Badrinath Registration: what you need in 2026

Every pilgrim must register. This applies to all ages, and to Indians and foreign nationals alike. There is no general exemption from Char Dham registration. If you travel with family or a group, you can add every person under one account. A tour operator can also register a group for you.

If you are driving your own or a hired vehicle, the people in the vehicle still register as pilgrims. A separate vehicle registration (the Green Card or Trip Card, on the Uttarakhand transport system) applies mainly to commercial vehicles. Confirm the current vehicle rule on the official site (last checked September 2026).

• One government photo identity for each pilgrim. Indians can use Aadhaar. Visitors from abroad use a passport.
• Basic details of each pilgrim: name, age, gender, and state or country.
• A working mobile number, because the QR letter and any alerts come to it.
• Your travel dates and the shrines you plan to visit.
• Vehicle details, if you are driving.

• Open registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in in a browser, or install the Tourist Care Uttarakhand app from the Android or iOS store.
• Create an account or log in. You sign up with your mobile number and set a password. You verify the number with a one time code.
• Start a new yatra or trip. Choose your travel dates and select the shrines you will visit. You can select Badrinath along with the other Char Dham shrines in the same trip.
• Add each pilgrim. Enter the name, age, gender, and identity details for every person. Add yourself first, then family or group members.
• Submit and download your Yatra Registration Letter. It carries a QR code and a registration number.
• Save the letter on your phone and also carry a printout. Keep your identity proof with it.

You show the QR letter with your identity at the checking points on the route. Registration is instant. Keep the registration number safe, because you may need it to book the helicopter service or to make changes.

Ordinary darshan at the Badrinath temple is free. You join the queue, move through the temple, and have darshan of Lord Badri Vishal. On busy days the wait can run into a few hours, so reach early.

Special darshan or paid poojas that let you take part in the ritual closer to the sanctum are arranged through the Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee. To book any pooja, path, aarti, or bhog with the committee, prior registration on the temple committee system is required (confirmed on badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in). Whether a separate paid "VIP darshan" token is sold on a given day changes, so check current availability with the temple committee (last checked September 2026).

The Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee lets you book poojas online. The poojas commonly performed at Badrinath include:

• Maha Abhishek and Abhishek Puja, in the early morning ritual window.
• Ved Path and Geeta Path, recited in the morning.
• Vishnu Sahasranamavali Path, in the evening.
• Swarna Aarti (the evening aarti) and Kapoor Aarti.
• Shayan Aarti, the last aarti before the temple closes for the night.
• Akhand Jyoti, a continuous lamp, and Shrimad Bhagwat Saptah Path on request.

You book a pooja through the temple committee at badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in, and prior registration is required. The exact rate for each pooja and the seats open on your date are Grade B facts, so confirm them on the official temple committee site (last checked September 2026).

Badrinath opens for the season and closes for winter on dates set by the temple committee. For 2026 the temple opened on 23 April 2026 (confirmed). The winter closing date is announced later in the season, usually around the Vijayadashami period, and the shrine normally closes in the first half of November. Treat the closing date as announced nearer the time and confirm it on the temple committee site.

Daily darshan and aarti windows are commonly given as follows, and you should confirm them on the official temple committee site before you travel (Grade B, last checked September 2026):

• Morning rituals begin around 4:30 in the morning (Maha Abhishek and Abhishek).
• General darshan runs through the morning and again in the afternoon.
• Evening aartis (Swarna Aarti, Kapoor Aarti, and Shayan Aarti) run in the evening, and the temple closes for the night after the Shayan Aarti.

• Pilgrim registration: free.
• Ordinary darshan: free.
• Poojas and sevas: paid, booked through the temple committee. The exact rate per pooja changes, so confirm on badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in (Grade B, last checked September 2026).
• Vehicle Green Card or Trip Card, where it applies: fees are set by the Uttarakhand transport system and change, so confirm there (Grade B, last checked September 2026).
• Stay, food, and transport: paid separately to whoever provides them.

There is no helicopter that lands at Badrinath town itself; Badrinath is reached by road. Char Dham helicopter tours that include Badrinath are a private service and are separate from registration.

• Opening: late April. In 2026 the temple opened on 23 April 2026.
• Peak: May and June, and again after the monsoon in late September and October, so these months are the most crowded.
• Monsoon caution: July and August bring heavy rain and the risk of landslides on the hill roads. Travel is possible but slower, and roads can close for a time.
• Closing: the temple closes for winter, usually in the first half of November, on a date announced by the temple committee.

Plan for May, June, September, or October for the steadiest weather, and keep a spare day for road delays.

• By air: the nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, about 315 to 320 kilometres from Badrinath by road. From the airport you continue by road through Rishikesh, Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Chamoli, and Joshimath.
• By rail: the nearest useful railheads are Rishikesh and Haridwar. From there you travel by road.
• By road: Badrinath is connected by the national highway up to the town. The drive from Rishikesh is about 295 to 300 kilometres and takes most of a day because of the mountain road. Between Joshimath and Badrinath, traffic on some stretches moves in a controlled, one way manner at set times, so check the current gate timings locally.

There is no trek to the main Badrinath temple. You reach the town by vehicle and walk a short distance to the temple.

• Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), a Government of Uttarakhand enterprise, runs tourist rest houses on the Char Dham route, including at Badrinath and Joshimath. Book these on the official GMVN site, gmvnonline.com.
• Many private hotels, dharamshalas, and guest houses operate in Badrinath and Joshimath. Book only through a source you trust.
• Warning: several websites copy the look of official or well known lodges to take advance payments for rooms that do not exist. Confirm any private booking by phone before you pay, and prefer the official GMVN site for government rest houses.

• Badrinath sits at about 3,100 metres, so the air is thin and cold. Rest for a day on the way up, drink water, and move slowly for the first day.
• Carry warm clothing and a windproof and waterproof layer, even in summer. Evenings and early mornings are cold.
• Carry your original identity proof and your registration letter at all times.
• Follow the temple dress and conduct rules. Photography inside the sanctum is usually not allowed.
• If you have a heart condition, breathing trouble, high blood pressure, or any serious illness, speak to your doctor before you travel and carry your medicines and prescriptions.

• Badrinath is reached by road, which makes it easier for seniors and children than the shrines that need a trek.
• From the road to the temple, the walk is short. Porters and local help are usually available for those who need support.
• Medical posts operate in the town and along the route during the season.
• For general help, the Uttarakhand Tourism helpline is 0135-3520100, and the toll free number is 1364.

• Prasad and offerings are available near the temple.
• Drinking water and toilets are provided in the town.
• Medical posts and pharmacies operate during the season.
• Food stalls and bhojnalayas serve simple vegetarian meals.
• The Tapt Kund, a hot spring near the temple, is used by pilgrims for a ritual bath.

• Mana village, the last Indian village near the Tibet border, a short drive beyond Badrinath.
• Vasudhara Falls, a walk from Mana.
• Joshimath, the winter seat of Badri Vishal and the base for onward routes.
• Auli, a meadow and ski area reached by ropeway from Joshimath.
• Hemkund Sahib and the Valley of Flowers, reached from Govindghat on the same route.