Chardham Yatra ex Haridwar

There are four holy shrines in Uttarakhand dedicated to Hindu Gods and holy rivers of India. These four shrines are situated within the Garhwal Region., and are collectively referred as "HIMALAYAN CHARDHAM” comprising of Kedarnath , Badrinath , Yamunotri & Gangotri.

Pilgrims from all over India and abroad awaits the opening of these shrines each year.

In the year 2023, travel to CHARDHAM will commence from 1^st May 2023.

It is believed that every Hindu should undertake Char Dham Yatra at least once in a life time to avail the blessings of gods adorning the shrines.

Important Note:

* Covid vaccination certificate of 2nd dose is mandatory for Yatra.

* Passengers must do their Chardham and Do Dham registration by using the below mentioned link by themselves.

ITINERARY:

DAY: 1- HARIDWAR – BARKOT / 200 KMS / 8-9 HRS:

Meet at the designated Point (Hotel) or Railway Station and proceed to Barkot. Evening arrival to Barkot check in at hotel. Dinner overnight stay at Barkot

DAY : 2- BARKOT – JANKI CHATTI – YAMUNOTRI – JANKICHATTI – BARKOT / 40 + 40 KMS DRIVE / 6 + 6 TREKKING / 9 - 10HRS:

Today early morning drive to Janki Chatti to visit Yamunotri Temple (Breakfast Packed). On arrival to Janki Chatti the base point of Yamunotri, booked Pony & Palki services from

here (Own Cost). If you are fit enough you can do trekking also, quite a stiff trek. Arrival to Yamunotri visit the holy temple of Goddess Yamuna (3120m), present temple was built by Maharani of Jaipur Gularia Devi in 19^th  century. Natural hot water springs around the temple are main attraction for pilgrims. After the pooja / darshan return journey to Janki Chatti and drive back to Barkot for overnight stay.

DAY 3- BARKOT – UTTARKASHI / 100 KMS / 5-6 HRS:

After breakfast checkout from hotel and proceed to Uttarkashi, on the way visit Prakateshwar - Mahadev temple near Brhamkhal. On arrival to Uttarkashi (1158m) check in to hotel, in evening visit Kashi -Vishwanath Temple. Dinner overnight stay in Uttarkashi.

DAY 4- UTTARKASHI – GANGOTRI –UTTARKASHI / 100 + 100 KMS  / 11-12 HRS:

Early Morning 5: am proceed to visit Gangotri Temple (Breakfast packed). Along with Bhagirathi River the journey of Gangotri becomes a wonderful journey. Beautiful valleys, small rivers, waterfalls local villages, worth to visit over here.  On arrival to Gangotri Temple (3050m) visit the holy temple of Goddess Ganga, pooja / darshan.  The present temple of Gangotri was built in 18th century by Gurkha commander Amar Singh Thapa. After the visit over return journey to Uttarkashi for overnight stay.

DAY 5- UTTARKASHI – GUPTKASHI / SITAPUR 250 – 290 / KMS / 10-11 HRS:

Today after early morning breakfast check out from hotel and proceed to Guptkashi / Sitapur. Evening arrival to Guptkashi / Sitapur transfer to hotel, after dinner overnight stay.

DAY 6- GUPTKASHI / SITAPUR – KEDARNATH  / DRIVING 35 / TREKKING 16  / 8 -9 HRS:

Early morning 4:am checkout from hotel and proceed to Sonprayag the reservation counter for booking Pony & Palki services from here (own cost) for Kedarnath journey. After booking Pony & Palki take local shuttle Taxi services (own cost) to reach Gaurikund

the base point of Kedarnath. Trekking route begin from here, On arrival to Kedarnath check in to dharamshala, after freshen up visit Kedarnath temple for evening Aarti Darshan. Overnight stay at Kedarnath.

 DAY 7- KEDARNATH – GAURIKUND - SITAPUR / GUPTKASHI  ONE SIDE TREK 16 KMS / DRIVING 35 KMS /6-7 HRS:

Early morning today 5: am visit the Kedarnath temple for Pooja/Darshan/ Abhishek.  Amongst the 12^th Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva 11^th is situated in Kedarnath. The ancient temple of Kedarnath was built by Pandavas and renovated by Jagat Guru Shankaracharya in
7th century.  After breakfast checkout from hotel and trek down to Gaurikund 16km trek. Overnight stay at Sitapur / Guptkashi.

DAY 8- GUPTKASHI / SITAPUR- BADRINATH / 220 – 250 KMS / 9-10 HRS:

Today after early morning breakfast proceed to Badrinath, en route visit Narsingh Swami Temple at Josimath.  In evening arrival to Badrinath (3400m), transfer to hotel After freshens up visit Badrinath Temple. After the visit to the shrine, come back to hotel, dinner overnight stay in Badrinath.
 

DAY 9- BADRINATH –BIRAHI/RUDRAPRAYAG/SRINAGAR (140-200 KMS) / 5-8 HRS:

Early morning 4: am today visit Badrinath Temple for Abhishek/ Alankar darshan. The present holy temple of Badrinath was built by Adi Guru Shankaracharya during 7^th century. The main idol of Lord Vishnu is built of black stone known as “Salegram”. Before the visit of Badrinath temple one must take a holy dip inside “Taptkunda” a natural hot water spring situated outside the temple.  After the darshan of temple also perform the pooja/tarpan outside the temple near Brhamkapal. After breakfast  checkout from hotel drive to Mana the last village of India situated on Indo - Tibet-Border visit Ganesh Gufa, Beas Gufa, Bhimpool and Saraswati river. Later on proceed to Hotel for overnight Stay.
 

DAY 10- BIRAHI/RUDRAPRAYAG/SRINAGAR –  HARIDWAR / (200-120 KMS) / 8-5 HRS:

Today morning after early breakfast leave Rudraprayag and proceed to Haridwar. On arrival free time for exploration. Evening enjoy Ganga Aarti. Dinner overnight stay at Haridwar.
 

DAY 11- HARIDWAR – DROP AT RAILWAY STATION:

After breakfast checkout from hotel and drop at Railway Station. Journey concludes with everlasting memories of Chardham.
 

Above itinerary is only indicative, IRCTC and handling agent reserve to change in view of operation problem / local circumstances.

SIGNIFICANCE

YAMUNOTRI

Yamunotri Temple is situated in the western region of Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 3293 metres. Maharani Gularia of Jaipur built the temple in the 19th century. The temple is dedicated to the river Yamuna, who is represented in form of a silver idol, bedecked with garlands and reconstructed by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal.

The Temple of divine mother Yamuna was built by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal. The tiny Yamuna has icy cold water and its absolute innocence and the infantile purity heightens that deep feeling of reverence, which Yamunotri has for the devout. The trek to Yamunotri is truly spectacular, dominated by a panorama of rugged peaks and dense forests.

Close to the temple are hot water springs gushing out from the mountain cavities. Suryakund is the most important Kund. Near the Suryakund there is a shila called Divya Shila, which is worshipped before puja is offered to the deity. Pilgrims prepare rice and potatoes to offer at the shrine by dipping them in these hot water springs, tied in muslin cloth. Rice so cooked is taken back home as prasadam.

GANGOTRI

The Gangotri temple was built by the Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa, in the 18th century and is situated on the left bank of Bhagirathi river.

The temple is nested amidst the beautiful surroundings of deodars and pine trees.

It lies close to the holy rock or the Bhagirath Shila where King Bhagirath had worshiped Lord Shiva.

The Gangotri temple is dedicated to Goddess Ganga.

BADRINATH

The main entrance gate of Badarinath temple is colourful and imposing popularly known as Singhdwar. The temple is approximately 50 feet tall with a small cupola on top, covered with a gold gilt roof.

The Badarinath temple is divided into three parts :

(a) The Garbha Griha or the sanctum sanctorum

(b) The Darshan Mandap where rituals are conducted and

(c) The Sabha Mandap where pilgrims assemble.

At the Badarinath Mandir Gate, directly opposite the main Idol of Lord himself, is seated idol of Bird Garud, vehicle / carrier of Lord Badarinarayan. Garud os seen is sitting position and in prayer with his hands folded. The walls and pillars of the mandapa are covered with intricate carvings.

The Garbha Griha portion has its canopy covered with a sheet of gold and houses Lord Badari Narayan, Kuber (God of wealth), Narad rishi, Udhava, Nar and Narayan. Out of the 15 idols the most attractive is the one-metre high image of lord Badarinath, finely sculpted in black stone.

KEDARNATH

There are more than 200 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand itself, the most important one is Kedarnath.

The Temple at Kedarnath presents an imposing sight, standing in middle of a wide plateau surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks. The temple was originally built in 8th century A.D. by Jagad Guru Adi Shankaracharya and stands adjacent to site of an even earlier temple built by the Pandavas. \

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kedarnath temple has exquisite architecture Built of extremely large, heavy and evenly cut grey slabs of stones, it evokes wonder as to how these heavy slabs were moved and handled in the earlier centuries.

The temple has a Garbha Griha for worship and a Mandap, apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.

(Content Source Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board):

"IRCTC reserves the right to amend the itinerary as per the local ground conditions. Also there are very limited quality accommodation available in this sector , thus IRCTC reserves the right to split the group in  more than one Hotels as well as in more than one vehicle to manage the ground level logistics . "

Package Inclusions:

• Accommodation in Hotels as mentioned in the list of Hotels or Similar type for 11 Nights – 12 Days.
• AC 2 x 2 Comfortable Pushback Tempo Travellers for entire tour Ex Haridwar.
• Breakfast & Dinner as per the Itinerary.
• All Govt. applicable Taxes including GST.
• 1 Ltr Water Bottle Per Day.
• Insurance.

Package Exclusions:

• Helicopter Shuttle Charges.
• Flight Tickets if any to or from Delhi.
• Any service not mentioned in inclusions.
• Pony Charges, Helicopter Charges & Palki Charges. It has to be directly borne by the tourist.
• Guide charges.
• Personal Expenses such as Laundry, telephone calls, tips & gratuity, mineral water, soft & hard drinks, rafting, rock climbing, paragliding,  Porterage, Still / Video Camera fees etc.
• Additional sightseeing or extra usage of vehicle, other than mentioned in the itinerary.
• Any cost arising due to natural calamities like, landslides, road blockage, political disturbances (strikes), etc. (to be borne by the client, which is directly payable on the spot).
• Any increase in taxes or fuel price, leading to increase in cost on surface transportation & land arrangements, which may come into effect prior to departure.
• Any additional meals / en route meals, sightseeing and activities other than those mentioned in the itinerary.

HOTEL NAMES:
 

Cancellation Policy:

Terms and Conditions:

SURCHARGES:
The prices shown are based on known costs at the time of tour launching the tour and IRCTC does not expect to have to make any changes. In case of unforeseen increase in national or local taxation or factors beyond control, IRCTC reserves the right to impose a surcharge or revise the tour cost.

FORCE MAJEURE : 
In these booking conditions, 'force majeure' means any event which IRCTC / the supplier of the service(s) in question / the Third Party Supplier could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include disruptions/diversions of air services, floods, and earthquakes whether actual or threatened war, riot, civil strife, actual or threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, disease, fire and all similar events outside the control of the party concerned. 

We cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our agreement with you is prevented or affected by, or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss as a result of, 'force majeure'.

COVID-19 GUIDELINES

1. RT PCR Negative Report is mandatory. The same is to be conducted before 48 Hrs of the commencement of the tour. However the detailed SOP issued by Govt of Uttarakhand is to be announced shortly.
2. Installation & use of Aarogya Setu app by all.
3. Wearing of face mask and hand gloves.
4. Practice of frequent hand washing with soap (for at least 40-60 seconds) even when hands are not visibly dirty. Use of alcohol-based sanitizers (for at least 20 seconds) can be made wherever feasible.
5. Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a Tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly.
6. Luggage should be disinfected at reception/ boarding point.
7. Following of social distancing during boarding/de-boarding of train/ any other transport, Monuments & pilgrim places visit, lunches/dinners etc
8. Maintain Hygiene standards.
   
   

      DON'TS     

1. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with their hands.
2. Abide to the mandatory health advisories issued by the States/Local administration which are being visited.
3. Avoid using other tourist’s phone, Water bottle, Umbrella etc as much as possible.
4. Avoid loitering and crowding unnecessarily during the course of the tour.
5. All tourists are advised that spitting is strictly prohibited in tourist places, buses, hotels etc.
6. Do not touch statues/idols/holy books etc, inside the religious place.
7. No physical offerings like Prasad/distribution or sprinkling of holy water etc. inside the religious place.
8. Avoid physical contact while greeting each other.
9. Avoid sharing of items like in addition eatables, water bottles, toys and safety gear etc.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

1. Above rates are subject to availability.
2. Cancellation charges as per company policy.
3. Room categories in all packages are the base category rooms unless stated otherwise, amongst the Hotel Names tabulated above.
4. Final confirmation in the proposed hotels is subject to the availability at the time of booking, else similar category hotel will be provided.
5. Please reach the designated pick up Point at least 60 Mins prior to the commencement of the tour.
6. CHARDHAM YATRA is seasonal. Thus at times during the course of operations of the tour the carrying capacity of the destination gets affected.
7. Accommodation offered by IRCTC Ltd is the best amongst the available options at the destination. However, dormitory accommodation will be provided in Dharamshala at Kedarnath.
8. Transfers and Sightseeing tours are on SIC (seat in coach) / shared basis by A/C vehicle .However AC of the vehicle will not work beyond Haridwar due to hilly terrains. 
9. Arrival / departure transfers & sightseeing tours shall be provided as per schedule fixed by the IRCTC Tour Manager / Tour Coordinator.
10. The request for an adjacent or an adjoining room will be on subject to availability.
11. It is mandatory to carry the age proof of children (02 to 11 yrs) and infant (below 02yrs) as well along with other travel documents. Child above than 11 yrs shall be considered for an adult cost.
12. Room allocation (Twin bed / Double bed) is at the discretion of the hotel. The check in and checkout time of the hotel is 12 to 12 noon. Numbers of meals are always corresponding to the number of nights booked.
13. Breakfast is not provided on the day of arrival.
14. In hotels for an extra Adult / Child either Rollaway bed or mattress shall be provided.
15. Hotel has the right to claim the damages incurred by any of the guest.
16. The guests are requested to take care of their personal belongings carefully and avoid leaving them unattended.
17. Cost of additional services availed by the guest which are not part of our package inclusions are to be settled directly at the hotel.
18. Buffet meal will be provided at fixed venue during the course of operations. These are the standard buffet timings observed by the hotels. Still you are kindly requested to check the perfect buffet timings with IRCTC Tour Manager / Tour Coordinator. Once the buffet time is over the hotel might ask you to pay for your meals. It is to be categorically mentioned that , menu at times may get repeated during Dinner in the course of Tour Duration. However every possible effort is being initiated to ensure that no food repetition  is faced by the tourists availing these Yatra Packages.
19. IRCTC requests you that before finalizing the tour with us kindly go through the website of the hotels and read the reviews.
20. Any Itinerary posted on the website is only a proposed holiday outline. IRCTC or the Local Tour Operators reserve the right to amend the same during the course of operations.
21. In case there is any change in price the same will be communicated to yourself and only after your confirmation, we will proceed further.
22. There will be no refund for un-utilized services.  Any un-utilized services due to covid restrictions will be not be refunded.
23. Passenger should get full briefing about the tour from IRCTC before/after the booking to avoid any confusion.
24. IRCTC is not liable for personnel expenses, boating, porterage, theft, accidents etc.
25. Any other terms and conditions applied as may be decided by IRCTC at any point of time. 
26. Please carry your regular medicines, doctor’s prescriptions & contact number, torch, lock & chain for securing luggage, Woolen cloths.
27. Passenger may follow any other terms and conditions applied as may be decided by IRCTC at any point of time.
28. Seats Allotment in the Vehicle is on first come first serve basis at the venue, irrespective of the booking dates.
29. Vehicle is not at disposal – means it is for transfers and sightseeing as per the itinerary.