Best Time to Visit Yamunotri

What is the best time to visit Yamunotri? You can plan a trip to Yamunotri any time in the six months starting from May to November. But if you look at it in practical terms, May and June, September to October is the best time to visit Yamunotri. Yamunotri Temple is open for the period from May to November. This is the only period during which Yamunotri Temple is open for visitors. The daytime temperatures are cooler than other places in Uttarakhand. This is because Yamunotri is situated at an altitude of 10,804 ft (3293 meters). Nights are cold and you must wear woolen sweaters, and warm clothing during the night. It is not a good idea to visit Yamunotri in any other season.

Yamunotri – one of the Char Dhams of Uttarakhand

Yamunotri is the source of one of the holiest rivers in India, and that is none other than the Yamuna and Yamunotri is one of the famous temples in the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand. This Temple is situated above 10,000 ft in the Garhwal Himalayas. This is also the reason, why you will find that the entire region around the temple is full of snow-clad mountains, glaciers, valleys, rocks, boulders, and river streams. Yamunotri River has its source in the Champasar Glacier, which is located high in the Bandarpoonch Mountains and is not accessible at all. You will have to trek 6 km from Janki Chatti on mountainous roads to reach Yamunotri Temple. Tourists often take pony rides and palkis to reach Yamunotri Temple, if they are tired of walking on foot. Before entering the temple, devotees cook potatoes and rice in the hot water spring called Surya Kund and offer it to Goddess Yamuna.

Yamunotri during other seasons

Monsoons are not ideal time to visit Yamunotri. This is heavy rainfall and landslides during this period. Traveling is not at all advisable from July to September. Winter months from November to March is also not at all advisable to visit Yamunotri. The entire region is covered in thick snow. Temperatures go below freezing point and sometimes can go up to – 7 degrees Celsius. You can avoid these seasons for the Yamunotri trip.