Kedarnath helicopter booking, 2026
Shuttle fares from Sersi, Phata and Guptkashi, how IRCTC booking works, and private helicopter trips from Dehradun when the shuttle is sold out.
- Return fare 2026
- ₹6,390 to ₹12,762
- Flight time
- About 7 to 15 min
- Shuttle helipads
- Sersi, Phata, Guptkashi
- Shuttle booking
- IRCTC HeliYatra only
Three ways to reach Kedarnath by helicopter
The 2026 IRCTC shuttle costs ₹6,390 return from Sersi, ₹10,164 from Phata and ₹12,762 from Guptkashi per person, including GST. Seats are sold only on IRCTC HeliYatra. Private trips from Dehradun are sold separately, from about ₹85,000 per person for a same-day Ek Dham trip in a group of six.
Most pilgrims fly the short shuttle from a helipad in the Kedar valley. Families who cannot get shuttle seats, or who want to do the trip in a day from Dehradun, book a private package instead.
The shuttle runs from three helipads on the Guptkashi to Gaurikund road. In 2026 eight companies flew it under a fresh UCADA tender, and the first booking window sold all 31,450 seats in about 90 minutes.
From Dehradun, operators sell same-day trips from Sahastradhara helipad and a 20-seat Mi-17 service from Jolly Grant airport. Under the 2026 rules, charter passengers change to a shuttle at Sersi or Phata for the last leg.
If you are also visiting Badrinath, a Do Dham trip covers both shrines in one or three days. All four shrines take five nights on a Char Dham helicopter package.
Sources:ETV Bharat, 2 Apr 2026: DGCA guidelines and 2026 heli faresAaj Tak, 25 Apr 2026: Kedarnath heli shuttle sold out in 90 minutesIndian Holiday: Ek Dham Kedarnath by helicopterAmar Ujala, 28 Apr 2026: Mi-17 flights from Jolly Grant to Kedarnath and BadrinathHindutone, 9 Oct 2026: Char Dham Yatra 2026 pilgrim numbers
Kedarnath helicopter ticket price by helipad
Fares are fixed by UCADA's tender and are the same for every operator on a helipad. Round-trip fares include GST.
- Operators in 2026
- Himalayan Heli, Arrow Aircraft
- Return, incl. GST
- ₹6,390
- One way, before GST
- ₹3,043
- Flight time
- About 7 to 11 min
- Against 2025
- ₹2,449 lower
- Operators in 2026
- United Helicharters, Thumby Aviation, Rajas Aerosports, Pilgrimage Aviation
- Return, incl. GST
- ₹10,164
- One way, before GST
- ₹4,840
- Flight time
- About 9 to 11 min
- Against 2025
- ₹1,322 higher
- Operators in 2026
- Trans Bharat Aviation, Chipsan Aviation
- Return, incl. GST
- ₹12,762
- One way, before GST
- ₹6,077
- Flight time
- About 10 to 15 min
- Against 2025
- ₹318 higher
IRCTC adds a convenience fee of ₹300 plus 18% GST per passenger. Flight times come from booking guides and vary by source. Some reports spell the second Sersi operator Aero Aircraft.
Sources:ETV Bharat, 2 Apr 2026: DGCA guidelines and 2026 heli faresETV Bharat, 1 Apr 2026: eight companies to fly the Kedarnath shuttleStayVista: IRCTC HeliYatra 2026 booking guide
Tell us the dates and passengers. A specialist replies with aircraft options and an all-in price, around the clock.
How to book the Kedarnath helicopter on IRCTC
In 2026 the first window opened on 15 April at 6 PM for travel from 22 April to 15 June. All 31,450 seats sold out in about 90 minutes and 10,855 tickets were issued.
Shuttles stopped for the monsoon and restarted on 15 September after a DGCA inspection (one report gives 17 September). Post-monsoon seats were released in batches; the 22 September window covered 1 to 15 October.
- 01Register for the yatra
Uttarakhand's Char Dham registration number is required before you can book a shuttle seat.
- 02Create an IRCTC account
Sign up on HeliYatra with OTP checks on email and mobile. Your mobile number becomes the user ID.
- 03Book when a window opens
Each user can make 2 bookings with up to 6 passengers each, 12 seats in all. No more than 5 user IDs per IP address.
- 04Fly with the same ID
Carry the original government photo ID used at booking. Every passenger is weighed at the helipad.
Sources:IRCTC HeliYatra, the official Kedarnath and Hemkund shuttle booking portalAaj Tak, 25 Apr 2026: Kedarnath heli shuttle sold out in 90 minutesTravel Trade Journal, 27 Apr 2026: 31,000 Kedarnath seats bookedRepublic World, 29 Aug 2026: Kedarnath helicopters to resume 15 SeptemberFree Press Journal, 3 Sep 2026: Char Dham helicopter services resumeStayVista: IRCTC HeliYatra 2026 booking guide
Private helicopter to Kedarnath from Dehradun
These trips are not sold on IRCTC. Operators sell them directly or through agents, and Altivo Jets quotes them through licensed operators.
Charter helicopters do not land at Kedarnath directly. Under government rules, passengers change to a shuttle at Sersi or Phata for the last leg.
In the first 2026 phase, 2,065 charter flights carried 11,715 passengers alongside 12,032 shuttle flights.
We build a buffer day into every plan, because mountain weather can ground flights for hours.
- Starts from
- Sahastradhara helipad
- What it covers
- Helicopter to Sersi, shuttle to Kedarnath, darshan, return the same day
- Reported price
- From ₹85,000 per person
- Limits
- Group of 6, each under 75 kg
- Starts from
- Jolly Grant, Dehradun
- What it covers
- Twin-engine Mi-17 to Kedarnath and Badrinath, VIP darshan, food
- Reported price
- About ₹1.35 lakh per person; ₹1.5 lakh with a night's stay
- Limits
- 20 pilgrims per flight, 2 rounds a day
- Starts from
- Sahastradhara helipad
- What it covers
- Kedarnath and Badrinath in one day
- Reported price
- ₹1.1 lakh to ₹1.25 lakh per person; whole helicopter ₹7.04 lakh
- Limits
- Up to 5 passengers and 300 kg on the whole-helicopter option
- Starts from
- Sahastradhara helipad
- What it covers
- All four shrines with stays and meals
- Reported price
- ₹2 lakh to ₹2.45 lakh per person
- Limits
- About 75 kg per person, 2 to 5 kg bag
Prices are operators' published 2026 figures, or undated where the operator does not say. GST may be extra.
Sources:Indian Holiday: Ek Dham Kedarnath by helicopterAmar Ujala, 28 Apr 2026: Mi-17 flights from Jolly Grant to Kedarnath and BadrinathPawan Hans: Do Dham charter package (PDF)Indian Holiday: same-day Do Dham by helicopterJetSetGo: JetSetYatra helicopter packagesHeritage Aviation, Apr 2026: Char Dham by helicopter costIndian Holiday: 3-day Do Dham by helicopterOpenGov Asia, 28 Jun 2026: first phase of 2026 Char Dham helicopter operations
Kedarnath 2026 season and helicopter dates
| Milestone | 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shuttle starts | 21 April | One day before the temple opened |
| Temple opens | 22 April, 8 AM | Kedarnath portals opened for darshan |
| First booking phase | Travel 22 April to 15 June | Window opened 15 April, sold out in about 90 minutes |
| Monsoon break | Mid June to mid September | Shuttles halted |
| Second phase | From 15 September | One report gives 17 September |
| Temple closes | Not yet announced | Usually Bhai Dooj, which falls on 11 November 2026 |
Closing dates are announced by the temple committee each year. 2027 opening dates are normally announced in February.
Sources:ETV Bharat, 1 Apr 2026: eight companies to fly the Kedarnath shuttleSunday Guardian, 15 Feb 2026: Kedarnath reopens on 22 AprilAaj Tak, 25 Apr 2026: Kedarnath heli shuttle sold out in 90 minutesRepublic World, 29 Aug 2026: Kedarnath helicopters to resume 15 SeptemberFree Press Journal, 3 Sep 2026: Char Dham helicopter services resumeHindutone, 9 Oct 2026: Char Dham Yatra 2026 pilgrim numbers
Weight, baggage and passenger rules
- Carry the original photo ID used at booking; names must match.
- Your Char Dham registration number is needed to book.
- Baggage is limited to about 2 kg per passenger.
- Every passenger is weighed. Some helipads charge about ₹150 per kg above roughly 80 kg.
- Infants under 2 fly free on a parent's lap; from age 2 the full fare applies.
- A sortie carries no more than 2 children and 2 infants.
- Flights run between sunrise and sunset and stop in bad weather. Keep a spare day.
- Shuttle seats bought from anyone other than IRCTC carry a fraud risk, and authorities warn against them.
Sources:StayVista: IRCTC HeliYatra 2026 booking guideETV Bharat, 5 Feb 2026: Char Dham Yatra preparations and flight cutsETV Bharat, 1 Apr 2026: eight companies to fly the Kedarnath shuttle
What changed after the 2025 crashes
Two helicopters crashed during the 2025 yatra. On 8 May an Aerotrans helicopter came down near Gangnani in Uttarkashi, killing six people. On 15 June an Aryan Aviation Bell 407 flying from Kedarnath to Guptkashi crashed near Gaurikund in low visibility, killing all seven on board.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA paused services, suspended Aryan Aviation's Char Dham operations and set up a command and control room. The 2026 season ran under these rules, and the first phase (April to 26 June) finished without an incident.
- Flights run from sunrise to sunset only, and no flight leaves in sudden bad weather.
- Shuttle frequency on the Kedarnath route was cut by 30%, with Guptkashi capped at 24 shuttles a day.
- Air traffic control at Sahastradhara and Sersi, 33 PTZ cameras, two command centres and a tracker on every helicopter.
- Five automatic weather stations with ceilometers, at Sitapur, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Jhala and Kharsali.
- Pilots need at least 750 hours of mountain flying, 100 of them in the past year, and at least 10 landings at Kedarnath.
- Passenger load is capped at 70% of maximum capacity, and charter flights in the valley are restricted.
Sources:USDMA: 8 May 2025 helicopter crash near GangnaniNews On AIR, 15 Jun 2025: safety protocols after the Kedarnath crashETV Bharat, 5 Feb 2026: Char Dham Yatra preparations and flight cutsETV Bharat, 2 Apr 2026: DGCA guidelines and 2026 heli faresOpenGov Asia, 28 Jun 2026: first phase of 2026 Char Dham helicopter operations
Helicopters that fly the Kedar valley
Shuttles and Do Dham charters use single-engine helicopters such as the Bell 407 and the Airbus H125 (AS350 B3), carrying up to five or six passengers. The Jolly Grant service uses a twin-engine Mi-17.
Kedarnath helicopter operators, 2026
The eight shuttle companies picked in UCADA's 2026 tender, plus the operator behind the published Do Dham charter. Each page shows the operator's DGCA permit and fleet.
Sersi shuttle, 2026
Sersi shuttle, 2026 (also reported as Aero Aircraft)
Phata shuttle, 2026
Phata shuttle, 2026
Phata shuttle, 2026
Phata shuttle, 2026
Guptkashi shuttle, 2026
Guptkashi shuttle, 2026
Same-day Do Dham charter from Sahastradhara
Sources:ETV Bharat, 2 Apr 2026: DGCA guidelines and 2026 heli faresPawan Hans: Do Dham charter package (PDF)
Questions, answered
Still deciding? A charter specialist will talk you through aircraft, airports and price, with no obligation.
Ask a specialistHow do I book a helicopter for Kedarnath?+
Register for the Char Dham Yatra, create an account on IRCTC HeliYatra with your mobile number, and book when a window opens. Each user can make two bookings of up to six passengers. Private trips from Dehradun are booked with an operator or through Altivo Jets, not on IRCTC.
What is the price of a helicopter to Kedarnath in 2026?+
Return fares including GST are ₹6,390 from Sersi, ₹10,164 from Phata and ₹12,762 from Guptkashi, plus IRCTC's convenience fee. A same-day private trip from Dehradun starts at about ₹85,000 per person in a group of six.
When does Kedarnath helicopter booking open?+
IRCTC releases seats in phases. In 2026 the first window opened on 15 April at 6 PM for travel from 22 April, and later windows opened in September for the post-monsoon phase. 2027 dates follow the temple's opening date, usually announced in February.
Kedarnath ke liye helicopter kahan se milta hai?+
The shuttle leaves from Sersi, Phata and Guptkashi helipads on the Guptkashi to Gaurikund road. Private helicopters leave from Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun, and the Mi-17 service from Jolly Grant airport.
Is the Kedarnath helicopter running now?+
The second 2026 phase started on 15 September and runs until the temple closes, subject to weather. The closing date had not been announced by 9 October; it is usually Bhai Dooj, 11 November in 2026.
Can I fly directly from Dehradun to Kedarnath?+
Yes, as a private trip or package. Under the 2026 rules, charter passengers switch to a shuttle at Sersi or Phata for the final leg.
Can Altivo Jets book IRCTC shuttle tickets for me?+
No. Shuttle seats are sold only on IRCTC HeliYatra, and the authorities warn about fake sites. We arrange private helicopters and packages from Dehradun through licensed operators.
What is the weight limit for the Kedarnath helicopter?+
Every passenger is weighed. Private packages assume about 75 kg per person, and some shuttle helipads charge about ₹150 per kg above roughly 80 kg. Baggage is limited to about 2 kg.
Is the Kedarnath helicopter safe?+
After two crashes in 2025, flights were cut by 30%, ATC towers and weather stations were added, and pilots need at least 750 hours of mountain flying. The first 2026 phase finished without an incident.
Fares, dates and rules on this page were checked on 13 October 2026. Official fares and schedules change every season; the operator or authority named in each source has the final word.
- 1.ETV Bharat, 2 Apr 2026: DGCA guidelines and 2026 heli fares
- 2.Aaj Tak, 25 Apr 2026: Kedarnath heli shuttle sold out in 90 minutes
- 3.Indian Holiday: Ek Dham Kedarnath by helicopter
- 4.Amar Ujala, 28 Apr 2026: Mi-17 flights from Jolly Grant to Kedarnath and Badrinath
- 5.Hindutone, 9 Oct 2026: Char Dham Yatra 2026 pilgrim numbers
- 6.ETV Bharat, 1 Apr 2026: eight companies to fly the Kedarnath shuttle
- 7.StayVista: IRCTC HeliYatra 2026 booking guide
- 8.IRCTC HeliYatra, the official Kedarnath and Hemkund shuttle booking portal
- 9.Travel Trade Journal, 27 Apr 2026: 31,000 Kedarnath seats booked
- 10.Republic World, 29 Aug 2026: Kedarnath helicopters to resume 15 September
- 11.Free Press Journal, 3 Sep 2026: Char Dham helicopter services resume
- 12.Pawan Hans: Do Dham charter package (PDF)
- 13.Indian Holiday: same-day Do Dham by helicopter
- 14.JetSetGo: JetSetYatra helicopter packages
- 15.Heritage Aviation, Apr 2026: Char Dham by helicopter cost
- 16.Indian Holiday: 3-day Do Dham by helicopter
- 17.OpenGov Asia, 28 Jun 2026: first phase of 2026 Char Dham helicopter operations
- 18.Sunday Guardian, 15 Feb 2026: Kedarnath reopens on 22 April
- 19.ETV Bharat, 5 Feb 2026: Char Dham Yatra preparations and flight cuts
- 20.USDMA: 8 May 2025 helicopter crash near Gangnani
- 21.News On AIR, 15 Jun 2025: safety protocols after the Kedarnath crash
Plan a private Kedarnath trip.
A specialist replies around the clock with aircraft options, the operator's name and an all-in price.