High Himalayan Vishnu shrine on the Alaknanda river, one of the Char Dham temples.
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Badrinath is one of the four Char Dham shrines and draws pilgrims to its Vishnu temple and hot spring beside the Alaknanda river. Mana village, old caves and the walk to Vasudhara Falls are close by. It suits pilgrims and families who can handle a long mountain drive and thin air at over 3,000 m.
Trip planner
Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Select a photo for its author and licence.
| When | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Late April to June | The temple opened on 23 April in 2026. Days are about 10 to 18 C and clear, all services run, but crowds are very heavy with darshan queues of 2 to 4 hours and higher prices. |
| July to August | Monsoon. The valley is green and crowds are low, but heavy rain brings frequent landslides and road closures on the highway. |
| September to October | Clear skies, good mountain views and moderate crowds; darshan can take under an hour. Widely described as the best time overall. |
| November to April | The temple closes around mid November (about 13 November in 2026) and stays shut through winter. Nights fall to freezing or below before closing, and snow is possible. |
The main shrine to Lord Vishnu, with a black stone idol seated in the lotus position and a painted entrance gate called Singhdwar. It is one of the Char Dham temples.
A natural sulphur hot spring of about 45 C just below the temple entrance. Pilgrims bathe here before darshan.
A riverside platform on the Alaknanda where families perform pind daan rites for their ancestors.
A village of stone houses known as the last Indian village before the Tibet border. The caves and Bhim Pul are inside it.
A cave in Mana where the sage Vyasa is said to have dictated the Mahabharata, with Ganesh Gufa nearby.
A natural rock bridge over the Saraswati river at Mana, tied to a Mahabharata legend about Bhima.
A waterfall dropping about 400 feet, reached by a moderate walk of about 5 to 6 km each way that starts at Mana.
A rock above the town believed to carry the footprints of Lord Vishnu, reached by an uphill walk.
Worth a stop on the drive from Rishikesh, the last stretch whether you arrive by train, bus or air. Stopping needs a taxi or your own vehicle; buses do not wait. Distances are by road.
Where the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda meet and become the Ganga. It is the last of the Panch Prayag (five holy confluences). Steps lead down from the town to the sangam, with the old Raghunath temple above it.
Temple of Dhari Devi, worshipped as the guardian goddess of the Char Dham, set on the Alaknanda between Srinagar and Rudraprayag. The shrine was raised onto a platform above the river in 2013 because of the dam reservoir. A short walk down from the highway.
Confluence of the Alaknanda and the Mandakini, one of the Panch Prayag. The roads to Kedarnath and Chopta branch off the Badrinath highway here. Koteshwar Mahadev, a cave temple on the Alaknanda, is about 3 km away.
Confluence of the Alaknanda and the Pindar, one of the Panch Prayag, linked in legend with Karna of the Mahabharata. The Uma Devi temple stands near the sangam.
Confluence of the Alaknanda and the Nandakini, one of the Panch Prayag. A small town on the highway with ghats at the sangam and the Gopalji temple.
Confluence of the Alaknanda and the Dhauliganga, the first of the Panch Prayag, about 12 km beyond Joshimath on the Badrinath road. A small Vishnu temple overlooks the gorge.
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Organised road trips to Badrinath do run, as pilgrimage packages with a vehicle included, starting from Rishikesh, Haridwar and Delhi. The state corporation GMVN runs a weekly Kedarnath and Badrinath tour from Rishikesh, and private operators sell 4 to 5 day Badrinath-only packages. They run in the temple season, roughly May to October, and the prices found ranged from about Rs 12,500 to Rs 35,350 per person.
| Operator | Trip | From | Length | Price from | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) Government-run | Kedarnath and Badrinath pilgrimage tour by shared AC Innova (Tour No. 8) | Rishikesh | 6 days / 6 nights, departs every Sunday | ₹25,950 per person Per seat, senior citizen rate for July to August; adults pay Rs 28,280 in July to August and Rs 35,350 in May to June and September to October. As listed on the operator's site on 2026-10-04. | Transport by AC Innova and twin-sharing rooms in GMVN tourist rest houses, including the night before departure. Meals, pony or palanquin charges and optional rides are not included (as stated on the page). |
| BizareXpedition Private operator | Badrinath pilgrimage package by private car or shared Tempo Traveller | Haridwar | 4 days / 3 nights | ₹12,500 per person Per person with budget hotels; the page gives Rs 15,500 for standard and Rs 19,500 and up for premium. As listed on the operator's site on 2026-10-04. | Vehicle with driver allowance, tolls and parking, hotel or guesthouse stay, breakfast and dinner in most plans, on-ground help (as stated on the page). |
| Chardham Tour Private operator | Badrinath pilgrimage package by AC vehicle | Delhi | 5 days / 4 nights | ₹19,600 per person Delhi to Delhi, per person on twin sharing, shown as a discounted price (regular Rs 23,500). As listed on the operator's site on 2026-10-04. | AC vehicle for all transfers and sightseeing, twin-sharing hotel rooms, vegetarian breakfast and dinner, on-ground help (as stated on the page). |
Checked online on 2026-10-04. A listing here is not a recommendation; we have no tie-up with these operators. Before you pay, check that the operator and its website are genuine, and confirm dates, price and what is included.
| Budget level | Type | Price per night |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Dharamshalas, ashrams and simple guest houses | ₹500 to ₹1,500 |
| Mid-range | Mid-range hotels near the temple | ₹1,500 to ₹4,000 |
| Luxury | Best available hotels, such as the GMVN Hotel Devlok | ₹3,750 to ₹5,000 |
Food is from dhabas and small restaurants around the temple and market. A meal costs about 100 to 250 rupees, so plan on about 500 to 1,000 rupees a person per day.
The whole town is vegetarian only. Non-vegetarian food and alcohol are not allowed.
| Budget level | Stay per room | Food per person | Local transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | ₹800 | ₹400 | ₹100 per person |
| Mid-range | ₹2,500 | ₹700 | ₹1,500 per vehicle |
| Luxury | ₹4,500 | ₹1,000 | ₹3,500 per vehicle |
Per day. Travel to and from your city is added in the planner above.
Free Char Dham Yatra registration is mandatory for every pilgrim, online at registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in or at counters in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Joshimath, Chamoli and Pandukeshwar. Carry a government photo ID; the pass is checked at checkpoints. Pilgrims aged 70 or over are reported to need a medical fitness certificate.
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Unless a sight is described as accessible, assume it is not step-free.
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