Pilgrims gathered in front of the stone Kedarnath temple, snow mountains behind

Uttarakhand, India · 30.73° N, 79.07° E

Rishikesh & Kedarnath

Yoga towns and white water on the Ganga, and one of the holiest shrines in India at the head of a Himalayan valley.

Best time: May–June, September–October
Ideal length: 6–9 days
Region: Himalaya
Journeys from: ₹48,500

Uttarakhand is Dev Bhoomi, the land of the gods, and for many of our travellers the trip is exactly that: a yatra to Kedarnath, one of the twelve jyotirlingas, 3,583 metres up at the foot of the Kedar Dome.

We plan the pilgrimage around the realities of the mountain — early starts, ponies or palkis for those who need them, helicopter slots booked the moment they open, and a doctor-checked plan for altitude.

Before or after, Rishikesh offers the gentler side of the Ganga: morning yoga, the aarti at Triveni Ghat, and for the braver, a rafting run through the rapids below Shivpuri.

(02)When to go

May–June, September–October

Kedarnath opens around Akshaya Tritiya (late April or May) and closes after Diwali. We avoid July and August, when monsoon landslides close roads.

January: not recommended
February: not recommended
March: not recommended
April: not recommended
May: recommended
June: recommended
July: not recommended
August: not recommended
September: recommended
October: recommended
November: not recommended
December: not recommended

(03)Don't miss

The moments worth the journey.

Flames of the Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh — Photo Prashant Bamrah / Unsplash

01
Kedarnath darshan
An early morning at the temple, with priority passes and a guide who has walked the route forty times.
02
The trek from Gaurikund
Sixteen kilometres of switchbacks along the Mandakini — or eight minutes by helicopter from Sersi.
03
Triveni Ghat aarti
Rishikesh's evening ceremony, smaller and more intimate than Haridwar's.
04
The Ganga's rapids
A half-day raft from Shivpuri with a certified crew, for those who want to meet the river properly.

(04)From the road