Introduction
After discussing the detailed travel guide to visit Kedarnath(click here), here’s the next part of the Uttarakhand Series to make the Kedarnath Plan. If you haven’t read the previous blog which gives detailed information about Kedarnath darshan and the trek, check it here.
The Kedarnath Plan
In this blog, I would give detailed information about how to plan your trip to Kedarnath to and from Delhi/Haridwar/Rishikesh/Dehradun. This is the plan which we almost followed during our trip and I’d recommend going with this, if you’re planning to visit Kedarnath.
Day 0 : Reach Haridwar / Rishikesh / Dehradun
As the starting point of this journey would be either of these 3 places, if you are coming from any parts of India, I’d recommend you to reach to any of these places first. Among the 3, Haridwar would be the best option due to more options to Sonprayag at various different timings. One can reach Haridwar after a 5 hours journey from Delhi as well. Take good rest on this day in any of the hotels/dorms/ashrams.
Day 1: Travel to Sonprayag
Again it’s very better to start as early as possible as buses depart based on the crowd. Start as early as 4AM, there are both govt and private buses, both are fine. The journey would be tiring and exhaustive, be prepared for it. On the way you witness Devprayag, where Ganga originates as Alkananda, Bhagirathi comes together, which would be a lovely site.
Trekking on the same day
You reach Sonprayag by evening and it depends on the time you leave in the morning. One can start very soon, reach Sonprayag by afternoon and start the trek by night to save a complete day. The trek actually closes by 4 PM depending on the local rules, but the barriers are closed after Gaurikund, so keep 2 hours as a buffer as you should take a jeep from Sonprayag to Gaurikund.
If you don’t start the trek that day, take a room at Sonprayag or Gaurikund, stay at night.
Day 2: Trek to Kedarnath
This would be the most auspicious day as you’ll be witnessing the divine shrine of Kedarnath. Start the trek as early as possible, possibly at 3-4AM. You’ll reach by afternoon or evening. Keep your luggage in a locker or request your hotel guy to keep it in the hotel itself. Keep only essential things to the trek.
Make sure you reach before the evening aarti. Take breaks, enjoy the scenes around , keep chanting “Hara Hara Mahadev” and you’ll have a great experience.
Helicopter and Palki
If you have a slot for a helicopter then usually you visit the temple and return by evening itself. It’s just a short 15-20 mins ride.
If you are booking a poni or palki, the route is the same, but takes less time. They are available along the trek route.
Witness the evening aarti, Bheem Sheela, and other temples around. There are many stay options around the temple, easily available.
Leaving back on the same day
Also if you leave very early, reach by afternoon, finish darshan , you can also start the return trek back in the evening and reach base camp by night, take a room there and skip Day 3 totally and continue ahead.
Day 3: Kedarnath Darshan and return trek
Don’t miss the Morning Aarti, get up as early as possible and witness the Morning Aarti, take darshan and visit Bhairav Temple. The crowd would increase after helicopters start arriving, so start early. You can start the return trek by afternoon, to reach by evening to Gaurikund. Stay there at night, somewhere near the Sonprayag bus stand.
Day 4: Return back
Again start as early as possible. There are direct buses available to Badrinath, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Joshimath and other major cities.
Chopta Tungnath
If you wish to visit Chopta Tungnath(I’ll add a separate blog later), go to Guptkashi by bus, there taxis are available to Chopta trek point, the charge per vehicle, so the cost per person would be based on number of people going to Chopta, so keep this in mind.
Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri
Majority of the people also go to Badrinath, then to Haridwar. If you’re planning to visit other places around, taxis should be hired. Yamunotri, Gangotri can be reached only by buses from Haridwar, Rishikesh, so you have to come back and start again.
Things to Keep in Mind
- The weather in the trek route in unpredictable, snowfall, heavy rain, have proper clothing and medicines.
- One should have a raincoat, trek pole which are easily available on the way
- The roads are very unpredictable, the road blocks take even hours, days to clear. Be prepared for everything
- The buses don’t travel at night, so start as early as possible and reach by evening.
- If you’re going just after the trek opened or just before the trek is about to end, you might face a bit of trouble in facilities
Conclusion
This was the guide to plan your trip only to Kedarnath, but usually people extend it to Badrinath, Gangotri, Chopta, Yamunotri, Mana, Auli and other places. I’d add detailed blogs about all these important places in the coming days as this is the trek season in the Himalayas. If you wish to know much more details, do comment down also this information is based on my visit to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Chopta and Spiti Valley in October 2024.
