Kedarnath
Rishikesh to Kedarnath
Distance, drive time and the best way to break up the Rishikesh-Rudraprayag-Sonprayag-Gaurikund route, including where most travellers stop overnight.
- Distance to Gaurikund
- ~220 km
- Drive time
- 8-9 hours
- Recommended stop
- Guptkashi / Sonprayag
- Then
- 16 km trek to the temple
Rishikesh is one of the two most common starting points for Kedarnath, and the route follows the Alaknanda river valley for most of its length before turning off toward Gaurikund. Here’s what the drive actually involves.
The route
From Rishikesh, the road runs via Devprayag (where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers meet to form the Ganga), Srinagar and Rudraprayag, then continues to Guptkashi, Sonprayag and finally Gaurikund, where the road ends and the trek to Kedarnath begins.
Distance and drive time
Gaurikund is roughly 220 km from Rishikesh, which typically takes 8-9 hours of driving on mountain roads with regular curves and occasional traffic through the narrower stretches near Rudraprayag and Sonprayag.
Should you do it in one day?
It’s possible, but most groups — and most operators, us included — recommend breaking the journey with an overnight stop around Guptkashi or Sonprayag. Arriving a day ahead means starting the 16 km trek fresh in the morning rather than after a full day of driving.
What comes after Gaurikund
From Gaurikund, private vehicles go no further — the temple is reached by the trek, pony, palki or helicopter. See our Kedarnath trek guide and how to reach Kedarnath guide for how that final stretch works.
