Where do helicopters fly from in Dehradun?
From two places, depending on the flight:
- Sahastradhara Helipad, on the north-eastern edge of the city, is the main base for the yatra. The Chardham circuit, the Do Dham packages, the Kedarnath and Badrinath day trips and the Gangotri and Yamunotri flights leave from here.
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun's airport south-east of the city, is used by some departures, including the same-day Do Dham. It is also where most pilgrims fly in from Delhi and other cities.
Your booking confirmation names the departure point and the reporting time. Allow for the drive across the city, especially in the morning.
Helicopter yatra flights from Dehradun
- Chardham Yatra by Helicopter: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath in five nights and six days, from INR 2,25,000 per person.
- Do Dham Yatra by Helicopter: Kedarnath and Badrinath in three nights and four days, from INR 1,52,000 per person.
- Same-day Do Dham Yatra by Helicopter: both dhams and back to Dehradun in one day, INR 1,37,000 per person.
- Kedarnath same-day helicopter yatra from Dehradun via Phata, with the shuttle booked on IRCTC.
- Badrinath helicopter fixed departure, INR 39,000 per person, or a private Badrinath charter for up to six.
- Gangotri and Yamunotri same-day helicopter trips, or both together on the Yamunotri Gangotri Do Dham.
- Valley of Flowers by helicopter from Dehradun, in season.
Private helicopter charter from Dehradun
A private charter puts a helicopter at your group's disposal for a route and date of your choosing. From Dehradun, the most common requests are:
- Helicopter for weddings: arrivals, guest transfers and departures for the couple.
- Helicopter joy rides: short scenic flights of about 10 to 30 minutes over the hills and valleys of Uttarakhand, in a helicopter seating five or six.
- Flower showering for weddings, temples and inaugurations.
- Air ambulance transfers from the hills to hospitals.
- Aerial filming, aerial survey and election campaign flying.
Every charter is quoted in writing before booking, by the operator cleared for that kind of flight.
How do you reach Dehradun for a helicopter yatra?
By air to Jolly Grant Airport, by train to Dehradun station, or by road; Delhi is about 250 km away. The multi-day packages start with arrival in Dehradun and a transfer to the hotel, so you fly the next morning. For the same-day trips, which leave early, arrive the day before. The guide to reaching Dehradun from Delhi compares the options.
When do the flights run?
The yatra flights follow the temple season, from late April or May to October or November, with the clearest flying in May and June and in September and October. Mountain flights stop for cloud and rain, so a spare day in the plan helps. See the best time for Chardham Yatra by helicopter. Joy rides and charters run in daylight and fair weather, through more of the year.