Kedarnath Dham Yatra is the most visited Hindu pilgrimage site located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand India and is visited by thousands of devotees every year.
Kedarnath Temple is located at a high altitude of 11,760 ft. above sea level & is one of the four major pilgrim sites along with Gangotri, Yumnotr & Badrinath. The location of the temple in the Greater Himalayan Range with snow-covered mountains attracts thousands of visitors each year. The town of Kedarnath is located near the Chorabari glacier which is the starting point of the Mandakini river, a tributary of scared river Alaknanda.
The yatra begins from Sonprayag which is only 5 km away from Gaurikund from where you will have to start walking in order to reach the temple.
14 Km away from Gaurikund is the Kedarnath temple. It is believed that bathing in Gaurikund before visiting the temple brings good health and prosperity. You will cross Jungle Chatti, Bheembali & Lichauli to reach the Kedarnath Base Camp, situated only about a kilometre from the temple. The Kedarnath Temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva or Kedar according to the Hindu religion.
On the first day of the Kedarnath yatra, you will be picked up from Rishikesh early in the morning to avoid traffic in Shivpuri. We will be heading towards Sonprayag via Devprayag & Rudraprayag. Devprayag is located at a distance of 72.6 Km from the holy city of Rishikesh. On the way, you will be able to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Himalayas. From Devprayag, you will be able to catch glimpse of Devprayag Sangam which is the confluence of the two holy rivers Bhagirathi & Alaknanda to form the Ganga river.
Travelling for another 35.9 Km via NH-7 we will reach Srinagar (not to be confused with the capital of Jammu & Kashmir) in the Pauri Garwhal district. From Srinagar, our next destination will be Rudraprayag located at a distance of 33.1 Km and the journey will take about 1 hour & 9 minutes. Rudraprayag is a major district with a bustling local market & we can take a break for lunch. After lunch, we will head towards Sonprayag via Agastmuni, Guptkashi & Phata. Phata is used by pilgrims for helicopter services. The approximate charge for the return trip from Kedarnath to Phata is approximately Rs. 8,000/-.
The next leg of our journey will take us to Sonprayag via NH-107. Covering a distance of about 16 Km in 1 hour we will reach our destination for today at Sonprayag. Upon reaching Sonprayag, an overnight stay will be in the hotel. The total journey of 208.8 Km via NH-7 & NH-107 will take around 9 to 10 hours depending on the traffic.
After having breakfast at Sonprayag, we will drive to Gaurikund. The 5.1 Km ride will take around 15 min. After reaching Gaurikund, we will start walking 3.5 Km toward Jungle Chatti via Rambara bridge. There are numerous beautiful waterfalls & towering mountains throughout the trek. After trekking for another 7 Km from Jungle Chatti, we will reach Linchauli which is at a distance of 4 Km from Kedarnath Base Camp. After resting for a while & having lunch at the basecamp we will trek from another 1 Km that will take us to the Kedarnath Temple The hike takes about 10 to 12 hours and we will spend the night in a hotel/camp at Kedarnath after darshan.
We will trek back on the same beautiful route to Sonprayag and from there we will drive to Chopta. The 73.6 Km drive via NH-107 will take around 3 hours. You can spend the rest of the day relaxing as we will leave for Rishikesh tomorrow after some sightseeing in Chopta.
On the last day of the Kedarnath Yatra, we will drive back to Rishikesh from Chopta after some local sightseeing. The 160 Km ride will take about 5 hours and you are expected to arrive at Rishikesh by evening, so make your further travel plans according.
This is a brief list of things that you should carry on the trek to make the experience more memorable and much more comfortable -
Network & Connectivity
Good network connectivity is available throughout the trek. All major networks Airtel, Jio, BSNL are available
ATMs
The last ATM is available at Guptkashi, but it is advised to withdraw any required cash from Rishikesh.
Q. Which month is best for Kedarnath visit?
A. Summer season from April to June is the best time to visit Kedarnath Temple. The cool breeze & moderate temperature from 15 to 30 degrees celsius makes the trek pleasant.
Q. Is Kedarnath safe to visit now?
A. Kedarnath is an important Hindu pilgrim site which is visited by lots of tourists each year. It is safe to visit Kedarnath except the monsoon season should be avoided as the mountains are prone to landsides.
Q. What is the price of VIP darshan ticket at Kedarnath?
A. The VIP darshan ticked at Kedarnath costs about Rs. 2100/-
Q. What is the best time to avoid the crowd at Kedarnath
A. Kedarnath temple is less crowded during the months of September & October, especially near the dusherra season.
Q. How difficult is the Kedarnath trek?
A. Kedarnath is considered as an easy difficulty trek, apart from covering a distance of 16 Km, the trek route is well paved and the gradient is easy.
Q. How long it takes to reach Kedarnath Temple from Gaurikund?
A. On average, it takes around 5 hours to reach Kedarnath Temple from Gaurikund.