Panch Kedar Tour Package: Five Shiva Temples of Garhwal in 12 Days

After an early breakfast you begin the long, beautiful drive into the mountains, about 180 km to Guptkashi and roughly 6 to 7 hours on the road(note that timing the road journey in mountains can never be accurate woing to travel snarls and occasional landslides, thus leaving early in the morning is always desired).

You follow the Ganga and then the Mandakini, passing the holy river meetings of Devprayag, where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda join to become the Ganga, and Rudraprayag. The road climbs steadily through Srinagar and terraced hillsides, and the air grows cooler and cleaner as you go.

You reach Guptkashi by late afternoon and check in. The name means "hidden Kashi", from the very story of your yatra, because this is where Shiva, in the form of the bull, hid from the Pandavas. Visit the Vishwanath temple and the Ardhanareshwar temple here, and see the Manikarnik Kund where two streams, said to be the Ganga and the Yamuna, meet.

Guptkashi is also the winter home of the Panch Kedar spirit, because the temple town of Ukhimath nearby keeps the deities of Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar through the snow months.

For dinner, Guptkashi is the best food town on this stretch of the route. Try simple, warming Garhwali food: aloo ke gutke with mandua ki roti, hot rajma chawal, and local kafuli (the green curry of spinach and fenugreek).

Sleep early, because tomorrow you climb to Kedarnath.

Insider fact: the deities of both Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar spend the winter at the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath, just above Guptkashi, so this small area is the off-season heart of two of your five Kedars.

Special Tips for This Day : Start by 6 am to beat the hill traffic and reach Guptkashi with light to spare. Keep a light jacket handy in the car, as the temperature drops fast after Rudraprayag. Buy any last woollens or a walking stick in Guptkashi bazaar tonight; the choice thins out higher up.

Today is the first big day of the yatra.

You leave early and drive about 35 km to Gaurikund, the road head. From Gaurikund the trek to Kedarnath begins, about 16 to 18 km of steady uphill along the Mandakini, through forests, past waterfalls, with the Kedarnath peak growing ahead of you. The path is well made and busy with fellow pilgrims.

Alternatively, if you wish, you can book helilcopter service from Guptkashi or Phata to Kedarnath (travellers have to book their own tickets for helicopter service and cost is not included in the package cost). If treking from Gaurikund, the travellers can hire ponies, palki (a carried chair) and porters which are available at Gaurikund, and this is the best supported trail of the whole circuit.

You reach Kedarnath by evening, at 3,583 metres, the grandest of the five temples and one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva. Here the hump of the bull is worshipped.

Check in to your simple stay, rest and drink plenty of water to settle into the height. If you have the energy, attend the evening aarti, when the stone temple glows in the lamplight against the dark mountains. Food on this trail is simple, hot and vegetarian.

At Gaurikund the dhabas open before dawn and serve rajma chawal, aloo gutk and endless glasses of chai for the climb, and there are tea and Maggi points all the way up. At Kedarnath itself, keep to hot, freshly cooked food and hot water.

Insider fact: the Kedarnath temple survived the terrible floods of June 2013 because of a large boulder that stopped behind the shrine and split the debris around it; pilgrims now revere it as the Bhim Shila.

Special Tips for This Day: Begin the trek by 6 or 7 am so you reach before dark and before the afternoon weather. Walk slowly and steadily rather than in bursts, and sip water often, because this is the first big gain in height. Book your pony or palki at Gaurikund early, as they go fast on busy days. Keep a warm layer and your raincoat within reach; the weather at Kedarnath changes within minutes.

Wake before dawn for the morning darshan at Kedarnath, the calmest and most moving hour at the temple, before the day's crowds arrive. Take your time in the sanctum, then step out to watch the first light touch the Kedarnath peak.

After breakfast you begin the trek back down to Gaurikund(or helicopter if you have booked the helicopter service), which is easier on the lungs but harder on the knees, so a walking stick and an unhurried pace help.

From Gaurikund your vehicle drives you to Ukhimath, about 60 km, the temple town that is the winter seat of Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar. Check in and rest your legs. If time allows, visit the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath, where the deities are worshipped through the snow months, and enjoy the wide view over the Kedar valley.

Ukhimath bazaar is a good place to eat and to shop. Have hot Garhwali food, and buy hand-knitted woollen caps, sweaters and shawls, rudraksha beads and religious items, and, in season, a bottle of buransh (rhododendron) juice. These make honest, useful souvenirs of the yatra.

Insider fact: Ukhimath is where the chief priest, the Rawal, and the temple rituals of Kedarnath move for the winter, so the town quietly becomes Kedarnath's home for six months of the year.

Special Tips for This Day: Do the morning darshan before you pack, so you are not rushing the most important part of the day. Going downhill, tighten your shoelaces and lean slightly forward to save your knees. Reach Ukhimath in daylight so you can rest properly before the Madhyamaheshwar trek.

Today you go to the navel of Shiva. After an early breakfast you drive from Ukhimath to Ransi village, about 20 to 25 km, the road head for Madhyamaheshwar.

From Ransi the trek begins, about 16 km through the small villages of Gaundhar and Bantoli, crossing wooden bridges over the Madhyamaheshwar Ganga and climbing through green forest and terraced fields. Sources differ a little on the exact distance, from about 16 to 21 km depending on the start point, so treat this as a long, full walking day.

You reach Madhyamaheshwar by evening, at 3,490 metres, a quiet stone temple in the old Kedarnath style, where the navel and stomach of the bull are worshipped. This valley sees far fewer people than Kedarnath, and the peace here is its own reward. Check in to a simple stay near the temple, rest, and attend the evening aarti if you are not too tired. Food on this trek is basic and warming: dal, rice, roti, potatoes and hot tea at the trail dhabas and at the temple hamlet. Eat well, because tomorrow you walk back.

Insider fact: a short, steep climb of about 1.5 to 2 km above the temple leads to Buda Madhyamaheshwar, a tiny shrine on a ridge, from where the Chaukhamba peaks stand up so close and clear that many trekkers call it the best view of the whole Panch Kedar.

Special Tips for This Day: Leave Ukhimath by 7 am so you finish this long trek in daylight. Carry enough water and some dry snacks, as the dhabas thin out on the higher part of the trail. If your body feels strong on arrival, keep the Buda Madhyamaheshwar climb for the clear light of early next morning.

If you saved it for the morning, climb to Buda Madhyamaheshwar at first light for the Chaukhamba view, then return for a peaceful darshan at the main temple.

After breakfast you trek back down to Ransi, where your vehicle is waiting. From Ransi you drive to Chopta, about 2 to 3 hours through Ukhimath, into the meadow country that people call the mini Switzerland of Uttarakhand. Chopta sits among tall pine and rhododendron forest at around 2,700 metres, and it is the base for tomorrow's darshan at Tungnath.

Check in early and rest, because the high, thin air here rewards an easy evening. Chopta has some of the friendliest food on the circuit. The roadside Shri Mangalam Dhaba on the Tungnath trail is known among trekkers for mandua ki roti and chainsoo, the roasted black-gram curry of Garhwal, and the Snow View Restaurant in Chopta market is liked for kandalee ka saag and jhangore ki kheer, the millet pudding.

On the drive, and in Chopta, look out for local buransh juice, organic honey and herbal teas to carry home.

Insider fact: Chopta stays green and open even in winter and is one of the few places in Garhwal where you can sometimes see snow-covered meadows without a hard climb, which is why it draws both pilgrims heading to Tungnath and ordinary holidaymakers.

Special Tips for This Day: Come down from Madhyamaheshwar early so you reach Chopta with the afternoon free. Drink plenty of water at Chopta and go easy tonight; a calm evening at this height makes tomorrow's climb much easier. Layer up after sunset, as Chopta gets cold quickly.

Today is the easiest and one of the most rewarding darshans of the yatra.

After an early breakfast you begin the walk from Chopta to Tungnath, a steep but short and well-paved trail of about 3.5 km. At 3,680 metres, Tungnath is the highest Shiva temple in the world, and here the arms of the bull are worshipped. The little stone temple, wrapped in prayer flags with the great peaks behind it, is one of the sights of the Himalaya. If your breath and the weather allow, carry on another 1.5 km to the Chandrashila summit at about 4,000 metres, from where, on a clear morning, you can see a full arc of peaks from Nanda Devi and Trishul to Chaukhamba and Bandarpunch.

Then walk back down to Chopta for lunch. In the afternoon you drive towards Sagar village near Gopeshwar, the road head for the Rudranath trek, about 3 to 4 hours away. Check in early and sleep well, because tomorrow begins the hardest walk of the circuit. Eat a good, filling dinner tonight.

Insider fact: Tungnath's deity is said to have been established by Rama, or in other tellings by the Pandavas, and the temple is believed to be more than a thousand years old, making it not only the highest but one of the oldest Shiva shrines in these mountains.

Special Tips for This Day: Start the Tungnath climb early for the clearest peak views and the calmest summit. Decide honestly at Tungnath whether to add Chandrashila; if the sky is closing in, the temple darshan alone is complete. Rest your legs in the car on the way to Sagar and prepare your day pack for Rudranath tonight.

Today you begin the toughest and most beautiful trek of the Panch Kedar.

From Sagar village you climb steadily through thick oak and rhododendron forest, then out onto the open high meadows, or bugyals, of Panar and Lyuti.

The full trail to Rudranath is about 20 km one way, so it is split over two days, and today you walk to a meadow camp, gaining height slowly. The forest is alive with birds, and as you rise the trees give way to rolling grassland with the big peaks ahead.

You spend tonight in a tented camp or a simple meadow shelter, high and quiet, under a sky thick with stars. It is cold up here after dark, so your warm layers matter. Your trek team cooks a hot dinner of dal, rice, roti and vegetables, and hot tea and soup keep you going. This is a demanding day with real height gain, so walk at a steady rhythm, drink often, and tell your guide at once if you feel a headache or nausea, the early signs of altitude sickness.

Insider fact: the meadows on this trail, Panar and Lyuti Bugyal, are classic Garhwali bugyals, high summer pastures where shepherds still bring their flocks, and in the clear months they carpet with wildflowers.

Special Tips for This Day: Keep your day pack light but carry water, snacks, a warm layer and your raincoat within reach. Match your pace to your breath, not to the group, and never race the climb. Fill your water at the marked sources your guide points out, and keep some cash, as there are no shops up here.

An early start takes you on to Rudranath, at 3,559 metres, through the last stretch of high meadow and a steep climb over the Pitradhar ridge before the final descent to the temple.

Rudranath sits in a natural rock shelter facing the Nanda Devi range, and here the face of Shiva, the Rudramukha, is worshipped. Of all the five, this shrine feels the most remote and the most wild, with the Vaitarani stream flowing nearby and hardly a crowd in sight.

For many pilgrims, reaching Rudranath after the long climb is the emotional peak of the whole yatra. Take your darshan slowly, rest, and eat the hot food your team prepares. You spend the night in a simple stay or tented camp near the temple, high in the mountains, so keep warm and hydrated and let your body recover. The priests here are of the Dasnami Gosain tradition, different from the Lingayat priests at Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar, one of the small signs of how these five temples, though worshipped together, each keep their own old ways.

Insider fact: several small sacred ponds, or kunds, lie around Rudranath, including the Surya Kund and Chandra Kund, and pilgrims traditionally bathe or sprinkle the cold water before darshan.

Special Tips for This Day: Start at first light so you have time for a calm darshan and rest before the cold evening. Watch your footing on the Pitradhar ridge, especially if it is wet. Keep taking water and eating even if the height dulls your appetite, as it helps your body adjust.

After a last darshan at Rudranath, you begin the long trek back down to Sagar village, retracing the meadows and forest.

Downhill is quicker but tiring on the knees, so use your stick, tighten your shoes and take it steadily.

Your vehicle meets you at Sagar. From Sagar you drive to Joshimath, about 2 to 3 hours, on the Rishikesh to Badrinath highway. Joshimath is an old town linked with Adi Shankaracharya and one of his four principal maths, and it is the road town for Badrinath, Auli and the Niti valley.

Check in, rest your tired legs, and enjoy a proper hot meal and a comfortable bed after the high, basic nights. Joshimath has a good choice of eating places after the simple trail food, with local restaurants serving North Indian, Chinese and Garhwali dishes. Rest well tonight; the hard trekking is now behind you, and the last Kedar is a gentle one.

Insider fact: Joshimath, also called Jyotirmath, holds the sacred Kalpavriksha, a mulberry tree said to be over a thousand years old, and is the winter seat of the Badrinath deity, so it ties directly into the closing part of your yatra.

Special Tips for This Day: Set out from Rudranath early to reach Sagar with time for the drive in daylight. Stretch your legs gently at Joshimath to ease the trek soreness. This is a good evening to charge every device and repack, because tomorrow you finish the five Kedars.

Today you reach the fifth and final Kedar.

You drive down from Joshimath to Helang and turn into the green Urgam valley, a lovely pocket of apple orchards and potato terraces. From the Urgam road head a short, easy walk of about 2 km brings you to Kalpeshwar at 2,200 metres, where the matted hair of Shiva, the Jata, is worshipped inside a small cave shrine.

After the long climbs of the past days, this gentle trail feels like a blessing, and Kalpeshwar is the only Panch Kedar temple open through the whole year. With the five Kedars now complete, you drive up to Badrinath, about 45 to 50 km via Joshimath, one of the Char Dham and the abode of Lord Vishnu. By old custom, a Panch Kedar pilgrim finishes the yatra with darshan of Vishnu here.

Reach in the afternoon, take a dip in the hot Tapt Kund spring if you wish, and attend the evening aarti at the colourful temple by the Alaknanda. At Badrinath and Joshimath the food is simple, hot and vegetarian, as non-vegetarian food and alcohol are not sold in the holy town. Warm dal, rice, roti and local vegetables, and hot tea, round off the day.

Insider fact: the Urgam valley around Kalpeshwar grows some of the finest apples in Garhwal, and its old wooden temples and quiet hamlets make it one of the least spoiled corners on the whole circuit.

Special Tips for This Day: Enjoy the easy Kalpeshwar walk slowly; after the hard days it is meant to be savoured. Carry warm clothes for Badrinath, which is high and cold even in summer. If you plan to bathe in the Tapt Kund, keep a change of clothes and a towel handy.

Wake early for the morning darshan at Badrinath, the quiet hour before the crowds, to complete your Panch Kedar and Badrinath yatra with Lord Vishnu. You may also book Abhishek Aarti which takes place very early in the morning at Badrinath Temple(the only time when you can view the Saligram Idol of Lord Badrivishal , which is not included in the trip cost and has to be pre-booked.)

After the temple, drive the short 3 km to Mana, the last Indian village before the Tibet border, and see the Vyas Gufa and Ganesh Gufa caves, the Bhim Pul rock bridge over the roaring Saraswati river, and the point where the Saraswati is said to join the Alaknanda.

Then you begin the long drive back towards Rishikesh or Haridwar. It is a long day on the road, so depending on your onward travel we either drive through with breaks or arrange a night halt on the way at Rudraprayag, Srinagar or Devprayag. Our driver drops you at Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun airport for your journey home, carrying the blessing of all five Kedars and of Badrinath.

Insider fact: Mana is home to a small tea stall proudly signed as the last tea shop of India, and the Bhim Pul is a natural rock slab said in the Mahabharata to have been laid by Bhima so that Draupadi could cross the Saraswati.

Special Tips for This Day: Do the Badrinath darshan first thing, then Mana, so the long drive starts by late morning. Keep some snacks and water in the car for the road. If your flight is the same evening, allow a generous buffer, because mountain roads can slow down without warning.