I plan to take my family to Badrinath from Delhi by road in our car and there are a few queries which I have reagrding this particular journey. I would appreciate it if members would answer my queries so I can plan my road trip properly and be prepared for anything. 1. I understand the distance between Delhi and Badrinath is about 600km. Can I go from Delhi to Badrinath by road in one day with just one stop on the way? 2. If I need to make stops 2. What are the road conditions from Delhi to Badrinath? 3. Which route is best for driving? 4. Would I come across any jams or major traffic during this time of the year?
Hello, @Sgum! Welcome to the forum! There are two routes that you can take from Delhi to Badrinath: Route No. 1 via Meerut Pauri - Delhi > Ghaziabad > Meerut > Khatauli > Miranpur > Bijnor > Kiratpur > Kotdwara > Satpuli > Karnaprayag > Joshimath > Govind Ghat > Badrinath. This route is about 549 kilometres long and can take around 15 hours to cover the distance with driving. This route bypasses the usual cities if Haridwar, Rishikesh and Srinagar so there's less traffic here. Route No. 2 via NH334 - Delhi > Sonipat > Muzaffarnagar > Roorkee > Haridwar > Rishikesh > Devaprayag > Srinagar > Karnaprayag > Joshimath > Govind Ghat > Badrinath. This route is about 548 kilometres long and can take around 15 hours to cover the distance with driving as well. It passes through other destinations so you can make them a part of your itinerary if you'd like. It is possible to drive and cover this distance within a day of you leave very early from Delhi. Keep in mind though that some roads like Rishikesh and Badrinath have night time driving restrictions. So if ever you face some delays, you risk being blocked off these stretches. Thus, it's better to cut your journey to avoid these night time driving restrictions. So for the first route, here it is again: Route No. 1 via Meerut Pauri - Delhi > Ghaziabad > Meerut > Khatauli > Miranpur > Bijnor > Kiratpur > Kotdwara > Satpuli > Karnaprayag > Joshimath > Govind Ghat > Badrinath. You can have your first stopover at Kiratpur. There are a few restaurants en route to Kiratpur like Vyanjan Vatika and SLF Family Restaurant. You can have a quick lunch here and also make the necessary toilet break. Then, your next stopover can be at Karnaprayag where there are numerous restaurants like Jhurmut Restaurant, Regal Restaurant and Jai Restaurant. There are also numerous hotels here so you can also stay the night if ever you arrive by late afternoon or evening already. Then, for the second route, here it is again: Route No. 2 via NH334 - Delhi > Sonipat > Muzaffarnagar > Roorkee > Haridwar > Rishikesh > Devaprayag > Srinagar > Karnaprayag > Joshimath > Govind Ghat > Badrinath. For this route, your first stopover can be at Haridwar. There are plenty of restaurants that you can have your lunch in here like Hoshiyar Puri, Dana Pani and Grover Restaurant. Then, your second stopover, also night halt can be at Karnaprayag. I've given your dining options above already and as mentioned there are hotels here where you can stay for the night. Another good option is Srinagar, where it has plenty of budget and luxury accommodations to choose from. Here are the road conditions for the two routes: Route No. 1 via Meerut Pauri - Delhi > Ghaziabad > Meerut > Khatauli > Miranpur > Bijnor > Kiratpur > Kotdwara > Satpuli > Karnaprayag > Joshimath > Govind Ghat > Badrinath. From From Delhi to Ghaziabad, road conditions are good. Make sure that you leave early from Delhi to avoid the rush hours in the city. But other than that, this stretch is smooth. From Ghaziabad to Meerut, road conditions are bad with potholes and rough patches. There's also traffic within this stretch so you need to reach it early within the morning. From Khatauli to Satpuli, roads are average. This stretch is very scenic though but can take a long time to traverse due to the roads. However, there's no traffic here unlike with the Roorkee Haridwar stretch. From Karnaprayag to Badrinath there are average but narrow roads. Roads are quite bumpy and has rough patches too. Route No. 2 via NH7- Delhi > Ghaziabad > Meerut > Muzaffarnagar > Roorkee > Haridwar > Rishikesh > Devaprayag > Srinagar > Karnaprayag > Joshimath > Govind Ghat > Badrinath. From Delhi to Ghaziabad, road conditions are good. You need to leave early from Delhi to avoid the rush hours in the city. But beyond that, there won't be issue on this stretch. From Ghaziabad to Meerut, road conditions are quite bad. There are plenty of potholes and traffic within this stretch so be prepared for these. Allot plenty of patience for this stretch. From Meerut to Muzaffarnagar, roads are in good conditions and quite smooth. You would reach Muzaffarnagar easily from this stretch as long as you do not encounter traffic. From Muzaffarnagar to Roorkee, road constructions are apparent so you might have to change lanes most of the time. Just be careful and look out before changing lanes. From Roorkee to Srinagar, road conditions are good again. Aside from the usual tariff, there won't be much issues on this stretch as well. From there on, Karnaprayag to Badrinath there would be narrow roads. They're also a bit bumpy and patchy so it can take you some time to pass through this stretch. Both routes have their downsides but the first route has less traffic than the second route. So I would recommend the route via Meerut Pauri instead of the route via NH7. However, the second route is appropriate for those who'd like to include Haridwar and Rishikesh in their itinerary. But if Badrinath is your sole destination, then choose the first route. From Delhi, traffic jams are quite common. If you leave early, you can avoid the traffic though. As I mentioned, the route that passes through other destinations like Haridwar and Rishikesh might have traffic even during this time of the year. So if traffic is something that you'd like to avoid, choose the route via Meerut Pauri. I hope this helps!
