Dehradun to Kedarnath Helicopter, Same-Day Yatra

A helicopter takes you from Shastradhara (Sahastradhara) Helipad in Dehradun to the Phata base helipad in the Kedar valley and back the same afternoon. Between Phata and Kedarnath you fly on the official Kedarnath helicopter service, a separate flight with its own ticket, booked on IRCTC in each pilgrim's name.

07:00, Shastradhara Helipad, Dehradun

On the tentative schedule you report at Shastradhara Helipad and leave for Phata at 07:00, so sleep in Dehradun the night before; helicopter services in Dehradun covers the helipads in the city.

08:00, the change at Phata

You land at Phata base helipad at about 08:00 and change helicopters there for the flight up to Kedarnath Ji. This second flight is the Kedarnath helicopter service on your IRCTC ticket. At Kedarnath you are escorted to the shrine for darshan. The helipad is a short walk from the temple, but at about 3,580 metres the altitude is felt, so walk slowly.

Darshan, then 11:00 back to Phata

Darshan has to fit between landing at Kedarnath and the 11:00 departure back to Phata on the tentative schedule. The Phata to Kedarnath helicopter runs under the operator's rules printed with your IRCTC ticket: for same-day passengers, the operator's rules give 90 minutes at Kedarnath, and the time on the ticket is a reporting time, not a flight time. Temple queues vary, so decide on the puja booking with the temple committee where available, paid directly, before you travel.

12:00 to 13:00, Phata to Dehradun

The helicopter leaves Phata for Dehradun at 12:00 and lands at Shastradhara Helipad at 13:00, where services end. All of these times are tentative. The exact schedule is advised a day before departure, and it can change at the last moment for weather or operational reasons. Kedarnath by helicopter: what the flight day actually looks like explains why the return time moves.

The price for the same-day Kedarnath helicopter package from Dehradun is on request. Send your date and number of passengers for a written quote; the booking is confirmed once you accept and pay it.

What the package price covers

• The helicopter flights from Dehradun, arranged with the operator as part of the package.
• Arrival and departure assistance.
• Fuel, toll, parking fee and driver allowance.
• All prevailing taxes.

What you pay separately

• The Kedarnath helicopter fare. The helicopter ticket is booked on heliyatra.irctc.co.in in each pilgrim's name, and its fare is paid to IRCTC, not to us. BookHelicopter.com does not sell Kedarnath helicopter tickets.
• The puja booking with the temple committee where available at Kedarnath, paid directly by the pilgrim.
• Meals, tips, personal expenses and travel insurance, and anything not listed in the inclusions.

What changes the quote

• How many are flying. One helicopter takes up to 06 passengers, so the size of your group shapes the quote.
• Your date. Prices are subject to change without prior notice, so the rate is confirmed for your travel date.
• The aircraft. The trip flies on a Bell 407 or AS 350 B3, subject to availability.
• Our service charges, which are shown to you in writing before confirmation.

All three common ways to plan a Kedarnath yatra by helicopter use the same IRCTC helicopter service for the last leg. What changes is how you reach the base helipad and how much time you give the trip.

• Same day from Dehradun (this page). The helicopter replaces the road into the Kedar valley in both directions. You start and finish at Shastradhara Helipad, with no hotel night in the valley.
• The 3 nights / 4 days stay package. The Kedarnath Badrinath helicopter yatra stay package starts from Sahastradhara Helipad, Dehradun, with a night in Dehradun, a night in Guptkashi after Kedarnath darshan via Sersi and the IRCTC helicopter service, and a night at Badrinath, all with meals, before the flight back on day 4. Each pilgrim books the helicopter ticket on IRCTC in their own name. Kedarnath helicopter with a stay in Guptkashi or Sitapur explains how it runs.
• The IRCTC helicopter service on its own. If you are already travelling to the valley by road, you can book only the helicopter from Guptkashi, Phata or Sersi on heliyatra.irctc.co.in.

On the helicopter from Dehradun, a maximum of 06 passengers fly in one helicopter and their total weight must not exceed 410 kg. Each passenger may bring baggage of up to 5 kg, and only one small pack of up to 2 kg can be carried in the flight. Excess-volume baggage is not allowed, so leave suitcases at your hotel in Dehradun.

The helicopter between Phata and Kedarnath follows its own rules, set by the operator and printed with your IRCTC ticket. The operator's rules allow no more than 2 kg of baggage per passenger in flight, levy overweight charges beyond 85 kg as decided at the Phata office, and note that members of a group may have to fly on separate helicopter flights. Kedarnath helicopter weight limit and baggage rules, explained explains more.

• Older pilgrims. The walk from Gaurikund is about 16 km, long and steep. Flying removes the trek and the long drives, though the short walk from the Kedarnath helipad is still at altitude. Helicopter yatra for senior citizens covers what to plan for.
• Pilgrims with limited time, back in Dehradun by the afternoon.
• Families and small groups of up to six, who fly together in one helicopter from Dehradun. Give accurate weights when you enquire, as the 410 kg total decides who can fly together.

For unhurried darshan or a night at Kedarnath, the stay package suits better.

This yatra depends on the weather at Dehradun, Phata and Kedarnath. Mornings are usually the clearest, which is why the day starts at 07:00, and a morning delay on the Phata to Kedarnath helicopter carries through to the return.

• Keep a spare day in Dehradun after your planned date, so a cloudy morning means a wait rather than a missed darshan.
• Do not book a train or flight out the same afternoon; 13:00 is tentative.

See why helicopter yatra schedules move.

Chardham and Shri Hemkund Sahib Yatra registration with Uttarakhand Tourism is mandatory, and you need it before the Kedarnath helicopter service can be booked on IRCTC. Register every pilgrim first, in the same names you will use for the tickets.

On the day, carry an original photo ID for every passenger, matching the name on the booking exactly, along with the yatra registration and the IRCTC helicopter ticket. Pack warm layers, even in June.

• The full price in writing for your date and group, with our service charges shown.
• That the quote is for the helicopter from Dehradun, and that the Kedarnath helicopter service is booked by each pilgrim themselves; we do not sell helicopter tickets.
• Every passenger's weight against the 410 kg total, and the 5 kg baggage limit.
• The payment terms: 50% of the tour cost confirms the booking, the balance is due 30 days before departure, and boarding only after full and final payment.
• The rescheduling rule: 20% of the package, only if asked 15 or more days before the journey; later it is treated as a cancellation.
• The cancellation terms: a 5% administrative fee on any cancellation, 30% of the package amount charged up to 30 days before departure, 50% up to 20 days before, and no refund within 14 days of departure or for a no-show, as set out in our terms and conditions.

1. Register for the yatra with Uttarakhand Tourism for every pilgrim.
2. Send an enquiry with the form below or call +91-9634801801, with your date and the number of adults, children and infants.
3. Get the written quote for the helicopter from Dehradun, with our service charges shown.
4. Book the Kedarnath helicopter on IRCTC. Book the Kedarnath helicopter ticket yourself on heliyatra.irctc.co.in, in each pilgrim's own name; you pay its fare to IRCTC.
5. Accept and pay the quote to confirm the booking.
6. Get the exact schedule a day before departure, and report at Shastradhara Helipad, Dehradun at the confirmed time.