subject to change without notice and cannot be combined with other offers. Cancellation refunds are governed by the hotel and airline policies applicable to your booking.
Tell us your dates
Send your travel dates and the number of pilgrims. We will price both flight routings and come back with one all-inclusive quote.
Mon–Sat · 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Before you fly
Char Dham registration
Registration is mandatory for every pilgrim visiting all four dhams, regardless of age. It is issued as a QR-coded pass, checked at points including Rishikesh, Sonprayag and Joshimath, and you must carry a printout along with your Aadhaar or other government photo ID.
It is free through the Uttarakhand government's official channels — the Tourist Care Uttarakhand portal, the mobile app, or the state WhatsApp service. Be wary of any website or agent charging a fee for basic registration.
For guests booking with us, we complete the registration for you. We need clear scans of each traveller's Aadhaar and a photograph, and we handle the rest before you fly — one less thing to sort out from 2,300 km away.
Season dates change every year — the portals open around Akshaya Tritiya in late April and close around Bhai Dooj in November. Call 7351707071 for this season's confirmed dates.
Coming from the coast
How to prepare in Chennai
Start walking now
Daily walking for six to eight weeks before departure, and find a slope or a staircase — Chennai gives you very little gradient to train on. If you can cover 8–10 km in one stretch, Kedarnath becomes a long day rather than an ordeal.
Respect the altitude
You are starting from sea level, so the gain is as large as it gets in India. Drink water constantly, avoid alcohol, eat light, and tell your driver at once if you feel headache, nausea or breathlessness. Our twelve-day pacing exists for exactly this.
Talk to your doctor
Essential if you have blood pressure, heart, respiratory or diabetic conditions. Carry your medication with a written prescription — pharmacies on the route are basic and will not stock what you take at home.
Pack for real cold
Most Chennai households own nothing warm enough for this. You need a fleece and a windproof jacket — Kedarnath drops close to freezing even in June — plus a poncho, shoes with grip, walking stick, cap, torch, power bank and cash. ATMs are scarce beyond Uttarkashi.
Expect patchy network
Signal is unreliable through the valleys and at Kedarnath. Tell your family in Chennai in advance that you may be out of contact for stretches. Our office number stays reachable for them the whole time.
Inside the temples
Recording devices are restricted inside the main premises at several dhams. Follow the instructions of temple staff, and keep your baggage light — you carry your own bag on ten different nights.
Why us
Booked from Dehradun, not a call centre
We are at the trailhead
Our office is twenty minutes from Jolly Grant Airport, at the head of the Char Dham circuit. Our drivers live on these roads and know which stretch is blocked before it makes the news.
Honest about the flights
We price both routings and tell you plainly what each costs you in money and in hours. You will not find out at the airport that your direct flight has a stop in it.
Certified and registered
Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board certificate UTTR/DEHRADUN/08-2019/003412. GST registered. Operating since 2014.
Private, never pooled
Your family travels in its own vehicle on its own schedule. No 30-seat coach, no waiting for strangers at every stop.
One number to call
Flights, registration, hotels, vehicle, meals — one booking and one person answering the phone. Not a chain of sub-agents.
Other ways to go
Char Dham by helicopter in 5–6 days, Do Dham, Yamunotri & Gangotri, or an extension to Haridwar and Rishikesh.
Questions
What Chennai pilgrims ask us
Is there a direct flight from Chennai to Dehradun?
Not a true non-stop one. IndiGo and Air India sell same-ticket services to Jolly Grant Airport that touch down once en route, taking around four and a half hours in total. Listings that advertise these as "direct" are using the airline sense of the word, which means one flight number rather than no stops. The alternative is a non-stop to Delhi in about two hours forty-five, followed by a six-hour drive up to Dehradun. We price both for your dates and book whichever suits your group.
How do I reach Char Dham from Chennai?
By air to the north, then by road. The circuit begins at Dehradun or Haridwar, and there is no rail or road option from Chennai that makes sense for a trip of this length. Flying into Dehradun puts you 30 km from your first hotel; flying into Delhi puts you six hours away by car.
How many days do I need?
Twelve days including return flights, which is what this package covers. The extra day buys you a night at Kedarnath rather than a same-day return, which is what makes the 19 km trek manageable. Attempting all four dhams in under nine days from South India means arriving exhausted and under-acclimatised. If you have less time, the helicopter yatra covers all four shrines in five to six days, or Do Dham covers Kedarnath and Badrinath in about eight.
What is the best time for Char Dham Yatra?
The season runs from late April to early November. May–June and September–October are the best windows — clear weather, open roads, comfortable temperatures. July and August bring heavy monsoon rain, landslides and road closures across Garhwal, and we generally advise against travelling then. The temples close for winter around Bhai Dooj.
How cold will it actually be?
Colder than most people from Chennai expect. Daytime temperatures in the valleys are pleasant, but Kedarnath and Badrinath can approach freezing at night even in June, and the wind on the trek makes it feel sharper. A fleece plus a windproof outer layer is the minimum. Buy them before you travel — what is sold at the roadside near the temples is expensive and often thin.
Is the yatra physically difficult?
Demanding but not technical. The driving days are long on winding mountain roads. The two trekking days — 6 km each way to Yamunotri and 19 km each way to Kedarnath — are the hardest parts, and ponies, palkis and helicopter services exist precisely so that people who cannot walk them can still take darshan.
What is it like staying overnight at Kedarnath?
Basic, cold, and worth it. Accommodation at the temple is huts or tented lodging rather than hotels — limited heating, limited hot water, shared facilities in many cases. What you get in return is the morning aarti before the day's climbers arrive, and a 19 km descent taken fresh the next morning instead of on legs that have already walked 19 km up. For most people, especially those over 50, the overnight makes Kedarnath achievable rather than gruelling. Carry a warm layer to sleep in.
Can senior citizens do this trip?
Yes, and a large share of our guests are over 60. Seniors typically take a pony or palki at Yamunotri and a helicopter or palki at Kedarnath, and we build in extra rest. For groups travelling from Chennai with elderly members we usually recommend the Dehradun flight routing, since it removes a six-hour road transfer on the first day. We do ask that anyone with a heart, lung, blood pressure or diabetic condition gets a doctor's clearance before booking, and we would rather tell you honestly if a shorter itinerary suits you better.
Is helicopter service available?
Yes. Kedarnath helicopter tickets from Phata, Sersi or Guptkashi can be added to this package, and we also run a complete Char Dham helicopter yatra covering all four shrines in five to six days. Seats sell out early and are weather-dependent, so book well ahead.
What do ponies and palkis cost?
Rates are fixed by the local administration, revised every season, and they move with demand and weather. Because of that we do not publish figures that go stale. Call us and we will give you the current season's rates for both Yamunotri and Kedarnath before you commit.
Will you handle my registration?
Yes. Registration is mandatory for all four dhams and is checked at multiple points on the route. It is included in this package — we complete it for every traveller in your group before departure. We need each person's Aadhaar and a photograph.
What is the food like on the route?
Pure vegetarian throughout — non-vegetarian food and alcohol are neither available nor appropriate on the yatra route. The cooking is North Indian, so expect rotis, dal and sabzi rather than what you eat at home. If your group keeps particular dietary customs, tell us when you book and we will brief the hotels ahead of your arrival.
What does the package cost?
It depends on your travel dates, group size, hotel category, flight routing and whether you add helicopter services. Airfare from Chennai moves a great deal with the season, and seats on the Dehradun routing book out early during yatra months. Send us your dates and traveller count on WhatsApp for an exact all-inclusive quote with nothing hidden.
What if my flight is delayed, or a road is blocked?
Both happen on this route, and our answer is honesty rather than promises. Connecting flights into Dehradun can be delayed, Jolly Grant occasionally sees weather diversions, and mountain roads close after heavy rain. Our Dehradun office tracks conditions daily, re-sequences the itinerary as needed, and can meet you at Delhi instead if a flight diverts. Costs arising from natural causes are not covered in the package price, but you will never be left to sort it out yourself.
Pack The Bag Tours · Dehradun
Start planning your yatra
Talk to the team that will actually run your trip. Share your dates and the number of pilgrims and we will send a full quote with flights, hotels and registration included.
Mon–Sat · 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
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