Explore Kedarnath – One of the Most Sacred Trekking Routes in India. Your Ultimate Guide to Trekking to Kedarnath and an Opportunity of Discovering Your Inner Self (2020)

You get lots of opportunities for trekking, rock-climbing, and mountaineering in the mountainous landscape of Uttarakhand. Pithoragarh, the easternmost district of Uttarakhand also referred to as "Miniature Kashmir", is popular for its natural beauty and makes this destination ideal for trekking. A Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kedarnath is situated in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district. It lies under the base of the Kedarnath peak and is the first Kedar that you would visit on the Panch Kedar Circuit trip. The others include Tungnath, Kalpeshwar, Madhmaheshwar, and Rudranath.

Kedarnath is not only famous as a pilgrimage for Hindus but also as a perfect place for trekking. Generally, it remains closed during the winters but now, its various routes are open for trekkers. On your trek, you can explore Kedar valley's landmarks and appreciate its magnificent beauty.

The trek covers an overall trekking distance of 16 km, which requires you to be fit and fine with a good level of physical fitness. And, every pilgrim should be medically checked a minimum of 1 – 2 months before the trek commencement. As a Yatri, you need to be familiar with your stamina and physical level before setting on the journey.

From Gaurikund, the Kedarnath trek starts from early morning at 4:00 am and lasts till afternoon (at around 1:30 pm). The timings are fixed as Kedarnath Dham is situated inside the wildlife sanctuary of the place and due to safety concerns, travellers are not allowed to trek after these hours. Besides, the trekking journey is also at a high altitude and thus, it is not recommended for a traveller who is suffering from breathing or respiratory problems.

There are various alternatives to covering the pilgrimage distance by foot such as dolis, palkis, and mules. You can book these services from the booking counters at Sonprayag or Gaurikund. And, the price depends upon the distance that you will be covering. The whole trek route is dotted with multiple tented accommodations, services for beverages and eateries, dhabas, restaurants, and small shops. The helicopter services are also available for the Kedarnath Dham that commences from Phata.

The complete route of trekking to Kedarnath is divided into multiple segments based on halts/stops on the way as explained below:

The road distance from Haridwar to Gaurikund is around 300 km and you have multiple options to cover this journey. You can either drive your car, hire a taxi, take a bus, or go by a shared jeep. By car (either personal or a taxi), the distance can be covered in around 6 hours while the cost may vary. For personal vehicles, the cost may come to approximately ₹ 3,000.00 and for a taxi, it can go up to ₹ 8,000.00.

Alternatively, you can take a GMOU Ltd. bus from Haridwar to Gaurikund that starts from Haridwar at 5:15 am. Another bus, operated by Himgiri, leaves at 7:00 am while both reach the destination approximately by noon. There’s yet another bus service that operates daily from Rudraprayag starting at 8:30 am. Do note that these bus services have been affected after the 2013 flood calamity and usually run during the Chardham season only (April to October).

If you wish to take the shortest mode of transport, Tata Sumo and Jeeps are available from Rishikesh. Since the journey is mountainous, these vehicles can easily climb the hills and lead you to your destination in the least possible time.

The older route from Gaurikund to Kedarnath passed through Rambara and stretched across a 14 km distance. Though the path had been nicely built with shelters, shops, fences, and other amenities for the tourists’ convenience, it got washed out in 2013 due to those disastrous floods.

The NIM team constructed a new route passing through Rambara and Linchauli that includes a bridge constructed to connect to the Rambara landmark. This route is a total stretch of around 15-16 km. Various points across the route include Gaurikund (the starting point), Rambara Bridge (6 km), Jungle Chhati (4 km), Bheembali (3 km), Linchauli (4 km), Kedarnath Base Camp (4 km), and finally the Kedarnath Temple 1 km ahead.

After visiting the Kedarnath Temple, travellers return to Gaurikund through the same path. Trekkers can take halts at points on the route if they wish to.

On the return route, you can either take a bus or book a taxi from Gaurikund if you aren’t taking your own vehicle. Though the regular route to Haridwar would be the same as the one you travelled on arriving, you can also get a transport service direct to Rishikesh from this place. And, in case, no bus is available at a specific time from Gaurikund, you can travel to Sonprayag (6 km from Gaurikund) that’s regularly connected to Haridwar by bus service.

In 2016, 2 more routes were opened for travellers visiting Kedarnath. Though there isn’t much difference in the total distance travelled, both take separate paths. The first one is spread over a span of 18 km and passes through Chaumasi followed by Kham then Rambara and finally Kedarnath. For the second one, you can go from Trijuginarayan straight to Kedarnath covering a distance of 15 km.

This tour covers a yatra of Kedarnath along with the Chopta trekking. The package covers multiple destinations including Haridwar, Kedarnath, Chopta, and Tunganath that are covered in a span of 5 nights and 6 days. The journey begins at Haridwar city where travellers are transferred to a hotel for relaxing followed by a tour of the city as well as the divine Ganga Aarti that happens at Har ki Pauri.

The travel to Kedarnath starts the next day with the first stop at Guptkashi passing through Rudraprayag followed by a trek to Kedarnath on the subsequent day. After performing pooja at the temple, you will return to Guptkashi through the return trek. The extension of the tour to Chopta (a place known as a paradise for adventure as well as nature lovers) continues on the 4th day. There, you will go through an upward trek of 3 km towards Tunganath temple followed by pooja and the return trek to Chopta. Finally, the tour finishes after taking you back to Haridwar from Chopta. Inclusions of the tour are transportation through the journey, breakfast, dinner meals, hotel stays, and permissions for the trek as well as arrangement for prayers wherever required. Though the price isn’t displayed publicly, you can submit an inquiry with Char Dham Tour to get the package cost.

Kedarnath trek is one of the most divine and beautiful Himalayan treks. It is situated in the district of Rudraprayag at an altitude of 3,584 m, which is close to the Mandakini river in Uttarakhand. And, it is an important attraction for both the religious as well as adventure seekers.

The Garhwal Himalayas Uttarakhand trip is of 5 days that takes you on a trekking adventure at an altitude of 3,553 m. The perfect time to go on this trip is from mid-May to June and from mid-September to mid-November. The tour starts from Rishikesh with a drive to Sonprayag followed by a trek to Linchauli via Gaurikund. The next day, the journey continues from Linchauli to Kedarnath and then Vasukital followed by a return to Kedarnath. The tour terminates after another 2 days when you reach Rishikesh through the same path.

The price of the package is according to occupancy with ₹ 30,000.00 for single, ₹ 18,000.00 for double, and ₹ 15,000.00 per person for triple occupancy. Other inclusions are trekking permission, breakfast, dinner, and lunch, accommodation at camps or guest houses, transport between Rishikesh & Gaurikund, and an experienced guide. Check out the complete details on Krishna Holidays.

Apart from 3rd party (private) operators, there are tour packages organised by the Uttaranchal (now known as Uttarakhand) government as well. According to the source, the temple has been opened for devotees on April 29, 2020. The temple closes on the eve of Bhai Dooj that falls on November 16 this year. And, there are various travel packages for the destination that you can book from eUttaranchal.