Day 01: Home - Delhi/Haridwar
Depending on your station of departure, your train will take you to Delhi/Haridwar to begin the pilgrimage to Chardham shrines. The rest of the itinerary has been formulated assuming your Chardham Yatra itinerary has Delhi as base/one of the stopovers. If not, make necessary adjustments with regards to reaching Haridwar.
Day 02: New Delhi – Haridwar
Once you reach New Delhi Railway station, you will be introduced to your driver /tour escort. The holy voyage would begin after filling up of necessary forms. Haridwar is our next stopover. Time for lunch break would be provided at Khatauli. Once we reach Haridwar, we will have you check-in at the hotel. You will be warmly welcomed with a soothing welcome drink! Please attend the short briefing session before dinner. Enjoy dinner and a comfortable overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 03: Haridwar – Chami/Barkot/Jankichatti
Wake –up call would ring at sharp 6.00 am. After enjoying your breakfast, you may join us on our journey towards Barkot/Jankichatti/Chatti via Rishikesh. Once we reach Barkot, check-in at the reserved hotel. Indulge in a delicious lunch and cozy overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 04: Chami/Barkot/Jankichatti – Yamunotri – Jankichatti/Chami/Barkot
One has to embark on the perilous trek till Yamunotri shrine quite early in the morning. Pony/palki can be arranged at own cost. After enjoying the beautiful darshan of Maa Yamuna, Surya Kund and Divya Shila at Yamunotri Temple, descend downwards to reach the base-camp. Relax and rewind at the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 05: Jankichatti/Barkot/Chami – Uttarkashi/Netala
After enjoying a delicious breakfast, we will drive towards Uttarkashi, our next pilgrimage stopover. The drive will be along Barkot-Dharasu. Once we reach Uttarkashi and have you check-in at the hotel, you can spend the rest of the day in leisure. A much-needed repose after Yamunotri trek of the previous day! Enjoy your dinner and retire for an early night’s sleep at the hotel.
Day 06: Uttarkashi/Netala – Gangotri – Netala /Uttarkashi
The day will have us drive for more than 14 hours. Thus, it is advisable to begin the journey earlier than on most days. The wake-up call will ring at 4.45 am, so that we can begin our journey towards Gangotri shrine by 5.30 am. Only poets might come close to expressing the breathtaking scenic beauty which the mountainous paths from Uttarkashi to Gangotri prepare for us. We will halt at the famous site of 21 hot water springs in Gangnani and the sublimely beautiful Harsil in between. We would have reached Gangotri Temple by 1 o’clock in the afternoon. After enjoying a blissful darshan of Ganga Maa, one can embark on the return journey to Uttarkashi so as to reach the hotel by 8.00 pm. It has been an exhausting day with over 14 hours of drive. After a sumptuous dinner, retire for a much-needed early night’s sleep.
Day 07: Uttarkashi – Srinagar/Rudraprayag/Augustmuni/Guptkashi/Sitapur/Phata
We will begin our drive towards the next stopover early in the morning. The drive will take us along Tehri Dam, the highest dam in India. Once the hotel is reached, relax in its cozy environ.
Day 08: Srinagar/Rudraprayag/Augustmuni/Guptkashi/Phata/Sitapur – Gaurikund – Kedarnath
This is perhaps the most challenging day in the entire Chardham Yatra itinerary by IRCTC. This is because the challenging 19 km trek from Gaurikund to Kedarnath shrine is allotted to this day. We will embark on our treks from Gaurikund with packed breakfast and clothing for a day in our back-packs. The trek might take around 6-7 hours if one does not employ Pony/palki for assistance. Enjoy a blissful darshan of Kedarnath in the evening.
Day 09: Kedarnath – Sitapur/Phata/Guptkashi/Rudraprayag/Karnaprayag/Birahi/Pipalkoti/Joshimath
After enjoying darshan of Lord Kedarnath once more, in the morning, we can embark on the descending trek till Gaurikund. The vehicles are scheduled to leave by 12.00 pm. We will then be driven to the next stopover en route, with a suitable halt for lunch in between. Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 10: Sitapur/Phata/Guptkashi/Rudraprayag/Karnaprayag/Joshimath – Badrinath
After an early breakfast, we will move towards the fourth and final of our destinations – Badrinath. If one wants to, one can enjoy darshan of Lord Badrinarayan on the same day. If not, just rest and rewind at the hotel for one can enjoy an early morning darshan on the next day.
Day 11: Badrinath – Joshimath/Pipalkoti/Birahi/Rudraprayag/Srinagar
One has time till 11 am to enjoy darshan and pooja of Lord Badrinarayan. Afterwards, we will be driven to our first stopover on the return journey. Check-in at the hotel, enjoy overnight stay.
Day 12: Srinagar – Rishikesh
The day involves mostly driving through the scenic terrain of Devbhumi. As usual, we will depart from the hotel by 6.00 am. We will halt at Devprayag, the beautiful confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. Did you know that it is at Devprayag that Ganga becomes whole? The merger of the two rivers gives rise to the waters of Ganga, revered throughout India for her sacredness that can wash away any sins. The drive will be resumed letting us reach Haridwar/Rishikesh before evening. We can enjoy the mesmerizing Ganga aarti.
Day 13: Rishikesh / Haridwar – Delhi
Depending upon the location of your home, your train timings may vary. If Delhi falls next on your route, you will be waked up early at around 4.30 so that you can alight on your train to New Delhi by 5.00 am. Your breakfast would be packed and provided too. The rest of the journey will be adjusted accordingly. Thus the sacred voyage to four char dham shrines concludes! Hopefully, you have enjoyed IRCTC Char Dham Yatra package.
