Rishikesh travel guide: 3 nights for the aarti, ashrams and rafting

Where to sleep: Tapovan, Swarg Ashram or Muni ki Reti

Rishikesh is a long, narrow town on both banks of the Ganga, and the area you choose decides whether you walk to the aarti or take a taxi to it. Tapovan, at the Lakshman Jhula end of town, is where most travellers stay: the Ministry of Tourism's Incredible India page calls the Laxman Jhula area a hub of cafes and restaurants serving Indian and international food, and Tapovan a mix of budget eateries and upscale restaurants. goSTOPS Rishikesh, Lakshman Jhula, whose Deluxe Private AC Room with an ensuite bathroom is the room priced in this guide's budget, is in this area.

Swarg Ashram, on the east bank across Ram Jhula, is the quiet side: Uttarakhand Tourism describes it as a cluster of ashrams, most of them offering courses in yoga and spiritual studies, and Parmarth Niketan, one of the ashrams the Ministry of Tourism names around Ram Jhula, holds its evening aarti here. Cars cannot cross the footbridges, so arrive by taxi at the Muni ki Reti parking lot near Ram Jhula and walk or take the motor boat across, as Parmarth Niketan's directions explain.

Muni ki Reti, across the river from Swarg Ashram at Ram Jhula, has the parking lot where taxis stop and, Uttarakhand Tourism notes, taxis and buses run there from Rishikesh railway station. The Ministry of Tourism describes Rishikesh as a vegetarian-only and alcohol-free city, so expect no meat or bar on any menu in these areas.

The evening aarti: Parmarth Niketan and Triveni Ghat

Parmarth Niketan is the largest ashram in Rishikesh, by its own account, founded in the early 1940s by Swami Shukdevanand on the east bank beside Ram Jhula; Uttarakhand Tourism dates it to 1942. Its sunset Ganga Aarti, on the ashram's own ghat, draws between hundreds and thousands of people a day: lamps are offered to the river with devotional songs and prayers, and the ashram stresses that you need neither Hindi nor Sanskrit to follow it. The aarti begins every day at sunset, and the yagna, a fire ritual, starts at the ghat half an hour before; the time changes with the season, so ask at the reception, which is open from 8 am to 8 pm.

Triveni Ghat, in the heart of town, is the bathing ghat where most pilgrims take a dip before visiting the temples, as Uttarakhand Tourism puts it, and where tradition places the meeting of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. The Ministry of Tourism describes its evening aarti as priests lighting lamps and offering prayers, with diyas floating on the water to the sound of bells and drums; it takes place every evening at dusk and lasts about 45 minutes. Nearby is Bharat Mandir, one of the oldest shrines in Rishikesh, a Vishnu temple whose image is carved from a single black stone.

Go to one aarti on your first evening and the other on the second: Parmarth's is held at the ashram's own ghat on the east bank, Triveni Ghat's on the town's main bathing ghat among pilgrims. At Parmarth, dress as the ashram asks its guests to, with shoulders and calves covered.

Across Ram Jhula: Swarg Ashram, Gita Bhawan and the Beatles Ashram

Ram Jhula is the suspension bridge in the middle of town, open to pedestrians, cycles and two-wheelers but not cars, as the Ministry of Tourism describes it, and it sways a little as you cross. Upstream, Lakshman Jhula, a 137 m suspension bridge built in 1939 at 21 m above the river, is in Uttarakhand Tourism's words the most iconic structure in Rishikesh, on the spot where Lakshmana is said to have crossed the Ganga on jute ropes. Check on the spot whether it is open to walkers; this guide sends you across at Ram Jhula: Uttarakhand Tourism describes a 3 km walk from Lakshman Jhula to Ram Jhula along a road of small shops, and Parmarth Niketan's directions add a motor boat across from the Muni ki Reti parking lot. The markets along the ghats sell carved idols, incense sticks and kurtas.

Gita Bhawan, near Lakshman Jhula, has walls painted with scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, runs a free Ayurvedic dispensary and has a branch of the Gita Press, Uttarakhand Tourism notes. Sivananda Ashram is the other ashram the Ministry of Tourism names there, with Parmarth Niketan.

The Beatles Ashram, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's former ashram, also called Chaurasi Kutia (the sanctuary of 84 cottages), stands in a forest patch in the Swarg Ashram area. The Beatles stayed from February to April 1968, and the Ministry of Tourism says they wrote most of the songs of the White Album here; Uttarakhand Tourism puts the number of songs composed during the stay at nearly 48. The ashram was abandoned in the 1990s. Today you climb a steep path to the beehive-shaped meditation huts and the old lecture hall, the 'Beatles Cathedral', both covered in murals and lyrics. The Ministry of Tourism's Incredible India page lists it as open from 10:00 to 16:00; ask at the gate for the entry fee.

Yoga and ashram stays

Rishikesh has yoga at every level, from drop-in classes in Tapovan studios to residential courses in the ashrams; Uttarakhand Tourism notes that both ashrams and resorts run sessions and courses. Parmarth Niketan has several hundred simple rooms, many with Western-style bathrooms and hot water, and its Parmarth School of Yoga runs residential courses and retreats that include the room, vegetarian sattvic meals, daily yoga and the evening aarti. Its calendar lists week-long courses and retreats through the year, with dates on the school's website. Parmarth does not publish prices for its rooms or courses; reserve through the forms on its website, and if no reply comes within three days, send a reminder, as the ashram asks.

An ashram is not a hotel. Parmarth's guidelines say it accepts guests who come for sadhana, meditation and satsang, expects them to join the evening aarti, asks for clothing that covers the shoulders, midriff and calves (white for yoga students), keeps silence from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am, and forbids smoking, alcohol, drugs, eggs and other non-vegetarian food. Arrive between 8 am and 9 pm, when someone is at reception, and check out before 11 am.

The International Yoga Festival is, in Parmarth Niketan's own words, organised by the ashram each year: a week of more than 60 hours of classes in styles from Kundalini and Iyengar to Kriya yoga, with talks by spiritual teachers. Dates change each year; Parmarth Niketan announces them on its school's website.

Rafting the Ganga: season, rules and prices

The rapids upstream of Rishikesh are the reason many people come. Uttarakhand Tourism describes Shivpuri, 19 km from town, as a popular destination for white-water rafting and the Shivpuri to Lakshman Jhula stretch, around 11 km, as the commonest rafting run; the operator priced below also starts longer runs at Marine Drive and Kaudiyala. Byasi, 30 km upstream, is another hub for rafting and water sports.

Rafting in Uttarakhand is licensed by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board. Under the state's rafting rules, the season on the Ganga runs from 1 September to 30 June, or as the board directs according to the water in the river. Rafts may carry at most eight passengers with a guide and a trainee guide (six in the smaller 14-foot rafts), helmets are compulsory, and alcohol and smoking are prohibited; a guide must refuse anyone who is intoxicated. Rafters must be between 14 and 65 years old, and kayakers between 18 and 50. Each licensed operator must display its minimum and maximum rafting charges in its office and on its website.

Prices are the operators' own. River & Rock Adventure, a Muni ki Reti operator registered on Uttarakhand Tourism's travel-trade list, lists these runs per person (checked 17 October 2026): 9 km from Club House to NIM Beach INR 600, 12 km from Brahmpuri to Ram Jhula INR 800, 16 km from Shivpuri to NIM Beach INR 1,200, and 25 km from Marine Drive to NIM Beach INR 2,200, with life jackets and safety gear included. Its Brahmpuri run ends at Ram Jhula and the others at NIM Beach, while Uttarakhand Tourism's 11 km stretch from Shivpuri ends at Lakshman Jhula. No official map places Club House, Brahmpuri or NIM Beach, so when you book at the operator's office at Kailash Gate in Muni ki Reti, choose a price that includes the drive to the start and the pick-up at the finish. The operator's own page sets a minimum age of 12, a maximum of 60 and a weight range of 40 to 110 kg, which differs from the state rule above, so check which limits apply to you before you book. The same operator sells riverside camps and cottages: an AC luxury cottage for two costs INR 4,000 a person, with all meals from a buffet. The 16 km run from Shivpuri fits into a morning, with time to dry off before the evening aarti.

Book rafting for a dry-season morning and keep a spare day. Do not swim off the ghats or the river beaches; get into the water only on a raft trip, in the life jacket the operator provides: the UK government says there are strong currents in rivers and that people drown every year. It also says the monsoon in India usually runs from June to November and can cause flash flooding and landslides, particularly in mountainous areas, as well as road closures; the health and safety guide covers the monsoon in full, and the best time to visit India compares the regions month by month.

Off the river, Uttarakhand Tourism lists a waterfall trek on well-marked paths, and the Ministry of Tourism names the Neer Gaddu waterfall, with cafes in Jonk Village for afterwards. Uttarakhand Tourism also lists the Kunjapuri trek for views of the snow peaks, a zipline over the Ganga, and bungee jumping at Mohanchatti from up to 83 m, with a flying fox and swings at the same site. Shri Neelkanth Mahadev Mandir, a Shiva temple the Ministry of Tourism names among Rishikesh's temples, is not part of this plan; ask your hotel about the road before you go.

Haridwar and getting there: Har Ki Pauri, trains, the airport and the bus

Haridwar, downstream where the Ganga reaches the plains, is the pilgrim city to Rishikesh's ashram town, and its railway station, Haridwar Junction, is the main railhead for both. Har Ki Pauri, 'the footsteps of the gods', is its most sacred ghat: the Ministry of Tourism places Brahma Kund, where drops of amrita are believed to have fallen, beside it. Uttarakhand Tourism describes the aarti held there at dusk every day with towering lamps, temple bells, conch shells and hundreds of diyas and flowers floating on the river; the evening ritual is the one most visitors come for.

Above the city, the Mansa Devi temple on the Shivalik hills forms a pilgrimage circuit with Chandi Devi and Maya Devi. Usha Breco's ropeway climbs to it in four-seat cabins, 576 m one way with a rise of 171 m, and a second ropeway serves Chandi Devi on Neel Parvat. In town, the Ministry of Tourism names Moti Bazaar, the old market north of the canal, for bangles, sweets and Ayurvedic medicine.

Haridwar is easy to add on your last day: buses and taxis run between the two towns, as Uttarakhand Tourism notes. See Har Ki Pauri and the ropeway in the afternoon, stay for the aarti, and take an evening train from Haridwar, or spend a night there if your train leaves early the next day.

By train. Haridwar Junction (HW) is the main railhead for Rishikesh, with trains from Delhi and further afield, as Uttarakhand Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism list. Rishikesh has stations of its own, Rishikesh (RKSH) and Yog Nagari Rishikesh, where some long-distance trains start. Indian Railways publishes current departure times and fares only in its journey search, so check IRCTC for your date.

Book trains as early as you can: foreign visitors can book on IRCTC under the foreign tourist quota, and our transport guide explains the account, the classes and when bookings open. From Haridwar station, buses and taxis run on to Rishikesh. Ask your hotel or the driver for the road distance and drive time from Delhi to Haridwar and from Haridwar to Rishikesh; no official taxi fare is published for this ride, the airport or Shivpuri, so agree the price before you set off.

By air. Jolly Grant Airport (DED) at Dehradun is the nearest airport, 21 km from Rishikesh according to Uttarakhand Tourism, with daily flights from Delhi; taxis wait at the airport. It is not an e-Visa entry point, so fly into Delhi first; the entry guide lists the airports that accept the e-Visa, and our Delhi guide covers the arrival there.

By road. Uttarakhand Tourism says ordinary and luxury buses leave for Rishikesh from Delhi's ISBT Kashmiri Gate, and that Rishikesh lies on the national highway to Badrinath. In town, walk between the ghats, take the boat across at Ram Jhula, and use taxis for Shivpuri and the stations.

Three nights in Rishikesh, day by day

This plan puts the river on a dry-season morning, the aarti on two evenings and Haridwar on the way out.

• Day 1: arrive at Haridwar by train and take a taxi to Tapovan. In the late afternoon walk to Ram Jhula, cross to Swarg Ashram and stay for the sunset aarti at Parmarth Niketan; dinner at Chotiwala.
• Day 2: a morning yoga class, then Gita Bhawan, the lanes of Swarg Ashram and the Beatles Ashram; lunch at Parmarth's cafeteria; the evening aarti at Triveni Ghat and street food in the main market.
• Day 3: rafting from Shivpuri in the morning, back in town by lunch; a quiet afternoon by the river.
• Day 4: check out and take a taxi or bus to Haridwar; Mansa Devi by ropeway, Moti Bazaar, and the aarti at Har Ki Pauri before an evening train.

A priced three-night stay for two

The model follows the plan above for two adults sharing a room, with prices checked on 17 October 2026.

• Room, goSTOPS Rishikesh, Lakshman Jhula, Deluxe Private AC Room, room only, 3 nights at INR 3,791.59 plus INR 189.58 taxes a night on goSTOPS's own site (a rate for 17 October 2026; rates change with the date): INR 11,943.51.
• Rafting, River & Rock Adventure, 16 km from Shivpuri to NIM Beach, INR 1,200 a person: INR 2,400.
• Total: about INR 14,344 for two.
• Not included: meals; the trains to and from Haridwar; taxis and buses between Haridwar, Rishikesh and Shivpuri; the Beatles Ashram entry fee; the Mansa Devi ropeway fare; yoga classes.