Travel style
Pilgrimages
Char Dham, Hemkund, Muktinath and the high shrines
The Himalaya is sacred ground for Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. We plan the Char Dham Yatra, Hemkund Sahib, Muktinath and monastery circuits with registrations, helicopter or pony options and honest notes on altitude and crowds.
Photo: Unknown author · CC0 · CommonsPilgrim routes are crowded in their short seasons and almost empty outside them. Kedarnath and Badrinath open in late April or May and close around Diwali, on dates fixed each year by the temple committees, so check current status before you travel.
We plan pilgrimages for every budget: shared jeeps and dharamshalas, private cars and GMVN rest houses, or helicopters and the best hotels. Older pilgrims get rest days and pony or palki options where they exist.
Trips
Pilgrimages trips
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Kedarnath, Tungnath and Badrinath by car
Private car with driver
Photo: Paul Hamilton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Landour, Harsil apples and Gangotri
Private car with driver
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Saver
Deoria Tal, Tungnath and Chandrashila
UTC and GMOU buses, shared jeeps and a shared taxi
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Saver
Valley of Flowers and Hemkund by bus
UTC and GMOU buses, shared jeeps and walking
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Signature
Kedarnath by helicopter, Badrinath and Ananda
Private car with driver and helicopter shuttle
Photo: Travelling Slacker · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Saver
Almora, Binsar and Jageshwar on a budget
Shared taxis and jeeps, with two shared private-cab legs
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Sikkim monasteries and ridges, 6 nights
Private car with driver
18 places
Where to go
Photo: Unknown author · CC0 · Commons
Pahalgam
The shepherds' village where the two Lidder rivers meet
Photo: Suhail Skindar Sofi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Yusmarg
Pine meadows on the Doodh Ganga, a walk from Nilnag lake
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch · CC0 · Commons
Chamba
A thousand-year-old hill capital of stone temples and fine embroidery
Photo: Carlos Adampol Galindo from DF, México · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Kalpa
Apple orchards facing the Kinnaur Kailash peak at dawn
Photo: Pinakpani · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Kasol and the Parvati Valley
Pine forest, hot springs and walking villages along the Parvati
Photo: Arpita Tripathy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Badrinath & Mana
Vishnu's shrine on the Alaknanda, and the village before Tibet
Photo: Alok · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Chopta & Tungnath
Meadows, rhododendron forest and the highest Shiva temple
Photo: gbSk at Flickr · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Gangotri
The Ganga's temple town, and the trail to its glacier source
Photo: Sharmaprakharr · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Kedarnath
The highest Jyotirlinga, a 16 km walk above Gaurikund
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Rishikesh
Where the Ganga leaves the hills and the yatra begins
Photo: Original: Rohit Sharma Derivative work: Unpeti… · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Valley of Flowers & Hemkund
A UNESCO hanging valley that blooms in the monsoon
Photo: Atarax42 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Yamunotri
The Yamuna's shrine, where rice cooks in a hot spring
Experiences
Days that fit the style
Photo: Nandanupadhyay · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Betaab Valley and Chandanwari by union taxi
Follow the East Lidder upstream from Pahalgam to Betaab Valley and the roadhead at Chandanwari, the start of the Amarna…
Photo: KennyOMG · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Trout fishing on the Lidder with a day licence
The cold, clear Lidder holds brown trout, introduced to Kashmir in British times, and the Fisheries Department issues d…
Photo: Divya Gupta (divya.co) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Across the Lidder to the Mamleshwar temple
A short walk over the Lidder bridge leads to Mamleshwar, a small old stone Shiva temple with a spring-fed tank, on the …
Photo: Suhail Skindar Sofi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Forest walk from Yusmarg to Nilnag lake
A 4 km trail through pine and fir forest leads from the Yusmarg meadow to Nilnag, a small lake known for its blue water…
Photo: MateenSalimBhat · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Stop at the Charar-e-Sharief shrine
On the road to Yusmarg, Charar-e-Sharief holds the shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani, Nund Rishi, the founder figure…
Photo: Suhail Skindar Sofi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Down to the Doodh Ganga for a riverside picnic
Below the Yusmarg meadow, a path drops through pine forest to the Doodh Ganga, which tumbles white over rocks on its wa…
Photo: Harvinder Chandigarh · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Stone temples and the Chaugan at dawn
A morning walk from the Chaugan meadow to the Lakshmi Narayan group of stone temples, then through the old lanes to sma…
Photo: Artist/maker unknown, India – Artist/Maker (In… · Public domain · Commons
Chamba rumal embroidery and the museum
See historic Chamba rumals and Pahari paintings at the Bhuri Singh Museum, then visit an embroidery workshop where wome…
Where to sleep
Stays in these places
Photo: Unknown author · CC0 · Commons
Budget
JKTDC Huts and Cottages, Pahalgam
The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation runs cottages and huts in Pahalgam, set among pines near the…
Photo: Suneeta3 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
The Pahalgam Hotel
One of Pahalgam's oldest hotels, established in the early 1930s, set in gardens above the Lidder with rooms and su…
Photo: Unknown author · CC0 · Commons
Luxury
Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Pine N Peak, Pahalgam
A five-star hotel in Pahalgam on the Aru road side of town, run under ITC's Welcomhotel brand, with around 68 room…
Photo: Carlos Adampol Galindo from DF, México · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Budget
HPTDC Hotel Kinner Kailash, Kalpa
The state tourism corporation's hotel in Kalpa, with rooms and cottages facing the Kinnaur Kailash range, a restau…
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Budget
Zostel Rishikesh (Tapovan)
A backpacker hostel in Tapovan, between Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula, with dorms, private rooms, a rooftop cafe an…
Photo: Original: Rohit Sharma Derivative work: Unpeti… · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
GMVN Tourist Rest House, Ghangaria
The state tourism corporation's rest house in Ghangaria, the base village for the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sa…