How To Reach Kedarnath By Train, Road, And Air

How To Reach Kedarnath 

Kedarnath temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the lord Siva. This temple has a special significance in Hinduism. Millions of devotees visit this temple every year to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva. It is located in the Rudraprayag district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Kedarnath is part of the Chota Char Dham and Panch Kedar.

Also Read : Chota Char Dham Yatra- Everything You Need To Know

Also it is the eleventh Jyotirlinga, out of the twelve jyotirlinga of India. The Kedarnath temple, located in the expansive Garhwal Himalayas, is thousands of years old. According to legend, this temple was constructed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century.

Situated at an altitude of 3,585 m (11,755 ft ) above sea level, this place will definitely make you feel like you’re in heaven. It is regarded as one of the major religious sites in India. Kedarnath is located at a distance of 225 km from Rishikesh, 240 km from Haridwar and 80 km from Rudraparyag.  

Gaurikund is a town in Rudraprayag which is base town of Kedarnath temple. It is located at a distance of 80 km from Rudraprayag. From here trek to Kedarnath temple starts. Trek distance from Gaurikund to Kedarnath temple is 16 km. 

How To Reach Kedarnath 

By Train :-

Kedarnath does not have its own railway station. Rishikesh and Haridwar are the two closest railway stations to Kedarnath. Rishikesh and Haridwar can be reached via trains from major cities such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, etc. And all this trains run regularly. 

If you are coming from Mumbai, you have to catch the train from Panvel. This train leaves Panvel every saturday at 10:50 am. and reaches Rishikesh at 1 pm the next day. And the important thing is that this train runs only once a week.  As this train runs only once a week, booking of this train is always full. For this you have to book tickets 2 to 3 months before. In case if you don’t get ticket, then you can catch the train to Delhi or Chandigarh. From These stations you will easily get trains to Rishikesh and Haridwar. This is another way to reach Kedarnath.

From both Rishikesh and Haridwar you will get both private and government buses to Sonprayag. Otherwise you can also hire taxi to Sonprayag.

By Road :

Kedarnath can be reached by road from major cities in Uttarakhand such as Dehradun, Haridwar, and Rishikesh. You can take a bus or hire a taxi to reach Gaurikund, which is the base camp for Kedarnath. From Gaurukund, one has to trek a distance of around 16 Km to reach Kedarnath.

By Air :

The nearest airport to Kedarnath is the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun. It is located at a distance of 240 Km from Kedarnath. From the airport you can take a bus or taxi to reach Gaurikund. And then from Gaurikund you can start your trek to Kedarnath.

Kedarnath Trek :-

Once you reach Sonprayag, stay there for one night. And the next day at 3-4 am in the morning you can start the trek. In Sonprayag there is lot of locker rooms are available. Here you can keep your heavy luggage. The distance between Sonprayag and Gaurikund is 5 km. If you start the trek at 3 in the morning, you will reach around 12:-1:00 pm in the afternoon.

Pro tip :-

1. I would like to suggest you, if you are between the ages of 18-40, you should complete this trek on foot. Because all the fun of this trek is in walking. I guarantee you will never forget this trek for the rest of your life. It will give amazing experience. 

2. If you can’t find a hotel to stay in Sonprayag, you can go to Sitapur. Here you will definitely get a hotel.

Best Time To Visit Kedarnath :-

We all know that due to extreme wheather condition Kedarnath temple is closed for six months and is open for six months. The Kedarnath temple is open to devotees from May to October. It is bit difficult to predict when the climate will change. You will get to see lots of changes in climate. But I will definitely tell you that when you come here, you will definitely feel like you are in heaven. 

Places To Visit Near Kedarnath Temple :-

1. Bhairavnath Temple
2. Bhimshila 
3. Shankaracharya

Kedarnath Trek Information :-

• Trek Distance :- 16 km from Gaurikund
• Base Village :- Gaurikund
• Trek Duration :- 10-12 hr.
• Trek Difficulty :- Moderate

What to Carry :-

• Raincoat
• Sweater
• First Aid kit
• Snacks and some dry fruit which help you to boost  stamina.
• Stick