People who search for a list of the 84 kos yatra often want one thing: a clear order. Where does it begin, where does it end, which places are inside? The honest answer is that there is no single official list. Different traditions draw the circle a little differently, and the road has changed since the old days.
What follows is a working list, the way a driver and a guide would sketch it on paper. Use it as a map of ideas, not a rule.
Who this plan suits
The yatra suits devotees with time, seven days or more by car, and a wish to go beyond the famous temples. It suits people who have already seen Vrindavan and Mathura and want the quieter forests. It does not suit anyone who needs a short break from work, or who is afraid of rough roads.
If you have only a weekend, a smaller bite is better: Govardhan and Barsana together are the heart of the circuit.
A good guide will also ask how much each person wants to walk. Some of the forests have no road to the shrine, only a footpath through fields. Knowing this before you set out saves arguments in the car.
Think of the yatra as a conversation with the land rather than a checklist. You may not reach every forest, and no one will mind.
Hour-by-hour (or day-by-day) plan
A common seven-day sketch looks like this. Day one: Vrindavan, with its ghats and old temples. Day two: Mathura and the Janmabhoomi, with Vishram Ghat. Day three: Gokul, Raman Reti, Mahavan and Baldeo. Day four: Govardhan, Radha Kund and Kusum Sarovar. Day five: Barsana, Sanket and Nandgaon. Day six: Kokilavan and Kamyavan, which lies in Rajasthan. Day seven: Bhandirvan and a return to the start.
The twelve forests are not equally easy to reach. Vrindavan, Mahavan and Bhandirvan are straightforward, others are villages or small groves. Our twelve forests guide helps you decide which to include.
Notice that most days combine one big town with one or two small places. That balance is deliberate. Villages alone tire the legs, and town temples alone crowd the mind. The mix keeps the pace human.
If you are short of time, drop Kamyavan and Bhandirvan first, since they are the farthest from the main road, and keep the core of Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Govardhan, Barsana and Nandgaon.
- Mathura: Janmabhoomi, Vishram Ghat
- Vrindavan: Banke Bihari, Kesi Ghat, Madan Mohan
- Gokul and Mahavan: Nand Bhawan, Raman Reti, Chaurasi Khamba
- Baldeo: Dauji temple
- Govardhan: Daan Ghati, Mansi Ganga, Radha Kund
- Barsana and Nandgaon
- Kamyavan and Bhandirvan
Travel times (verify with a live map)
The circuit is about 252 km by tradition, but a car covers more, because roads do not follow the old path. Most days involve one to three hours of driving. Kamyavan, in the Deeg district of Rajasthan, is roughly 80 km from Mathura, around two hours. Bhandirvan is across the Yamuna, about 30 km from Mathura.
Use these as rough figures. The state of the road, the day of the week and the fog all change them.
Add buffer for tea stops, a flat tyre or a closed bridge. In the monsoon, parts of the east bank can flood, and in Holi week the roads to Barsana close to cars.
A driver who has done the circuit before will know where the petrol is and where the road narrows to a single lane. This knowledge is more useful than any app.
Where to eat and rest
Eating is the hardest part. Gokul, Baldeo, Barsana and Nandgaon have few named restaurants that we could confirm, so carry water and dry snacks and make Mathura or Vrindavan your base for meals. Ashrams along the route sometimes serve free prasad. Take it with thanks and leave a donation.
For rest, most travellers sleep in Vrindavan or Mathura and drive out each morning. A full circuit with nights in villages is possible, but rooms are few and plain.
Carrying your own plate and a cloth bag for fruit is a quiet help to the villages, where rubbish piles up after crowds.
Official dates (verify)
I could not find an official notice with 2026 dates for the Braj yatra. Travel pages say the most popular season is October to March, and one says it traditionally starts around Chaitra Purnima, in March or April. ISKCON's Vrajamandala Parikrama in Kartik is a well-known organised walk. Check with the Mathura district administration, UP Tourism, or a temple trust for any official yatra dates.
A car yatra needs no fixed date. Choose a cool week, and avoid Holi, Janmashtami and Diwali when the roads close.
Cost shape and what is included in a lala:Cab package
A multi-day car yatra has a car and driver charged by the day, with fuel and tolls in the quote; overnight stays for driver and guests; an optional guide; and meals not included. Longer trips with Rajasthan stops add state taxes. We prefer to write a quote after hearing your dates and group size, since the price depends on the season and the car.
Variations: seniors, kids, festival days
With seniors, shorten each day to two or three stops and choose rooms near the day's last temple. With kids, add Raman Reti, where children can play in the sand, and skip the longest drives. On festival days, many roads close, so keep the schedule flexible and expect to walk. Our separate piece on doing the yatra with parents goes into this.
Questions, answered
How many days does the 84 kos yatra take by car?
About five to seven days to cover the main places, though some packages run to twelve.
Is there an official list of stops?
There is no single list. Traditions differ, so use the main stops as a guide.
Does the route enter Rajasthan?
Yes, places such as Kamyavan lie in Rajasthan, in the Braj cultural region.
Timings, entry rules and fees change. Please confirm on the day with the temple or your driver.
- Official 2026-27 yatra dates from Mathura administration or UP Tourism
- Route variations and road state
- Distances to Kamyavan and Bhandirvan
- Which forests are reachable by car
Walking this path soon?
If you would like a driver who knows the lanes and the timings, the lala:Cab app is there when you are ready. No advance, no pressure.