Read and explore our new blog post, How to Pick the Right Char Dham Tour Without Extra Costs. While you make preparations for your spiritual journey to the Char Dhams, you are bound to come across a variety of Char Dham Yatra packages with different prices and inclusions. Standard packages tend to include the basics: transfers between the four dhams (pilgrimage sites), no-frills accommodation, basic vegetarian meals and entrance into the shrines. These are pretty no-nonsense and the fare begins at around ₹15,000-25,000 per person for a 10-12 day trip.
Char Dham Yatra Packages for Haridwar in general are cheaper as compared to that from Delhi, and this is just because of the less distance travelled. A basic one from Haridwar could be 15k-20k and a similar trip from Delhi would cost 22k-30k.
The premium packages introduce some major augmentations, which may be something to consider if you’re planning for less physically demanding hiking. These include:
There are luxury Char Dham Yatra packages which cost approximately ₹35,000-60,000 per person depending on point of origin and inclusion (or exclusion) details.
The additional expense may be worth it if you are travelling with older relatives or just like a cushier ride.
Your modes of travel can drastically affect the total Char Dham Yatra package cost:
The shared rides (typically in Tempo Travellers) are the cheapest available when you pool your budget in a group of 10 to 12 pilgrims. But in all cases you will save about 50-60% of campers' transportation costs compared to independent ways.
Private cars allow more freedom but are costly. For a Char Dham Yatra package from Delhi, you may end up paying ₹15,000-20,000 more to get a private SUV instead of shared transport, etc.
There are helicopter services, especially for the Kedarnath (difficult one) trek, that can save time but also increase costs a lot. (Add an additional ₹8,000-10,000 per person for a helicopter ride to Kedarnath.)
Those that are a bit more budget conscious can also hop on and off local buses circling around the prominent towns or even get to them with shared taxis for the final legs of their journey, possibly spending less than ₹5,000 throughout their temple circuit.
Low-cost dharamshalas associated with temples and trusts are available for about ₹500-1,000 a night and offer simple or dormitory-style rooms with common bath facilities. They are real but not very comfortable.
Government guesthouses (GMVN) offer comfortable mid-range places to stay (₹1,200-2,500 per night), with generally better facilities – like attached bathrooms – but at still-good prices.
Most private hotels go from around ₹1,500 for simple rooms (to really overpriced stuff that costs ₹5,000+) in high season (May-June).
Location makes a difference in the price of rooms – rooms close to (less than 500 metres) main temples can get priced anywhere between 30% to 40% higher compared to a room you would book further away (2-3 km).
Most Char Dham Yatra packages from Delhi miss out on important costs that could shoot up your budget in no time: