Char Dham Yatra by Bike from Rishikesh

Twelve days, sixteen hundred kilometres, and four temples at the top of four different valleys.

The Char Dham circuit is the great Himalayan road trip in this part of India, and Rishikesh is where it starts. It's also genuinely demanding — long days on mountain roads, altitude, unpredictable weather, two of the four dhams reachable only on foot, and a schedule that punishes anyone trying to compress it.

Done properly, over twelve unhurried days on the right bike, it's the best thing you can do on two wheels in Uttarakhand.

The traditional order runs west to east — Yamunotri first, Badrinath last. It also happens to be the sensible way to ride it, since it takes you progressively higher and eastward rather than doubling back.

Leg 1 — Rishikesh to Yamunotri

Via Narendra Nagar, Chamba, Dharasu and Barkot to Janki Chatti. The roadhead is Janki Chatti; Yamunotri itself is a trek of around 5–6 km each way.

Leg 2 — Yamunotri to Gangotri

Back down to Dharasu, then up the Bhagirathi valley through Uttarkashi and Harsil. Harsil is one of the finest places on the whole circuit and worth a night in its own right. Gangotri temple is reachable by road.

Leg 3 — Gangotri to Kedarnath

The longest transfer — down the Bhagirathi valley, across via Tehri or Srinagar, then up the Mandakini to Sonprayag. Private vehicles stop at Sonprayag. From there a shuttle runs to Gaurikund, and Kedarnath is a trek of roughly 16–18 km each way from Gaurikund.

Leg 4 — Kedarnath to Badrinath

Down the Mandakini, via Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Chamoli and Joshimath, up to Badrinath. Badrinath is reachable by road, which after Kedarnath feels like a gift. Mana village, the last Indian settlement before Tibet, is a few kilometres further.

Leg 5 — Badrinath back to Rishikesh

The long ride home down the Alaknanda through the Panch Prayag. Around 300 km. Most people break it at Rudraprayag, Srinagar or Devprayag. Devprayag route guide →

The dhams open around late April or early May, on dates set each year by the traditional calendar, and close around late October or November after Diwali. Ask us for this year's opening and closing dates before you plan — they differ by temple.

May and June — the main season. Everything open, roads clear, and extremely busy. Accommodation needs booking ahead.

July to mid-September — monsoon. Landslides are frequent, roads close, and the Kedarnath and Badrinath routes in particular can be cut for days. We would not send a rider up in this window.

Mid-September to closing — the best riding of the year. Monsoon has cleared, the crowds have gone, the air is sharp and the peaks are visible. Cold at night, and you're riding against the closing dates.

• Registration. Done, checked, and carried — digital and printed
• Documents. Original licence, photo ID. From abroad: home licence, International Driving Permit obtained before you travelled, passport. Documents guide →
• Accommodation. Book ahead in May and June — the dham towns are small and they fill
• Warm and waterproof gear. You'll be between 300 m and 3,500 m and the weather changes fast at every one of them
• Cash. ATMs are unreliable past Rudraprayag and absent higher up
• Fuel discipline. Fill at every opportunity above Rudraprayag
• Walking shoes. For Yamunotri and Kedarnath — riding boots will ruin those two days
• Altitude. Kedarnath sits around 3,580 m and Badrinath around 3,300 m. Ascend gradually, drink more than you want to, and take a headache that won't shift seriously
• Tell us your plan. We prepare a bike differently for a twelve-day Char Dham than for a day ride — fresh service, tyres checked, chain and sprocket, luggage sorted