You must register before you travel to Yamunotri.
The registration is free and compulsory for every pilgrim. You do it on the official Uttarakhand government portal, registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in, or on the Tourist Care Uttarakhand app, and you carry the registration letter with its QR code because it is checked on the route. Registration is not a darshan ticket. The Yamunotri temple is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, and darshan there is free. Yamunotri is reached by a steep trek of about 5 to 6 kilometres from Janki Chatti, so plan for the walk, a pony, or a palki.
Who must register and who is exempt
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).
Documents and details you need to register
- 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.
Step by step: how to register online
- 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 Yamunotri (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. You show the QR letter with your identity at the checking points on the route.
Darshan at the shrine: free and special or VIP darshan
Ordinary darshan at the Yamunotri temple is free. You climb to the temple, have darshan of Goddess Yamuna, and take part in the customs at the shrine. Peak days in May and June bring long queues at the top, so start the climb early.
The temple is managed by the Yamunotri temple committee. There is no formal online "VIP darshan" system that we could confirm on an official website. Poojas are arranged at the temple with the priests. Treat any private "VIP darshan pass" offer as a warning sign.
Sevas and poojas
At Yamunotri the customs centre on the hot spring and the goddess. The main devotional acts are:
- Cooking rice and potatoes in the Surya Kund hot spring. Pilgrims tie rice in a cloth and dip it in the boiling spring water, and the cooked rice is taken home as prasad.
- Touching and worshipping the Divya Shila, a rock pillar near the temple, before entering for darshan.
- Abhishek and archana of Goddess Yamuna.
- A ritual dip or sprinkle in the warm spring water before darshan.
The rate for any pooja is set by the temple priests and changes, so confirm on the spot (Grade B, last checked September 2026). We could not confirm an official website for online pooja booking at Yamunotri, so arrange poojas at the temple in person.
Timings
Yamunotri opens for the season on Akshaya Tritiya and closes for winter around the Diwali period. For 2026 the temple opened on 19 April 2026 (confirmed). At closing, the deity is moved to the winter seat at Kharsali village near Janki Chatti, where worship continues through the cold months. Confirm the exact closing date nearer the time.
The temple is open through the day for darshan, with the morning and evening as the main worship windows. Because the climb takes time, plan your day so you reach the top with hours to spare. The exact darshan and aarti windows change by season, so confirm locally (Grade B, last checked September 2026).
What it costs
- Pilgrim registration: free.
- Ordinary darshan: free.
- Poojas: paid to the temple priests at rates set locally, which change (Grade B, last checked September 2026).
- Pony, palki (doli), and porter for the trek: paid at rates set locally, which change, so confirm on the spot (Grade B).
- Vehicle registration, where it applies to commercial vehicles: fees set by the Uttarakhand transport system, which change (Grade B).
- Stay, food, and transport: paid separately.
There is no helicopter that lands at Yamunotri.
Best time and the season calendar
- Opening: Akshaya Tritiya, in late April. In 2026 the temple opened on 19 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 the risk of landslides on the hill roads and the trek, so travel is slower and paths can be slippery.
- Closing: around Diwali, when the deity moves to Kharsali.
Plan for May, June, September, or October for the steadiest weather, and start the trek early in the day.
How to reach
- By air: the nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun. From there you travel by road.
- By rail: the nearest useful railheads are Dehradun, Rishikesh, and Haridwar. From there you continue by road.
- By road: you drive to Janki Chatti through Barkot. Janki Chatti is the road head and the start of the trek. Vehicles park at or near Janki Chatti.
- The trek: from Janki Chatti to the Yamunotri temple is about 5 to 6 kilometres, and it is steep. Allow a few hours each way. Ponies, palki (doli) carried by porters, and porters for luggage are available at Janki Chatti.
There is no motor road to the Yamunotri temple itself. The last stretch is on foot, by pony, or by palki.
Where to stay
- Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), a Government of Uttarakhand enterprise, runs tourist rest houses on the route, including near Janki Chatti and at Barkot. Book these on the official GMVN site, gmvnonline.com.
- Private hotels, dharamshalas, and guest houses operate at Janki Chatti, Barkot, and Hanuman Chatti.
- 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.
Rules and what to carry
- Yamunotri sits at about 3,235 metres. The trek is steep, so build in rest and do not rush.
- Carry warm layers and a windproof and waterproof jacket, and wear walking shoes with grip.
- Carry your original identity proof and your registration letter at all times.
- Carry a cloth bag for the Surya Kund rice prasad, water, and any personal medicines.
- If you have a heart condition, breathing trouble, high blood pressure, knee trouble, or any serious illness, speak to your doctor before you travel, and consider a pony or palki for the climb.
Accessibility and help
- Ponies and mules carry pilgrims up the trek. Palki (doli) carried by porters, and porters who can carry a person or luggage, are available at Janki Chatti. Rates are set locally and change, so confirm on the spot.
- Seniors and children who cannot walk the full climb usually use a pony or a palki.
- Medical posts operate on the route and near Janki Chatti during the season.
- For general help, the Uttarakhand Tourism helpline is 0135-3520100, and the toll free number is 1364.
Facilities
- Prasad, including the rice cooked in the Surya Kund, is part of the visit.
- Drinking water and toilets are provided at Janki Chatti and along the trek.
- Medical posts operate during the season.
- Food stalls and bhojnalayas serve simple vegetarian meals at Janki Chatti and on the trek.
- The Surya Kund hot spring and bathing kunds are near the temple.
Common mistakes and scams
- Paying a "registration fee" on an agent site. Government registration is free and only on registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in and the Tourist Care Uttarakhand app.
- Buying a "VIP darshan pass" for Yamunotri from a private site. Darshan is free, and poojas are arranged at the temple.
- Underestimating the steep 5 to 6 kilometre trek and starting late in the day.
- Reaching a checking point without the QR letter or matching identity.
- Paying in advance for a room on a website that copies an official or known name. Confirm by phone first.
- Believing that registration reserves a darshan slot. It does not.
Nearby places to extend the trip
- Gangotri, the neighbouring Char Dham shrine, done together with Yamunotri by many pilgrims.
- Kharsali (Kharsari), the winter seat of Goddess Yamuna, near Janki Chatti.
- Barkot, a base town on the route.
- Hanuman Chatti, on the way to Janki Chatti.
- Dodital and the meadows around Uttarkashi, for those who want a trek.
Questions people ask
Is Yamunotri registration compulsory?
Yes. Every pilgrim must register before travelling, and it is checked on the route.
Is registration free?
Yes, on the official site and app. Any fee is a sign the site is not official.
Do I need to trek to Yamunotri?
Yes. The last 5 to 6 kilometres from Janki Chatti are on foot, by pony, or by palki. There is no road to the temple.
Who is the deity at Yamunotri?
Goddess Yamuna. The temple is managed by the Yamunotri temple committee.
What is special about the Surya Kund?
It is a hot spring near the temple. Pilgrims cook rice tied in a cloth in the boiling water and take it home as prasad.
Does registration book my darshan?
No. Registration covers the yatra. Darshan is free at the temple.
When did Yamunotri open in 2026?
On 19 April 2026, on Akshaya Tritiya.
When does Yamunotri close for winter?
Around Diwali, when the deity moves to the winter seat at Kharsali.
Are ponies and palki available?
Yes, at Janki Chatti, at rates set locally.
Do foreign nationals need to register?
Yes, on the same official site, using a passport as identity proof.
Is there a helicopter to Yamunotri?
There is no helicopter that lands at Yamunotri. Char Dham helicopter tours that include Yamunotri land elsewhere and connect by road and trek.
Which shrine is usually done first on the Char Dham circuit?
Yamunotri, then Gangotri, then Kedarnath, then Badrinath, following the traditional order.