Char Dham Yatra 2026

Char Dham means four holy shrines. 

The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, also known as the Chota Char Dham Yatra, is considered one of the most sacred pilgrimages in Hinduism. The four Dhams are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Many Hindus from India and around the world plan to do this Yatra at least once in their lifetime.

In fact, every year, millions of pilgrims visit these four shrines. So, this Yatra had been on my bucket list for quite some time, and I had been considering it for the past couple of years.

After our successful trip to Uttarakhand in the summer of 2025 with Peeyush and his family, we decided to go for Char Dham in 2026. With four kids, we wanted to avoid the summer rush. We also wanted to avoid the unpredictable rains in July and August. So, the only option we had was to plan the trip towards the end of September or the beginning of October. After considering the kids’ exam schedule, we finalised the trip for mid-October.

Like all our past trips, the planning and preparation started at least one to one-and-a-half months in advance. We booked the flight tickets, and that was our confirmation for the trip.

Generally, people complete this Yatra in 10–11 days. However, we wanted to keep some buffer, so we broke the long travel days and planned a 14-day trip. We started shortlisting the route, itinerary, hotels, and other details. However, we could not finalise the itinerary because it depended on the Kedarnath helicopter booking. The helicopter booking slots had not opened even three days before our flight, so we kept waiting and fine-tuning our travel plan.

Unfortunately, two days before the flight, Peeyush developed a medical condition, and we started thinking about alternatives. We even started thinking about cancelling the trip because this is not a trip where one family can easily travel on its own. But we had been thinking about this Yatra for the past few weeks. So, instead of planning to explore another destination, we decided to continue with the Char Dham Yatra.

The plan was for Peeyush and his family to join us after the first two Dhams, hoping that he would fully recover by then.

Finally, just one day before our flight, the Kedarnath helicopter booking slots opened. I was lucky enough to complete the booking. The official booking website is: https://heliyatra.irctc.co.in/

So, we were ready to start our Yatra.

Our day-wise travel plan - trip at a glance

1. Flight to Delhi, followed by a car ride to Haridwar
2. Haridwar to Kharsali, the base village for Yamunotri
3. Kharsali to Yamunotri Dham and then to Barkot
4. Barkot to Uttarkashi
5. Uttarkashi to Gangotri and back
6. Uttarkashi to Tilwara
7. Tilwara to Sirsi, the base for Kedarnath
8. Sirsi to Kedarnath and back by helicopter
9. Sirsi to Pandukeshwar
10. Pandukeshwar to Badrinath
11. Badrinath to Rudraprayag
12. Rudraprayag to Rishikesh
13. Local sightseeing in Rishikesh
14. Rishikesh to Delhi, followed by a flight to Ahmedabad

 

Day 1: 10-Oct-2026 – Flight to Delhi, followed by a car ride to Haridwar

Our Yatra started on Saturday morning. We got up at 4 a.m. to catch an early morning flight. After landing at Delhi Airport, we met our driver, who was waiting for us, and started our road journey around 10 a.m.

We reached Muzaffarnagar around lunchtime, so we started looking for a good highway dhaba or restaurant. Around 12:45 p.m., we saw a nice-looking multi-cuisine restaurant named Torchys. After having a good meal, we resumed our journey to Haridwar.

We started seeing the milestones for the upcoming town of Roorkee and began talking about the famous IIT Roorkee and student life during our engineering days. Soon, we faced a big traffic jam. Apparently, a flyover on the Delhi–Haridwar Highway, just a few kilometres before Haridwar, had been blocked.

After being stuck in the jam for some time, we were diverted through a route passing through some villages. Later, we realised that the police had intentionally arranged this diversion to reduce the inflow of vehicles into Haridwar city.

It was Amavasya, the last day of Pitru Paksha, so a large number of people had gathered at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar. Our original plan was to check in to the hotel first and then go to Har Ki Pauri. However, because of the delay and the expected crowd, we decided to go directly to Har Ki Pauri.

There were many people, and the last few kilometres of the road were blocked for vehicles. Only pedestrians were allowed to move ahead. We parked our car in a designated parking area and started walking towards Har Ki Pauri.

Thanks to Peeyush and his contacts, we had already made the arrangements for the Ganga Aarti. Otherwise, because of the huge crowd, it would have been difficult for us to take a holy dip and attend the Aarti.

As soon as the sun set, the Ganga Aarti began. The atmosphere changed completely, and everyone became immersed in spirituality. People started chanting together and praying to Maa Ganga.

After the Aarti, we started walking back to the parking area. On the way, we had dinner at a restaurant in the main market. The night was getting colder, so we quickly reached the parking lot and returned to the hotel.

 

This brought an end to an eventful day. We went to bed a little early.

 

Day 2: 11-Oct-2026 – Haridwar to Yamunotri (Kharsali)

While talking to the locals the previous day, we got to know that there had been a hailstorm in the region a day earlier. The weather forecast was showing a possibility of thunderstorms, and Google Maps was showing a reported accident near Yamunotri. So, we got up early and started making plans and alternatives for the day.

Following Google’s recommended route, we decided not to take the Dehradun–Mussoorie route. Instead, we took the Dehradun–Vikasnagar route. Passing through the famous city of Dehradun was a good experience. Since it was a Sunday morning, the roads were mostly empty and many shops were closed. Luckily, we did not face much city traffic.

We bought some fruits near Vikasnagar and continued our journey. We took a slightly late lunch break at Barkot and then continued driving. By this time, the mountains had started showing us some beautiful scenery. On one side of the road, we could see the green waters of the Yamuna, and on the other side were the mountains.

We took a couple of short tea and photo breaks and continued driving. Usually, most people stay overnight at Barkot and travel to Yamunotri the next morning. However, to avoid waking up very early and driving for another couple of hours, we decided to stay near the Yamunotri base.

Initially, we had booked a resort near Janki Chatti. However, the booking was cancelled a few days before the start of our journey, so we made alternative arrangements in Kharsali village.

The road up to Vikasnagar was in very good condition. However, after that, the road condition became quite rough. A few stretches gave us an almost off-roading experience. The last 30-kilometre stretch was still under maintenance, and our average speed was only around 10–12 kmph. Overall, it was a tiring road journey.

By night, the weather had already become very cold. The forecast was showing sub-zero temperatures after midnight. So, we wore three layers of clothes and a jacket to make sure that we did not catch a cold during the night. It was the first time that I and my family were experiencing sub-zero temperatures in India, so we were still getting used to the cold.

Before going to bed, I met the ghoda-wala and booked horses for our trek to Yamunotri Dham the next day. Kharsali is one of the main base points for the Yamunotri pilgrimage, and pilgrims usually travel from here towards Janki Chatti and Yamunotri.

This brought an end to Day 2.

Day 3: 12-Oct-2026 – Kharsali to Yamunotri Dham and then to Barkot

We had asked the ghoda-wala to bring the horses to our hotel around 7:15 a.m. He arrived with four horses. All of us got on our horses—Badal, Banty, Blacky, and Choosky—and started our trek towards our first destination, Yamunotri Dham.

 

It was a 3-kilometre trek, but the route was narrow and a little steep. The horses slipped at a few places and found it difficult to climb some of the bigger steps. There were many people and tea stalls on the way. We took a couple of short breaks and completed the uphill journey in about two hours, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Soon after reaching the top, we took a dip in the hot spring Surya Kund. Then, we offered our prayers to Maa Yamuna and clicked some pictures.

 

The actual source of the Yamuna River is believed to be near the Champasar Glacier, a few kilometres beyond Yamunotri Dham. However, reaching that area is not easy. It is meant only for experienced trekkers and mountaineers, and additional permission may also be required.

The weather forecast showed light rain around 1 p.m., so we decided not to spend much time at the top. We wanted to avoid getting drenched. We started our return journey on horseback around 11 a.m. and reached the base around 1 p.m.

Kharsali is the winter seat of Goddess Yamuna, and the temple was very close to our hotel. So, we visited the temple and then returned to the hotel.

Since the previous night had been very cold and we had to travel to Uttarkashi via Barkot the next day, we decided to check out and head back to Barkot. This was an ad hoc plan, so we had not booked a hotel in Barkot. We decided to reach there by evening and find a hotel after arrival.

After reaching Barkot, we checked a couple of hotels and finally checked in to one on the main Mall Road. Since it was still sunny, we went for a quick walk in the main market to get a feel of Barkot town.

The weather in Barkot was warmer, around 7-9°C, than in Kharsali, so we were happy with our decision to stay there for the night. After having dinner at the hotel, we went to bed early once again.

We were happy that Level One of our Char Dham Yatra was complete.

 

Day 4: 13-Oct-2026 – Barkot to Uttarkashi

This was a relaxed day with less travelling, so we started with a lazy morning. The hotel manager told us that we could get a glimpse of the Himalayas from the hotel terrace. So, we went up and saw the snow-capped hills. After having breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and started our onward journey around 10 a.m.

Just after crossing Barkot town, we saw some vehicles parked at a spot with a beautiful view of the valley and the entire town of Barkot. So, we also stopped there and clicked some pictures. On the other side of the road, there was a small hill with many pine trees. It was a good and refreshing stop. 

  

After that, the road up to Brahmakhal was very curvy and mostly single-lane. The kids started feeling motion sickness and began vomiting. However, after Brahmakhal, the road was comparatively better and mostly two-lane.

We reached Uttarkashi around 2:15 p.m. and took some rest at the hotel. In the evening, we visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After that, we walked through the local market and crossed the cable bridge. Then, we went to Manikarnika Ghat and sat there for some time, watching the flow of the river. Soon, it started getting dark, so we attended the Ganga Aarti.

After the Aarti, we again went to the local market and explored a few cafés. We also enjoyed the local street-side fast food - bun tikki, a local-style burger. It was really tasty.

The next day was supposed to be a long drive, so we went to bed early, around 9:30 p.m.

 

Day 5: 14-Oct-2026 – Uttarkashi to Gangotri and back

We got ready early and started our journey at 8 a.m. We reached the Gangotri parking area around noon. On the way, we took a couple of photo breaks. The first one was at Bhatwari Falls. It was not the actual waterfall, but water coming from a dam. 

We took another break near Sukhi Top to admire the beautiful landscape.

 

 Near the Harsil Valley, we saw apple trees on both sides of the road. We bought some fresh apples for the rest of the trip. I wished this had been towards the end of our trip. We could then have bought many more apples to take back home. The views along the entire route were breathtaking. We felt like stopping for a photo every 15 minutes, but we could not do that because our main objective for the day was to visit Gangotri Dham. Also, the weather forecast was showing the possibility of rain in the afternoon, so we wanted to avoid getting delayed. 

  

On the way, we met a couple from Israel who were looking for a lift to a nearby place. They were travelling in India and were going for a trek near the Harsil Valley.

We reached the parking lot at Gangotri around the noon time. After walking for about 15–20 minutes from the parking area, we reached the Gangotri Dham temple. Maa Ganga was flowing right beside the temple. The water was very cold, so we could not take a dip. We only wet our hands and feet and took the darshan of Maa Ganga.

Both the Ganga and Yamuna rivers support the lives of millions of people. No wonder people call them Maa and worship them with so much devotion. The atmosphere there was divine and peaceful. 

After offering our prayers, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant and started our return journey around 2:50 p.m. It started raining lightly as we were approaching the car, but we just managed to get inside without getting wet.

The roads were curvy throughout the day, so the kids kept vomiting during the journey. We decided to give them motion-sickness medicine every morning for the rest of the trip. On the way back, we stopped at one of the apple orchards in Harsil and saw the apple trees closely. It was a different experience. I was not aware that apple farming was done in this region. I thought it was mainly done in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir.

During the return journey, I checked with Peeyush about his condition. Sadly, he confirmed that he had still not recovered. Our hope that he and his family would join us for the next two Dhams came to an end. It was now confirmed that we would complete the rest of the trip without them.

On the way back to Uttarkashi, we faced some traffic jams, and it started getting dark. We reached Uttarkashi around 7 p.m. and went directly to the main market to look for a new café for dinner. We again had bun tikki as a starter. 

This was another action-packed day, so we went to bed early. Level Two was accomplished.

 

Day 6: 15-Oct-2026 – Uttarkashi to Tilwara

This was again mostly a travel day. We had to travel from Uttarkashi to Tilwara, so we started the day in a relaxed way. We enjoyed the morning views of the Ganga from our hotel balcony and started our journey around 8:15 a.m.

Like most travelers, we took a tea break at Chaurangi Khal. After that, we continued our journey through the mountains, enjoying the breathtaking views.

A few kilometers before Ghansali, we faced a small incident. While the driver was reversing the car near a small stream, the rear wheels slipped, and the back of the car got stuck in the water. A couple of locals who were passing by saw us and stopped to help. They also stopped a pickup truck. Our driver brought a cable from a nearby shop, and then the truck pulled our car out. The car came out of the water and started without any problem. However, since the rear part of the car had been in the water for some time, water entered the car and all our luggage got wet. Thankfully, it was only a minor incident. There was no damage to the car, we got help in time, and it was still early afternoon. So, the situation did not become serious. We stopped at the Ghansali market to buy an iron and quickly got the car checked by a mechanic. 

 

After that, we resumed our journey and went directly to the Tilwara GMVN Mandakini Resort. It was a beautiful property in a great location, right on the banks of the Mandakini River. However, it was a little old and needed some renovation. 

 

The kids went to the play area to have some fun, while we started managing the wet clothes. With the help of a dryer and the iron we had bought, we prepared the clothes for the next two days. Since the temperature was expected to fall during the next few days of our journey, we had to prepare not only our regular clothes but also our winterwear. The incident added some extra work for the rest of the trip.

A day that was supposed to be a simple travel day became a memorable one. This brought another day of our Yatra to an end, and we started looking forward to the next day.

 

Day 7: 16-Oct-2026 – Tilwara to Sirsi, the Kedarnath Base

After recovering from the previous day’s incident and completing the extra work because of it, we started the morning lazily. After spending some time on the banks of Mandakini river, we had our breakfast, and then left Tilwara around 11 a.m.

Our first stop was Guptkashi. We visited the Vishwanath Temple, offered our prayers to Lord Shiva, and performed the pooja. After that, we resumed our journey towards Sirsi.

Since our helicopter was booked from Sirsi to Kedarnath, we had booked a hotel near the helipad. It was still early afternoon, and we did not have much planned for the day. So, instead of checking in to the hotel, we decided to visit the famous Triyuginarayan Temple directly. The road from Sonprayag to Triyuginarayan Temple was in poor condition and quite steep. The 9-kilometre stretch took us around 45 minutes. Thankfully, it was the off-season, so we did not face much traffic near Sonprayag.

The kids had been wishing to see a rainbow. They had mentioned it a couple of days earlier, and I had jokingly told them that it was almost impossible to see one in the mountains. But guess what? The gods were very kind to us. We saw a magnificent rainbow - bright and one of the best I have ever seen. It looked like a magical bridge between two mountains. This pleasant surprise cheered all of us.

After a quick photo break, we reached the Triyuginarayan Temple. According to local belief, this is the divine wedding venue where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were married. It is also believed that Lord Vishnu acted as Goddess Parvati’s brother and Lord Brahma served as the chief priest. We paid our respects to the Akhand Dhuni, the eternal fire burning in the Havan Kund in front of the temple. According to local belief, this sacred fire has continued since the divine wedding and is believed to have witnessed the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. We also saw a lot of people getting their wedding knots there, hoping for their eternal love life.

 

We returned from there and checked in to our hotel. The helipad was within walking distance, and I wanted to avoid any surprises the next morning. So I went there to check the arrangements and collect some basic information. 

After having dinner at the hotel, we packed small backpacks for the next morning and went to bed.

 

Day 8: 17-Oct-2026 – Sirsi to Kedarnath and Back by Helicopter

This was a big day. We had planned to visit the third Dham, Kedarnath Temple on this day. It was the place I was looking forward to the most. The temple is located at a height of around 12,000 feet above sea level.

Our helicopter booking was for the 9 a.m. to 12 noon time slot, and our reporting time was 8 a.m. So, we got ready early, had breakfast, and reached the helipad. After completing the security checks and other formalities, we waited for our turn to board the helicopter. The helicopter agency had managed the operations so well that they were able to offload one set of passengers and board the next set within 90 seconds.

The passenger list was prepared based on body weight to distribute the weight evenly inside the helicopter. Mona and Aadhya were allotted seats on the first helicopter, while Kavya and I were allotted seats on the next one. They took off around 10:10 a.m., and we took off around 10:20 a.m. It took us around 6 minutes to reach at the top. The ground staff at the Kedarnath helipad asked us to return within two and a half hours. This was to ensure a smooth and timely return journey by helicopter.

After walking just a few steps, I caught my first glimpse of Shri Kedarnath Temple. It was enough to make me even more eager and restless to enter the temple. We quickly walked towards it while trying to capture the beauty of the temple and the mountains behind it in our eyes and cameras. The regular queue was around one and a half hours long, so we booked a VIP darshan and soon entered the main garbhagriha of the temple. We prayed to Lord Shiva and worshipped the Shiva Linga. Before we could fully take in the divine sight, we were already outside the temple.

 

We then went behind the temple to see Bheem Shila and the Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi. As we still had some time before reporting at the helipad, we did a short uphill trek of around 800 metres to Bhairavnath Temple.

 

The temperature was below 0°C, and the kids were tired. Still, they completed the trek and walked along with us. This was the lowest temperature we had experienced during the entire trip, and we were wearing the maximum number of layers. Surya Dev was helping us by providing some much-needed light and warmth. Whenever the sun went behind the clouds, it became very cold because it was also quite windy at the top. It is fun to eat something hot in such cold weather. So we ate some hot parathas and Maggi and then reached the helicopter reporting area.

The kids had another wish - to see snowfall. And guess what? The gods were kind to us once again. While we were waiting for our turn to board the helicopter, it started snowing lightly.

The kids became very happy, but my mind immediately started thinking about the possible problems. If it snowed heavily, the helicopter services could stop, and we might have to stay near Kedarnath Temple for the rest of the day and overnight. While staying there would have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it would also have brought challenges like limited accommodation and facilities, along with extremely cold weather at night. It would have been especially difficult for the kids. Thankfully, the snowfall remained light, and the helicopter services continued to operate. We returned to the base around 2:30 p.m.

We had nothing planned for the rest of the day, so we took some rest and enjoyed the breathtaking mountain views from our room’s balcony. We went to bed with the deep satisfaction of having completed the darshan at Kedarnath Temple.

Level Three accomplished.

 

Day 9: 18-Oct-2026 – Sirsi to Pandukeshwar

The happiness from the previous day was still with us. We woke up to a beautiful mountain view - the same mountain range we had visited the previous day. We were glad to see the golden rays falling on the snow-capped hills. Before leaving Sirsi, we enjoyed the Sonprayag mountain views one last time. 

After breakfast, we started our onward journey. After crossing Guptkashi, our first stop was Kalimath, where we paid our respects to Goddess Shakti. The route to Kalimath was scenic, but the road condition was not very good.

 

After that, we visited the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, which is the winter seat of Lord Kedarnath. The Panditji at the temple explained the importance of the temple and the Panch Kedar. It was a beautiful experience. Everyone in the temple sat quietly for around 8-10minutes, listening to the Panditji. It felt like little children listening to an interesting story in kindergarten.

It was already afternoon, so we continued our onward journey. Our original plan was to take the Chopta route and do the Tungnath trek. However, that would have made the trip a little hectic. We also wanted to avoid the curvy but scenic mountain roads, so we decided to take the highway instead.

One snow-covered peak remained clearly visible for a long time and kept attracting my attention. I think that it was probably Mount Chaukhamba or Mount Kedar. 

Later, as we approached Pipalkoti, these peaks were replaced by the Hathi Ghoda peaks.

Just before Joshimath, we faced a traffic jam because of construction work. By the time we reached Joshimath, it had already become dark. The road around Joshimath was not in very good condition and was full of traffic, which added some delay. 

Soon after crossing the river, the road condition improved dramatically. It was a newly built two-lane road with proper markers and reflectors. We were happy that we had not planned to drive all the way to Badrinath. Instead, we had planned to stay overnight at Pandukeshwar. This saved us from several kilometres of night driving on dark mountain roads.

After checking in to the hotel, we had dinner and went to bed.

 

Day 10: 19-Oct-2026 – Pandukeshwar to Badrinath

This was another important day of our Yatra. We started from the hotel around 9 a.m. and reached our hotel in Badrinath within 50 minutes. The road from Pandukeshwar to Badrinath was scenic and generally in good condition. 

After checking in to the hotel, we went straight to the Badrinath Dham. Because of the long weekend, many people had come to the Badrinath Temple. The queue outside the temple was very long and could have taken anywhere between one and a half to two hours. With the kids, standing in that queue would have been very challenging. So, we explored other options and joined a shorter queue. After waiting for around 30 minutes, our turn came for darshan. Because of the rush, the security personnel did not allow us to stand in front of the deity for more than 15 seconds. We felt a little unsatisfied because we could not see Lord Badrinath properly. However, we did not have any other option. We sat in the temple compound for some time and then decided to explore Mana village on the same day.

 

We called our car driver and asked him to drop us at Mana village. Mana is popularly known as the “first village of India” and is located near the India–Tibet border. The village also has great importance in Hindu beliefs. It is associated with Lord Ganesha, Maharishi Ved Vyas, and the Pandavas. The views around mana villages were breathtaking.

  

As soon as we reached the entrance of the village, we saw a huge traffic jam. Many people had come to visit Mana, and the streets and famous places inside the village were almost completely packed. However, this did not change our mind, and we continued exploring the village.

 

After visiting Mana village, we explored the main market of Badrinath and did some shopping. We wanted to have darshan once again, so we went back to the temple. By then, it was already dark, and the weather had become very cold. The queue had also become longer. We stood there for some time, admiring the beauty of the temple. However, we realised that even our three layers of clothes and two jackets might not be enough to protect us from the cold.

We were tired after walking and standing almost the whole day. So, we decided to return to the hotel. After dinner, we went to bed early. 

This brought Level Four to an end. We were happy that our Char Dham Yatra had officially been completed. Now, we only had to travel back to Delhi and eventually return home.

 

Day 11: 20-Oct-2026 – Badrinath to Rudraprayag

The plan for this day was simple: visit a couple of temples on the way and stay around Pipalkoti. So, after breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and took our first stop at Pandukeshwar to visit the Yog Badri Temple, one of the Panch Badri temples. It was an ancient temple located near the river. The atmosphere there was very calm and peaceful. There was nobody else in the temple except us, which made the experience even more special.

After that, we continued towards Joshimath and stopped at the famous Narsingh Temple. This temple is considered the winter seat of Lord Badrinath. During the winter months, when the Badrinath Temple remains closed, the worship of Lord Badrinath is continued at this temple.

After spending some time there, we continued towards Pipalkoti. It was still early afternoon, so we decided to continue driving and changed our plan for the night stay to Rudraprayag. After checking a couple of GMVN hotels, we finally decided to stay at a resort a few kilometres before the main sangam at Rudraprayag.

The temperature had increased a little and was still below 20°C. However, after experiencing the cold weather during the previous few days, we started feeling the heat. So, as we moved away from Badrinath, we gradually started reducing the layers of clothes.

It was a nice place, and we still had some time left in the evening. We clicked some pictures, and the kids enjoyed their much-awaited TV time at the resort.

After dinner, we went to bed and ended another satisfying day of our Yatra.

 

Day 12: 21-Oct-2026 – Rudraprayag to Rishikesh

We were excited to go to Rishikesh, our last destination of the trip. So, after breakfast, we started our onward journey.

We took our first photo break shortly after starting and captured the beautiful confluence of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. Rudraprayag is one of the Panch Prayag, or five sacred confluences, of the Alaknanda River. It is also one of the most famous among them.

Our next plan was to stop at the Dhari Devi Temple. However, just a couple of kilometres before the temple, we saw some cars and people near the river. So, we also stopped there and found a large sandbank, almost like a beach, in the middle of the river. We spent some time there and then continued towards the Dhari Devi Temple.

According to local belief, Dhari Devi represents the upper part of Goddess Kali or Shakti, while the lower part is associated with the Kalimath Temple, which we had visited a few days earlier. There was a long queue, and reaching the temple required climbing a large number of stairs up and down. However, it was completely worth the effort.

After that, we continued towards Rishikesh. On the way, we took a very short photo break at the Devprayag Sangam, where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers meet and are traditionally known as the Ganga from that point onwards.

There were many roadside shops selling turmeric and pulses. As we came closer to Rishikesh, we noticed similar-looking packets in many of these shops.

As we approached Rishikesh, we started seeing many visitors riding two-wheelers. As soon as I got the first glimpse of the famous 13-storey Trimbakeshwar Temple, my eyes were fixed on it. I started wondering when I would get a chance to visit this temple.

Soon after that, we faced heavy traffic, which is quite common in the Tapovan area of Rishikesh. We went straight to our hotel, which was near the entrance of Tapovan, and checked in.

Without wasting any time, we picked up a backpack and started walking through the streets of Rishikesh. The kids were hungry and wanted to eat something they liked, so we went to a QSR and bought burgers for them.

Our plan was to visit Parmarth Niketan Ashram and attend the Ganga Aarti there. We took a shared auto and got down near Janki Setu. It was already getting dark, and the ashram was around a kilometer away. So, we used a two-wheeler drop service to reach there quickly.

By the time we arrived, the place was completely crowded. All the spots with a good view of the Aarti had already been taken, so we sat in the last row. Soon, the Ganga Aarti began, and the atmosphere changed suddenly. Everyone started chanting together. After the Aarti, a kirtan session began. It was a very spiritual experience.

Seeing the crowd, we felt that it would be better to leave quickly once the Aarti was over. So, we did not wait until the kirtan ended and started walking through the market area. On the way, we saw a couple of other ghats and explored some local shops.

It was already dinner time, so we went to the famous Chotiwala Restaurant for some pet pooja after the Ganga pooja.

After dinner, we used another two-wheeler drop service and reached our hotel. This brought another eventful day to an end.

 

Day 13: 22-Oct-2026 – Local Sightseeing in Rishikesh

The plan for today was simple: explore Rishikesh like tourists.

Based on our experience the previous day, travelling by shared auto took a lot of time, and we also had to walk a lot. Private taxis and two-wheelers were expensive. Exploring Rishikesh in our car was also not practical because of the narrow roads and heavy traffic.

So, we rented two Activa scooters from a nearby shop and went directly to the famous Lakshman Jhula. We parked our scooters there and went to Sai Ghat. It was a calm morning. Some people were practicing music on the ghat, and the green waves of the Ganga were attracting everyone’s attention. People were also doing river rafting and jumping into the river near the ghat. It was quite exciting to watch.

However, my eyes were still fixed on the Trayambakeshwar Temple, which I had seen the previous day. So, after spending some time at the ghat, we decided to visit the temple.

Access to Lakshman Jhula had been stopped for safety reasons, and the famous Ram Jhula was also closed for maintenance. So, we used Pawan Setu to cross the river and reached Trayambakeshwar Temple.

It is a unique 13-storey temple, with multiple temples on every floor. We got to see many Hindu deities in the same complex. Before we realised it, we had climbed all 13 floors without much effort. The view of the River Ganga and the bridges from the top was amazing. The cool breeze was like a cherry on top.

After coming down, we went to the parking area, picked up our scooters, and left for our next stop. Next, we planned to visit Neer Waterfall. The road was steep and not in very good condition. After reaching the base, we saw a sign saying that the waterfall was 200 metres ahead. So, we started climbing the steep stairs.

As soon as we reached the waterfall, we saw a few people bathing in the pool-like area. We also saw another sign saying that the second level of the waterfall was 300 metres ahead. So, we decided to climb further and explore it.

The climb was quite steep and tiring. However, the weather was pleasant, and it became cooler as we went higher. We encouraged the kids, and finally reached the second level of the waterfall.

It had a similar setup, with a few tea shops and people enjoying themselves. This time, we saw another sign saying that the third level of the waterfall was 400 metres ahead.

We started wondering whether we should continue or sit there. We asked a couple of people whether there was another level after that. They confirmed that this was the last level, so we decided to go there as well. We finally reached the third level and soaked our feet in the water. It was quite a climb for the kids, and we were proud that they completed it.

The difficult part was coming down. The steps were high, and the path was slippery in some places. So, we came down very carefully.

After that, we left for our next stop - Goa Beach, also known as Ganga Beach. Since the sand there looks like a sea beach, it is popularly called Goa Beach.

By the time we reached there, it was quite sunny. Luckily, we found a shaded place and allowed the kids to enjoy playing in the sand for almost an hour.

By evening, we wanted to visit Triveni Ghat for one last Ganga Aarti. So, we picked up our scooters and travelled through the busy markets we had visited the previous night. We crossed the river through Janki Setu and reached the Triveni Ghat area.

The markets near Triveni Ghat were busy, and the parking area was crowded. We could not find a parking space there, so we went to another nearby parking lot. This took some extra time.

By the time we reached the ghat, the Aarti had already started. It was crowded, but we enjoyed the Aarti and sat there for some time.

While returning, we had some fast food near the parking area. The kids had been asking for pizza for some time, so we went to another QSR near our hotel. While I completed the formalities for returning the scooters, we ordered a pizza meal.

The feeling of the Yatra had ended after we left Rudraprayag. The last two days in Rishikesh felt more like a tourist holiday.

The kids again enjoyed their TV time, while we completed the final packing for our return flight. This brought our memorable Rishikesh day to an end.

 

Day 14: 23-Oct-2026 – Rishikesh to Delhi, followed by a flight to Ahmedabad

This was the last day of our trip. After having some quick snacks, we started our return journey.

This day was mainly a highway drive, without hills or curvy roads. So, as soon as we left Rishikesh, we started gaining speed. 

While passing through Haridwar, we saw the empty ghats at Har Ki Pauri. This reminded us of what the Panditji had told us about the annual maintenance period when we performed the Ganga pooja there. Every year, after Dussehra, the Ganga at Har Ki Pauri becomes dry for around 15- 20 days. During this period, the Upper Ganga Canal is closed for annual cleaning and maintenance by the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department.

We were glad that we had visited Har Ki Pauri on the first day of our trip instead of keeping it for the last day. Otherwise, we would not have been able to witness the magnificence of the place and the Ganga Aarti.

Soon, we reached Roorkee and passed through the flyover that had been blocked when we entered Haridwar. We realised how far we had to travel because of that diversion and how much extra time we had spent on the first day.

We were looking for a good place to eat and saw some decent highway dhabas on the way. However, to give a ceremonial closure to our trip, we stopped at the same place where we had stopped on the first day - Torchys. We had brunch there, and while enjoying the view of the sugarcane fields, we continued towards the NCR region. Although it was a weekday afternoon, we faced a good amount of traffic while travelling towards the airport.

We had kept enough buffer time for our flight, so we reached the airport comfortably. After completing the luggage check-in formalities, we sat in the airport lounge for some time. Soon, it was time to board the flight.

After a short one-and-a-half-hour flight, we landed at Ahmedabad Airport. My father was waiting to pick us up, and the kids were very happy to see their grandfather. While sharing some funny incidents from the trip and telling him about their complaints against us, we reached home late at night.

We thanked God for the successful Yatra. It had been a long two-week journey through difficult terrain. When we think about it, many things could have gone wrong. Thankfully, everything went as planned, and we had a wonderful trip filled with lifelong memories.

Although Peeyush and his family could not join us for this Yatra, this trip was possible only because of them. Without Peeyush's support, we could not have planned it so well on our own. He was also in constant contact with me throughout the trip, providing backend support and suggesting places to visit and hotels for our night stays.

May they complete their fulfilling Char Dham Yatra very soon. 🙏🏻

ॐJai Shri Kedar! 🔱 Jai Badri Vishal! 🐚