Are you finally taking the plunge & planning a trip to Kedarnath from Delhi? Great! I have recently taken the trek & was highly disappointed when I couldn’t find anything straightforward on how to reach Kedarnath from Delhi. So, today I would love to share my trip to Kedarnath from Delhi and everything else you need to know for the trip.
Don’t miss my Rishikesh travel guide!
Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in India. Located at 11755 feet (3500m) in Uttrakhand, Kedarnath not only has religious values but also offers breathtaking views. Every year during May till late September, Kedarnath welcomes millions of tourists as it’s literally cut off from the rest of India due to heavy snowfall.
In 2013, a tragedy struck the valley and everything but the temple was destroyed. Thus the extreme religious value of the temple of Hindu God – Lord Shiva. Post the tragedy, the government has started a new route for the temple which is an 18 km trek via steep mountains.
Delhi to Kedarnath trip
Kedarnath is almost 300 kilometers from Delhi and takes as much as 10 hours by road without any stoppage. The Route followed is –
The 18 km trek starts from Gaurikund which can take up to 6 hours by pony and 10 hours by trek depending on your fitness. So, I will share how to plan your Delhi to Kedarnath trip with the ways about how to reach Kedarnath from Delhi
How to reach Kedarnath from Delhi?
How to reach your destination is the first question that pops during your travel planning. For road trips, this is the part which stresses me out. So while planning this trip, my entire family sat down and we listed the options.
How to pick which way can we reach Kedarnath from Delhi? Keep reading to know details ⬇️
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Driving
For our Kedarnath trip, our initial planning on how to reach Kedarnath from Delhi, driving through the alluring mountains of Uttarakhand was our first option. Your mind must wander to how tough is the drive, is it safe? It’s not a tough drive, and you might not even need a driver. We hired a driver and regretted it the moment we reached Phata. Why? Because the roads are pretty smooth and it’s not one of those difficult road trips we had. Also, if four people are traveling & you’re taking a sedan or hatchback, I’d say No to Driver, it can get uncomfortable for such a long mountainous drive.
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Hiring a Cab?
Not interested in driving? The better solution is to hire a cab preferably an SUV. But, hiring a cab from Delhi to Kedarnath is insanely expensive. The cab operators charge 5000₹ for each day with a minimum 5-day tour. This is something in particular to the drive for dhams in Uttarakhand, which I personally believe is taking advantage of tourists. When hiring a cab for any other location, all these operators charge is standard rate – 10₹ per km for a sedan and 14-15₹ per km for an SUV. We ignored this option ❌
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The Alternative?
Hire a car from Zoomcar, they charge a decent price (10-12k for hatchback/sedan) for self-drive cars. You may hire a driver separately. This put together will cost far less than hiring a cab from a local cab operator. Saves money and you get to enjoy the journey without hassles.
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Public Transport
Public transport comes to our rescue when we don’t want to drive or hire a cab. As it’s a long journey, it’s best to break your journey at Haridwar or Rishikesh. Enjoy a peaceful day at the bank of the Ganges river and soak in the spiritual atmosphere of the town. There’s also a registration counter at Rishikesh for Kedarnath, which is not mandatory but recommended. This registration helps the government to track the number of visitors. So, don’t forget to register next to the bus stand of Rishikesh.
- Train – You can opt for a train from Delhi to Haridwar or Rishikesh. Have a proper night’s sleep before proceeding to a long road trip ahead for the next day.
- Bus –The bus service from Delhi to Haridwar and/or Rishikesh is excellent with high frequency. I’d suggest taking a Volvo for beating the heat if you’re going in the summer months of May-June.
How to proceed with the journey from Haridwar/Rishikesh to Kedarnath?
There are again two options to reach Kedarnath from Haridwar or Rishikesh. You can hire a cab from a local cab operator and proceed further journey comfortably. Bear in mind, these are not cheap considering peak season and only a few months for their business to flourish.
The second option is to take a bus from the main bus stand of Haridwar or Rishikesh. There are no/fewer options for a Volvo bus, so this is the least comfortable way to reach Kedarnath. Needless to say that the twists & turns with immense heat till Rudraprayag will make your journey harder. Also, the buses drive sometimes rash, which may not be ideal for cautious people.
Options for breaking the Journey?
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Haridwar
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The closest location from Delhi on the way to Kedarnath is Haridwar. The land of the Ganges, the religious environment here will mesmerize you. The overnight stay here allows you to visit the temples and the famous morning/evening aarti of the Ganges. It’s recommended by the Hindu religion to take a dip in the Ganges to filter out your sins. Keep in mind, the river bed tend to be extremely crowded in peak season & on weekends. Various hotels & hostels are available here and some at reasonable rates.
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Rishikesh
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A famous tourist destination near Delhi, known for its whitewater rafting and the Ram and Laxman Jhoola (Bridge). The advantage of stopping here is that you get to register yourself for the Kedarnath Trek and also indulge in adventure activities. The room rentals are nominal and hostels also available for solo travelers, Rishikesh is a perfect pit-stop. And when in Rishikesh, the iconic Beatles Ashram shouldn’t be missed.
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Devprayag
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Devprayag is a name unknown to many but is a birthplace of the Ganges. It’s a place where two rivers – Alaknanda and Bhagirathi – merge to become one. The best part of this confluence is that the rivers of two different shades and genre – one clean and the other muddy – amalgamate into the one we know as The Ganges. You can halt for a night here, and see the merging from up-close and start the journey early morning the next day. Albeit bear in mind, this is not a hill-station, and the temperature here is soaring too in months of May to July.
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Srinagar
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This is not the same Srinagar in Kashmir, which I have had people ask me 😉 It’s a small town in Uttarakhand but well-developed as against other villages we encountered on our way. Rent a room here, preferably an AC room (as it’s hot here!) and stay overnight. Fill up the petrol tank if you’re driving, take out cash from numerous ATM’s here and pack some more snacks for the next part of the journey. Filling up the tank will be a good option as sometimes there is a shortage of petrol near Kedarnath. We had to skip at least 3 petrol pumps and had to wait in queue for more than 30 minutes at the fourth one.
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Rudraprayag
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Rudraprayag is another small town & developed like Srinagar. If you plan to visit Badrinath as well, it’s best to hire a room here. It’s a common juncture which divides the route for Kedarnath & Badrinath.
Hopefully, I have answered all your questions which you might have planning the Delhi to Kedarnath trip. Still, have anything in mind which I haven’t answered? Leave your question below in the comment box and I’ll get back to you.
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Hey Very nice and well described blog. I had a question, Can we Drive our own vehicle till Kedarnath / badrinat or there is s limit till where we can take our own car!
Thanks
Hey, yes we can drive till both. But in Kedarnath we can go only till the base camp, while Badrinath takes us directly to the temple (hardly in walking distance)
Kedarnath has long been on my list. This write-up gives a useful insight about how to plan that trip. nice work
Your post is so helpful for planning our visit to kedarnath.Thank you.
Glad I could help 🙂
You were sharing a nice piece of information relevant to daily updates and trends. I am a constant follower of all your blogs which keeps me stay alive and have some travel inspiration.
I have came across many blogs on Kedarnath trip. But, this blog gives a nice narrative with stunning pics. Your excellent information will be surely helpful to make a comfortable yatra which will be joyous and affordable. Thank you so much.
Glad you found the post helpful. Thank you for stopping by.
Verry Good Information
Thank you.
thanks for sharing the information as i was planning to go kedarnath next month.
Glad you found the post helpful. Thanks for stopping by and reading the post, much appreciated.
Very nice and well described blog. 🙂
I have also written recent posts on Kedarnath experiences, please have a look and share your thoughts on this.
https://thehiddenroads.com
So many useful tips here! Great post! I’m dying to go to India, so will be using this for sure when I do!
Very helpful tips ! Thank you very much for sharing with us 😀
I think you have done a fantastic job preparing anyone for a trip from Delhi to Kedarnath. If we were to take this trip, we might try driving ourselves as it sounds like a lovely ride and a hired river isn’t needed. Thank you for your tips.
Shivani, this is really incredible. All these alternatives for transport will really help the travellers of all interests. And I agree with the break journey. Rudraprayag and even Guptkashi are beautiful places to explore.
Thanks, so glad you liked the options 🙂
Wow. This comes on time. I’m planning on visiting India next year and I was looking for some places to visit. Kedarnath looks nice. Thanks for sharing how to get there.
Thank you, nice to know you’re visiting India, and you liked the post.
Wow thats so exciting that you got to visit the ‘birthplace’ of the Ganges. And its incredible the stark difference between the clarity of the two rivers.
Yeah it really was amazing to see the difference.
Such a nice detailed guide. I want to go to Kedarnath for it’s natural pristine beauty but it pains me to see so much of development on the riverside blocking the view.
Yeah you should visit, it’s incredibly beautiful.
Thank you for writing this helpful post! Since I’m not a great driver (and hate driving), I would use public transport. I’m glad that this is an option as well. I didn’t know that you had to register so that the government can track the number of visitors. Is that a common thing to do?
Yes, registration is required here in North India, especially in the major religious places because they usually attract millions of tourists. It can be useful in case of any mishap.
very informative & nicely written 👍
Wow, I don’t know if I prefer driving or public transportation because the stops along the way sound awesome, especially Devprayag.
Yeah, it’s a unique place 🙂
Road from rishikesh to kedarnath is so beautiful especially the places rudraprayag and devprayag. I loved riding there. Your post is so helpful in knowing all the information to travel to kedarnath.