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Voykit pocket guide · India
Rishikesh
ऋषिकेश
Give Rishikesh 2–3 nights: yoga and rafting base, not a sightseeing city. Stay in Tapovan or Swargashram, walk the bridges, skip the town centre.
Rishikesh sits where the Ganges leaves the Himalayas, about 230 km north of Delhi and 15 km from Dehradun's airport. It is a yoga and rafting town rather than a monument town: the useful time goes into ashrams, the two suspension bridges, the evening aarti at Triveni Ghat and a half-day on the river. Two nights covers the core; three lets you add a rafting day or a Neelkanth temple run. The centre around the bus and train stations is of little interest — sleep on the river banks instead.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- ऋषिकेश
- Best months
- Feb–Apr and Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (monsoon, Savan crowds), May–Jun (heat)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,200–2,500 excl. bed · Mid ₹2,500–5,000 excl. bed · High ₹5,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · Ambulance 108 · Tourist helpline 1363
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Thali at a Swargashram eatery | ₹100–250 |
| Filter coffee or chai | ₹20–60 |
| Bottled water, 1 litre | ₹20–30 |
| Vikram shared auto, station to Tapovan | ₹20–25 |
| Rafting day trip (Grade I–V stretch) | ₹1,000–2,500 |
| Bungee jump at Jumpin Heights | ₹3,700 |
| Yoga class drop-in | ₹200–500 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₹500–1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DED · Jolly Grant, Dehradun
- About 15 km from Rishikesh; flights from Delhi and other Indian cities. Taxi to Tapovan or Swargashram, roughly 30–40 min.About 9.3 mi from Rishikesh; flights from Delhi and other Indian cities. Taxi to Tapovan or Swargashram, roughly 30–40 min.
Typical fares
- DED airport to Tapovan, taxi
- about ₹1,000–1,500, 30–40 min
- Delhi to Rishikesh, bus
- ₹130–350 ordinary, ₹200–500 AC, 5–7 h
- Haridwar to Rishikesh, bus
- about ₹20, 45 min
- Vikram station to Tapovan
- ₹20–25
Get around
Swargashram and the bridge lanes are walkable; cross the river on Janki Setu or Ram Jhula (a ferry also runs at Ram Jhula). Vikram shared autos link the bus and train stations with Janki Setu (about ₹10) and Tapovan (about ₹20–25). Shared jeeps and taxis from the ghats run to Neelkanth temple; the road detour between the two banks is over 16 km, so plan crossings on foot.Swargashram and the bridge lanes are walkable; cross the river on Janki Setu or Ram Jhula (a ferry also runs at Ram Jhula). Vikram shared autos link the bus and train stations with Janki Setu (about ₹10) and Tapovan (about ₹20–25). Shared jeeps and taxis from the ghats run to Neelkanth temple; the road detour between the two banks is over 9.9 mi, so plan crossings on foot.
See and do
Known for
- Yoga and ashrams
- Ganges aarti at Triveni Ghat
- White-water rafting at Shivpuri
- Ram Jhula and Lakshman Jhula bridges
- Beatles Ashram
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Haridwar | Train from Rishikesh or Yog Nagari Rishikesh, or bus; shared auto from Haridwar station | About 1–1.5 h |
| Dehradun | Bus from ISBT, about 1¼ h, ₹95 | About 1.5 h |
| Mussoorie | Bus or taxi via Dehradun | 2.5–3 h |
| Neelkanth Mahadev Temple | Shared jeep or taxi from the ghats, hill road | About 1 h each way |
| Shivpuri rafting stretch | Operator pickup from Tapovan or Lakshman Jhula | About 30–45 min |
| Badrinath | Bus or shared jeep via Devprayag and Srinagar | 8–10 h |
Sleep
- Tapovan
- Backpacker side above Lakshman Jhula; cheapest beds, cafés, yoga schools. 5 km northeast of the bus station.Backpacker side above Lakshman Jhula; cheapest beds, cafés, yoga schools. 3.1 mi northeast of the bus station.
- Swargashram
- Eastern bank between Ram Jhula and Lakshman Jhula; ashrams, Gita Bhavan, pedestrian lanes.
- Lakshman Jhula
- Cafés and shops around the bridge; convenient for rafting pickups and Neelkanth taxis.
- Muni Ki Reti / Triveni Ghat side
- Western bank near the bathing ghat and the aarti; quieter, closer to the bus station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | नमस्तेnamaste |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyavaad |
| How much is it? | कितने का है?kitne ka hai |
| Where is the toilet? | शौचालय कहाँ है?shauchalay kahan hai |
| Please take me to this address | कृपया मुझे इस पते पर ले चलिएkripya mujhe is pate par le chaliye |
| I don't want it, thank you | नहीं चाहिए, धन्यवादnahin chahiye, dhanyavaad |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Non-vegetarian food and alcohol are banned in Rishikesh; do not carry or expect either.
- July–August Savan festival blocks roads and fills hotels — book ahead or avoid.
- Rafting and adventure operators vary in safety standards: check equipment and life jackets before paying.
- The Ganges is fast and cold; swim only at marked ghats with locals around.
- Temple and ashram photography rules vary; ask before shooting.
Rishikesh is generally safe for tourists, including solo women, but the real risks are the fast Ganges, unlicensed rafting operators, monsoon landslides on hill roads and overpriced taxis from the airport — agree the fare first.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Rishikesh yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yoga and ashrams
- Ganges aarti at Triveni Ghat
- White-water rafting at Shivpuri
- Ram Jhula and Lakshman Jhula bridges
- Beatles Ashram
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Uttarakhand Tourism — Rishikesh: uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/destination/rishikesh/
- Wikivoyage: Rishikesh, revision 5334359 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5334359
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Rishikeshऋषिकेश
कृपया इस पते पर ले चलिए
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Rishikesh; most are in New Delhi. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand missions are all in Delhi (check addresses).
Non-vegetarian food and alcohol are banned in Rishikesh; many ashrams have their own rules on dress, phones and curfews.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/rishikesh). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.