This guide is about the Kedarkantha Trek — dates, price, day-by-day itinerary and booking are on the trek page.
Quick answer: The core Kedarkantha trek do's and don'ts: bring original photo ID, a doctor-signed medical certificate and high-altitude insurance, draw cash in Dehradun, and report any headache at once. Do not carry alcohol or non-prescribed drugs; they get you removed with no refund. Offloaded bags are capped at 9 kg, and summit day starts at 2:00 AM.
These are the rules and good practice on Trekkaro's Kedarkantha trek, a 5-day trek from Sankri to Sankri with up to 20 trekkers and one leader or guide for every 8. Every point comes from Trekkaro's own terms, safety checks and services, set out in the order you meet them.
Pacing and layering tips are in mistakes first-timers make, and the kit list is in the winter trek packing list.
What should you do before you leave home?
Sort out documents and bookings at home.
Do
- Book before 5 PM (India time) on the day before departure, because booking closes then.
- Get the medical certificate form from My Bookings signed by your doctor, because each trekker must hand one in.
- Buy travel insurance that covers high-altitude trekking and helicopter evacuation, because it is mandatory and not part of the fee.
- Pack your original photo ID and a photocopy, because the original is checked on the trek.
- Book backpack offloading at least 15 days ahead if you want it, because last-minute requests at Sankri may cost more.
- Ask your doctor about altitude sickness and Diamox, because Kedarkantha carries some risk at 3,810 m.
- Train until you can walk briskly for 4–5 hours, because summit day alone is 8–9 hours on foot.
- Fly into Jolly Grant Airport the day before, because the cab leaves Dehradun at 06:30 AM on Day 1.
Don't
- Don't cancel within 7 days of departure if you can avoid it, because you get nothing back, not even a voucher.
- Don't pack a suitcase, trolley or duffel bag for offloading, because only a backpack of up to 9 kg is carried.
- Don't hide a medical condition, because the leader needs to know your conditions and medicines before Day 1.
What should you do in Dehradun and Sankri?
Dehradun is your last easy stop for cash; Sankri is your last stop for signal.
Do
- Withdraw cash in Dehradun and carry small notes, because cards are not accepted on the trail.
- Be at Dehradun Railway Station before 06:30 AM, because the shared cab leaves at that time.
- Carry money for meals on the 8–9 hour drive, because meals in transit are not included.
- Make important calls and tell your family your plans in Sankri, because there is no signal on the trail after it.
- Leave clothes and bags you do not need in Trekkaro's store in Sankri, because the store is free of charge.
- Attend the gear check and trek briefing on Day 1, because Free Trekking Gear is checked and handed out there.
Don't
- Don't count on an ATM in Sankri, because Purola has the last reliable ATM on the road.
- Don't expect every network to work, because only Jio works consistently in Sankri.
- Don't leave valuables in the luggage store, because valuables stay with you on the trek.
What are the rules on the trail and at camp?
From Day 2 to Day 5 you live in tents at Juda Ka Talab (2,773 m / 9,100 ft) and base camp (3,429 m / 11,250 ft).
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Turn up for the SpO2, pulse and blood pressure check twice a day, because a falling reading is acted on before it turns into AMS. | Don't sit on a headache, nausea, dizziness or breathlessness, because the leader needs to hear about it at once. |
| Share your tent as allotted, three to a tent, because men and women sleep in separate tents and women share only with women. | Don't swap into a mixed tent, because Trekkaro keeps tents single-gender; book a single tent (₹2,000 + 5% GST) if you want privacy. |
| Drink the camp water, because it is boiled or chlorine-treated. | Don't expect a phone call from camp, because the team talks on HF radio and there is no mobile signal. |
| Follow the leader's call to rest or go down, because the trek leader's decision on health and safety is final. | Don't push on against that call, because no doctor travels with the batch; leaders are trained in Wilderness First Aid. |
What should you do and avoid on summit day?
Day 4 is the longest day: a 2:00 AM start from base camp, sunrise on the 3,810 m / 12,500 ft summit, and the walk down to Juda Ka Talab, about 9 km in 8–9 hours. The cold and the dark are covered in Kedarkantha at night; these are the rules for the climb itself.
Do
- Go to bed early after the summit-day briefing on Day 3, because the start is at 2:00 AM.
- Wear the microspikes and gaiters from your Free Trekking Gear, because the climb is on steep snow in winter.
- Keep your cap on at the summit, even for photos, because taking it off in the pre-dawn cold is the summit-day mistake trek leader Guddu Panwar sees most often, and it is dangerous.
- Keep your headlamp ready before you leave your tent, because the climb begins in full darkness.
- Turn around when the leader tells you to, because the leader's call on health and safety is final.
Don't
- Don't wander off the route the team leads you on, because reckless behaviour is a reason to remove a trekker.
- Don't hide breathlessness or dizziness to reach the top, because these must be reported to the leader at once.
What can get you sent down from the trek?
These Kedarkantha trek rules carry the hardest consequence. Trekkaro can remove a trekker for any of the following.
| Reason for removal | What happens |
|---|---|
| Alcohol or non-prescribed drugs on the trail | Removed from the trek; no refund, partial refund or TrekCash Voucher |
| Smoking in prohibited zones | Removed from the trek; no refund, partial refund or TrekCash Voucher |
| Reckless behaviour or misconduct | Removed from the trek; no refund, partial refund or TrekCash Voucher |
| Health: AMS, hypertension, cardiac symptoms, or fitness that is a safety risk | Asked to rest or descend; no refund or voucher for the days missed |
In every case, extra transport and exit costs are yours. Once the trek starts on Day 1, there is no refund or voucher for any reason. Prescribed medicines are fine; tell the leader what you take before Day 1.
What should you know about money, phone and luggage?
From Day 2 to Day 5 you are off the grid, between Sankri and the summit.
- Carry a charged power bank, because charging is limited after Sankri.
- Your backpack stays on your back unless you book offloading at ₹1,500 + 5% GST for the whole trek.
- Free Trekking Gear (Decathlon trekking shoes, a -10°C jacket, trekking poles, gaiters and microspikes) needs a ₹3,000 refundable deposit and a ₹200 washing charge, with no rental fee.
- A late train or bus home works best, because the cab reaches Dehradun Railway Station at about 06:00 PM on Day 5.
Plans can shift once you have booked. Cancel 30 or more days before departure for a 70% refund, 15–29 days for 50%, and 8–14 days for no cash refund; at 7 days or less, or as a no-show, you get nothing. Up to 8 days before departure you can take a 100% TrekCash Voucher (valid 1 year), one free reschedule, or a transfer instead.
What does the Kedarkantha trek cost?
The fee is ₹9,000 per person plus 5% GST (₹9,450 with GST). EMI starts at ₹463 a month. It covers the Sankri guesthouse, tents, meals on the trek, national park permits, the trek leader and guides, and Free Trekking Gear. The shared cab is ₹1,000 per person each way, so the all-in cost from Dehradun is ₹11,450. See the Kedarkantha trek page for live batch dates.
See Kedarkantha trek dates and book | How to reach Sankri | Kedarkantha difficulty and fitness
Frequently asked questions
Is alcohol allowed on the Kedarkantha trek?
No. Alcohol or non-prescribed drugs on the trail are grounds for removal from the trek. A removed trekker gets no refund, partial refund or TrekCash Voucher and pays their own exit costs.
Can I smoke on the Kedarkantha trek?
Smoking in prohibited zones is one of the rule violations that can get you removed from the trek. Removal means no refund, partial refund or TrekCash Voucher, and exit costs are yours.
Can women trek Kedarkantha alone with Trekkaro?
Yes. Tents are shared by three, men and women sleep in separate tents, and women share only with women. A single tent is available for ₹2,000 + 5% GST for the whole trek.
Can I leave extra luggage in Sankri?
Yes. Luggage you do not need on the trail can stay free of charge in Trekkaro's store in Sankri. Keep your valuables with you.
What happens if I fall sick on the trek?
Tell the trek leader at once; SpO2, pulse and blood pressure are checked twice a day, and each batch carries a portable oxygen cylinder and an emergency stretcher. If you are not fit to continue, the leader asks you to rest or descend, and that decision is final.
