A circuit Package
Do Dham Heli Express — 4 Days
From ₹1,39,500 pp | Kedarnath + Badrinath by Helicopter
Traditional order
Priority bookings
Gentle pacing
Briefing included
A four-day Kedarnath + Badrinath yatra starting from Dehradun. Kedarnath is reached by helicopter (booked via the IRCTC HeliYatra portal as the sole regulator-approved provider for 2026), and Badrinath is covered by private cab the next day. Four-star accommodations, all meals, priority darshan facilitation, and a printed briefing in your hand on Day 1.
Day-by-day
Itinerary
4 days · click to expand
Arrive Dehradun (Jolly Grant Airport or railway station). Private cab transfer to the four-star hotel near Sahastradhara helipad, about 25–30 km from the airport. Afternoon at leisure to rest after the journey. Evening briefing at the hotel with the tour-leader: tomorrow's helicopter timing from the Garhwal helipad (Sahastradhara or the Pawan Hans base, as per the day's IRCTC HeliYatra allotment), what to carry to Kedarnath, the order of darshan at the shrine, and the priority-darshan window. Printed pilgrim handbook is handed out. Dinner at the hotel.
Note Carry a light woollen layer for the morning helicopter ride. The flight has a 5 kg per-person baggage limit; the rest of the luggage stays at the Dehradun hotel and is sent ahead to Guptkashi by road.
Pre-dawn departure from the hotel to the helipad. The helicopter window is fixed by the IRCTC HeliYatra portal and assigned the previous evening — most pilgrims fly between 6:30 and 8:30 AM, depending on the day's slot. Flight time Dehradun helipad to Kedarnath is about 35–45 minutes including the en-route stop. On landing at the Kedarnath helipad, a short walk of 500 metres leads to the temple. Two to three hours at the shrine for darshan in the priority window, abhishek if pre-arranged, and the Bhairavnath shrine behind the temple. Return helicopter to the Garhwal helipad. By mid-afternoon, drive down to Guptkashi (about 75 km, 2.5–3 hours). Check in at the four-star hotel. Evening at leisure. Dinner.
Note The Kedarnath helicopter ticket is booked through the IRCTC HeliYatra portal in the pilgrim's own name as per the 2026 UCADA advisory — this is the regulator's policy and applies to every operator. We handle the booking and payment. Photo ID matching the IRCTC name is required at the helipad.
Early breakfast at Guptkashi. Drive to Joshimath (about 165 km via Chamoli, 6–7 hours including a stop at Karnaprayag). Continue to Badrinath (about 45 km from Joshimath, 1.5–2 hours). Reach Badrinath by mid-afternoon. Snan at Tapt Kund — the hot spring at the base of the temple where pilgrims bathe before darshan. Darshan at Badri Vishal with our queue assistance. After darshan, drive 3 km to Mana Village — the last Indian village on the Tibet border. Visit Vyas Gufa (where the Mahabharata is said to have been composed), Ganesh Gufa, and Bhim Pul (the natural rock bridge over the Saraswati). Return to Joshimath for the night. Dinner at the four-star hotel.
Note The Joshimath–Badrinath stretch is single-lane in places and subject to gate timings; the tour-leader confirms the day's traffic-gate schedule the previous evening. In peak season the Tapt Kund can be crowded; we time the snan for the late-afternoon window when most morning pilgrims have left.
Breakfast at the Joshimath hotel. Begin the descent to the plains. Drive Joshimath → Rudraprayag → Devprayag → Rishikesh or Dehradun, depending on your onward travel (about 270 km, 8–9 hours including stops). Drop at your chosen point — Rishikesh railway station, Dehradun airport, or Dehradun railway station. The yatra ends.
Note Plan onward flights from Dehradun for after 7 PM, or trains from Rishikesh for after 6 PM, to leave a comfortable buffer for the descent. If you wish to extend the trip with a night at Rishikesh for the Triveni Ghat aarti, the tour-leader can arrange it on request.
The story
About this package
The Do Dham Heli Express is built for pilgrim families who want darshan of both Kedarnath and Badrinath without giving up ten or twelve days to the road. Four days, three nights, ex-Dehradun, with the Kedarnath leg flown by helicopter and the Badrinath leg covered by private cab on a single dedicated day.
How the four days unfold
Day 1 is the arrival into Dehradun (Jolly Grant) and a short drive to the helipad area — Sahastradhara or the Pawan Hans base, depending on the day's IRCTC HeliYatra allotment. A four-star hotel near the helipad, an evening briefing on the next day's flight, and a printed pilgrim handbook with the order of darshan, the mantras you will hear, and the small courtesies of the high Garhwal shrines.
Day 2 is the Kedarnath day. Early morning helicopter from the Garhwal helipad to Kedarnath. Two to three hours at the shrine for darshan, abhishek if you have arranged one, and the Bhairavnath visit behind the temple. Return helicopter to the helipad, then a road drive down to Guptkashi for the night at a four-star property.
Day 3 is the Badrinath day. Drive from Guptkashi up to Joshimath, then on to Badrinath. Darshan at Badri Vishal, a snan at Tapt Kund, and time at Mana Village — the last Indian village before the Tibetan border, the Vyas Gufa, and the Bhim Pul. Overnight at Joshimath at a four-star hotel.
Day 4 is the descent to Rishikesh or Dehradun for the drop. The yatra ends.
What is and is not included
The package includes the helicopter charter to Kedarnath (booked through the IRCTC HeliYatra portal in the pilgrim's own name, as required by the 2026 advisory of UCADA, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority — we facilitate and pay for the booking, but the ticket is issued in the pilgrim's name as per regulator policy), all four-star hotel stays, all meals from Day 1 dinner to Day 4 breakfast, all private cab transfers including helipad ground transfers on the Kedarnath day, and a senior tour-leader who walks the yatra with you.
Not included: the Kedarnath palki or pony if you choose to skip the short walk from the helipad to the temple, personal expenses, and any flight delays or cancellations caused by weather (a buffer day can be arranged on request at additional cost).
Priority darshan facilitation
Both Kedarnath and Badrinath have priority darshan windows for helicopter pilgrims. At Kedarnath this is built into the IRCTC HeliYatra ticket; at Badrinath we assist with darshan queue management, with any priority arrangement subject to the provisions the temple committee makes on the day. We coordinate with the temple office the day before. This is not a guarantee — on very high-flow days the wait can still be 45 minutes.
About the IRCTC HeliYatra rule
Since the 2026 UCADA (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) advisory, the Kedarnath helicopter route is operated only through the IRCTC HeliYatra portal and tickets must be in the pilgrim's own name. We handle the booking, payment, and date confirmation on your behalf, but the ticket itself will show your name as the passenger — this is the regulator's requirement and applies to every operator on the route.
Who this is for
Families with senior pilgrims who cannot manage the Kedarnath trek, time-constrained travellers who still want the full Do Dham yatra, and groups of two to six who want to share a private vehicle for the road segments.
What you get
Highlights
Logistics
What's included
Inclusions
- Helicopter charter to Kedarnath (IRCTC HeliYatra portal, 2026 regulator policy applies). Four-star accommodation at Dehradun, Guptkashi, and Joshimath. All meals from Day 1 dinner to Day 4 breakfast. Private cab for all road transfers, including helipad ground transfers on the Kedarnath day. Priority darshan facilitation at Kedarnath and Badrinath. Senior tour-leader through all four days. Pilgrim briefing handbook delivered at Day 1 check-in.
Not included
- Personal expenses, tips, laundry, and shopping. Pony or palki at Kedarnath if you choose to skip the short walk between the helipad and the temple. Any costs arising from flight delays or cancellations caused by weather — a buffer day can be arranged on request at additional cost. Travel insurance. Anything not listed in inclusions.
Before you book
Questions pilgrims ask
What does ₹1,39,500 actually include?
₹1,39,500 covers three nights at 4-star hotels in Dehradun, Guptkashi and Joshimath, all meals from Day 1 dinner through Day 4 breakfast, private cab transfers throughout including to and from the helipad, and a senior tour-leader for the whole trip. The helicopter charter to Kedarnath, booked through the IRCTC HeliYatra portal, is part of this price, but pony/palki at Kedarnath if you choose to walk instead, personal expenses, and travel insurance are not.
Is the helicopter guaranteed, or can it fall through?
No booking can promise a guaranteed flight — helicopter seats to Kedarnath are allotted through the government's IRCTC HeliYatra portal, weather clearance decides whether flights actually go, and this route sees cancellations for fog, wind or cloud fairly often, especially early and late in the season. We book your seat the moment a phase opens and keep buffer days available on request, but the final call on any given morning is the Board's and the weather's, not ours.
How does the IRCTC HeliYatra booking actually work?
Kedarnath helicopter tickets are sold only through the official IRCTC HeliYatra portal, in phases that open periodically through the season, and seats for a given date typically sell out within minutes of release. The photo ID you fly on must exactly match the name registered with IRCTC, so we collect your documents in advance and book as soon as a slot opens for your dates.
How much time do I actually get at the Kedarnath shrine?
Our plan allows for roughly 2-3 hours at the shrine for darshan and a visit to the nearby Bhairavnath temple before the return flight, though the exact window depends on the day's flight schedule and how crowded the queue is that morning — peak-season darshan lines can still run up to 45 minutes even for fly-in pilgrims.
Do I still need to be reasonably fit for this package?
Yes, some fitness still matters — you're not doing the 16-18 km Kedarnath trek, but you do walk within the shrine complex, stand through darshan queues, and spend a full day travelling by road between Guptkashi, Joshimath and Badrinath at altitude. It's rated an easy pace for a Char Dham trip, but not a package for someone who can't manage stairs or a half-day of travel.
Is Badrinath done by helicopter too, or by road?
Badrinath is reached entirely by road — there's no trek or flight for this leg. Day 3 covers the drive from Guptkashi through Joshimath to Badrinath for Tapt Kund and Badri Vishal darshan, followed by Mana village and the nearby caves.
What's the baggage limit on the helicopter, and what happens to the rest of my luggage?
The helicopter allows 5 kg of baggage per person; anything beyond that travels ahead by road to your Guptkashi hotel so it's waiting for you when you arrive by road later that day. Pack a small day bag with just what you need for the flight and the few hours at the shrine.
What if my helicopter flight is cancelled by weather?
If your Kedarnath flight is grounded by weather, the standard IRCTC HeliYatra cancellation and refund process applies to the flight cost, and we'll work with you on rescheduling within your travel dates where a buffer day is available, or adjusting the itinerary to a road-and-trek alternative. This is genuinely one of the least predictable parts of any Char Dham plan, so it helps to build in a spare day if your schedule allows.
When are the 2027 dates likely to be announced?
Not yet — the Uttarakhand government announces each season's dates on Maha Shivratri and Basant Panchami, both in February 2027, so no 2027 date exists as of now. The 2026 season's Kedarnath opening was 22 April, which gives a rough sense of timing, but treat it only as a reference until the official 2027 announcement.
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Starting price
₹1,39,500
per person
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