IN · Uttarakhand · 30.11°N 78.30°E

rishikesh

Ganges-side yoga, evening lamps and rafting below the Himalayan foothills.

Best time
February–April and October–November are warm and dry, and the rafting runs on either side of the monsoon. May–June is hot, July–August brings heavy rain and stops the rafting, and winter mornings are cold.
How long
3 days
Getting there
Fly direct from KL to Delhi (about 5.5 hours), then it's an hour's flight to Dehradun and 40 minutes by road. Or take the train from Delhi to Haridwar (about 4.5 hours) and drive 45 minutes on. India is 2.5 hours behind KL.
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IN · Uttarakhandrishikesh30.11°N 78.30°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Ganges-side yoga, evening lamps and rafting below the Himalayan foothills.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingRishikeshIN, Uttarakhand
KLrishikesh
≈ 3,879 km from KL, as the crow flies
:13 storied Trayambakeshwar Temple of Shiva near Laxman Jhula bridge at Rishikesh in Uttarakhand

Photo: VK1983 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Rishikesh sits where the Ganges leaves the Himalayan foothills, with ashrams, yoga schools and cafés along both banks. Days here are yoga, riverside walks and evening aarti, with a rafting trip upstream if you want some speed.

Makan

  1. Aloo puriPuffy fried bread with spiced potato curry, the standard breakfast.Map ↗
  2. ThaliRice, roti, dal and seasonal vegetables, refilled at ashram canteens and roadside dhabas.Map ↗
  3. Lemon ginger honey teaThe café staple, good on a chilly evening by the river.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Evening aartiLamps, bells and chanting at dusk, at Triveni Ghat or on the steps of the big Parmarth Niketan ashram.Map ↗
  2. The Beatles AshramThe forest ashram where the Beatles stayed in 1968, now crumbling meditation huts covered in murals.Map ↗
  3. YogaDrop-in classes at long-running ashrams, or residential courses of a week or more.Map ↗
  4. RaftingGuided rafts run the rapids upstream of town, from gentle half-day floats to longer white-water runs.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Meat and alcohol aren't sold in Rishikesh, so all the food is vegetarian.
  • Rafting trips are named by their starting point: Shivpuri is the short, gentler run, while Marine Drive and Kaudiyala are longer and rougher.
  • Footbridges are few, so a hotel that looks close across the river can be a long walk away.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.