Do Dham Yatra (DSI-71)

Start early from Dehradun as this will be a long drive. But the roads are good and very scenic. On the way you can stop at Devprayag and Srinagar. Once you reach Rudraprayag, check into your hotel. You can use the evening to explore this pretty town that stands at the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. It is also one of the Panch Prayags, or five confluences of Alaknanda river.

The next morning after breakfast, visit Rudranath temple and the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers, then start your drive towards Gauri Kund, around 40 kms away. Once you reach Gauri Kund, start the 14-km trek to Kedarnath. You can also ride a palanquin or a pony. Once in Kedarnath, check into a hotel. In the evening, visit the Kedarnath Temple and enjoy the arti (divine ritual). For Char Dham Yatra registration, visit CHARDHAMYATRA 

After that, trek back to Gauri Kund. The trek takes less time on the way down. Once you reach Gauri Kund, start the drive back to Rudraprayag via Guptkashi. Once in Rudraprayag, check into your hotel.

After breakfast hit the road towards Badrinath. After around 33 kms, stop at Karnaprayag, the confluence of Alaknanda and Pindar rivers. Next, you can stop at Nandprayag, around 20 kms away, where the Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers meet. They are both very scenic, so spend some time in these two towns. After an hour of being on the road, you can halt at the serene Pipalkoti town for lunch. From here, Badrinath is 75 kms away, and on the way you can visit Narsingh Temple in Joshimath, where Lord Vishnu is the presiding deity. It is in this temple that the Lord is worshiped when the Badrinath temple remains inaccessible in winter due to snowfall. The next halt in Joshimath can be the Shankaracharya Math, which is said to have been built by sage Adi Shankaracharya. Next ahead, around 15 kms away, you can visit the Yogdhyan Badri temple in Pandukeshwar. This is one of sacred Sapta Badris, the seven temples of Lord Vishnu in Uttarakhand. Badrinath is just one km from here. Once you reach, check into the hotel. In the evening, visit Badrinath Temple and enjoy the arti (divine ritual).

Early morning, after a dip in the sacred Tapt Kund, visit the Badrinath Temple. Return to the hotel by 7 am, have breakfast and then you can leave for the quaint Mana village. Explore the Badrinath town and then start back for Rudraprayag. On the way, around 120 kms away, stop at Vishnuprayag, the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. Stay the night at Rudraprayag.

You can leave for Haridwar a little late after enjoying a relaxed breakfast. Halt at Rishikesh and explore the town. At Haridwar, go around the city. The Do Dham Yatra can be done in two days by helicopter as well.