Chardham Bike Tour from Rishikesh
Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath. Twelve days from Rishikesh, in the order the yatra is meant to be done, on a Royal Enfield.
Sixteen hundred kilometres of the best mountain road in India, two treks, four temples, and the four sources of everything the Ganga becomes by the time it reaches your doorstep in Rishikesh. Registration handled. Backup vehicle and mechanic throughout. Open to Indian and international riders.
The Yatra, Ridden
Most people do Chardham in a Tempo Traveller with eleven strangers, on a schedule set by a driver who wants to be home by the eleventh day. You spend a fortnight looking at Uttarakhand through a window.
The roads between these four temples are, by a distance, the finest riding in India. The Gangotri road above Uttarkashi. The drop into Devprayag where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi become the Ganga. The climb from Joshimath to Badrinath with the Himalaya standing over you the whole way. On a bike you stop when the light is right, take the tea break where the view is, and arrive at each dham having actually travelled to it.
The pilgrimage isn't the four temples. It's the road between them. That's the part a vehicle takes away from you.
The Four Dhams
Yamunotri — Goddess Yamuna, 3,293 m, 5–6 km trek from Janki Chatti.
Gangotri — Goddess Ganga, 3,100 m, motorable to the temple.
Kedarnath — Shiva, 3,583 m, 16 km trek from Gaurikund.
Badrinath — Vishnu, 3,133 m, motorable to the temple.
The circuit runs west to east — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath — and that order is traditional, not arbitrary. Two of the four need your legs: Yamunotri is a five to six kilometre climb from Janki Chatti, steep but short. Kedarnath is sixteen kilometres from Gaurikund, gaining nearly 1,600 metres. Ponies, palkis and helicopters are all available at Kedarnath if you'd rather not walk it.
Day by Day
Day 1 — Rishikesh → Barkot
≈200 km · 7 hrs · 1,220 m
Out along the Yamuna valley via Dehradun and Mussoorie, over Kempty and down into Barkot.
Day 2 — Barkot → Janki Chatti → Yamunotri → Barkot
≈90 km riding · 12 km trek · 3,293 m
Ride to Janki Chatti, park, and climb. Five to six kilometres of steep stone path to the temple and the hot springs at Surya Kund.
Day 3 — Barkot → Uttarkashi
≈100 km · 4 hrs · 1,158 m
A short, beautiful transfer over the Radi top and down to the Bhagirathi.
Day 4 — Uttarkashi → Gangotri → Harsil
≈100 km · 4–5 hrs · 3,100 m
The best riding road of the entire trip. Darshan at Gangotri, then back down to Harsil for the night.
Day 5 — Harsil → Guptkashi
≈220 km · 9–10 hrs
The long transfer. Back down the Bhagirathi, across to Tehri, then east through Srinagar and Rudraprayag into the Mandakini valley.
Day 6 — Guptkashi → Sonprayag → Kedarnath
≈30 km riding · 16 km trek · 3,583 m
Bikes stay at Sonprayag; a shuttle runs to Gaurikund. From there, sixteen kilometres on foot. Overnight at Kedarnath, at 3,583 m.
Day 7 — Kedarnath → Gaurikund → Chopta
≈16 km trek · 90 km riding · 2,680 m
Morning aarti, then down. Collect the bikes at Sonprayag and ride to Chopta through Ukhimath.
Day 8 — Chopta → Joshimath
≈170 km · 6–7 hrs · 1,875 m
Down to Rudraprayag and up the Alaknanda through Karnaprayag and Chamoli.
Day 9 — Joshimath → Badrinath → Mana → Badrinath
≈50 km · 3,133 m
A short ride to the fourth dham. Bathe at Tapt Kund. Afternoon at Mana, the last village before Tibet.
Day 10 — Badrinath → Rudraprayag
≈160 km · 6 hrs
Back down the Alaknanda.
Day 11 — Rudraprayag → Rishikesh
≈140 km · 5 hrs
Via Devprayag, where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet and become the Ganga.
Day 12 — Buffer day
Held in reserve for road closures. If we don't need it, you get a free day in Rishikesh.
Chardham Registration — What You Actually Need to Do
Registration is compulsory. Nobody enters any of the four shrines without a QR-coded e-pass, and it's checked at checkpoints on the route, not just at the temple. This was brought in after the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and it's enforced.
The good news: it's free, and we handle it.
What you need to give us: Indian riders — Aadhaar card · International riders — passport · a passport-sized photograph · an active mobile number for OTP verification · an emergency contact.
Registration is done through the Uttarakhand government portal at registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in or the official mobile app. It opens in early March for the season. Slots are capped daily at each dham and peak-season dates fill within hours of the portal opening.
Book your tour early. We can't register you for a date with no slots left. Send your documents the moment you book. We'll send you your e-pass to print — bring several copies.
When to Ride Chardham
The temples open around late April and close in early November after Diwali and Bhai Dooj.
May to June is the main season. Everything open, long days, rhododendron in flower. Also the busiest.
September to October is the connoisseur's window. The monsoon has washed the air clear, the crowds have gone, the mountains are visible in a way they never are in May.
We do not run Chardham in July or August. The monsoon makes this route genuinely dangerous — the Kedarnath and Badrinath valleys are landslide country and roads close with no warning.
What This Ride Asks of You
Riding: twelve days, up to 220 km in a day, on mountain road. No sand, no river crossings, no serious off-road — but it's sustained, and fatigue is the real hazard on day nine.
Walking: twelve kilometres round trip at Yamunotri on Day 2, and thirty-two kilometres round trip at Kedarnath, gaining and losing 1,600 m. Start training three months out, build to 10 km with a daypack, and find some hills.
Altitude: the maximum is 3,583 m at Kedarnath. Most riders feel it as breathlessness on the trek rather than as sickness.
Can't do the Kedarnath trek? Take a pony or a palki from Gaurikund, or book a helicopter from Phata or Sersi. Many riders in their sixties do this tour with a helicopter leg and have a wonderful time.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included — Royal Enfield for the full trip, with fuel · all accommodation, guesthouse at Kedarnath · all meals from Day 1 dinner · Chardham registration and e-passes · backup vehicle with driver throughout · mechanic and spares · tour leader · first aid kit and oxygen · Sonprayag–Gaurikund shuttle
Not included — travel to and from Rishikesh · pony, palki or helicopter at Kedarnath or Yamunotri · personal riding gear (helmet free) · travel and medical insurance · temple donations, poojas, priest fees · anything personal · costs from landslides, road closure or weather
Departures & Pricing
Departures: 19 September & 10 October 2026 · 15 May & 5 June 2027
Private departures for groups of four or more on your own dates.
Price: TODO: tour price — TBD
Enquire on WhatsAppFAQs
Can I do Chardham on a bike?
Yes. All four dhams are reachable by road except the final approaches to Yamunotri and Kedarnath, which are treks for everyone regardless of how they arrived. Bikes park at Janki Chatti and Sonprayag.
How many days does Chardham take on a motorcycle?
Twelve, done properly with a buffer day. It can be compressed to ten, but that means 250 km-plus days and no slack for the road closures that happen most seasons.
Is registration mandatory for Chardham?
Yes, for everyone including foreign nationals. It's free, done through the Uttarakhand government portal, and produces a QR-coded e-pass checked at checkpoints and temples. We handle it.
Can foreigners do the Chardham Yatra?
Yes. Unlike Adi Kailash, Chardham needs no Inner Line Permit and registration accepts a passport. You'll need a valid motorcycle licence and an International Driving Permit to ride.
How long is the Kedarnath trek?
Sixteen kilometres each way from Gaurikund, climbing about 1,600 m. Six to eight hours up for most people. Ponies, palkis and helicopters are available.
Do I have to trek to Yamunotri?
Yes, five to six kilometres from Janki Chatti — steep but much shorter than Kedarnath, two to three hours up. Ponies and palkis are available.
What's the highest point?
Kedarnath at 3,583 m. High, but modest by Himalayan standards, and most riders feel it only as breathlessness on the climb.
When is the best time?
May–June or September–October. September–October has clearer views and far fewer people. We don't run this route during the July–August monsoon.
What if a road closes?
It happens most seasons. That's what the buffer day is for. If a dham becomes genuinely unreachable we'll adapt the itinerary — and we'll tell you straight rather than pretend.
Can I do only two dhams?
Yes — that's our Do Dham tour, Kedarnath and Badrinath in seven days. It's the right choice if you can't take two weeks off.
Is there mobile network?
Patchy. Jio and Airtel work in the larger towns; above Guptkashi and around Kedarnath assume nothing. Print your e-pass.
How cold does it get?
Kedarnath and Badrinath drop close to freezing at night even in June. Days in the valleys can be 25°C or more. Layers, and a proper warm layer you'd trust at 3,500 m.
Anubhav Travel · Near Ram Jhula Bridge, Swarg Ashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249304