Car travels in Alipiri, doorstep pickup.

Alipiri is where the hill begins. Both routes up start here — the ghat road with its long series of hairpins, and the footpath of some 3,500 steps that pilgrims climb on foot — and every vehicle passes the TTD checkpost before it goes any further. That check is the part people forget when they plan the morning: it takes time, it takes longer at peak hours, and it can make a darshan slot tight. Tell us your slot when you book and it is counted into the start time.

Pickup tip — Say whether you are starting the climb or coming down — the waiting areas are different, and a driver told the wrong one will be on the far side of the checkpost from you.