Kedarnath - Gateway to Heaven

“Unplanned trips are the best because planned trips never happen” - Kedarnath has always been on my mind and infact I had planned it for this year with my trekking group but that got cancelled due to lockdown. As many people say “You go only when he calls” this is so true and I totally believe in it. Me and my friends booked cab for 3 days to go around Uttarakhand (Lansdowne, mussoorie etc) but then suddenly a thought striked us and we instantly decided to go Kedarnath. We had no proper gears, no winter jackets nothing. We bought jackets and thermals from the paltan bazaar in Dehradhun. Since I already had an old itinerary of Kedarnath I didn’t have to worry much. I also spoke to few travelers who had already been to Kedarnath this year.. with tips and suggestions from them we were ready to accomplish our dream trip.

Lot of my friends and insta family asked me about the detailed itinerary of my trip to Kedarnath.

I am jotting down all the imp things that we did during our travel.

Although Uttarakhand has officially opened its arms for tourist and travelers but there are some precautions and to do’s which one should follow.

1. No Covid negative certificate is needed at the airport if you have your return ticket (7 days max) This applies for travelling anywhere in Uttarakhand and not just Kedarnath

2. You need to fill the Online Registration form before travelling to Uttarakhand (https://dsclservices.org.in/apply.php)

3. Do carry your Aadhar card or any other govt approved ID card

4. Wear mask all the time

How to reach Kedarnath:

1. We booked cab from Dehradhun. We got really good last min deal from one of my friends travel agency. They charged us 2800/- per day

2. Cabs /Buses go only till Sonprayag .. from Sonprayag there are lot of share jeeps available @40rs pp that will take you to Gaurikund (trek starts from here)

3. You should plan to reach Sonprayag by 5pm if you haven’t done your epass registration online. Without registration you wont be allowed to bypass the entry gate to Gaurikund.

Things to do before planning your trip to Kedarnath

1. Epass registration is mandatory or Chardhaam yatra ( you can easily get it online or you can register directly at the counter at Sonprayag) but my suggestion would be to do it online as it will save almost 1-2hrs

PS: Counter closes by sharp 0630pm

Link for online registration : https://badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in/registration

2. Govt approved ID card (Aadhar card works best)

Where to Stay: Gaurikund or Sonprayag?

We stayed with GMVN @ Gaurikund ..its a gov authorized property but there are many cheaper options available which I realized after booking

Staying at Gaurikund will save lot of your time. As mentioned earlier Sonprayag to Gaurikund is 6kms and no vehicles other than shared jeeps are allowed. So to save time its always better ti stay closer. You can then start your trek as early as 4am or 5am.

We started our trek at 0530am (they do ask for your registration epass at the entrance gate) so do carry that

Options to reach Kedarnath temple

by trekking:

1. It’s a 16km trek which normally takes about 6-7hours for physically fit people unlike me :P I took 10 hours and I must tell you the last 3kms took forever to reach.

2. Carry raincoat,water resistant boot,flashlight,fleece or quilted jackets,wind cheater, regular medicine,rucksack.do not carry suitcase it is difficult to carry.

3. Never trek with kids of age below 12 or old age people because weather is very unpredictable some time bright sunny,next hour may turn stormy with hailstorm,snow fall.At this 3000 meters oxygen levels are low.

4. Cold creams, moisturizers and sunscreen creams are a must.

5. Medical kit with painkillers, cough syrups, antiseptic creams, muscle creams, and tablets for cold and fever are also a must.

6. It gets too tiring after long treks, so do carry dark chocolates, dry fruits and glucose along for some instant energy.

by Horse/Khajjar/pony ride:

1. Horses/Khajjar are easy available throughout the trek (although cost varies from km to km) approx rate is between 1500 – 2000 pp

2. It takes about 5-6 hours to reach the base camp – from base camp you will have to walk 2kms up to temple

by Helicopter:

1. For those who cant trek or fear horse ride ..well good news for you. Helicopter ride is also available @4500 pp (2 ways) Sitapur – Kedarnath – Sitapur

2. It will drop you close to the temple

3. Helicopter ride is available from Sitapur and not Sonprayag

Stay at Kedarnath:

Lot of people do a day trip but I would suggest you to stay their. You will thank me later :)

If you are booking your accommodation online then please do check the distance. After trekking for 10 hours you the distance to the hotel becomes extremely imp.

We had booked GMVN property online but to our horror we got to know that the property was 2kms away from the temple (almost near the base camp) so we decided to give up that stayed at a propert which was closer to the temple in INR 1000 (for 4pax) for a night

Basic information:

Altitude: 3,553 meters above sea level

Best time to visit: Summer (May – June)

Best time to visit: Winter (September – October)

Nearest airport – Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport

Nearest Railway Station – Dehradun railway station

Carry BSN or Reliance jio SIM. Out of two any one will work for sure

I hope this information helps you in some way or the other to plan better.

Har Har Mahadev!!