Places to Visit in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is India’s pilgrimage heartland. The four Char Dham shrines — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — sit deep in the Garhwal Himalaya and open only from roughly late April to November. Rishikesh, where the Ganges meets the plains, is the traditional starting point for the yatra and a destination in its own right for yoga ashrams and white-water rafting. Plan the shrines around the opening dates, which are announced afresh each spring.