Things to do near Kedarnath — the temple, the lake and the valley below
Things to do near Kedarnath: the temple, the walk from Gaurikund, Chorabari Tal, Bhairavnath, and the temples of Triyuginarayan, Guptakashi and Ukhimath.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-23
Char Dham Yatra guide — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, the season and registration
The Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, from Akshaya Tritiya, the closing dates and the free compulsory registration.
The Char Dham of Uttarakhand, properly the Chota Char Dham, is the circuit of four shrines high in the Garhwal Himalaya: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Wikipedia records 4.1 million pilgrims in 2022. Here is what each shrine is, when the yatra runs, and how to register.
Photos: Shitha Valsan (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
The four dhams
- Yamunotri: the seat of the goddess Yamuna at the source of her river, at about 3,293 m. The shrine is a walk from the end of the road.
- [Gangotri](/destinations/gangotri): the seat of the goddess Ganga, at the Gangotri Temple, reached by road.
- [Kedarnath](/places/kedarnath-temple): the shrine of Shiva near the source of the Mandakini, reached on foot from Gauri Kund.
- [Badrinath](/places/badrinath-temple): the shrine of Vishnu on the Alaknanda, reached by road; it is also one of the four dhams of the older all-India circuit.
Two are seats of the goddess, one of Shiva and one of Vishnu. Wikipedia says the shrines reached on foot are 10 to 15 km from the nearest road.
When
The yatra begins on Akshaya Tritiya, in April or May. The crowds are biggest in May and June. In late July and August heavy rain brings roadblocks and landslides; the yatra was suspended after the floods of 2013 and resumed in May 2014. See the best time for Kedarnath.
Closing dates
The shrines do not close together. The dates are fixed each year and announced around Vijayadashami, and the four temples close one by one. All India Radio reported the 2025 schedule on 2 October 2025.
- Gangotri closed on 22 October; in winter the goddess is worshipped at Mukhwa.
- Yamunotri closed on 23 October; in winter the goddess is worshipped at Kharsali.
- Kedarnath closed on 23 October, Bhai Dooj; in winter Shiva is worshipped at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath.
- Badrinath closed on 25 November; in winter the deities are seated at Pandukeshwar and the Narsingh Temple in Jyotirmath.
So Badrinath stays open about a month after the other three. The 2026 dates were not on an official page when we checked on 23 October 2026; look for the announcement from the Shri Badri-Kedar Temple Committee before you fix late-season days.
Registration
The Uttarakhand Tourism portal says registration of each pilgrim and vehicle is compulsory before the trip, and free. Register on the portal or in the Tourist Care Uttarakhand app; the portal also lists physical registration points. Registration is checked at each shrine, so carry it with an identity card.
Planning the circuit
Our plans cover the shrines of this side of the circuit: the two-day Kedarnath walk, the Kedarnath valley day, the Joshimath and Badrinath days and the Gangotri day. Read how to reach Kedarnath.
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Questions people ask
What are the four dhams of the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand?
Yamunotri, the source of the Yamuna; Gangotri, of the Ganga; Kedarnath, the shrine of Shiva; and Badrinath, the shrine of Vishnu. Together they are the Chota Char Dham of the Garhwal Himalaya. Two are seats of the goddess, one of Shiva and one of Vishnu, so the circuit honours all three great traditions.
When does the Char Dham Yatra open and close?
It opens on Akshaya Tritiya, in April or May. Closing dates are announced each year around Vijayadashami. In 2025 Gangotri shut on 22 October, Yamunotri and Kedarnath on 23 October, Bhai Dooj, and Badrinath last, on 25 November. The 2026 dates were not yet on an official page when we checked.
Is registration compulsory for the Char Dham Yatra?
Yes. The Uttarakhand Tourism portal says you must register yourself and your vehicle before the trip, online on the portal or in the Tourist Care Uttarakhand app, and that registration is free. The portal also lists physical registration points. Your registration is verified at each shrine, so carry it and an identity card.