Rishikesh mixes the spiritual and the adventurous. Morning yoga, a riverside café, an afternoon of rafting and the Ganga aarti at Parmarth Niketan or Triveni Ghat make a perfect day. Haridwar, a major pilgrimage town, is 30 minutes away.
Highlights
- Yoga and meditation classes
- White-water rafting (roughly September to June)
- Ganga aarti at Parmarth Niketan
- The Beatles Ashram
- Haridwar’s Har ki Pauri aarti
What to eat
- Ashram thalis
- Riverside cafés with Israeli and Italian food
- Aloo puri
Where to stay
Tapovan and Laxman Jhula for cafés and yoga schools; Swarg Ashram for quiet.
Getting there
Dehradun’s Jolly Grant airport is about 30-45 minutes away; trains and buses run from Delhi (5-6 hours by road).
Tips
- Rishikesh is vegetarian and alcohol-free in the main town.
- Rafting pauses during the monsoon for safety.
- Choose a yoga school with recognised certification if doing teacher training.
Best time to visit
Sep-Nov, Feb-May. See what else is good in February and our best time to visit India guide.
Temples and shrines near Rishikesh
- Shakumbhari Devi Goddess Shakumbhari
- Neelkanth Mahadev Shiva as Neelkanth, who drank the poison of the ocean
- Har Ki Pauri The sacred ghat on the Ganga
- Mansa Devi, Haridwar Goddess Mansa Devi
Places to see in and around Rishikesh
23 places within 40 km. Tap I’ve been to add them to your India passport.
- Har Ki Pauri Temple, 18 km
- Tehri Dam Landmark, 38 km
- Rajaji National Park National park, 23 km
- Har ki Pauri Ghat, 18 km
- Ananda in the Himalayas Wellness retreat, 9 km
- Six Senses Vana Wellness retreat, 34 km
- Daksheswara Mahadev Temple Temple, 22 km
- Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar Temple, 19 km
- Tapkeshwar Temple Temple, 38 km
- Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar Temple, 18 km
- Robber's Cave Caves, 38 km
- Neelkanth Mahadev Temple Temple, 7 km
- Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib Gurdwara, 34 km
- Maya Devi Temple, Haridwar Temple, 19 km
- Mohan Pass Mountain pass, 34 km
- Raghunathji Temple, Devprayag Temple, 29 km
- Surkanda Devi Temple, 36 km
- Beatles Ashram Temple, 5 km
- Gurdwara Gyan Godri Sahib Temple, 18 km
- Uttara Museum of Contemporary Art, Dehradun Museum, 34 km
- Khalanga War Memorial Monument, 33 km
- Virbhadra Temple Temple, 3 km
- Chandrabadani Devi Temple, 38 km
Food to try in and around Rishikesh
Uttarakhand favourites to look out for.
- Kapa
- Chudkani
- Dubuk
- Jholi
- Bal mithai
- Singodi
- Malai laddu
- Daarim ki khatai
- Munsyari Rajma GI: rice or grain
The full food passport, state by state.
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