Kedarnath Helicopter Booking 2026: The IRCTC HeliYatra Process, Fares & Rules
The helicopter turns the 16 km trek into a 10–12 minute flight from a helipad at Phata, Sirsi or Guptkashi to the Kedarnath helipad, about 500 metres from the temple. For elderly pilgrims and tight schedules, it changes the trip entirely.
It is also the single most scammed part of the Kedarnath yatra. Here is how it genuinely works.
The rules that matter before anything else
Registration first. You cannot book a helicopter ticket without completing Uttarakhand Yatra registration (registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in — the process is in our Ayodhya to Kedarnath guide). Keep your registration/Group ID handy.
One official sales channel. Tickets are sold on the IRCTC helicopter portal (heliyatra.irctc.co.in) and nowhere else. Not on WhatsApp, not through Instagram ads, not through "agents" who DM you. If someone offers a guaranteed seat for a markup, it is not a real ticket.
What it costs
Fares vary by season, helipad and operator, and are revised most years — budget roughly ₹5,000–9,000 per person for the round trip, and confirm the live fare for your date on the IRCTC portal before planning around it. The Guptkashi helipad sits furthest from Kedarnath, which is why it is usually the most expensive of the three.
Booking, step by step
- 1 Complete Yatra registration and note your Group/Registration ID.
- 2 Log in to heliyatra.irctc.co.in with your registered mobile number.
- 3 Enter your registration details and choose the departure helipad (Phata, Sirsi or Guptkashi) and date.
- 4 Add each passenger — including their weight, because loading is weight-and-balance managed.
- 5 Pay online (card, net banking or UPI) and download the PDF ticket with its barcode.
On the day
- Report two hours before departure. Boards slip if you are late, and there are no refunds for latecomers.
- Baggage is limited — around 2–5 kg per passenger, soft bags only. The rest stays in your Sonprayag or Guptkashi hotel.
- Passengers over roughly 80 kg may pay a weight surcharge at the helipad.
- Same-day tickets give you a few hours at the temple; overnight tickets let you stay for the evening and morning aarti. Choose overnight if you have travelled this far.
- Weather cancels flights. This is the mountains — fog and wind ground helicopters regularly. Keep a buffer day, and be ready to take the trek instead.
Should you take it?
Take the helicopter if you are short on time, or travelling with parents who cannot do a 16 km climb. Take the trek if you can — the trail through the valley is a big part of why people come back. Many families do one direction each way, which is a genuinely good compromise.
Getting from Ayodhya to the helipad
The helipads are on the Haridwar–Guptkashi road, so the journey up from Ayodhya is the same as for trekkers: two driving days, or train to Haridwar and road from there. Our taxi guide covers vehicles and fares, and our desk books the whole sequence — cab, halts, registration help and heli slots — if you would rather not assemble it yourself. Message us with your dates.
Planning this trip?
Talk to our Ayodhya desk before you book anything.
We are a local Ayodhya agency — hotels, darshan passes, AC cabs and guides arranged by the same team that meets you at the airport. Rated 4.9 on Google by pilgrims who travelled with us.
Written by the Go Ayodhya desk
A local team on Deokali Bypass, Ayodhya — we run the ground ourselves, not through sub-contractors. Anything in this guide we can also arrange for your dates: about us or talk to us.
