Char Dham is the four-shrine circuit of the Garhwal Himalaya, and it is the most demanding thing we drive in India. The roads are mountain roads, the shrines sit between 3,000 and 3,600 metres, and two of the four cannot be reached by any vehicle at all.
We want to be plain about that. Gangotri and Badrinath you can drive to. Yamunotri needs a six-kilometre walk, pony or palanquin. Kedarnath needs sixteen kilometres uphill on foot or pony, or a helicopter from Phata or Guptkashi. None of this is hidden in small print with us.
The shrines open around late April or early May and close around Diwali in late October or November. Registration on the Uttarakhand government portal is compulsory. We handle the driving, the route and the timings; you book your own accommodation, which along this circuit is simple guesthouses and dharamshalas rather than hotels.
Our other north India routes — Punjab, Himachal and the Uttarakhand hills — are on the India tours page, and what a car and driver actually costs is set out on private car and driver in India.
Trip highlights
All four dhams in one circuit, driven by a driver who works these roads every season
Yamunotri and Gangotri in the upper Yamuna and Bhagirathi valleys
Kedarnath below the Kedarnath peak, and Badrinath in the Alaknanda valley
Haridwar and Rishikesh at either end of the circuit
Day-by-day itinerary
DAY01Day 1
Delhi to Haridwar
Five and a half hours north. Evening Ganga aarti at Har ki Pauri.
DAY02Day 2
Haridwar to Barkot
About seven hours up into the Yamuna valley through Mussoorie. Overnight at Barkot.
DAY03Day 3
Yamunotri and back to Barkot
Drive to Janki Chatti, then six kilometres uphill on foot, pony or palanquin to the shrine at 3,290 metres. Back down the same way. A long, hard day.
DAY04Day 4
Barkot to Uttarkashi
Around four hours across into the Bhagirathi valley. Vishwanath temple at Uttarkashi in the evening.
DAY05Day 5
Uttarkashi to Gangotri and back
Three hours each way up a spectacular and narrow road to Gangotri at 3,100 metres, which you can drive to. Back to Uttarkashi for the night.
DAY06Day 6
Uttarkashi to Guptkashi
A long transfer day, roughly eight to nine hours over the ridges into the Mandakini valley.
DAY07Day 7
Guptkashi to Kedarnath
Drive to Sonprayag, then the sixteen-kilometre climb to Kedarnath at 3,580 metres — on foot, by pony, or by helicopter from Phata if you have booked one. Overnight at Kedarnath.
DAY08Day 8
Kedarnath to Guptkashi
Morning darshan, then back down the sixteen kilometres and the short drive to Guptkashi or Sonprayag.
DAY09Day 9
Guptkashi to Badrinath
Seven to eight hours over the Joshimath road into the Alaknanda valley. Evening aarti at Badrinath if you arrive in time.
DAY10Day 10
Badrinath and on to Rudraprayag
Morning darshan and the hot springs at Tapt Kund. Mana village, the last village before Tibet, is three kilometres on. Then down the valley to Rudraprayag.
DAY11Day 11
Rudraprayag to Rishikesh
About six hours down the Alaknanda past the confluences. Evening at Parmarth Niketan.
DAY12Day 12
Rishikesh to Delhi
Six hours back to Delhi. Drop at your hotel or the airport.
What's included
What is included
Private air-conditioned vehicle for the entire route, exclusively for your group
Professional English-speaking driver for every day of the tour
All fuel
All road tolls, interstate and state taxes
Parking charges at every stop
Place permits where the route requires them
The driver's own meals and accommodation — never your responsibility on the road
Airport or hotel pick-up and drop-off in the start and end city
What is not included
Hotels and accommodation of any kind
All meals and drinks for travellers
Monument, fort, palace and national park entrance fees
Licensed local guides inside monuments
Camera and video fees where charged
Indian visa and any border fees
International and domestic flights
Travel insurance
Tips for the driver, which are welcome but never expected
Anything personal — laundry, phone, shopping, medical
We are happy to arrange hotels, guides, monument tickets and flights for you at cost. We take no commission on them, which is why they are not bundled into the price.
What travellers say
Verified Google reviews of GoIndiaNepal. They cover our service as a company rather than this individual journey.
5.0★★★★★
10 reviews
5★10
4★0
3★0
2★0
1★0
Jack van Iersel★★★★★
June 9, 2026
I travelled twice with Go India Nepal. In 2019 for 4 weeks with Babu, together with my 2 adult daughters, and in 2025 2 weeks with Suraj, together with my wife. Both trips were perfect !! Both are safe drivers, speak excellent English, and very respectful to their guests. Highly recommended.
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thank you jack for your valuable review. and also thank you for you choosing seconds time too with your wife travelling with our company.. We hope again to see you nepal trip. Thank you for your all what…
Michiel Meulendijk★★★★★
January 20, 2026
Our time in India was made truly special thanks to our driver, Anil. From the very beginning, he made us feel comfortable and well cared for, and throughout the trip he proved to be an excellent and reliable companion on the road. Anil is a highly skilled driver who navigated the busy and often chaotic streets with confidence and ease,…
GoIndiaNepal replied
Soo mush thank you Michael for your voluble review.and we always trying to give best service to our valuable clients.and thankyou for you choiching our little coprate driver company. With worm regarding Thepearlsofindia.com And babu.
Niels Lokman★★★★★
August 19, 2025
Just finished our fantastic tour around Rajasthan and Agra with Babu. Our 17 day journey was the first time we travelled with a driver since we have been travelling to quite some places just by ourselves over the last years but thought this modality was the right option in chaotic India. This journey was a great success in many ways;…
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thankyou for your valuable review.i do my best for our valuable guests. Thanks again for your great review. Rhd www.thepearlsofindia.com And babu
giuseppe petroro★★★★★
July 17, 2025
babu is the best driver i ever meet. he s more than a driver, he's a tour operator. he knows many stories about everything, he's very helpful to arrange your travel, before your arrival and during your visit. i really was satisfied about him and i suggest to everyone, for sure!
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thankyiu for your valuable review for our service and I do our best for our valuable clients. And I will be glad if I got chance to give you again my service for India or nepal.. Thnks 🙏…
Hans de Vries★★★★★
April 22, 2025
We recently completed a remarkable Golden Triangle tour in India and want to share our wonderful experience with Babu's company, particularly with our driver, Pramod. From the moment he greeted us at the airport in the middle of the night, we felt a genuine sense of hospitality. Pramod is a fantastic driver who navigated the busy streets with ease, ensuring…
GoIndiaNepal replied
Thankyou Hans de Vries for your valuable review about my service and drive service we always give best service and best drive and safe drive to our valuable guests. Thanks again for choosing our company and service. Rgd Thepearlsofindia. Com
Lorenza Corti★★★★★
March 2, 2025
Babu was perfect!
GoIndiaNepal replied
Ha ha babu is the best as always 😄😂😂!!!!! Thank you so mush Lorenza for your valuable reviews for the our best service and best drive. We always trying to give our best to our valuable guest. Thank you again…
carla ciatto★★★★★
March 2, 2025
Abbiamo vissuto una bellissima esperienza di viaggio grazie alla guida impeccabile e sicura del nostro driver Niki, sempre gentile, concentrato e molto professionale. Un lungo viaggio tra l'India e il Nepal alla scoperta di luoghi raggiungibili solo in auto. Un grande grazie a Babu e Niki!!
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thank you carla for your valuable reviews about our service and drive we always give our best service and best drive to our valuable guest. Thank you again for choosing our service hope to see you again Regard…
Philippe JUTEAU★★★★★
February 27, 2025
Je tenais à exprimer ma profonde gratitude envers Babu, qui a été un chauffeur exceptionnel et plus tout au long de notre voyage. Grâce à ses conseils avisés et à son accompagnement chaleureux, nous avons pu découvrir des sites merveilleux que nous n'aurions jamais trouvés seuls. Babu a su nous faire partager sa passion pour la région et nous a…
GoIndiaNepal replied
Soo much thank you philippe your valuable review about my service and driver service with skills. We always try to give our best service and best drive to our valuable guests. And thanks for all that you appreciate with my…
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No, and we will not pretend otherwise. Gangotri and Badrinath you can drive to. Yamunotri is a six-kilometre walk from Janki Chatti. Kedarnath is a sixteen-kilometre climb from Sonprayag. Both can be done by pony or palanquin, and Kedarnath also by helicopter.
Yes. Every pilgrim must register on the Uttarakhand government Char Dham portal and carry the registration. There is no charge. We will remind you and tell you what is needed, but the registration must be made in your own name by you.
They open on auspicious dates around late April or early May — Akshaya Tritiya for Yamunotri and Gangotri — and close around Diwali, late October or November. Exact dates are announced each year. Outside that window the shrines are under snow and the roads are shut.
Reasonably. Kedarnath is sixteen kilometres uphill at altitude and takes most people six to eight hours. Yamunotri is six kilometres but steep. If walking is not possible, ponies and palanquins are available at both, and the Kedarnath helicopter is an option that must be booked well in advance.
Kedarnath at 3,580 metres and Badrinath at 3,300 metres are high enough for it to matter. The itinerary gains height gradually, which helps. Drink water, do not rush the climbs, and tell your driver immediately if you feel unwell — descending is always the answer.
No. Accommodation on the Char Dham circuit is guesthouses, dharamshalas and simple hotels, and at Kedarnath it is basic huts booked through the state. Prices are low and availability changes daily in season, so it is better booked by you or by us at cost, close to the date.
A two-dham trip to Kedarnath and Badrinath fits in seven or eight days. All four in fewer than eleven means driving eight hours a day on mountain roads and walking at altitude on the same days. We do not recommend it and we would rather build you a shorter honest route.
Services run from Phata, Guptkashi and Sirsi in season and sell out months ahead. They are booked through the state portal, paid separately, and cancel readily for weather. We will drive you to the helipad and wait, but we cannot guarantee a flight.
Cold at the shrines even in June — night temperatures near freezing. May and June, then September and October, are the settled months. July and August are monsoon, with real landslide risk on these roads, and we will tell you frankly if we think your dates are unwise.
