Char Dham
Char Dham Yatra Itinerary (10-12 Days)
A realistic day-by-day plan for the full circuit by road from Rishikesh, with acclimatisation and weather buffer days built in rather than assumed away.
- Total length
- 10-12 days
- Starting point
- Rishikesh / Haridwar
- Order
- Yamunotri → Gangotri → Kedarnath → Badrinath
- Vehicle
- Sedan, Innova or Tempo Traveller
This is the itinerary shape we build most 10-12 day Char Dham bookings around. It follows the standard west-to-east order — Yamunotri, then Gangotri, then Kedarnath, then Badrinath — and includes rest points rather than assuming every day goes to plan.
Days 1-3: Rishikesh to Yamunotri and back to the highway
Day 1 is a long drive from Rishikesh to Barkot or Janki Chatti, breaking up the ~210 km route with a lunch stop. Day 2 covers the short trek from Janki Chatti to the Yamunotri temple and back — a few hours each way — before returning to Barkot for the night. Day 3 moves on toward Uttarkashi, positioning for Gangotri.
Days 4-5: Gangotri
From Uttarkashi, Gangotri is reachable by road all the way to the temple, roughly a half-day drive. Most itineraries spend a night near Gangotri or Uttarkashi before heading back down and across toward the Kedarnath route.
Days 6-8: Kedarnath
This is the longest single leg — driving from the Gangotri side to Sonprayag or Gaurikund takes most of a day, often with an overnight break at Guptkashi. From Gaurikund, the 16 km trek (or pony/palki/helicopter) to Kedarnath and back typically takes two days including darshan time.
Days 9-11: Badrinath
From Kedarnath’s base back down to the road, it’s a drive via Joshimath to Badrinath — around a day’s travel. A night at Badrinath allows for darshan without rushing, before starting the return journey.
Day 12: Return to Rishikesh
The final day is the long drive back down from Badrinath to Rishikesh or Haridwar, typically 9-10 hours depending on road conditions. Building this in as its own day, rather than combining it with sightseeing, keeps the trip from ending in a rush.
Where this plan flexes
Road conditions in the hills change year to year — landslides, weather closures and construction can all add a day. We build a buffer day into every quote for exactly this reason, and adjust the plan in real time if something on the route needs it.
