Kedarnath 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, 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.
• Vehicle details, if you are driving.

• 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 Kedarnath (and any other shrines you plan to visit).
• 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 service, which requires prior registration.

Ordinary darshan at the Kedarnath temple is free. You join the queue and have darshan of the Kedarnath Jyotirlinga. On peak days the queue can be long and the wait can run into several hours, so reach the temple early in the day.

Special poojas that let you take part in the ritual are arranged through the Shri Badarinath Kedarnath Temple Committee, and 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 Kedarnath include:

• Maha Abhishek, in the early morning ritual window, where you take part in the abhishek of the Jyotirlinga.
• Rudrabhishek and Abhishek, the core Shiva rituals.
• Shodashopachar Pujan, the sixteen step worship.
• Shiv Sahasranamavali Path, the recitation of the thousand names of Shiva.
• Sampoorna Aarti and the evening aarti.
• Akhand Jyoti, a continuous lamp, 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).

Kedarnath opens for the season and closes for winter on dates set by the temple committee. For 2026 the temple opened on 22 April 2026 (confirmed). The winter closing is usually on Bhai Dooj, a day or two after Diwali, so the shrine normally closes in the first half of November. Confirm the exact closing date 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 (Grade B, last checked September 2026):

• Morning aarti and rituals begin very early, around 4 in the morning.
• General darshan runs through the morning.
• The temple closes for a short afternoon break.
• Evening darshan and the evening aarti run in the evening, and the temple closes for the night after the last aarti.

• Pilgrim registration: free.
• Ordinary darshan: free.
• Poojas and sevas: paid, booked through the temple committee. Rates change, so confirm on badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in (Grade B, last checked September 2026).
• Helicopter: paid, booked only on IRCTC HeliYatra. Fares are dynamic and change by route and demand, 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, food, and road transport: paid separately.

• Opening: late April. In 2026 the temple opened on 22 April 2026.
• Peak: May and June, and again in late September and October, so these are the most crowded months.
• Monsoon caution: July and August bring heavy rain and a real risk of landslides on the trek and the hill roads. Travel is slower and can stop for a time. Take this season seriously in the Kedarnath valley.
• Closing: usually on Bhai Dooj 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.

• By air: the nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun. From there you travel by road to Sonprayag and Gaurikund.
• By rail: the nearest useful railheads are Rishikesh and Haridwar. From there you continue by road.
• By road: you drive to Sonprayag through Rudraprayag and Guptkashi. Private vehicles usually park at Sonprayag, and a short link vehicle takes you to Gaurikund, where the trek begins.
• The trek: from Gaurikund to Kedarnath is about 16 kilometres of steady uphill walking. Allow most of a day, or split it with a night on the way. There are rest stops, food stalls, medical aid, and mule and pony services along the trek.
• By helicopter: helicopters fly to Kedarnath from Phata, Sirsi, and Guptkashi. Tickets are booked only on the official IRCTC HeliYatra portal, heliyatra.irctc.co.in, and prior Char Dham registration is required to book. A maximum of two tickets can be booked per user, with up to six passengers per ticket (confirmed on the portal).

• Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), a Government of Uttarakhand enterprise, runs tourist rest houses on the route and near Kedarnath. Book these on the official GMVN site, gmvnonline.com.
• Simple tented and lodge accommodation operates near the Kedarnath temple during the season, and hotels operate at Guptkashi, Sonprayag, Sitapur, and Gaurikund.
• 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 official GMVN site for government rest houses.

• Kedarnath sits at about 3,583 metres. The air is thin and the weather is cold and can change fast. Rest and move slowly on the first day at altitude.
• Carry warm layers, a windproof and waterproof jacket, a cap, gloves, and good walking shoes with grip. Carry a raincoat for the trek.
• Carry your original identity proof and your registration letter at all times.
• Carry any personal medicines and a basic first aid kit. If you have a heart condition, breathing trouble, high blood pressure, or any serious illness, speak to your doctor before you travel.
• Start the trek early so you reach before dark, and do not rush the climb.

• Ponies and mules carry pilgrims up the trek. Palki (doli) carried by porters, and porters for luggage or for carrying a person, are available at Gaurikund. Rates are set locally and change, so confirm on the spot.
• The helicopter service from Phata, Sirsi, and Guptkashi helps seniors, children, and those who cannot trek. Book only on the official IRCTC HeliYatra portal.
• Medical posts operate along the trek and near the temple 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 points and toilets are provided along the trek and near the temple.
• Medical posts and oxygen support operate during the season.
• Food stalls and bhojnalayas serve simple vegetarian meals along the trek and in the base towns.
• Rest shelters and resting points are placed along the climb.

• Badrinath, the neighbouring Char Dham shrine, done together with Kedarnath by many pilgrims.
• Guptkashi and Ukhimath, temple towns on the route.
• Triyuginarayan, the temple linked to the wedding of Shiva and Parvati, near Sonprayag.
• Chopta and Tungnath, the higher Panch Kedar shrine, a short trek reached from the same region.
• Rudraprayag and Devprayag, the sacred river confluences on the way up.