Helicopter yatra cancellation and refund rules, in plain words
By Ashutosh
What is charged if you cancel or reschedule, and what is refunded if the weather stops the flying, on the Chardham and Do Dham packages. And what happens to the IRCTC helicopter ticket.
Helicopter yatras are booked months ahead and flown in mountain weather, so plans do change. Before paying, it is worth knowing exactly what happens if you cancel, if you need to move your dates, or if the weather stops the flying. This is a plain-words summary; the full wording is in the Chardham and Do Dham booking terms and our terms and conditions, which take precedence over it.
What is charged if you cancel?
Once a booking is confirmed, a 5% administrative fee on the total package cost applies to any cancellation, whatever the reason. On top of that, the charge depends on how much notice you give:
- Up to 30 days before departure: 30% of the package amount.
- Up to 20 days before departure: 50% of the package amount.
- Within 14 days of departure: no refund.
- No-show: no refund.
A credit note is issued for any cancellation of a confirmed booking, subject to these terms. Refunds go back to the card, UPI or account you paid from, or to your account wallet where that is not possible, and how long they take depends on your bank and the payment gateway.
Can you change your dates instead?
Yes, if you ask early enough. A booking can be moved to a later date, subject to availability, on payment of 20% of the cost, as long as you ask 15 or more days before the journey. With less than 15 days to go, the change is treated as a cancellation, charged as above, and a fresh booking is made, subject to availability.
What if bad weather stops the flying?
If weather stops the flying on a day of the tour, the team first tries to complete the darshan the next day. If a Dham cannot be visited at all because of bad weather, the flying cost of about INR 20,000 per Dham per seat is refunded.
If flying cannot start from Dehradun at all, the tour is treated as cancelled: the 5% service charge and the services already used, such as the hotel stay and transport, are deducted, and the rest is refunded. Or you can move to the next available date as a fresh booking, and the unused amount from the first booking is applied to it.
What is not covered is money spent because of a delay: no compensation is paid for an extra hotel night, meals or transport. Extra nights caused by weather are at the guests' own cost, and the group waits at most one additional night to complete the yatra. If weather holds a group at Badrinath and the guests choose to return to Dehradun by road rather than wait for the next flight, the road travel is at their cost and no refund is made. The same applies to a group that decides to cancel and come down from a Dham mid-tour: we arrange the vehicle, the guests pay for it, and there is no refund. The article on why helicopter schedules move explains how these flying decisions are made.
What about the Kedarnath helicopter ticket?
The helicopter between the base helipads and Kedarnath is booked by each pilgrim in their own name, and its fare is paid separately. We do not sell helicopter tickets. If the helicopter is cancelled for weather or a technical reason, its fare is refunded by IRCTC under IRCTC's own rules, separately from the package.
How to protect your booking
- Note the payment schedule: 50% confirms the booking and the balance is due 30 days before departure.
- If your plans may change, decide early: rescheduling is possible only 15 or more days before the journey, and charges rise as departure nears.
- Keep one spare day in Dehradun after the package, so weather becomes a wait rather than a lost darshan.
- Consider travel insurance, which the packages do not include.
- Ask for any terms you are unsure of in writing before you confirm.
Questions about a particular package? Ask us before you book, and compare the Chardham Yatra by Helicopter and Do Dham packages.