Char Dham Yatra by Helicopter: What to Expect

Whenever I start my journey to the holy lands of Gods, Uttarakhand, I ensure a few factors; convenience, weather conditions, accommodations, and my journal that records my experiences. I partnered with Megamax Aviation and learned about them from their recommendations, for Char Dham yatra by charter helicopter. The ancient temples hold significant spiritual values for devotees like me. Peace, spiritual connections, and divine blessings are major influencing factors that made me choose Dham Yatra in May 2024. 

I’m Manish Kashyap, a devotee of Mahadev and my spiritual devotion reconnected me to the divine power in July 2024 when I went for Char Dham yatra. From booking an aviation company and experiencing a private charter to capturing the mesmerizing moments, the blog takes you through my experience. 

What made me go for Charter Helicopter booking?

The decision to first choose the Char Dham yatra in the month of May was dependent on the following factors:

1. The physical ability I had due to being a constant trekker and traveller, made my decision much easier. As I need not worry about my physical ability for trekking or being in the shivering cold of the Kedar. I always recommend my acquaintances to ensure their physical and mental health due to uncertain weather conditions in the hilly and rural areas.

2. The Char Dham yatra by helicopter requires complete daily accessories that passengers require. For instance, my last trip to Char Dham included warm clothes for a week, a medical kit for emergency situations, a journal that records my experiences, light luggage, and some other essentials. Though, I did the solo travelling, therefore, you should carry items according to no. of passengers. 

3. One of the most important factors that I follow before going on any trip is the medical check-up. Health should be monitored and given preference. Check for your ability to walk, run a bit, take deep breaths for better breathing, and get yourself checked from your physician. It helps in enjoying the seamless views of char dham. 

How Journey to Char Dham Began:

Here’s the complete breakdown of how the first-ever charter helicopter experience to the holy Dhams began:

1. It all started with Dehradun pick-up location

Firstly, when I consulted with the travel aviation team, they introduced me to their well-structured itinerary and relevant details. It included details about my stay, meals, pickup and drop location, darshan timings, charter flight information, etc. 

I was well received by the team from Dehradun railway station and the day summed up with our charter helicopter flight that took off at 7 AM and by 7:45 AM, we reached our hotel at Yamunotri. The team took complete care of my stay and dinner, which I appreciate a lot.

The major challenge that most passengers face during their charter journey is the weight of their luggage. I personally recommend travellers consult with your aviation team regarding the required weight that they can carry on charters. 

2. First Darshan at Yamunotri Dham

It was cold and sizzling weather when I checked out from the hotel, after refreshing snacks and breakfast arranged by the team. We reached Kharsali, our next stay location, from where I was informed about the 6 km trek, for which I was excited. We arrived at Sahastradhara Helidrome in the morning around 6:30 and took off to Kharsali Helipad in half an hour for the trek. 

The 5-6 km one-way trek to Yamunotri Dham was a stunning experience where I witnessed local culture, villages, ancient temples of Shani Dev and Yamuna Mata, beautiful rivers, and astonishing snow-capped mountains. The darshan at the holy Yamunotri Dham was well-received, making the char dham yatra by helicopter and expert team, a well-invested one. The overall trek and return to the hotel took the entire day and I concluded with eating delicious dinner and relaxing at the hotel. 

3.  Gangotri Dham Darshan

My next destination was the sacred Gangotri Dham which I reached by 8:30 in the morning by charter from the Kharsali helipad. It was the time when we also explored the local villages and culture by road transport. The team arranged a cab to cover the 20-25 km distance from the hotel at Harsil to the holy Gangotri Dham. 

I received the divine blessings in the afternoon during rush hours. However, it was the peak season when the Kapat opened, and I encountered a flood of devotees. But in the end, we all went for the divine blessings and I also got to offer my prayers to the divine. Later, we reached our hotel in Harsil for dinner and a night stay. 

4. The Holy Kedarnath Dham 

I took this photo of the holy shrine and the person shown in it is not me. Later, the charter helicopter flight took from the Jhalla helipad to Sersi/Guptkashi Heli-Base and took approximately 40 minutes to arrive. The aerial view was one-of-a-kind and memorable. The team also took care of the shuttle service that passengers require to reach Kedarnath temple. Thus, they arranged and performed all the government formalities and shifted me to the government shuttle service from their private cab. Overall, my experience was memorable and amazing, thanks to the Megamax Aviation team that arranged what was required and saved me from creating chaos and mess. 

5.  Gangotri Darshan Made Overall Yatra Complete

My journey concluded at the holy Gangotri Dham, which I reached early at 6:30 am from their reliable charter service. If given a chance, I would say they are the best helicopter charter company in India. They ensured my timely departure and arrival to every destination with reliability and comfortability. 

My darshan at the Gangotri Dham was amazing, giving me time to take in all the spiritual power and positive vibes, making my journey to finding peace possible. I also explored, during sight-seeing, the “First Village of India” which is located near the China Border. 

Finally, from Badrinath helipad to Sahastradhara Helidrome, I returned to Dehradun and then to my hometown, Delhi with prasad and holy Ganga water as a blessing for my family and friends. 

A Journey Well Experienced 

My experience was once-in-a-lifetime for me, where I captured awe-inspiring landscapes and offered prayers at the holy shrines of Char Dham. Similar to what I experienced, another devotee, Mr. Ravindra Kumar Rana, also opted for Megamax Aviaton’s Char Dham Yatra Charter Helicopter package and shared his experience, shown below. 

If you are also a traveller who loves to experience India’s spiritual power at the holy sites, you must research the places well. It took me 3-4 working days to “know-it-all” about the Char Dham yatra with/ without a helicopter. I have experienced both ways and with my experience, I recommend you to find a travel aviation partner (if opting for charter services) very carefully. Some acquaintances were not so lucky, in getting money-worth experience, as I was with Megamax Aviation. Therefore, if you need to know about the Kedarnath Badrinath Helicopter booking price or details of the overall journey, the team provides complete information.