Kedarnath is almost 300 kilometres from Delhi and takes as much as 10 hours by road without any stoppage. The Route followed is -

The 18 km trek starts from Gaurikund which can take up to 6 hours by pony and 10 hours by trek depending on your fitness. So, I will share how to plan your Delhi to Kedarnath trip with the ways how to reach Kedarnath from Delhi

How to reach your destination is the first question that pops up during your travel planning. For road trips, this is the part which stresses me out. So while planning this trip, my entire family sat down and we listed the options.

Driving

For our Kedarnath trip, our initial planning on how to reach Kedarnath from Delhi, driving through the alluring mountains of Uttarakhand was our first option. Your mind must wander to how tough is the drive, is it safe. It’s not a tough drive, and you might not even need a driver. We hired a driver and regretted it the moment we reached Phata. Why? Because the roads are pretty smooth and it’s not one of those difficult road trips we had. Also, if four people are travelling & you’re taking a sedan or hatchback, I’d say No to the Driver, it can get uncomfortable for such a long mountainous drive.

Hiring a Cab?

Not interested in driving? The better solution is to hire a cab preferably an SUV. But, hiring a cab from Delhi to Kedarnath is insanely expensive. The cab operators charge 5000₹ for each day with a minimum 5-day tour. This is something in particular to the drive for dhams in Uttarakhand, which I personally believe is taking advantage of tourists. When hiring a cab for any other location, all these operators charge is the standard rate – 10₹ per km for a sedan and 14-15₹ per km for an SUV. We ignored this option

The Alternative?

Hire a car from Zoomcar, they charge a decent price (10-12k for hatchback/sedan) for self-drive cars. You may hire a driver separately. This put together will cost far less than hiring a cab from a local cab operator. Saves money and you get to enjoy the journey without hassles.

Public Transport

Public transport comes to our rescue when we don’t want to drive or hire a cab. As it’s a long journey, it’s best to break your journey at Haridwar or Rishikesh. Enjoy a peaceful day at the bank of the Ganges river and soak in the spiritual atmosphere of the town. There’s also a registration counter at Rishikesh for Kedarnath, which is not mandatory but recommended. This registration helps the government to track the number of visitors. So, don’t forget to register next to the bus stand in Rishikesh.

Train – You can opt for a train from Delhi to Haridwar or Rishikesh. Have a proper night’s sleep before proceeding to a long road trip ahead for the next day.

Bus –The bus service from Delhi to Haridwar and/or Rishikesh is excellent with high frequency. I’d suggest taking a Volvo for beating the heat if you’re going in the summer months of May-June.

How to proceed with the journey from Haridwar/Rishikesh to Kedarnath?

There are again two options to reach Kedarnath from Haridwar or Rishikesh. You can hire a cab from a local cab operator and proceed with further journey comfortably. Bear in mind, these are not cheap considering peak season and only a few months for their business to flourish.

The second option is to take a bus from the main bus stand of Haridwar or Rishikesh. There are no/fewer options for a Volvo bus, so this is the least comfortable way to reach Kedarnath. Needless to say that the twists & turns with immense heat till Rudraprayag will make your journey harder. Also, the buses drive sometimes rashly, which may not be ideal for cautious people.

Options for Breaking the Journey?

• Haridwar

The closest location from Delhi on the way to Kedarnath is Haridwar. The land of the Ganges and the religious environment here will mesmerize you. The overnight stay here allows you to visit the temples and the famous morning/evening aarti of the Ganges. It’s recommended by the Hindu religion to take a dip in the Ganges to filter out your sins. Keep in mind, the river bed tend to be extremely crowded in peak season & on weekends. Various hotels & hostels are available here and some at reasonable rates.

• Rishikesh

A famous tourist destination near Delhi, known for its whitewater rafting and the Ram and Laxman Jhoola (Bridge). The advantage of stopping here is that you get to register yourself for the Kedarnath Trek and also indulge in adventure activities. The room rentals are nominal and hostels are also available for solo travellers, Rishikesh is a perfect pit stop. And when in Rishikesh, the iconic Beatles Ashram shouldn’t be missed.

• Devprayag

Devprayag is a name unknown to many but is the birthplace of the Ganges. It’s a place where two rivers – Alaknanda and Bhagirathi – merge to become one. The best part of this confluence is that the rivers of two different shades and genres – one clean and the other muddy – amalgamate into the one we know as The Ganges. You can halt for a night here, see the merging from up close and start the journey early morning the next day. Albeit bear in mind, this is not a hill station, and the temperature here is soaring too in the months of May to July.

• Srinagar

This is not the same Srinagar in Kashmir, which I have had people ask me It’s a small town in Uttarakhand but well-developed as to other villages we encountered on our way. Rent a room here, preferably an AC room (as it’s hot here!) and stay overnight. Fill up the petrol tank if you’re driving, take out cash from numerous ATMs here and pack some more snacks for the next part of the journey. Filling up the tank will be a good option as sometimes there is a shortage of petrol near Kedarnath. We had to skip at least 3 petrol pumps and had to wait in queue for more than 30 minutes at the fourth one.

• Rudraprayag

Rudraprayag is another small town & developed like Srinagar. If you plan to visit Badrinath as well, it’s best to hire a room here. It’s a common juncture which divides the route between Kedarnath & Badrinath.