Hemkund Sahib 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. You can add family or a group under one account, and a tour operator can register a group for you.

If you are driving to the base at Govindghat, the occupants still register as pilgrims. A separate vehicle registration mainly applies to commercial vehicles on the Uttarakhand transport system. 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. Hemkund Sahib is listed on the same portal as the four Char Dham shrines.
• Vehicle details, if you are driving.

Because the climb reaches a high altitude, carry proof of your general fitness and any medical papers, and be honest with yourself about whether you can manage the steep 6 kilometre climb.

• Open registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in, or install the Tourist Care Uttarakhand app.
• Create an account or log in with your mobile number, and verify the number with a one time code.
• Start a new yatra. Choose your travel dates and select Hemkund Sahib (you can add the Char Dham shrines in the same trip).
• Add each pilgrim with name, age, gender, and identity details.
• Submit and download the Yatra Registration Letter with its QR code and registration number.
• Save the letter on your phone and carry a printout with your identity proof.

Registration is instant. Keep the registration number safe, because you need it to book the helicopter to Ghangaria, which requires prior registration.

Darshan at Hemkund Sahib is free. At the gurudwara you pay respects at the Guru Granth Sahib, join the prayers and kirtan, and take part in the ardas. Many pilgrims take a dip in the icy Hemkund Sarovar, the glacial lake beside the gurudwara, before darshan. There is also a Lakshman temple (Lokpal) at Hemkund, and pilgrims visit both.

There is no paid or "VIP darshan" system at a Sikh gurudwara. Everyone stands in the same line and is served the same way. Only day visits are allowed at Hemkund Sahib, and you return to Ghangaria to stay, because no night halt is permitted at the shrine.

Worship at Hemkund Sahib follows Sikh practice. There is no paid pooja. The devotional acts are:

• Ardas and the recitation of the Dasam Granth verses linked to Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
• Kirtan (the singing of hymns) at the gurudwara.
• A dip in the Hemkund Sarovar, the sacred glacial lake, which pilgrims take as a purifying bath.
• Langar seva, where volunteers cook and serve the free community meal, and pilgrims can offer their help.
• Karah prasad, the blessed offering shared with all.

None of these carries a fee. Offerings to the gurudwara are voluntary.

Hemkund Sahib opens for the season only after the Indian Army clears the snow on the high climb, so the opening date shifts each year. For 2026 the shrine opened in the fourth week of May, reported as around 23 to 25 May 2026 (confirm with the trust). The season closes with the first heavy snow, usually in early October; for 2026 the closing was reported as around 10 October 2026 (confirm with the trust).

On the day of the climb you must start very early from Ghangaria, because you have to reach the shrine, have darshan, and return before the weather turns in the afternoon. The gurudwara sets a daily cut off time by which pilgrims must begin the descent. Confirm the current darshan window and the cut off time locally on the day (Grade B, last checked September 2026).

• Pilgrim registration: free.
• Darshan and langar: free.
• Helicopter, Govindghat to Ghangaria: paid, booked only on IRCTC HeliYatra. Fares change, so confirm on heliyatra.irctc.co.in (Grade B, last checked September 2026).
• Pony, palki (doli), and porter on the trek: paid at rates set locally, which change, so confirm on the spot (Grade B).
• Stay at Govindghat or Ghangaria, food, and road transport: paid separately.

The helicopter flies only up to Ghangaria. It does not land at Hemkund Sahib. From Ghangaria you still climb the steep 6 kilometres to the shrine.

• Opening: late May, after the army clears the snow. In 2026, around 23 to 25 May.
• Peak: June, and again in September, are the steadiest windows for the climb.
• Monsoon caution: July and August bring heavy rain, and the trek and the hill roads face a real risk of landslides. The path can be slippery and cold, and services can stop for a time.
• Closing: early October, with the first heavy snow. In 2026, reported around 10 October.

June and September are the most reliable months to plan the climb.

• By air: the nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun. From there you travel by road to Govindghat.
• By rail: the nearest useful railheads are Rishikesh and Haridwar. From there you continue by road.
• By road: you drive to Govindghat through Rishikesh, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Chamoli, and Joshimath. Govindghat is the base for the trek.
• The trek, stage one: from Govindghat you walk to Ghangaria. A motorable stretch now runs from Govindghat to Pulna, which shortens the walk, so the distance you actually cover is about 9 to 13 kilometres depending on where the road ends that season. Ghangaria is the overnight base.
• The trek, stage two: from Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib is a steep climb of about 6 kilometres to the shrine at about 4,329 metres. You do this as a day trip and return to Ghangaria to stay.
• By helicopter: helicopters fly from Govindghat to Ghangaria only. Book on the official IRCTC HeliYatra portal, heliyatra.irctc.co.in, and register first. From Ghangaria you still make the steep climb to the shrine on foot or by pony.

The Valley of Flowers is reached from Ghangaria as a separate day trek. It sits inside a national park and needs a separate forest entry ticket, which is not the same as the Hemkund registration.

• The Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib Management Trust runs a gurudwara and simple accommodation at Govindghat and Ghangaria for pilgrims. Ask at the gurudwara.
• Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), a Government of Uttarakhand enterprise, runs tourist rest houses on the route, including near Joshimath and Govindghat. Book these on the official GMVN site, gmvnonline.com.
• Private lodges and guest houses operate at Govindghat and Ghangaria.
• No night halt is allowed at Hemkund Sahib itself. You stay at Ghangaria or Govindghat.
• Warning: several websites copy the look of official or known lodges to take advance payments for rooms that do not exist. Confirm any private booking by phone before you pay, and prefer the gurudwara accommodation or the official GMVN site.

• Hemkund Sahib sits at about 4,329 metres. The air is thin and the cold is severe, and the weather changes fast. Spend a night at Ghangaria to adjust before the climb.
• Carry warm layers, a windproof and waterproof jacket, a woollen cap, gloves, and walking shoes with grip. Carry a raincoat.
• Cover your head at the gurudwara, as Sikh custom requires. Carry a scarf or a handkerchief.
• If you plan to dip in the Hemkund Sarovar, carry a towel and a change of clothes. The water is icy, so a short dip is enough.
• Carry your original identity proof and your registration letter.
• If you have a heart condition, breathing trouble, high blood pressure, or any serious illness, speak to your doctor before you travel. The steep high climb is demanding, so judge your fitness honestly.

• Ponies and mules carry pilgrims on both stages of the trek. Palki (doli) carried by porters, and porters for luggage or for carrying a person, are available at Govindghat and Ghangaria. Rates are set locally and change, so confirm on the spot.
• The helicopter from Govindghat to Ghangaria helps those who cannot walk the first stage, but the steep climb from Ghangaria to the shrine still has to be done on foot or by pony.
• Because of the altitude and the cold, the climb is not suitable for very young children, for pregnant women, or for anyone with a serious heart or breathing condition.
• Medical posts operate at Ghangaria and on the route during the season.
• For general help, the Uttarakhand Tourism helpline is 0135-3520100, and the toll free number is 1364.

• Langar (the free community meal) is served at the gurudwara. Karah prasad and tea are offered to pilgrims.
• Drinking water and toilets are provided at Govindghat, Ghangaria, and on the route.
• Medical posts operate at Ghangaria and along the trek.
• Simple food, tea stalls, and shops operate at Govindghat and Ghangaria.
• The gurudwara provides shelter and basic accommodation for pilgrims at the base.

• Valley of Flowers, a national park reached from Ghangaria, at its best in the monsoon bloom of July and August (with a separate forest ticket).
• Govindghat and Joshimath, the road towns on the route.
• Badrinath, a short drive beyond Govindghat, done together with Hemkund by many pilgrims.
• Auli, the meadow and ski slope reached by ropeway from Joshimath.
• Mana village, near Badrinath, the last Indian village before the Tibet border.