Char Dham Yatra 2024 to begin on 10 May; here's how to book a helicopter

Char Dham Yatra begins from May 10 for all four shrines. The pilgrimage begins from Gangotri and ends at Badrinath following a clockwise route

The Char Dham Yatra is all set to begin on May 10. It is a pilgrimage to the four sacred sites located in Uttarakhand–Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath– which hold great significance for devotees.

The Yatra or pilgrimage starts at Yamunotri, moves on to Gangotri and then to Kedarnath, and concludes at Badrinath, following a clockwise route. Every year, these shrines remain closed for six months. They will open in Summer (April or May) and will close in winter (October or November).

The official link to register for the Char Dham Yatra 2024 is registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in.

The journey can be covered either through roads or by air with helicopter services. Pilgrims can decide how they want to complete the pilgrimage. Some devotees choose to complete the Do Dham Yatra only, covering two shrines, i.e., Kedarnath and Badrinath, as outlined on the official website of Uttarakhand Tourism. 

Helicopter service fare

The Civil Aviation Department is to begin helicopter services from Gauchar to Badrinath with a fee of Rs 3,970 excluding GST (one way). Along with GST, the IRCTC convenience fee is to be paid separately for booking flights. 

There will be limited VVIP darshan for all four shrines in the first 15 days of the Char Dham Yatra. In the route, 700 sanitation workers are being deployed for cleanliness. 

There are four new high-tech modular and four new mobile modular restrooms have been introduced. In case of any emergency, tourists can call 112 for all sorts of assistance.

This year, the Char Dham Yatra will proceed the same as before. However, the department declines the request of transporters to raise bus and taxi fares. 

What are the rental rates for helicopter services?

Govindghat to Gauchar: ₹3,970

Gauchar to Govindghat: ₹3,960

Gauchar to Badrinath: ₹3,960

Badrinath to Gauchar: ₹3,960

Badrinath to Govindghat: ₹1,320

Govindghat to Badrinath: ₹1,320

Govindghat to Ghangaria: ₹2,780

Ghangaria to Govindghat: ₹2,780

However, these rates do not include GST or the IRCTC convenience fee, which are charged separately.

How to book aerial services for Char Dham Yatra?

The commissioner of Garhwal, Vinay Shankar Pandey, advised pilgrims to book helicopter tickets for the Char Dham Yatra only through the official website of IRCTC to avoid fraud and black market schemes involving heli services. 

Pandey mentioned other plans to improve the experience of the Yatra like upgraded parking facilities. There are 20 designated parking areas with a capacity of 1,495 vehicles as compared to just 9 areas last year. An application will be used to monitor the parking.

Helpline numbers 

For Char Dham-related issues or queries, the helpline number is from 8 am to 2 pm and for GMVN hotel bookings, you can contact the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board. 

0135-2559898

0135-2552628

0135-2552627

0135-2552626

For any office-related inquiries, reach out to Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board at

0135-2741600

For other general inquiries and online prasad services, call at:

+91-7302257116

For pilgrims' help at Shri Kedarnath Temple, call at

+91-8534001008

For pilgrims' help at Shri Badrinath Temple, reach out at 

+91-8979001008

For online services or international pilgrims help, call at

+91-7060728843