Quick answer: A road Char Dham package usually includes hotel stays on twin or triple sharing, vegetarian breakfast and dinner, a private vehicle with driver, fuel, tolls, parking and driver costs, and help with the free government registration. It usually does not include lunch, pony, palki or helicopter charges, the Sonprayag–Gaurikund shuttle jeep, special puja, travel to the start city, insurance, extra costs from landslides, and GST. Always read both lists before comparing prices.
Updated for the 2027 yatra season (facts checked October 2026)
Two Char Dham packages with the same number of days can differ by many thousands of rupees, and the difference is almost always in the small print. One includes Kedarnath night stay and the other drops you at Gaurikund. One has a Tempo Traveller for your group of eight and the other shares a bus. This guide explains what a typical package covers, what you will pay on the road, and the questions to ask before you pay an advance to anyone, including us.
What a Char Dham package usually includes
| Item | Road package | Helicopter package |
|---|---|---|
| Stay | Hotels or guesthouses, twin or triple sharing, for every night of the itinerary | Hotels near helipads and at the dhams, as booked |
| Meals | Vegetarian breakfast and dinner (often called MAP) | Vegetarian breakfast and dinner |
| Transport | Private car or Tempo Traveller with driver, for all road days | Helicopter seats for the full circuit, plus local road transfers between helipads, hotels and temples |
| Vehicle costs | Fuel, tolls, parking, state taxes and the driver’s food and stay | Included in transfers |
| Kedarnath access | Your transport to Sonprayag; walk, pony, palki or helicopter extra | Usually the Kedarnath shuttle seat and helipad handling |
| Registration | Help completing the free government registration | Help completing the free government registration |
| Support | Phone and WhatsApp support during the yatra | A coordinator in touch with the operator |
Accommodation: what “twin or triple sharing” means
Prices are almost always per person on twin (two to a room) or triple (three to a room) sharing. A single room costs more. In the hills, rooms are simpler than in the plains: hot water by geyser or bucket, basic heating, and at Kedarnath often a tent, hut or small guesthouse with shared facilities. Ask the organiser for the names or category of the hotels for each night, or at least the town, so you know whether you are sleeping close to the temple or an hour away.
Meals: why lunch is usually not included
Most packages give breakfast and dinner at the hotel. Lunch is left out because on road days you are between towns at lunchtime and stop wherever the timing suits. A simple dhaba lunch on the route is easy to find. Bottled water, tea and snacks are also extra.
Vehicle: ask what car, and whether AC runs
The vehicle type depends on group size: a sedan for two to three people, an SUV for four to six, and a Tempo Traveller for larger groups. On steep hill climbs, many drivers switch off the air conditioning as a safety and engine practice; good packages say this openly. Fuel, tolls, parking, state entry taxes and the driver’s allowance should all be included, so that you are not asked for money every evening.
What usually costs extra
| Extra cost | Why it is excluded | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Pony, palki, pithu (Kedarnath, Yamunotri) | Depends on each person’s health and choice; rates fixed by the district | Book only at registered counters, keep the receipt |
| Kedarnath helicopter shuttle (road packages) | Seats sold only on IRCTC HeliYatra, in your own name | Register first, then book on heliyatra.irctc.co.in |
| Sonprayag–Gaurikund shared jeep | Local shuttle; private vehicles stop at Sonprayag | Small fare; keep change ready |
| Special puja, abhishek, VIP darshan, pandit dakshina | Personal choice; booked with the temple committee | Book Badrinath and Kedarnath pujas on the official temple committee site |
| Lunch, snacks, water | Taken on the route | Budget a modest daily amount per person |
| Travel to the start city | Trains and flights vary by city | Book refundable tickets until kapat dates are confirmed |
| Travel and medical insurance | Personal | Check that the policy covers high altitude and evacuation |
| Extra nights or vehicle days due to landslides or weather | Outside anyone’s control | Keep a buffer day and some contingency money |
| Room heater, laundry, tips, phone calls | Personal use | Ask the hotel about heater charges before switching it on |
| GST | Government tax on the package | Ask whether the quoted price includes GST |
The Kedarnath day: where packages differ most
Kedarnath is where packages look the same on paper and are very different in practice. Check three things:
- Is there a night at Kedarnath? A night at the shrine means you climb one day, take darshan calmly, and come down the next. A package without it expects you to climb 16 km and come back the same day, or to arrange your own room.
- Where is the night before? A hotel at Guptkashi is about an hour and a half from Sonprayag; Sitapur or Sonprayag is closer. The closer you sleep, the earlier you start walking.
- What is included for the climb? Almost always nothing. Pony, palki, pithu and helicopter are extra in road packages, because each family’s needs are different.
Helicopter packages: what is different
A helicopter Char Dham from Dehradun usually includes the helicopter seat for the whole circuit, the Kedarnath shuttle, helipad handling, hotels, meals and local transfers, and sometimes a pony or palki at Yamunotri. What it excludes is just as important: charges for body weight above the operator’s limit (often around 75 kg per person, with a per-kilo charge above it), luggage beyond a small soft bag, and extra hotel nights if weather grounds the flights. Ask how the operator handles a cancelled flight day, and whether a road back-up is arranged.
Registration is free: never pay a “registration fee”
Char Dham registration with the Uttarakhand government is compulsory and free. It is done on registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in, the Tourist Care Uttarakhand app, or at official counters. An organiser can help you fill the form, but the government charges nothing for it. Our Char Dham registration guide explains each step. Similarly, Kedarnath helicopter shuttle tickets are sold only on IRCTC HeliYatra; anyone selling “confirmed” shuttle tickets outside that site is a red flag. See our Kedarnath helicopter booking guide.
Questions to ask before you pay an advance
- Is the price per person, and on twin or triple sharing?
- Which towns are the night stays in, and is there a night at Kedarnath?
- Which vehicle, and is it private to our group?
- Are breakfast and dinner included every day, and from which meal to which meal?
- Is GST included in the quoted price?
- Who books the Kedarnath helicopter, and what happens if we do not get seats?
- What happens, and who pays, if a landslide holds us for a day?
- What is the cancellation policy, in writing?
- Who is our contact during the yatra, and how do we reach them where network is weak?
A worked example: what you might pay beyond the package
For a family of four on a road Char Dham, the extras usually fall into these groups. We do not quote fixed amounts, because rates change each season and depend on your choices:
- Kedarnath: shuttle jeep fares both ways, plus pony, palki or helicopter for anyone who will not walk.
- Yamunotri: pony or palki for anyone who will not walk the 5 to 6 km from Janki Chatti.
- Puja: any abhishek or special puja you book, plus dakshina and prasad.
- Daily: lunch, tea, water and small purchases for eleven or twelve days.
- Contingency: money for an extra night and meals if the road is blocked.
Adding these to the package price gives you the true cost of the yatra, and makes it fair to compare two quotes.
What our packages include
Each of our package pages lists its inclusions and exclusions in full. In brief:
- Char Dham Yatra from Haridwar, 11 days, from ₹50,000 per person: ten nights’ stay on twin or triple sharing, vegetarian breakfast and dinner, private vehicle with all running costs, a night at Kedarnath, registration help and phone support. Pony, palki, helicopter, the shuttle jeep, lunch, special puja, insurance and GST are extra.
- Char Dham Yatra from Delhi, 12 days, from ₹50,000 per person, on a similar basis from Delhi.
- Char Dham Yatra by Helicopter, 6 days from Dehradun, from ₹2,22,000 per person: the full helicopter circuit including the Kedarnath shuttle and helipad handling, five nights’ stay, breakfast and dinner, a palki or pony at Yamunotri, transfers and registration help. Excess body weight charges, other pony or palki use, special puja, insurance and GST are extra.
- Do Dham Yatra by road, 6 days from Haridwar, from ₹35,000 per adult.
Browse every option on our Char Dham yatras page, or read in Hindi on चार धाम यात्रा. If anything on a package page is unclear, ask us before booking through the enquiry form on this page or call/WhatsApp us (numbers on our Contact page).
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a Char Dham Yatra package?
Most road packages include hotel stays on twin or triple sharing, vegetarian breakfast and dinner, a private vehicle with driver and all running costs, and help with the free government registration. Some include a night at Kedarnath. Helicopter packages add helicopter seats, the Kedarnath shuttle and helipad handling. Always check the written inclusions list.
Is the Kedarnath helicopter included in a Char Dham road package?
Usually not. Kedarnath shuttle seats from Guptkashi, Phata and Sersi are sold only on IRCTC HeliYatra in each yatri’s name, using their registration number, so they are booked separately. Full helicopter Char Dham packages from Dehradun are different and usually include the shuttle.
Are pony and palki charges included in Char Dham packages?
Generally not, because each person’s needs differ and the rates are fixed by the district administration at the counters. Some helicopter packages include a pony or palki at Yamunotri. Book only at registered counters and keep the receipt.
Is GST extra on Char Dham packages?
Often it is. Many organisers quote prices before GST and add it on the invoice. Ask whether the price you are shown includes GST, so that you compare packages on the same basis. Our package pages state GST as an exclusion where it applies.
Do I have to pay for Char Dham registration?
No. Registration with the Uttarakhand government is free, on the official portal, the Tourist Care Uttarakhand app or at official counters. An organiser may help you fill the form, but there is no government fee. Be wary of websites asking for money to register you.
Why is lunch not included in most packages?
On road days you are usually between towns at lunchtime, so breakfast and dinner are taken at the hotel and lunch is bought on the way at a dhaba or restaurant. This also lets each family eat when and what suits them. Budget a modest amount per person per day.
Who pays if a landslide delays the yatra?
In almost all packages, extra nights, meals and vehicle days caused by landslides, road closures or weather are paid by the yatri, because they are outside the organiser’s control. Ask how your organiser handles such days, keep a buffer day if possible, and carry some contingency money.