As they are located high in the Himalayan mountain regions of Garhwal in the state of Uttarakhand, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri can only be reached by road. The nearest railway station is at Rishikesh 298 km away. After that the travel has to be by road or by helicopter. To travel to the Chaar Dhaam in the hills of Gangotri-Yamunotri-Kedarnath-Badrinath it is a minimum of a journey of10 days. To include visiting other places and done at a more relaxed manner where you have the time to enjoy the beauty of the landscape a 15 to 20 day journey is a much more satisfying experience.

There is no traffic on the narrow hill roads in the night and travel is only during day light hours. The Himalayas are young mountains and so there are landslides in the rainy season. This leads to the blockage of roads and one should be prepared for night stays along the way.

For doing the Panch Kedar Yatra or for trekking to Gaumukh it will be helpful to hire the services of a local guide who knows the area and is also prepared for the changes in the climate.

Temple Season: End April or early May to end October.

Best time to visit: May/June and September/October. During the rains travel plans can be disturbed when roads are closed due to landslides.

Nearest Railway Stations:Rishikesh. There are connecting trains from Haridwar and Dehradun to Rishikesh.

Bus Route:Buses can be taken from Rishikesh. For Kedarnath buses will take you till Gauri Kund. For Gangotri buses go Hanuman Chatti. For Yamunotri till Janaki Chatti.

Distances by Road

For Yamunotri – Dehradun to Janaki Chatti -180 km

For Gangotri – Rishikesh to Hanuman Chatti – 249 km

For Kedarnath – Rishikesh to Gauri Kund – 215 km

Taxis are available from Rishikesh and Haridwar.

Nearest Airport: The Jolly Grant Airport, 22 km from Haridwar.