Har Ki Pauri, 'the steps of the Lord', is the most sacred ghat in Haridwar, at the point where the Ganga leaves the mountains for the plains. A footprint said to be Vishnu's is kept here. Pilgrims bathe at Brahmakund through the day, and at dusk the Ganga Aarti fills the banks with lamps, bells and chanting. It is the centre of the Kumbh Mela, held in Haridwar every twelve years.

Devprayag is where the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda meet to form the Ganga, the last and most sacred of the five confluences of Garhwal. The clear green and silty waters run side by side before merging below the town. Steps lead down to the bathing ghat at the point, pilgrims hold on to chains against the current, and the ancient Raghunath temple stands above.

Dhari Devi Temple stands on a platform in the Alaknanda River between Srinagar and Rudraprayag. The goddess is regarded as the guardian of the Char Dham shrines, and local belief holds that her image changes appearance through the day. The idol was raised when a dam flooded the original rock, and the shrine now sits high above the water, reached by a footbridge from the highway.

Rudraprayag is one of the five sacred confluences of the Alaknanda, where the Mandakini flowing down from Kedarnath joins it. A long flight of steps leads from the town to the meeting point, with a small temple to Rudranath and Chamunda Devi above the water. The roads to Kedarnath and Badrinath divide here, so most Char Dham pilgrims pass through.

Kedarnath is one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Shiva and the most remote of the Char Dham shrines, at about 3,580 metres below the Kedarnath peak. The grey stone temple is traditionally said to have been built by the Pandavas and revived by Adi Shankaracharya. It is reached by a trek of roughly 16 km from Gaurikund, or by helicopter, and opens only from about May to November.

Triyuginarayan Temple, in a village above Sonprayag, is believed to be the place where Shiva and Parvati were married, with Vishnu as witness. A fire in front of the temple is said to have burned continuously since that wedding, and pilgrims add wood to it and carry away the ash. The stone temple resembles Kedarnath in style. It has become a popular wedding venue.

The Omkareshwar Temple at Ukhimath is the winter seat of Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar: when snow closes those shrines, their deities are brought here in procession and worshipped until spring. The stone temple, with a painted wooden facade, is also linked with the wedding of Usha and Aniruddha. Ukhimath faces Kedarnath peak across the Mandakini valley.

The Gopinath Temple in Gopeshwar is one of the largest and oldest Shiva temples in Garhwal, generally dated to between the 9th and 11th centuries. Its tall stone tower rises over a sanctum with many doorways. In the courtyard stands a huge iron trident about five metres high bearing old inscriptions. The deity of Rudranath is worshipped here in winter.

Badrinath Temple, on the bank of the Alaknanda at about 3,100 metres, is dedicated to Vishnu and is one of the Char Dham, the four great pilgrimage sites of India. Its brightly painted facade stands between the Nar and Narayan ranges with Neelkanth peak behind. Pilgrims bathe in the Tapt Kund hot spring before entering. The temple is open from about late April to November.

Mana, three kilometres beyond Badrinath, is the last Indian village on the old trade route to Tibet, home to the Bhotia community. Stone lanes lead to Vyas Gufa, the cave where the sage Vyasa is said to have composed the Mahabharata, and to Bhim Pul, a natural rock bridge over the Saraswati River. Villagers sell woollens they weave themselves. It is inhabited only in summer.

Karnaprayag is one of the five sacred confluences of the Alaknanda, where the Pindar River from the Pindari Glacier joins it. It is named after Karna of the Mahabharata, who is said to have worshipped the sun here. Steps lead down to the meeting of the two rivers, and the Uma Devi temple stands above. The roads to Badrinath and to Kumaon divide in the town.