All you need to know about Kedarnath Temple before you plan a visit
About Kedarnath Temple
The altitude and the space covered make it an incredible and one-of-a-kind destination and it is located in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, in Garhwal Himalayas. Being located in the proximity of Mandakini River, Kedarnath Temple is considered as one among the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas. This temple is also part of the Chota Char Dham Yatra and the Panch Kedar temples of Lord Shiva.
What is the way to approach Kedarnath Temple?
Are you curious about how to travel to Kedarnath Temple? Here's how you can plan your trip by air, road, or train.
Nearest airport: Jolly Grant, Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
Nearest railhead: Rishikesh
Last bus stand: Sonprayag
Kedarnath Temple by air
The nearest airport to Kedarnath, Jolly Grant Airport (Dehradun), Kedarnath is 20 km away from Dehradun city. There is no direct flight to Kedarnath; however, you can catch a flight to Dehradun from your place of residence first if you want to visit the shrine travelling by air. The distance between Dehradun Airport (DED) and Kedarnath is 238 km. You need to hire a taxi/cab from the airport to reach Gaurikund, the base camp of Kedarnath Trek and the last motorable road to Kedarnath. The Kedarnath trek distance is a mere 16 km from Gaurikund.
Kedarnath Temple by road
The nearest big towns to Kedarnath are Delhi, Rishikesh, Dehradun, and Haridwar. The final motorable road is Gaurikund, where the 14 km (8.7 mi) trek on foot starts.
You can pick from buses A/C sleeper, Volvo A/C, semi-sleeper, and others, both state-run and local buses between Dehradun and Gaurikund operate on route. Buses/private vehicles of travel agencies now ply and halt for dropping and picking of travelers at Sonprayag, the bus stand nearest to Kedarnath. . From Sonprayag you must use local transport to reach Gaurikund from where you continue your journey on foot to Kedarnath.
Kedarnath to Badrinath distance is 218 kms. Pilgrims can also take a taxi/bus from Sonprayag or via Rudraprayag.
Popular road routes:
Haridwar–Rishikesh—Guptakashi—Gaurikund—Kedarnath ( option 2 via Rishikesh, complete round trip)
Delhi–Haridwar–Rishikesh–Ukhimath–Chopta–Kedarnath (from Delhi, circle full-round trip)
Kedarnath Temple by train
In case you wish to take a train, Rishikesh is the closet railway station to Kedarnath (200 km). It takes around 3 hours by cab from Rishikesh railway station to Kedarnath. Hire a bus/taxi to reach Gaurikund and start trekking to Kedarnath.
Kedarnath Temple by Helicopter
Kedarnath by helicopter. There are three main helipads for Kedarnath by helicopter trip. Phata and Sersi are the closest helipads of all.
Sahastradhara: It is a 30-40 minutes drive to Kedarnath from the Sahastradhara airport.
Sersi: It takes 11 minutes from the helipad to Kedarnath Dham
Guptakashi – You need to travel 15 minutes by ride from Guptakashi helipad to Kedarnath.
Phata: 9 minutes is all it takes for the Kedarnath destination from Phata helipad.
You may then log in at the IRCTC website (helicopter. irctc. co.in) for booking a helicopter for Kedarnath.
When does Kedarnath Yatra starts?
Kedarnath Yatra commences in May each year when the temple gate opens on April’s Akshay Tritiya though dates are announced on Mahashivratri. Kedarnath Temple Opening Date 2nd may 2025 is the opening date of Kedarnath temple this year. The temple door closes after the festival of Diwali on Bhai dhooj for a period 6 months. i.e. from November to April. Baba Kedarnath is thereafter venerated at this temple and is returned to Kedarnath Temple in Akshay Tritiya (April).
The following are the aarti timings at Kedarnath Temple:
Kedarnath Temple morning aarti timing: 4:00 AM
Kedarnath Temple evening aarti timings: 7:00 PM
What is the best time to visit Kedarnath Temple?
Going for your Kedarnath Yatra soon? Here is how you can visit the holy shrine of Kedarnath Temple:
April to June (summer)
The best time to visit Kedarnath Temple is from April to June as the weather is commonly clear. April to June is the best time when the pilgrimage starts for Char Dham Yatra and for Kedarnath Temple. If you wish to go on a Char Dham Yatra or Kedarnath Yatra, then you must visit the shrine between April to June.
July to September (monsoon)
July to September is the monsoon season, and planning your yatra during this time is generally not wise. Heavy down visitation may lead to clogging of the paths. It is advisable to avoid your Yatra this time.
October to March (winter)
From Lord of Kedarnath Route, you cannot go anywhere during the winter season as Kedarnath Temple is closed during this period because there is heavy snowfall.
Some major attractions around Kedarnath
How are feeling to see Kedarnath Baba? You don’t need to be, but there is a lot more the town of Kedarnath has to offer than just visiting temples. The popular tourist spots of Kedarnath are a treasure of earthly beauty and piety. The following are some of the coolest places you can visit near Kedarnath and can maximize your spiritual experience with pilgrimage tour:
Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi
Shri Bhairavnath Temple
Chandrashila
Triyunginarayan Temple
Vasuki Tal
Stay Options
There are many options for stay you can book hotel online or pay for private camp, homestay. There are lots of hotels that you can book offline as well as you can book homestay offline and camp also. You can buy your own camp for stay at kedarnath.
