Kedarnath Badrinath Package: 6-Day Plan

A Kedarnath Badrinath package usually runs 5 to 6 days by road from Haridwar or Rishikesh. You visit Kedarnath Temple first from a Guptkashi base, by trek or helicopter, then drive via Rudraprayag and Joshimath to Badrinath Temple. Add a buffer day for weather, and note that helicopter tickets are separate and sold only on IRCTC HeliYatra.

Almost every page ranking for this search is a sell page with a near-identical itinerary, a price box and a vague "helicopter on request" line. This guide compares the plan lengths, explains the order of the two dhams, lines up what real listings leave out, and shows how the not-yet-announced 2026 closing dates affect a trip you book now. We are an independent guide: we do not sell packages or tickets, and we are not affiliated with IRCTC, UCADA, the government or any operator.

Kedarnath Badrinath package at a glance: the standard 6-day road plan

Operator listings checked on 30 September 2026 follow one pattern. The tour starts in Haridwar (a few start in Rishikesh), climbs through Devprayag and Rudraprayag into the Mandakini valley, spends two nights on the Kedarnath side, crosses back to Rudraprayag, climbs the Alaknanda valley to Badrinath, and returns to Haridwar. The distances and drive times below are the figures operators publish, so treat them as approximate. Mountain roads, traffic at checkpoints and weather change them every season.

Day-by-day overnights

Day 2 is the hardest day of the trip. Regular vehicles stop at Sonprayag, shared jeeps cover the short road to Gaurikund, and the walk to Kedarnath Temple (about 3,583 m, the highest of the twelve Jyotirlingas) starts there. If you would rather fly this leg, our Kedarnath helicopter booking guide explains the IRCTC process, the helipads and what to prepare before the booking window opens.

Why packages start in Haridwar or Rishikesh

Haridwar has the rail connections and Rishikesh sits just up the road, so both are where the hill drive begins. Starting there also lets the operator use one vehicle and driver for all six days. If you are arriving from farther away, count your travel to Haridwar separately: it is not part of the package days in any listing we checked.

Why Kedarnath comes first in almost every itinerary

Route logic without backtracking

The two temples sit in neighbouring river valleys that meet at Rudraprayag. Kedarnath is at the head of the Mandakini River valley; Badrinath is up the Alaknanda River valley in Chamoli district. Coming from Haridwar, you reach Rudraprayag first. Turning up the Mandakini to Guptkashi and Sonprayag, then coming back to Rudraprayag and continuing up the Alaknanda, means the last leg of the trip is a continuous downhill drive from Badrinath to Haridwar. You never repeat the long Haridwar-Rudraprayag stretch in the middle of the tour.

There is a practical reason too. The Kedarnath trek is the physically demanding part. Doing it on day 2, while you are fresh, leaves the less strenuous Badrinath visit for the second half of the trip.

When Badrinath-first can make sense

Reverse the order only for a specific reason, for example if the only helicopter slot you could get on IRCTC HeliYatra falls later in your trip. In that case you do Badrinath first, drop back to Rudraprayag and go up to the helipad on the day of your flight. Expect more driving overall, and confirm with the operator before paying that they will run the reversed route.

5 days, 6 days or 7 days: which plan fits you

5-day, 6-day and 7-day listings cover the same two temples. What changes is your time at each and whether there is slack if a road closes.

5-day plan (helicopter or very long days)

A 5-day plan works when the Kedarnath visit is done by helicopter, as in one 5-day listing we saw at Rs 17,700 per person. Without a helicopter it means trekking up and down within a very tight window, which most people should avoid given the altitude and the trek length of roughly 16-18 km each way.

6-day plan (the standard)

This is the plan in the table above and the one most operators sell. It gives a night at Kedarnath, so you can join the early darshan before trekking down. The weak point is that there is no spare day: if a landslide or heavy rain holds you on day 2 or day 4, everything after it shifts.

7-day plan (buffer day + Mana and Tapt Kund)

The extra day can sit after Kedarnath (for rest or bad weather) or at Badrinath, so you have time for a dip at Tapt Kund, the hot spring just below the temple, and the short drive to Mana village about 3 km beyond Badrinath. For seniors, families and anyone travelling in the late season or during the monsoon, the 7-day plan is the safer choice.

What a Kedarnath Badrinath package includes and leaves out

We compared three operator listings checked on 30 September 2026. They advertised roughly Rs 15,500 to Rs 18,000 per person for road packages (one 6-day listing at Rs 15,500 with 5% GST extra, one 5-day listing at Rs 17,700 that includes the helicopter, one 6-day listing at Rs 17,999). These are other companies' advertised prices, not ours, and they change often. What matters more is what each one leaves out.

Questions to ask before paying

Read the cancellation terms line by line. One listing we checked deducts 25% if you cancel 30 or more days before departure, 50% at 15 days and 100% at 7 days, and gives no refund when weather or government restrictions stop the tour. That is one operator's policy, not an industry rule, but it shows why the refund clause matters on a route where roads can close. Also ask what happens if day 2 is washed out: does the operator add a night, and who pays for it?

Adding a helicopter for the Kedarnath leg

IRCTC HeliYatra is the only authorised channel

Kedarnath shuttle tickets are sold only through the IRCTC HeliYatra portal. A package can include "helicopter" in its day plan, but no agent can issue or guarantee a valid shuttle seat; if an operator promises a confirmed ticket, ask how. The helicopter also covers only the Kedarnath leg. Badrinath is reached by road in every listing we checked.

2026 base fares by helipad

These base fares are set by UCADA; the final payable amount on IRCTC is higher once taxes and the portal fee are added, so check it on the portal.

How it changes the day count

Flying from Guptkashi, Phata or Sersi replaces the trek up and down, which is what lets a 6-day plan shrink to 5. Keep the Kedarnath night if you can, because weather can delay flights. If you want to skip the road entirely and fly to both temples, that is a different product: see Do Dham by helicopter.

Registration and documents for both dhams

Char Dham yatra registration

Online registration is required for Char Dham pilgrims, including those visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath. Register on the official Uttarakhand yatra registration portal and check that your registration covers both dhams and the dates you expect to be at each. Many listings exclude registration, so do not assume the operator has done it. Our Kedarnath yatra registration guide walks through the steps.

Separate IRCTC account for the helicopter

The helicopter booking is a separate process from yatra registration, on its own IRCTC account. Carry the photo ID you registered with, plus printed or saved copies of both confirmations.

Closing dates 2026: planning a late-season trip

What BKTC has announced as of 30 September 2026

Both temples are managed by the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC). On 30 September 2026 its official site showed "Yatra-2026 is in progress" and no closing dates. By custom, closing dates are declared on Vijayadashami. Kedarnath traditionally closes around Bhai Dooj and Badrinath usually closes later, in mid-to-late November in recent years, but these are customary windows, not 2026 dates. Some websites already quote specific November dates; they are unofficial and disagree with each other. Follow our Kedarnath closing date 2026 page for the announcement.

For an October trip, book a plan with a buffer day, keep Kedarnath first, and pack for cold nights at both temples.

If you miss the season: Ukhimath and Joshimath

After closing, worship moves to the winter seats. Kedarnath's deity is worshipped at the Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath, and an idol of Lord Badri is worshipped at the Narsingh temple in Joshimath (Jyotirmath), about 45 km by road below Badrinath. Both lie on the roads a package already uses, so a trip that slips past closing can still become a winter-seat pilgrimage, though that is a different trip from this one.

Planning the Kedarnath helicopter leg is where most packages leave you on your own. Start with the helicopter booking guide above, and if you want everything in one place offline, our Insider Guide PDF is on the ebook page.

Written and reviewed by the Kedarnath Helicopter Yatra editorial team. Facts checked against primary sources; see the reference above.

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