How many days are required to visit Char Dham?

Char Dham Yatra is a pilgrimage tour of four sacred temples in Uttarakhand. These temples are Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. You can plan for weeks or months and decide on the tour itinerary, hotel bookings, and other details. But you can always book a Char Dham Yatra tour package from a reputed tour agency. They will arrange for all the above things and also guide you with darshan, special puja or havan, transport, etc.

Char Dham Yatra Packages

Yet it is not fixed as to the duration of this Char Dham Yatra. The number of days you will be required to complete Char Dham Yatra depends on your itinerary, travel mode, and other travel preferences. If you are confused as to what the ideal duration of the Chardham Yatra should be, your travel agency will guide you in this matter. They will offer various customized Char Dham packages with different tour itineraries, and other details. You can choose the best tour package that suits your taste, preferences, and travel budget, and book that with the travel agency.

About Char Dham Yatra

The Char Dham Yatra is a very sacred pilgrimage of four places in Uttarakhand. These places are temple towns where four famous temples of Uttarakhand are located. These places are all located in the high Himalayan Mountains. These places are Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.

• Kedarnath: The temple of Kedarnath is extremely sacred as it is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples in India. Kedarnath Temple is also part of the Panch Kedar tourist circuit. The temple is located on the banks of the Mandakini River. Tourists get scenic views of the surrounding glaciers and snow-capped Himalayan peaks from this temple.
• Badrinath: This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and has been worshipped since mythological times. Previously people called it a place called Badrikashram. The great saint and philosopher Adi Shankaracharya first found a round shaligram stone and enshrined this in Badrikashram, and since then the place has grown into a temple town.
• Gangotri: The Gangotri Temple is very close to the source of the River Ganga, which is called Gangotri Glacier. Here the river is called Bhagirathi. The place where the Gangotri Temple stands now was the very place where Goddess Ganga descended from the heavens in the form of a river.
• Yamunotri: River Yamuna has its origin near Yamunotri Temple. It originates from a glacier called Champasar Glacier in the Banderpoonch Mountain range. This place is not accessible, but you can certainly visit Yamunotri Temple and seek the blessings of Goddess Yamuna.

Duration of Char Dham Yatra

Transportation modes

If you ask about the duration to complete the Char Dham Yatra then it will depend on what mode of transport you are taking. Generally speaking, people can choose from roads, railways, or flights to reach the Char Dham destinations.

• By road: If you prefer the old and traditional method of Char Dham Yatra then it is by road. People do not mind making yatra treks on foot either. But traveling by road has been the eternal favorite way of completing the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage. They never mind how long it takes to complete the yatra as they know that it might take 10 to 12 days of traveling, maybe even longer, if they add halts and night stops on this yatra route.
• By foot: This is a very ancient way to complete the Chardham Yatra pilgrimage. It takes around 2-3 weeks if you visit the Char Dham destinations by walking. Again the duration to complete the yatra will greatly depend on the number of night halts, stops on the route, and fitness level of the tourist.
• By helicopter: nowadays taking a helicopter flight is the quickest way to visit Char Dham Yatra. Tour operators offer many Char Dham Helicopter Packages for a safe and quick darshan of all the Char Dham temples. It is so quick that you can complete the long distances on the Char Dham route in the quickest time possible, and it generally takes around just 5-6 days to complete the yatra.

Tour itinerary and sightseeing

General itinerary

The duration of the Char Dham Yatra also depends on the tour itinerary you choose. You can request the tour agency to help in finalizing the Char Dham tour itinerary so that you can visit the temples and also do sightseeing in Uttarakhand. Generally, a Char Dham Yatra tour concludes in 10 to 12 days by road, so it allows the tourist to stay in a destination for around a day or two.

Extended itinerary

But you can also customize the Chardham tour package with other sightseeing places. In such a case you want to visit the destinations at a more leisurely pace. You may want to take more time along the route and visit the local places for a more immersive experience. In such cases, the Char Dham itinerary may go up to 14 days or more. You can plan your Chardham tour itinerary in such a way that adds more halts and night stays along the Yatra route.

Weather

You may take a longer time during the monsoon season for Char Dham Yatra. It may rain here heavily disrupt your tour itinerary and result in delays. Another reason why the Chardham Yatra gets longer in duration during monsoon season is because of roadblocks and landslides. The roads can be slippery at most times, and walking can also become very difficult for tourists. You have to add extra days as buffer days. Hence we would like to advise tourists to plan their Chardham itinerary accordingly and prepare for a longer duration. You can also face long queues at temples during peak season and darshan times can also be long. So it is wise to keep enough time for these things.

Best time for Char Dham Yatra

Although the Char Dham temples are open from April onwards and close in October, we recommend you plan your Chardham trip from April to June. The winter season has come to an end and the roads are clear of snow. The weather is warm and sunny. Sightseeing will be a very pleasant experience during this time. The next best time is from September to October. This is the time when daytime temperatures are slightly on the colder side, but it is a very good time for Char Dham Yatra. You must wear woolen clothes during this time as nights can get a bit colder. You can ignore the months of July to August as it rains heavily and there is a danger of landslides and flooding.

Conclusion

These were some factors that will decide on the duration of the Chardham tour. One thing is very certain, and that is that you must keep buffer days for relaxation in the tour itinerary. These buffer days are very helpful as you might come across unexpected delays and rough weather. In such cases, you can visit the places in these buffer days. You must make plans about how to travel the road distances, what mode you will take, how long will you stay at a place, and many other things. If you want a pleasant yatra experience then these things are a must.