The four Himalayan shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath: how we travelled them in ten days with a 4- and a 7-year-old, and what we’d want you to know.
First-hand journey: April 2026
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What the Char Dham is
The shrines are high in the mountains and open only for part of the year, so the season and the mountain weather shape much of the planning.
Each page follows the same structure: why pilgrims come, what we did, how we got there, what surprised us, advice for children, and what you need to check.
The last of the four dhams: evening darshan on arrival, a pre-dawn Abhishek, rites for our ancestors, and a morning at Mana.
When the temples close
Where the dhams are worshipped in winter
The high shrines close for the winter months. For two of them, the temple committee’s own pages describe where worship continues.
Kedarnath
Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath
According to the temple committee (BKTC), after Kedarnath closes for winter the Utsav Doli of Lord Kedarnath is brought to the Omkareshwar Temple at Ukhimath, where winter puja of Lord Kedarnath is performed.
We visited Omkareshwar Temple on Day 8 of our journey.
BKTC states that Yogdhyan Badri at Pandukeshwar houses the winter Utsav images of Uddhav and Kuber. Badrinath’s winter worship is also associated in tradition with the Narsingh Temple at Joshimath. Because more than one place is involved, we haven’t reduced it to a single “winter seat”.
We haven’t yet confirmed where Yamunotri and Gangotri are worshipped in winter from an official source, so we don’t list them here.
How we travelled
By road, on foot, and one helicopter
We did thisFirst-hand experience, April 2026
We travelled for 10 days and 9 nights in a private vehicle with a driver, arranged as a package through a tour operator. We were promised an Innova Crysta and upgraded to an Innova Hycross.
Yamunotri meant a trek from Janki Chatti; the children went by pitthu. Gangotri and Badrinath we reached by road. For Kedarnath we flew by helicopter from Sirsi and stayed one night near the temple.
On one long mountain day, our experienced local driver took a route that avoided some of the main-road traffic.
These were our choices with a 4- and a 7-year-old in April 2026, not rules for every family.
Ponies and walkers share the covered sections of the trek.
What we took
Packing for our family Char Dham journey
Clothing
Thermal base layers
A warm mid-layer
A waterproof, windproof outer layer
Hiking trousers
Warm socks, plus a spare pair
A warm cap
Gloves
Footwear
Good hiking or walking shoes
Waterproof footwear, especially useful around Kedarnath
Footwear that is easy to take off around temple areas
Trek / day bag
Water
Light snacks
A lightweight towel
Rain protection
Sunglasses
Optional: a mask or buff for dusty pony routes
Children
A spare warm layer
Spare socks
Snacks
Water
Simple entertainment for long drives
Don’t overpack the day bag
Temple / pilgrimage
Small containers, only if you plan to collect sacred water
A small bag for prasad
Enough cash for small expenses
Cost and package
What our package covered, and what it didn’t
Our package quotation, what we actually received, what changed on the road (the biggest change was Kedarnath by helicopter instead of the trek), and the extra costs we paid separately.
Our tour package: ₹142,000for our 10-day / 9-night package, family of four, including GST
The package included
Private vehicle and driver
Accommodation
Breakfast and dinner
Help with pilgrimage registration
Please read this
This was our package price in April 2026, not a quote for your trip. Prices change by season, operator, hotel and vehicle.
We paid separately for the Kedarnath helicopter, pitthus for the children at Yamunotri, the pujas we took part in, and the early-morning Abhishek ticket at Badrinath.
It also excludes our international flights and the Delhi–Dehradun transfer.
We were promised an Innova Crysta and were upgraded to an Innova Hycross.
Some of the moments we remember best were at stops between the dhams: a cave temple on the way to Uttarkashi, the first puja at Kalimath, the confluence at Devprayag.
