UT/02i - Chaar Dhaam with Adventure- Itinerary  14 Days/13 Nights, Ex Delhi

Special Add on for the Trip

• Special riverside aarti in the private ghat on the banks of the River Alaknanda at HEL Jayalgarh

• Rafting & gentle floating trip on the River Alaknanda

• Bird watching session with a birding expert in Kund

• Evening bonfire and Veg Barbecue at Auli

• Information sharing on the trip on Day 1 in the evening at New Tehri with a film on the Char Dham yatra

Daywise Itinerary

Day 1 : Delhi - New Tehri Drive/300 kms/8-9 hrs - Depart from Delhi for New Tehri. Here check into the Himalayan Eco Lodge Sursingdhar for overnight stay.

 Day 2 : New Tehri - Barkot  Drive/125 kms/4-4.5 hrs - Post breakfast, set off for Barkot. Overnight in a luxury camp, Camp Veda.

Day 3 : Barkot - Yamunotri - Barkot Drive/50 kms each way & walk /5 kms each way - Early morning, drive 50 kms to Jankichatti and begin the walk to Yamunotri which is 5 kms away. For those who prefer not to walk, have the option of taking a horse or a dholi. At Yamunotri, Darshan at the temple and one can also have a dip in the warm waters of the Jamnabhai Kund. In the afternoon, walk back to Jankichatti and drive back to Barkot. Overnight in a luxury camp, Camp Veda.

Day 4 : Barkot - Harsil  Drive/135 kms/4-5 hrs - Early morning departure for Harsil. Enroute stopover at Uttarkashi to visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple here. Also, visit the sulphur springs at Gangnani for a warm dip and visit the Prayag temple here. Continue the drive to Harsil and here check into the Himalayan Eco Lodge Harsil. In the evening, visit the ancient temple at Dharali and the stupa at Bagori village.

Day 5 : Harsil - Gangotri - Harsil  Drive/20  kms each way - The drive to Gangotri would take about 1 hr along the Bhagirathi river and passes through dense  forests. Once at Gangotri, go for the darshan in the main temple. Later visit the Suryakund waterfalls and the Pandav Gufa which is along the trail leading to Gaumukh. There is also a natural Shivling in the river here, which is visible in the winter months when the water level goes down. Towards evening head back towards Harsil. .

Day 6 : Harsil - New Tehri Drive/150 kms/5-6 hrs - Post breakfast, relax in the beautiful surroundings of this place and later drive back to New Tehri. Overnight at the Himalayan Eco Lodge Sursingdhar.

Day 7 : New Tehri - Kund Drive/150 kms/5hrs - Post breakfast, drive to Kund. Once in Kund relax in the scenic surroundings with the River Mandakini flowing by and the Kedar peak in the distance. In the evening, drive to Ukhimath temple (2 kms), the winter seat of lord Kedarnath and attend the evening aarti. Return to the lodge for overnight stay. Overnight in the Himalayan Eco Lodge, Kund.

Day 8 : Kund - Gaurikund Drive/45 kms/1-2 hrs - Kedarnath walk/14 kms - Post early breakfast, depart for Gaurikund. This drive would take a couple of hours as you gain altitude and come to the base of Kedarnath at Gaurikund from where you would start your walk for the temple. The walk is for 14 kms and would take 4-5 hrs to complete. For those who prefer not to walk, you have the option of taking a horse or a dholi. Once at Kedarnath, head to the temple for the aarti and return to check into your guesthouse for the night. Overnight in the guesthouse.

NOTE: there is an option to take the Helicopter from close to our lodge and go for Kedarnath darshan and return the same evening. In case you take this option the next day (day 9) will be at leisure or for sightseeing at Auli

Day 9 : Kedarnath - Gaurikund walk/14 kms - KUND Drive/45 kms/1-2 hrs - In the morning, head to the temple for another darshan and post breakfast, start walking back to Gaurikund. On reaching Gaurikund, drive back to Kund. Enroue visit the temple at Guptkashi and the Kalimath temple. Once in the lodge, relax the tired muscles by a crackling bonfire followed by dinner and retire to your rooms.

Day 10 : Kund - Koshimath (Kurala) Drive/110 kms/4.5-5 hrs - Post early breakfast, begin the drive to Joshimath. Enroute, stopover at Chopta and here enjoy for some time in the bugyals (high altitude meadows). You also get wonderful views of the snow clad Himalayan peaks from here. Enroute visit the Gopinath temple at Gopeshwar. Arrive in Joshimath by the evening and you could head off to the Narsing Devta temple for a darshan. Overnight in the Himalayan Eco Lodge Auli.

Day 11 : Joshimath - Badrinath - Joshimath Drive/40 kms each way/2 hrs each way - Post breakfast, drive up to Badrinath. In Badrinath also visit the Tapt Kund, Narayan Kund, Mata Murty temple, Bhim Pul, etc. and also visit Mana village (the last temple  on the Indian border). In Mana, where you can shop for some local handicrafts and handmade woollen items. You can also take a walk to the Vasundhara Falls. Later in the afternoon, head back to Joshimath. Back at the lodge, enjoy a bonfire and vegetarian barbecue.

Day 12 : Joshimath - Jayalgarh Drive/175 kms/5 hrs - Early breakfast and depart for Jayalgarh. Enroute you could stopover at Rudraprayag which is the confluence of the Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers. At Jayalgarh, the luxury camp that you would be staying in, is located on the banks of the River Alaknanda and is a perfect location to end your trip. On this day you could relax on the banks of the river. In the evening, attend a special aarti that is conducted on the private ghat in the camp, on the banks of the river. In the night, dinner by the riverside. Overnight in the Himalayan Eco Lodges Camp High 5.

Day 13 : Jayalgarh - Rishikesh - Haridwar Drive/115 kms/3-4 hrs - In the morning, for those who are interested, you could do an exciting rafting trip on the Alaknanda. In case you do not want this level of excitement, we could do a nice float trip on the river to experience the natural beauty of the place. Post the river trip, depart for Haridwar. Enroute stopover at Deopryag, where the Alaknanda meets the Bhagirathi and forms the Ganges. Also, stopover at Rishikesh for a visit of the Ram and Lakshman Jhoola and other important ghats and ashrams. Once in Haridwar, check into your hotel and set off to see Har-ki-Pauri and other important ghats and temples including the Chandi Devi temple. In the evening, view the grand Ganga aarti that is conducted on the banks of the River Ganga with lighted lamps. Overnight at the Hotel Hari Heritage.

Day 14 : Haridwar - Delhi  Drive/215 kms/5-6 hrs - From here proceed to Delhi.

Seasonality - May-Oct is the season for Chaar Dham Circuit. Exact date of opening and closure of the circuit varies every year. 

Accommodation

Note: While every effort would be made to get the reservations in the above hotels in Barkot, Kedarnath and Haridwar, in case of non-availability, hotels in a similar category would be booked.

For further information, availability and travel advisory e-mail - ut2i@nivalink.co.in