About Rishikesh

Country: India | State: Uttarakhand

Ideal Trip Duration: 1-2 Days

Nearest City to Rishikesh: Dehradun (42 Kms), Delhi City (233 Kms)

Best Time to Visit Rishikesh: September to November & March to May

Peak Season: October & April to June

At a distance of 26 km from Haridwar, 42 km from Dehradun, 74 km from Mussoorie, 201 km from Chandigarh, and 233 km from Delhi, Rishikesh is a holy city on the banks of the River Ganges in Uttarakhand. Located at the foothills of the Himalayas, it is one of the top places of pilgrimage in India, and among the must-include places in Uttarakhand tour packages.

Rishikesh is the gateway to the upper Garhwal region and the starting point for the Char Dham pilgrimage (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath). Rishikesh is situated at an altitude of 356 m and consists of three distinct areas known as Rishikesh, Swargashram, and Muni Ki Reti. Rishikesh has been a part of the legendary Kedarkhand (the present-day Garhwal). As per the Skanda Purana, Lord Vishnu appeared here to Raibhya Rishi as Hrishikesh, which means the God of Senses.

Rishesh is one of the the best places to visit near Delhi. The city attracts a huge number of tourists and pilgrims from all parts of the country to offer their prayers at this holy site. Rishikesh has several famous ashrams and temples. Triveni Ghat, Neel Kanth Mahadev Temple, Swarganiwas Temple, and Bharat Mandir are the important places to visit in Rishikesh.

Rishikesh is now famous as the Yoga Capital of the World. Every year during the February month one-week-long International Yoga Festival is hosted here. One can also try several activities like mountain biking, bungee jumping, and white water rafting as part of Rishikesh tour packages. It is also the base for several trekking trails in Uttarakhand state. Rishikesh can also be visited along with Mussoorie packages.

Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun is the nearest airport, which is about 16 km from Haridwar. It is well connected by flight with Delhi. Rishikesh Railway Station is well connected by train with Delhi, Haridwar, Bandikudi, and Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. Rishikesh can also be reached by bus from Dehradun, Haridwar, and New Delhi.

The best time to visit Rishikesh for River Rafting is from October to mid-November, and the best time for a regular visit is between March and May.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Average
STD Code: 0135
Languages Spoken: Hindi and English
Major Festivals: Details Not Available
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Rishikesh

By Air

Nearest Airport: Dehradun - Jolly Grant Airport (16 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Rishikesh Railway Station (0 Kms)
Haridwar Jn Railway Station (26 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Rishikesh Bus Depot (1 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

Heritage | Nature

#1 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 6 km from Rishikesh Railway Station and 3 km Swarg Ashram, Lakshman Jhula is an iron suspension bridge situated in Rishikesh. It was erected over the Ganges River and is a landmark of Rishikesh.

Lakshman Jhula is originally a jute rope bridge. According to legend, Lord Rama's younger brother, Laxmana crossed the river Ganges at this point using Jute Rope Bridge. The bridge was washed away in the 1924 floods and it was replaced by the present iron bridge in 1939. It is 450 feet long and is situated at a height of 70 feet from the river. The bridge connects Pauri district with Tehri district. Another similar suspension bridge Ram Jhula was built in 1986 at nearby Sivananda Nagar.

This jhula provides a beautiful view of famous temples, ashrams and River Ganga. The jhula has now become one of the most visited tourist spots of Rishikesh, not simply because of its ancient origin and religious sanctity, but also because of the grand temples situated around this area. .....

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Pilgrimage

#2 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 1.5 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Triveni Ghat is a bathing spot on the right bank of the River Ganges in Rishikesh. It is one of the sacred ghats on the banks of the river Ganges and among the most famous Rishikesh sightseeing places.

Triveni Ghat is located at the confluence of three religious rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. Various pilgrims visit this place to take a holy dip in Triveni Ghat, before visiting the famous temples of Rishikesh. A popular belief is that anyone who takes a dip in Triveni Ghat will be relieved from all sins carried out and attain salvation.

The Ganga Aarti or Maha Aarti an evening prayer performed on the banks of the River Ganga is the major highlight of the ghat, which attracts a large number of devotees and visitors as part of Rishikesh tour. The Aarti is accompanied with chanting .....

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Pilgrimage

#3 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 6 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Tera Manzil Temple is a major landmark and a multi-storey temple located on the banks of river Ganga near Lakshman Jhula in Rishikesh. This temple is also known as Kailash Niketan Temple and is one of the most significant places of worship in Rishikesh. It is believed that this ancient temple is established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 9th century AD.

The temple is famous for its huge and beautiful architecture. It is a 13 floor structure and each floor has many small temples dedicated to many Hindu gods and goddesses. Tera Manzil temple is not dedicated to any single deity unlike other temples. The top floor of the temple offers panoramic view of sunset over the mountains of Rishikesh. This temple attracts a large number of tourists especially during Shravan Somvar and Maha Shivratri festivals.

Timings: 6 AM to 7 PM

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Pilgrimage

#4 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 4 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Parmarth Niketan is one of the most famous ashrams situated on the banks of River Ganges in Rishikesh. It is the venue for International Yoga Festival held every year in Rishikesh in the month of February.

The ashram was founded in 1942 by Swami Shukdevanandji Maharaj (1901-1965). Since 1986, Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj is the President and Spiritual Head of Parmarth Niketan. Parmarth Niketan is one of the oldest and largest ashrams in Rishikesh. It is also the headquarters of the Swami Shukdevanand Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to religion, spirituality and culture.

Parmarth Niketan is home to a 14 feet Shiva statue on the banks of Ganges. The divine tree of heaven Kalpavriksha was planted at the premises of this ashram by Vijaypal Baghel of Himalaya Vahini. This Ashram is famous for its Hawan and Ganga Aarti that takes place daily in the morning and evening at Parmarth Ghat. The ashram also runs a .....

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Pilgrimage

#5 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 5.5 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, The Sivananda ashram is located on the banks of River Ganges near Ram Jhula in Rishikesh. The Ashram is the headquarters and spiritual focal point of a popular organization called the Divine Life Society.

Swami Sivananda founded the ashram in the year 1932. In 1936, Swami Sivananda established the Divine Life Society at the Sivananda Ashram. It was set up with the aim of spreading spiritual knowledge throughout the world. Initially a small structure, Sivananda Ashram has now evolved into a huge complex with a number of halls, a temple and Gurudev's Kutir, large library, Sivananda Eye Hospital and Sivananda Ayurvedic Pharmacy.

The Society encompasses more than 300 branches around the world. This ashram runs one of the top most yoga centers in Rishikesh. Swami Sivananda started the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy in the year 1948. It was established to train disciples in the discipline of yoga. The students of the Sivananda .....

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Waterfall

#6 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 9 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Neer Gaddu or Neer Garh Waterfall is a natural waterfall situated on Rishikesh - Badrinath Highway in Uttarakhand. This is one of the popular waterfalls in Uttarakhand, and among the must-visit Rishikesh tourist places.

Neer Gaddu Waterfall is famous for its small trek. The water flowing from natural rocky cliffs tempts the holidaymakers to take a cool dip in the narrow stream. Trekking to the waterfall is an adventurous activity as it involves walking through the jungle on narrow trails. This is a beautiful waterfall and is extremely refreshing to stand near the waterfall.

This is a two-tier waterfall with two bathing pools. There is a very small waterfall after a 200 m trek from the road where visitors can also take bath in a small pool as part of Rishikesh holiday packages. A .....

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Adventure

#7 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 16 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Shivpuri is a small town located on the Rishikesh - Badrinath Road. Famous for White Water, it is one of the top places to visit as part of Rishikesh tour packages, especially for adventure enthusiasts.

Known for its numerous camps, Shivpuri is the major River Rafting destination in Rishikesh. Shivpuri is the starting point of the most popular River Rafting trip on the Ganges River. Rafting at Shivpuri is one of the things to do in Rishikesh as it has the most ideal river rafting stretch in Rishikesh. Rafting from Shivpuri till Lakshman Jhula is a 16 km stretch and covers some of the most exciting Grade III, IV Rapids for approximately 3 hours. This adventurous trip covers exciting rapids like a roller coaster, golf course, clubhouse, etc. The rafting is supported by excellent safety standards .....

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Adventure

#8 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 8.5 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Brahmapuri Rafting Point is situated on Bhadrinath Road in Uttarakhand. It is one of the best places for adventure sports in Uttarakhand. This rafting stretch serves as the inaugural rafting trip every year in Rishikesh. The rafting trip is the first one to open and the last one to get closed each year.

The Brahmapuri rafting is one of the cost-effective and safe river rafting packages in Rishikesh. This stretch has around 4 rapids most of which can be classified as Grade I and Grade II. These are ideal for family rafting trips in Rishikesh and school groups. The 9 km long rafting stretch that starts from Brahmapuri takes about 2 hours which can be participated by anyone aged 8 years and above. The package includes Brahmapuri rafting trip and several fun activities like camping, bonfire, volleyball, cliff jumps, Body surfing, etc.

Rafting Cost: Rs.350 Per Person, Rs.1450 per person for 1N/2D

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Pilgrimage

#9 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 26 km from Rishikesh, 54 km from Dehradun, 86 km from Mussoorie, 192 km from Chandigarh, and 208 km from Delhi, Haridwar, or Hardwar is an ancient religious city in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand. It is one of the top places of pilgrimage in India, and among the best places to visit in Uttarakhand.

Situated on the banks of the River Ganges, Haridwar, literally translated as Gateway to God, is one of the seven holiest places for Hindus. It is the place where the river Ganga descends to the plains. It serves as a gateway to the Char Dham destinations of Uttarakhand which are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Haridwar is also one of the well known places to visit near Delhi.

The history of Haridwar dates back to the period of King Vikramaditya, around the 2nd century BC. Haridwar is .....

Distance (From Rishikesh Railway Station): 26 Kms
Trip Duration (From Rishikesh Railway Station - Including Travel): Full Day
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Hill Station

#10 of 29 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

At a distance of 29 km from Mussoorie, 30 km from Chamba, 60 km from Dehradun, 89 km from Rishikesh, 112 km from Haridwar, 141 km from Srinagar, 224 km from Chandigarh, 258 km from Patiala, 283 km from Shimla, and 309 km from Delhi, Dhanaulti is a picturesque hill station situated in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. Lies on Mussoorie - Chamba Road, it is one of the popular weekend getaways from Delhi and among the best offbeat destinations to visit in Uttarakhand.

Situated at an altitude of 2286 m, Dhanaulti is known for its quiet environment and tranquility. Sitting on the edge of Tehri Garhwal District, Dhanaulti shares its west-side border with Dehradun. The long wooded slopes, relaxed outdoors, cool crossing breeze, warm and hospitable inhabitants, lovely weather, and fabulous view of snow-capped mountains, makes Dhanaulti an enticing hideaway for tourists. It is still untouched and becoming an alternative to the crowded Mussoorie and Dehradun.

As per the history, .....

Distance (From Rishikesh): 89 Kms
Trip Duration (From Rishikesh - Including Travel): Full Day
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