ISSUE Nº 48 · JUNE 2026

CIRCUIT · 4 STOPS

The Char Dham Yatra — Complete Pilgrimage Circuit.

The four most sacred Hindu shrines in the Himalayas, connected by a 1,500km mountain circuit. Yamunotri → Gangotri → Kedarnath → Badrinath. This is not a weekend trip — it is a 10-14 day journey through some of India's most dramatic terrain. We score each shrine for every month and tell you which season makes the road dangerous.

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Circuit · 4 stops · 119 km · 8 days suggested

1

Yamunotri

Yamunotri

Uttarakhand

Source of the Yamuna. 6km trek from Janki Chatti. Hot springs at Surya Kund. Opens May, closes November.

↓ 47 km to next

2

Gangotri

Gangotri

Uttarakhand

Source of the Ganga. 3,100m altitude. Gaumukh glacier trek starts here. Road closes by November.

↓ 31 km to next

3

Kedarnath

Kedarnath

Uttarakhand

18km trek or helicopter. One of 12 Jyotirlingas. Devastation of 2013 floods still visible. Most intense of the four.

↓ 41 km to next

4

Badrinath

Badrinath

Uttarakhand

Dedicated to Vishnu. Hot springs at Tapt Kund. Most accessible of the four — road reaches the temple.

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