You should maximize the output from your trip to the Himalayas. Make sure it is safe and comfortable. This Blog is based on our 1 week trip between Sep 28 – Oct 5, 2024. It has useful points to help you plan your trip
How to get there
Delhi & Dehradun are your two getaway points. Most cities have direct flights to Dehradun. After a few days with friends at Delhi we left on Sep 28th at 7 AM. The road is good. We covered Rishikesh – Delhi in 4 ½ hrs on the return, starting at 6 AM. The onward journey took us longer. This will improve when the Delhi – Dehradun expressway is completed next year.
TIP – When in Delhi do visit Diggin – a nice restaurant in Panchsheel Marg at Santushti shopping complex. Most long time Delhi residents are not aware of this place.
Where did we stop for the 1st night
We departed Delhi at 7AM. After breakfast at a Dhaba enroute, we reached our first stop – Vashishta & Arundhati caves at 2.30. The Vashist Gufa is closed between 1 – 3, but the Arundhati cave is open all times. Lunch was at a small restaurant after Srinagar around 4 PM.
We reached the Dandi Kanthi hotel by 7 PM. It is a small new hotel located between Srinagar & Rudraprayag on the banks of the Alaknanda. This hotel is 200m from the Dhari Devi temple. The temple is considered the custodian deity of the 4 Dham’s. It is highly revered in Uttarakhand. (This is not the J&K Srinagar – Uttarakhand also has a town called Srinagar)
Day 2 we reach Badrinath in the afternoon
We start the day with a visit to the Dhari Devi temple. The temple opens at 6 AM and there was no crowd. Back in our hotel by 7 – we had a light breakfast and head out to Badrinath. We had lunch on the outskirts of Badrinath and reached our room by 2.30 in the afternoon.
How is the road
Between 2010 – my first trip and now things have not changed much. 80% of the road is good. Yet, the mountains are fragile. Landslides can occur, and these need to be cleared. Lanes can get narrow – one way. Vehicles breakdown. Rail track construction is ongoing till Karnaprayag – close to Joshimath, adding to the traffic woes. So budget for delays en route – you can at best travel 25 Km / hr
Food & Restroom
There are no good cafes / restaurants after you leave Rishikesh. Small village shops that serve decent fresh N Indian food. Clean rest rooms are a big challenge. Food here is mainly Paratha / Roti / Rice / Dal / Aloo / Rajma / Chole / Paneer. Food tip – Eat light, avoid oily food.
Is there an alternate mode of transport
There are helicopter tours. A friend covered Kedarnath & Badrinath from Dehradun in 6 hrs @ 1 L/ person. That’s only the temple visit. There are also one way or return Helicopter rides. If you are not on a pilgrimage and want to explore the area, it is best to drive. The slow ascent also helps in acclimatization.
Our 3 nights at Badrinath
Badrinath is at 10,100 feet. Our plan was to visit the temple multiple times and explore all the areas in and around Badrinath. We had a good driver and a guide .
TIP – always plan an extra night. You could get stuck in traffic enroute or there may be heavy rains, weather in the hills is unpredictable. So budget for some backup time.
Temple Visits
- Day – 1 : Evening we visited the temple. We did not have a ticket, but we got VIP entry to the Chandi Aarti. This was thanks to the local DM contact my friend had.
- Day – 2 : We had tickets for the Swaran Aarti in the evening at 6.30 PM
- Day – 3 : We had tickets for the early morning 4.30 AM Abhishekam pooja.
- We also experienced the regular Mukh Darshan from a distance. This happened a few times later in the evening when the crowd was less.
Temple Darshan Tickets – Book in advance
https://badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in/online-services/book-puja-online/Book_Pooja_Online.aspx
The temple is ancient & small. You can enter the temple and get close to the Sanctum Sanctorum only if you have booked tickets in advance. The regular Darshan is from a distance and that gives you less than 30 seconds of Darshan time.
Strongly recommend that you book a tickets for every day you are there. You must book the early morning 4.30 AM Abhishekam pooja ticket. This Pooja lasts for over 2 hours. It includes Abhishekam, Aarti, Chanting of Mantras, and narration of the history of Badri Narayan. The Aarti tickets for Rs 500 allow you 15 Min inside the main temple complex.
The temple area can become very congested, even with a ticket. Only 30 – 40 people can sit. The rest have to crowd along the sides. The Q entry is not well managed and there is a lot of pushing and shoving.
Few important points
- Online booking opens 2 months in advance – keep checking regularly
- Maha Abhishekam is 4700, Abhishekam is 4500 – it’s the same pooja, but they allow those with the 4700 tickets first entry
- If you have booked Swaran Aarti, make sure to stand in the queue during the earlier Chand Aarti. You can also line up during Kapoor Aarti. That’s the only way you can try to be upfront when your scheduled Aarti starts.
Hot Springs or Tapt Kund
We visited the hot springs and took bath multiple times. The water is almost boiling hot. Its clean – since nobody can enter the Kund. Carry towels & a mug from the hotel to take a bath. Around 7 PM in the evening the crowd at the Kund is light to empty.
Other Things to see in & around Badrinath
Charan Paduka – a revered place. Lord Vishnu is said to have first set foot on earth here. It is a short trek on the way to Neelkanth Parvat. It’s a beautiful and easy trek. A glacier stream from Neelkanth flows down the route adding to the charm. On both sides are the Nar & Narayan mountains. If you leave at 8 AM you can be back by 1.30 for lunch after a slow relaxed trek to Charan Paduka & beyond.
Mana is a small village close to the Tibet border. It’s a 10 min drive from Badrinath. Mana is home to a few interesting sites
- Vyas Gufa & Ganesh Gufa are sites where most of our ancient scriptures were written.
- Keshav Prayag is the point where the Saraswathi meets the Alaknanda and then goes underground. Saraswathi has a short 500 m forceful run that is a sight to watch before it merges with the Alaknanda. You can trek down a short steep section to the Prayag.
- Vasudhra Falls is a 4 Km (one way) beautiful trek from Mana. This takes you to the point from where the Pandavas started their ascent to the heavens.
- Valley of Flowers / Hemkund Sahib are 2 – 3 day’s trekking trips around Badrinath. Auli – is a beautiful hill station 2 hrs from Badrinath.
Where to stay in Badrinath
The area is beautiful. One can only visualize how it would have been 100 years back. Now it’s a concrete commercial jungle – lot of developmental work in progress. There are many accommodation options, most are basic. I would recommend Hotel Snow Crest – This is the best in town. We stayed at Hotel Yoga which was next to this hotel. It’s a 15 – 20 min walk to the temple from here. Badrinath Devlok – run by GMVN( Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) is also a good choice.
What to Eat / Where to eat
Lot of restaurants offering a variety of food items. Avoid Idlis – they are tempting but the ones here are hard as a rock. The sambar is also disappointing. Dosa is better – its fresh. Most of our meals were at Sardeswari Restaurant – Near Devlok Chowk. Their service was excellent. One meal was special. They kindly cooked the Bhindi we provided. We got tired of the usual items on the menu. Carry cash – many please dont accept Pay.
We head to Tungnath
After 3 nights at Badrinath we head to Tungnath – one of the Panch Kedar temples in Chopta. We left Badrinath at 8.15 AM and reached our hotel, Regenta Resort Madhunganga at 4 PM. Chopta is beautiful – dense forests and nice views. There are many camps here called Swiss & Alpine camps. Trekkers use these camps. Sadly, they look like refugee camps and spoil the landscape.
Regenta Resort Madhunganga
This is an excellent 4 star property located at Ukhimath. It is strategically positioned on the Kedarnath – Badrinath route. The property offers easy access to many destinations.
- Omkareshwar – 2 Km
- Kedarnath – 45 Km by road + 16 Km trek
- Madhmaheshwar – 20 Km by road + 16 Km Trek
- Tungnath – 29 Km by road + 4 Km Trek
- Kalimath – 20 Km by road
- Triyuginarayan – 53 Km by Road
- Anusuya Devi / Atri Rishi Ashram also comes on the way from Badrinath – Chopta. This involves a 4 km trek.
We stayed here for one night. Our purpose was to visit Tungnath, which is one of the Panch Kedar. It is the highest Shiva temple at 12800 feet. This is a great hub to spend a week and cover a lot of places.
Tungnath Trek
- This attracts a lot of traffic and the parking area is a mess. The trek route Is like walking on a crowded city road. Most of the stretch is paved – there are some sections that are steep but its an easy trek.
- Most trekkers are attracted to Chandrashila – the peak that is ½ Km beyond Tungnath. This stretch is very steep and there are no cemented paths.
- Our 3 night stay at Badrinath had acclimatized us well to the high altitude. As a result, the trek to Tungnath was a breeze. We completed it in 2 hours. There is well laid out track for 80% of the journey. You have the choice of taking a horse ride.
- Unfortunately there are no restrooms on the trek route.
- I was told that the views are spectacular – they were good, but I have seen better.
- On the way back from Tungnath, stop at Bunker House. This was the first place we discovered in a week that had Burgers, Pizza, and French Fries. The restaurant has a nice interior.
Best time to travel
The 4 Dhams are closed from 1st Nov – April end. That gives you access for only 6 months. July / Aug / Sep – heavy rains and prone to landslide. May / June are the busiest months because of summer / school vacation. Oct seems to be the best bet – not too cold + rains are over. If you can time your travel around Vijay Dashami or Diwali – you find the least crowds.
Insist on an Innova
Travel safe in an Innova with a good experienced driver. Even if you start from Delhi, insist on using a UK number plate vehicle. It should be pre-registered for the 4 Dham Yatra. A good vehicles & driver takes away a lot of stress. Travel light – don’t overload your Innova with 7 people. We were 2 in an Innova + Driver and guide.
All travelers need to register their trip for the 4 Dhams. This is checked at the entry point of Badrinath. All these steps help you save time on your travel.
Who did our Booking
Our trip was executed by Om Prakash Ji of Rishikesh Day Trips.- 7078203030. He did a good job and was very responsive. We had planned the trip a few months ahead. We did not have hill rides > 6 hrs on any day. We ensured that we were in the room by 6 PM. Our driver was excellent, high energy and always punctual. Insist on a good driver like Mohit Rana (91937 42876). Contact guide Hukum Chinwan at 9690464301 or 75794 81621. Being in touch with your trip planner and setting clear expectations helps in good execution.
Last but not the least PRAY
We planned this trips months ahead. We were lucky to have excellent weather – blue skies, pleasant weather. We did not get stuck in any landslides. Good driver & guide, nice hotels, friendly restaurants – All this is Divine Grace. So pray for a good trip and enjoy the beauty of Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand.
And one more thing …..
On the way back, stop at Chauhan Bengali sweet shop in Srinagar, Pauri. It is located on the main Badrinath road. Pick up a few Uttarakhand delicacies to carry home. I suggest trying the Bal Mithai without the sugar balls on the top. Also, try the Singori (सिङ्गौड़ी) which is a delicacy from Uttarakhand made with Khoya. It is wrapped in a maalu leaf. It is akin to Kalakhand.
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A few days catch up with old friends in Apple was a good start to the trip
On our way to Charan Paduka
A few kids at Charan Paduka took us further up to Maheshwarnath Babaji cave
At Diggin Delhi
View of the crowded Badrinath Dham on the way to Charan Paduka
A Few Good Things 
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