Things to do in Rishikesh
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Rishikesh
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Sweet spot: post monsoon green, clear Himalayan views, full rafting, the park reopening and Diwali light on the ghats.
Early September is still monsoon. Late September turns into the best season as rafting resumes.
Spring: rafting in full flow, the International Yoga Festival and Holi in March, warming days. Late April heats up fast.
Hot, high 30s, with popular bigger water rafting, bigger queues, peak Char Dham traffic and Rajaji closing mid June.
Monsoon, the worst window: rafting suspended, Rajaji closed, dangerous waterfalls, leeches and landslide prone roads, plus Kanwar Yatra crowds.
Cold, clear and quiet, with superb light and the best Kunjapuri sunrises, but icy dawn dips and foggy starts.
What's on
- International Yoga Festival one week, early-to-mid March
At Parmarth Niketan, the year's biggest draw. Book rooms months ahead.
- Diwali October/November
Lamps on every ghat, a highlight worth timing a trip for.
- Maha Shivratri February/March
Neelkanth's biggest day. The town fills with devotees and movement is hard.
- Holi March
Joyous and messy. Book rooms early and wear nothing you love.
- Ganga Dussehra May/June
A major bathing festival at the ghats.
- Kanwar Yatra July-August
An avoid or embrace pilgrimage that diverts or jams highways for days in Shravan.
Best things to do in Rishikesh
Parmarth Niketan
The intimate ashram led Ganga Aarti at sunset, seated and devotional, with the giant Shiva statue beside the ghat.
Triveni Ghat
The bigger, more local Maha Aarti at the mythical confluence, with larger crowds and pilgrims taking a dip; at dawn the same ghat and the old-town lanes behind it are the unhurried version.
Ram Jhula
The 1986 suspension bridge into Swarg Ashram, best crossed on foot with stops for chai and stalls.
Janki Setu
The newer, wider pedestrian bridge downstream, used to loop back from the Swarg Ashram lane walk.
Swarg Ashram
A car free lane of ashrams, bookshops, ayurvedic pharmacies and small temples on the east bank.
Bajrang Setu
The glass walkway bridge replacing the closed Laxman Jhula. Check its status on the ground before relying on it.
Sivananda Ashram
The Divine Life Society ashram by Ram Jhula, worth a respectful look in and a traditional drop in yoga option.
Beatles Ashram
The ruined 1968 meditation academy in the forest, with domed kutias, mural art and bluffs above the river.
Where to stay in Rishikesh
Tapovan
first trip, all-round base for most visitors
Densest mix of yoga schools, cafes, hostels and hotels, walkable to the river, class and dinner.
Swarg Ashram / Muni Ki Reti
ashram base, aarti and quiet nights
The temple and ashram bank that wakes before dawn and closes early, with cafes a bridge walk away.
Riverside resort belt, Bairagarh to Singtali
honeymoons, wellness retreats and families with a driver
River frontage, lawns, pools and private ghats upstream, trading walkability for silence. Every outing is a taxi.
Old town, Triveni Ghat and the stations
pilgrims and early trains
Pilgrim hotels around the ghat and Haridwar road, with the most traffic and the least cafe and yoga infrastructure.
Shivpuri / Byasi
a night or two of river camp immersion
Beach camps at the rafting put ins, good split with Tapovan, but every aarti visit is a drive. Book named camps only.
Think twice about
- Main town, Haridwar Road and bus stand strip
Diesel traffic, constant horns, crowded pavements and tout heavy travel shops. Fine to pass through, a poor holiday base.
- Badrinath Road funnel through lower Tapovan
A honking traffic funnel at peak hours. Sleep on the side lanes or in Upper Tapovan, not on the road itself.
- Low-lying riverside spots in the monsoon
The Ganga rises fast in July and August, ghats flood and beach camps close. Question ground floor river rooms then.
- Unlit lanes and the riverbank after dark
Lanes are dark, cows are unlit and the river is unforgiving. Rishikesh is comparatively safe, but apply small town caution.
Best restaurants in Rishikesh
VARR - Temple Food of India
A sattvic fine dine built on temple food traditions, whose Naivedya Thali is the special occasion meal in town.
Las Brisas
A relaxed, plant filled cafe near the river serving Indian and Asian plates, ideal for a long lunch or slow dinner.
Pure Soul Cafe & Organic Kitchen
The organic heart of Tapovan, with salads, smoothie bowls, European leaning mains and good coffee.
Ira's Kitchen & Tearoom
A tiny, beloved tearoom for Indian and cafe food, rose chia milkshakes and muesli bowls. Go early for brunch.
Little Buddha Cafe
The institution hanging over the Ganga, with the best river view of any cafe in town and a vast traveller menu.
Jal & Jalebi
Riverside modern Indian and Garhwali cooking at Ganga Kinare, the anniversary dinner booking on the town side.
Chotiwala
The famous name since the 1950s, with a vast regional menu and thali. Go once, knowing quality is inconsistent.
Madras Cafe
The decades old south Indian institution near Ram Jhula for dosa, idli and filter coffee. Fluorescent and fast.
Outdoor things to do in Rishikesh
White-Water Rafting on the Ganga
The classic 16 km Shivpuri run has Grade II to III rapids, cliff jumps and body surfing. Book Red Chilli Adventure.
Guided Kayaking on the Ganga
Guided kayaking on the Shivpuri stretch, September to June, with the same reputable operator rules as rafting.
Jumpin Heights
India's highest fixed bungee platform at 83 metres, run with ex army and international jump masters.
Kunjapuri Temple
Drive up in the dark for sunrise over the snow peaks, then trek down 8.5 km to Neer Garh Waterfall.
Rajaji National Park
Jeep safaris in sal forest, excellent for elephants and birding, with leopards seen and tigers only a bonus.
Har Ki Pauri
Haridwar's main ghat, with an evening Ganga Aarti larger and more fervent than Rishikesh's own.
Mansa Devi Temple
A hill temple above Haridwar reached by ropeway, worth adding to a Har Ki Pauri trip if queues are sane.
Chandi Devi Temple
The second ropeway temple of the Haridwar half day, paired with Mansa Devi when queues allow.
Best hotels in Rishikesh
Ananda in the Himalayas
India's most decorated destination spa in a former palace estate, with Ayurvedic doctors and set programmes.
Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa
Villas and rooms terraced to a private Ganga beach, with a Jiva spa and strong Garhwali food, 40 minutes upstream.
Ganga Kinare - A Riverside Boutique Resort
A boutique hotel in town with its own private ghat and daily in house aarti. Ask for a river facing room.
Aloha on the Ganges
Apartment style rooms with Ganga views, a pool, spa and activity programme, at a walkable Tapovan side location.
The Hosteller Rishikesh
The current hostel benchmark, with dorms, privates, a cafe, rooftop and group activities for solo trips.
Live Free Hostel
A long standing backpacker favourite near Laxman Jhula road, with a low key cafe and rooftop yoga.
Zostel Rishikesh
India's big hostel brand's outpost, colourful and social, well located between the bridges' neighbourhoods.
Parmarth Niketan
Simple ashram rooms in gardens on the Ganga, with meals, yoga, satsang and aarti for a modest daily charge.
Is Rishikesh expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₹2,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₹6,000 a person |
| Splurge | ₹18,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- International Yoga Festival: months ahead
- White-Water Rafting on the Ganga: a few days ahead
- Guided Kayaking on the Ganga: a few days ahead
- Jumpin Heights: a few days ahead
- Kunjapuri Temple: a few days ahead
- Rajaji National Park: a few days ahead
- VARR - Temple Food of India: a few days ahead
- Jal & Jalebi: a few days ahead
- Jumpin Heights bungee days ahead for weekends and holidays. It sells out and typically closes one weekday.
- Rajaji safaris at least two days ahead. Permits and the good naturalists go first.
- Kunjapuri sunrise with a named guide operator a day or two ahead, and VARR or Jal and Jalebi for weekend dinners.
- Hotels and hostels for International Yoga Festival week, Diwali week and any long weekend fill completely.
- Rafting can usually be booked a day ahead in town, but book the operator, not the departure, and reconfirm water levels.
Is Rishikesh safe?
- No alcohol and no meat are sold in the city. Bringing alcohol in to drink conspicuously can draw police attention.
- Swim only at recognised ghats and beaches in season, never alone and never in the monsoon current. The river is cold, fast and rocky.
- Use named retreats and hotel spas for ayurveda and massage, and agree the price first.
- Leeches own the forest trails in the monsoon, and Kunjapuri and Neelkanth roads are true mountain driving.
Rishikesh travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Rafting tout pricing: the cheapest Shivpuri quote usually strips the safety kayaker, wetsuit or transport. Get inclusions in writing.
- Luxury camping listings on the highway with stock photos are the most reviewed disappointment pattern. Book named camps only.
- Commission shopping: buy gems and certified stones only if you would enjoy them at the price with the certificate worthless.
- Chotiwala and the oldest names trade on nostalgia, and Beatles Ashram foreign pricing stings. Both are fine, knowingly.
- Anyone offering rafting, swimming or waterfall trips in the monsoon, or a tiger guaranteed safari, is disqualifying themselves.
Getting around Rishikesh: public transport and more
- Walk the centre. The east bank at Swarg Ashram is effectively car free and your feet are the transport for core sights.
- Use shared vikram autos on fixed routes, and agree taxi prices, including waiting, in full before you move.
- Scooter rental in Tapovan runs about 500 to 800 rupees a day. Valid licence and helmet, no hill roads after dark or in rain.
- Leave the car at the hotel and walk. Parking near the bridges is a known pain.
- Monkeys on the bridges take visible food and loose sunglasses. Carry both closed.
- Jolly Grant airport is 45 to 60 minutes by taxi. Haridwar, with far more trains, is the practical railhead, about an hour by road.
Who Rishikesh suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Rishikesh your trip
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