Chardham Yatra by Helicopter: Kedarnath Slots and Costs

Most people who say Chardham by helicopter mean one flight: the Kedarnath shuttle. How the slots are booked, what they cost in 2026, and when the trek is the better call.

When most pilgrims ask for a Chardham Yatra by helicopter, what they need is one flight: the Kedarnath shuttle from Sersi, Phata or Guptkashi. Yamunotri, Gangotri and Badrinath are done by road. Kedarnath seats are sold only on IRCTC HeliYatra (heliyatra.irctc.co.in), and only after your Char Dham registration is done.

Two very different things share one name

The Kedarnath shuttle. A short hop from a helipad in the Kedar valley to Kedarnath, and back. It replaces the 16 km walk from Gaurikund, which is the hardest stretch of the whole yatra. This is what our Chardham and Do Dham packages include.

A full Char Dham helicopter charter. Private operators fly all four dhams from Dehradun in a few days. It exists, it costs many times a road yatra, and we do not sell it. If you see it quoted cheaply, ask what is actually included.

How Kedarnath helicopter booking works

Register for the Char Dham Yatra on the Uttarakhand government's registration and tourist care portal. Every pilgrim needs this, flying or not.
Book the flight on heliyatra.irctc.co.in using that registration. Seats are released in phases through the season, and the popular May and June dates go quickly.
Carry the same photo ID you booked with. Names have to match.

No agent holds a private allocation of Kedarnath seats. When we run the booking for you, we use the same portal, in your name, at the same price. Nobody can honestly promise a seat on a date that has sold out.

What the flight costs

The fare depends on the helipad. For the 2026 season, published return fares ran from roughly ₹6,100 from Sersi, the closest helipad, to roughly ₹12,800 from Guptkashi, the furthest, with Phata in between. The portal adds a convenience fee and GST. The fares are set by UCADA and the figures quoted around the web disagree by a few percent, so check the portal on the day you book rather than trusting any blog, this one included.

What our packages cost

Package	Days	Price per person, excl. GST
Kedarnath Yatra by Helicopter	2	₹36,000 to ₹50,000
Do Dham Yatra Ex Haridwar	5	₹52,999 to ₹72,000
Do Dham Yatra Ex Delhi	7	₹59,999 to ₹82,000
Char Dham Yatra Ex Haridwar	9	₹66,999 to ₹90,000
Char Dham Yatra Ex Delhi	11	₹73,999 to ₹1,00,000

Each of these includes the Kedarnath helicopter both ways from Phata. The band runs from budget to luxury hotels along the route.

When to skip the helicopter

If everyone in your group can walk 16 km uphill at altitude, the trek is a real pilgrimage, not a consolation prize, and it costs far less. Our 12 day Char Dham Yatra Package does Kedarnath on foot from ₹28,999 per person. Ponies and palkis are also available from Gaurikund for anyone who wants to go up on the ground but not on foot.

Skip it too if your dates fall in July or August. Monsoon cloud in the Kedar valley grounds flights often, and a yatra planned around one flight can unravel on the day.

When the season runs

Kedarnath closes for winter on Bhai Dooj, after Diwali, and reopens in late April or May. The reopening date is announced on Maha Shivratri. May, June, September and October are the flying months; the first fortnight after opening is the most crowded.

To compare every option on one page, see our Chardham Yatra by helicopter and road packages. Booking is by enquiry: we confirm once your registration, hotels and, where possible, your flight are actually in hand.

Questions we get

Is the whole Chardham Yatra done by helicopter?

Not in our packages. Only Kedarnath is flown, from Phata; Yamunotri, Gangotri and Badrinath are by road. Full four dham charters from Dehradun exist but we do not sell them.

Where do I book the Kedarnath helicopter?

Only on IRCTC HeliYatra, heliyatra.irctc.co.in, after completing Char Dham registration. No agent has a separate quota.

How much is the Kedarnath helicopter ticket?

For 2026, return fares ran from roughly ₹6,100 from Sersi to roughly ₹12,800 from Guptkashi, plus a convenience fee and GST. Check the portal for the current figure.

Can you guarantee a helicopter seat?

No, and nobody honestly can. We book through the official portal in your name. If your date is sold out, the options are another date, or the trek or pony from Gaurikund.

Is the helicopter worth it?

For elders, anyone with knee or heart trouble, or a tight schedule, yes. For a fit group with time, the trek is cheaper and many pilgrims find it the more meaningful way up.

Published by NorthYatra, a J&K Tourism registered agency operating since 2010. Package prices read from our live packages in November 2026; helicopter fares are a guide, not an official figure.