Chardham Yatra by Helicopter
From Dehradun
Phata – Kedarnath shuttle
Book on IRCTC HeliYatra
Helicopter services in Kedarnath: what to expect
We do not sell helicopter tickets. Please do not contact us for tickets.
| Programme | Aircraft | Where to book |
|---|---|---|
| Same Day Return Depending upon weather conditions. Priority Darshan Slip charges as per actual, decided by the temple management committee. |
Bell 407 / AS 350 B3 Seating 04–06 passengers per helicopter. |
heliyatra.irctc.co.in Tickets and fares are published there. |
Guptkashi, Phata or Sersi: which helipad?
All three helipads are in the Kedar valley in Rudraprayag district, on the road up to Sonprayag and Gaurikund. The closer the helipad is to Kedarnath, the shorter the flight and the lower the IRCTC fare. Flying in from another city? See flights to Kedarnath for the nearest airport. Check the current fare for each on heliyatra.irctc.co.in when you book.
| Helipad | Where it is | Flight to Kedarnath | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sersi | Closest to Kedarnath, near Sitapur and Sonprayag | Shortest, a few minutes; usually the lowest fare | Pilgrims staying at Sitapur or Sonprayag |
| Phata | Between Guptkashi and Sersi | Around ten minutes | Pilgrims staying at Phata or along the valley road |
| Guptkashi | Furthest down the valley, the largest town with the most hotels | Longest, usually the highest fare | Families wanting a bigger choice of hotels the night before |
Book the helipad nearest to where you sleep the night before: reporting is early in the morning, and the valley road is slow in the yatra season.
Sersi to Kedarnath helicopter
Sersi is the helipad closest to Kedarnath, near Sitapur and Sonprayag, so its flight is the shortest, a few minutes, and its IRCTC fare usually the lowest. It suits pilgrims staying at Sitapur or Sonprayag the night before. The Dehradun helicopter packages also fly via Sersi; see the Dehradun to Kedarnath helicopter.
Phata to Kedarnath helicopter
Phata lies between Guptkashi and Sersi, around ten minutes' flight from Kedarnath. On a same-day return you get 90 minutes at Shri Kedarnath Ji, and same-day passengers report at Phata between 6 AM and 10 AM, at the time on the ticket. Bell 407 and AS 350 B3 helicopters fly the sector, 04 to 06 passengers each. Phata and Sersi are also the start and end points of the Kedarnath Badrinath helicopter package from Phata or Sersi.
Guptkashi to Kedarnath helicopter
Guptkashi is furthest down the valley and the largest town, with the most hotels, so it suits families who want a bigger choice the night before. Its flight is the longest of the three, about a quarter of an hour, and its fare usually the highest. See staying in Guptkashi or Sitapur.
The Kedarnath helicopter route: by road from Haridwar or Rishikesh through Rudraprayag to Guptkashi, Phata or Sersi, then the shuttle to the Kedarnath helipad, about 500 m from the temple. All three shuttles are booked only on heliyatra.irctc.co.in, after yatra registration.
Guptkashi to Kedarnath helicopter: booking, fare and helipad
The Guptkashi to Kedarnath helicopter is the IRCTC shuttle from the Guptkashi helipad to the Kedarnath helipad, about 500 m from the temple. It is booked only on heliyatra.irctc.co.in, after yatra registration, and the fare is the IRCTC published fare for your date. Of the three helipads, Guptkashi has the longest flight, about a quarter of an hour, and usually the highest fare.
| Guptkashi helipad | What to know |
|---|---|
| Helicopter booking | Only on heliyatra.irctc.co.in, after Uttarakhand yatra registration. IRCTC opens booking in phases; choose Guptkashi as the helipad, then the date and slot. We do not sell shuttle tickets. |
| Fare | The IRCTC published fare, shown on heliyatra.irctc.co.in when you book. Guptkashi is usually the highest of the three because its flight is the longest. |
| Flight time | About a quarter of an hour to the Kedarnath helipad, which is about 500 m from the temple. Phata is around ten minutes, Sersi a few minutes. |
| Where it is | Furthest down the Kedar valley in Rudraprayag district, on the road up to Sonprayag and Gaurikund. Guptkashi is the largest town, with the most hotels. |
| Guptkashi or Sitapur | Sitapur is further up the same road, near the Sersi helipad. Book the helipad nearest to where you sleep: Guptkashi if you stay in Guptkashi, Sersi if you stay at Sitapur or Sonprayag. |
| Contact number | We do not publish a phone number for the Guptkashi helipad. Your IRCTC ticket shows the reporting time at the helipad, and the rules printed with it are the ones that apply. For our Kedarnath Badrinath stay package or a charter, call +91-9634801801. |
Want the nights around your flight arranged? The Kedarnath Badrinath stay package (3N/4D) flies from Sahastradhara Helipad, Dehradun, to Sersi for the Kedarnath shuttle, with one night each in Dehradun, Guptkashi and Badrinath, with meals. Each pilgrim books the shuttle ticket on IRCTC in their own name, and the shuttle fare is paid to IRCTC.
When does Kedarnath helicopter booking open?
IRCTC does not open the whole season at once. It opens Kedarnath helicopter booking in phases, each phase covering a block of travel dates, and announces the opening date and time of each phase on heliyatra.irctc.co.in shortly before. The first phase opens shortly before the temple's spring opening, and later phases follow through the season, including the September and October dates after the monsoon.
Two things have to be ready before a phase opens: the yatra registration of every pilgrim with Uttarakhand Tourism, and an IRCTC HeliYatra login. Seats for the busy weeks go within minutes of a phase opening, so sign in a few minutes early. The dates for next season are announced by IRCTC; until then, any site offering "confirmed" Kedarnath shuttle tickets is not selling official seats.
How to book a Kedarnath helicopter ticket on IRCTC
- Register for the yatra first. Chardham & Shri Hemkund Sahib Yatra registration with Uttarakhand Tourism is mandatory, and you need it before you can book the helicopter.
- Watch for the booking window. IRCTC opens booking in phases, each for a range of travel dates, and announces the opening date and time in advance. Seats for the busy weeks go within minutes.
- Sign in on heliyatra.irctc.co.in, choose the helipad (Guptkashi, Phata or Sersi), the date and the slot, and add the passengers.
- Pay on the IRCTC site only. The ticket shows your reporting time at the helipad. Keep it with the yatra registration and a photo ID.
The Govindghat–Ghangaria helicopter to Hemkund Sahib is booked on the same IRCTC site.
Sector: Phata – Kedarnath Ji – Phata
Operating rules to expect on this sector. The rules printed with your IRCTC ticket are the ones that apply.
WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE DAY
- For same day return you will be given 90 minutes at Sh Kedarnath JI
- For the same day passengers are required to reach Phata from 6 am to 10 am
- The time given to the passengers would be the reporting time only and it should not be considered as Flight Time.
- The Minimum waiting period of passengers would be 2-3 hours but it may exceed to 3-4 hours as per the ground situation such as weather condition. Time of refuelling the helicopter or Non-Availability of passengers as either Side.
- Each Passenger may carry baggage not more than 2 Kgs of Weight in Flight. Excess Volume Baggage would not be allowed in Helicopter Flight.
- Expected Time After reporting to Phata office and boarding the Flight will be minimum 1 Hour and may exceed subject to various unavoidable condition. This time is required to carry out check – in formalities.
- Passenger Over-Weight charges will be levied beyond 85 Kgs of Weight subjected to company not losing a seat in the trip. This will be decided at Phata Office and will be Final.
- Group Concerns are not accounted for, passengers might have to travel alone also in separate Flights even if you are a part of a Group. You also might have to wait in between flight depending upon weight, flight availability or weather condition.
Before you pay anyone: a price below the official rate with pressure to pay today, confirmation only on WhatsApp and never on IRCTC, or money asked into a personal UPI or bank account are the signs of a fake ticket. To check who flies a sector and how to verify an operator's permit, see helicopter operators in India. For what to check on the flight day itself, read is a helicopter yatra safe.
More Yatras
Related Tour Packages
Kedarnath Badrinath Helicopter Stay Package (03N - 04D)
From Dehradun
Do Dham Yatra by Helicopter, Same Day
From Dehradun
Why Book with us?
- Permit-holding helicopter operators
- Full price in writing before you pay
- Clear itinerary and terms in writing
- Support by phone before and during the trip
Information about helicopter services in Kedarnath
We do not sell helicopter tickets. Please do not contact us for tickets. For a yatra by chartered helicopter, see the Chardham Yatra by helicopter, or our Kedarnath packages.
The Kedarnath helicopter yatra shuttle runs from Guptkashi, Phata and Sersi to the Kedarnath helipad, about 500 metres from Shri Kedarnath Ji temple.