Planning your first Char Dham Yatra — a 10-step checklist

The Char Dham Yatra is one of Hinduism’s most important pilgrimages, but the logistics can overwhelm a first-timer. Here’s the checklist we hand every pilgrim in our group.

**1. Register early.** Uttarakhand’s biometric registration opens around mid-April.

**2. Health check.** Everyone above 55 needs a fitness certificate — get it done at least 3 weeks before.

**3. Book helicopters immediately.** Kedarnath heli tickets sell out within days.

**4. Pack woollens even in June.** Nights in Barkot and Kedarnath drop to 5°C.

**5. Carry cash.** ATMs are unreliable beyond Rudraprayag.