--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Rishikesh, India | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Rishikesh: the Ganga aarti at Triveni Ghat, the Beatles Ashram, Grade III rapids, Neelkanth Mahadev and the Kunjapuri sunrise." url: https://wimup.com/city/rishikesh type: City guide updated: 2026-09-08 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Rishikesh Rishikesh, India · Asia · By Wimup Editorial, 15 min read The Ganges leaves the Himalaya here, and the town on the bank sells stillness and whitewater in the same street. Rishikesh is vegetarian and dry by custom, so the evening ends at the ghat rather than the bar. Two nights covers it. Three lets you climb something. ## Quick answer Rishikesh is a pilgrimage town of about 100,000 on the Ganges at 340 m, where the river drops out of the Himalaya into the plain. Come for the evening aarti at Triveni Ghat, the ashrams around Swarg Ashram and Tapovan, and Grade III rapids upstream from mid-September to June. Alcohol and meat are not sold here. Two full days is enough. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Feb–Apr · Sep–Nov - **Ideal length:** 2–3 days - **Budget per day:** ₹1,800–4,500 - **Language:** Hindi and Garhwali - **Getting around:** On foot, plus shared autos and e-rickshaws - **Tourism board:** [↗ Website](https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/destination/rishikesh?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Rishikesh ### 1. Stand through the aarti at Triveni Ghat Ghat · Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249201 Three rivers are said to meet here, and the town turns out at dusk for the fire ceremony: lamps passed along the steps, leaf boats let go on the current. It is louder and less choreographed than the ashram version upstream. Come half an hour early for a place near the water. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Sit on the steps, not the road Links: [Website](https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/destination/rishikesh?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Walk the Beatles Ashram at Chaurasi Kutia Ashram · Chaurasi Kutia, Swarg Ashram, Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Rishikesh 249304 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's meditation academy, where the Beatles spent early 1968 and wrote most of the White Album. Abandoned in the 1990s and reopened by the forest department: domed stone huts, a painted lecture hall, and jungle taking back the rest. - **Time:** 2 hrs - **Cost:** Forest ticket - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Carry cash for the gate Links: [Website](https://rajajitigerreserve.uk.gov.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. Raft the Ganges down from Shivpuri Adventure · Shivpuri, Badrinath Road, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249192 The standard run is about 16 km of Grade II and III water back into town, with Roller Coaster and Golf Course the rapids people talk about afterwards. The season is mid-September to the end of June. The river is closed through the monsoon. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Operator rate - **Best at:** Oct–Nov - **Tip:** Use a state-registered operator Links: [Website](https://gmvnonline.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Take the aarti at Parmarth Niketan instead Ashram · Parmarth Niketan, Swarg Ashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249304 The largest ashram in Rishikesh, and the ceremony most visitors are taken to: chanting led from the ghat steps beneath a Shiva statue standing in the river. It starts and finishes earlier than the one at Triveni Ghat, so you can watch both in an evening. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Shoes off at the gate Links: [Website](https://parmarth.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 5. Cross on foot at Ram Jhula Bridge · Ram Jhula, Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249137 228 m of 1986 steel cable, and still the crossing that carries the crowd, the cows and the scooters. Laxman Jhula, the 1929 original upstream, has been closed to foot traffic since July 2019, so the older bridge is now something you photograph rather than walk. - **Time:** 45 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Early morning - **Tip:** Cross before the day buses ### 6. Drive up to Neelkanth Mahadev Temple · Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand 249304 A Shiva temple at 1,330 m, roughly 26 km up a switchback road through Rajaji forest, on the spot where he is said to have swallowed the ocean's poison. Pilgrims still climb the forest trail from Swarg Ashram instead. Kanwar season fills it beyond comfort. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Weekday morning - **Tip:** Shared jeeps go from Ram Jhula ### 7. Watch the sunrise from Kunjapuri Devi Temple Viewpoint · Kunjapuri Devi Temple, Narendra Nagar, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand 249175 One of Uttarakhand's Shakti Peethas, on a 1,676 m cone about 25 km above the town. The reason to leave at half past four is the line of Himalayan peaks that comes up behind the shrine as the light arrives, with the Doon valley on the other side. - **Time:** 4 hrs - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Oct–Mar sunrise - **Tip:** Book the jeep the night before ### 8. Climb the thirteen floors of Trayambakeshwar Temple · Trayambakeshwar Temple, Laxman Jhula Road, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249302 Thirteen storeys of shrines stacked above the river at Laxman Jhula, painted, crowded and free to climb. Every landing holds another deity and another donation box. The top floor gives the best view of both bridges and the bend the town is built on. - **Time:** 45 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Barefoot, and the stairs are steep ### 9. Jump 83 m at Mohanchatti Adventure · Jumpin Heights, Mohanchatti, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249302 India's highest fixed-platform bungee, 83 m over a wooded gorge north of town, built and run to New Zealand jump-master standards. A giant swing and a flying fox share the site. Slots are booked ahead rather than walked up to, and there is a weight limit. - **Time:** 3 hrs - **Cost:** Operator rate - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Check the weight limit first Links: [Website](https://www.jumpinheights.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 10. Walk up to Neer Garh waterfall Waterfall · Neer Garh Waterfall, Badrinath Road, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249302 A short, steep path off the Badrinath road above Laxman Jhula to a three-tier fall, with a pool at the top worth the extra ten minutes of climbing. There is a ticket booth at the gate. Go after the monsoon, when there is water and the rock has dried. - **Time:** 2 hrs - **Cost:** Entry ticket - **Best at:** Sep–Nov - **Tip:** Grippy shoes, the rock is slick ## Best yoga & ashrams in Rishikesh The claim is a marketing line and it is also true. These are the institutions behind it. 1. **Parmarth Niketan** (Ashram · rooms and classes · Swarg Ashram): The largest ashram on the river, and host of the yoga festival each March. [Website](https://parmarth.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Sivananda Ashram** (Ashram · founded 1936 · Muni Ki Reti): The Divine Life Society, founded in 1936 and still the scholarly end of Rishikesh yoga. [Website](https://www.dlshq.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Beatles Ashram (Chaurasi Kutia)** (Forest ticket · Swarg Ashram): Maharishi's abandoned academy, now a forest-department site of painted meditation domes. [Website](https://rajajitigerreserve.uk.gov.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Omkarananda Ganga Sadan** (Ashram · classes · Muni Ki Reti): A riverside ashram known for Iyengar-method classes rather than for retreats. 5. **Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram** (Ashram · teacher training · Tapovan): Daily practice in Tapovan, with teacher training run on a fixed calendar. 6. **Phool Chatti Ashram** (Ashram · week programmes · Phool Chatti): Upstream past Laxman Jhula, where the road narrows and the crowds stop. 7. **Yoga Niketan** (Ashram · residential · Muni Ki Reti): One of the older residential ashrams above Ram Jhula, run to a fixed timetable. 8. **Sri Ved Niketan Dham** (Ashram · drop-in classes · Swarg Ashram): Plain rooms and drop-in classes, and the reason many visitors stay a month. ## Best temples & ghats in Rishikesh Rishikesh is a pilgrimage stop first and a yoga town second. Almost all of this is free. 1. **Triveni Ghat** (Free · Rishikesh town): The main bathing ghat, and the site of the evening fire ceremony. 2. **Parmarth Niketan Ghat** (Free · Swarg Ashram): Steps below the ashram, under the Shiva statue standing in the river. [Website](https://parmarth.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Bharat Mandir** (Free · Rishikesh town): The oldest temple in town, a Vishnu shrine credited to Adi Shankaracharya. [Website](https://shribharatmandir.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Trayambakeshwar Temple** (Free · 13 floors · Laxman Jhula): Thirteen painted floors above Laxman Jhula, and the best view of both bridges. 5. **Neelkanth Mahadev Temple** (Free · 26 km · Pauri Garhwal): A Shiva temple at 1,330 m, reached by road or by the forest climb from Swarg Ashram. 6. **Kunjapuri Devi Temple** (Free · 25 km · Tehri Garhwal): A Shakti Peetha on a 1,676 m cone, and the sunrise everyone sets an alarm for. 7. **Lakshman Temple** (Free · Laxman Jhula): The small shrine the old bridge is named for, a few steps from the crossing. ## Best rafting & adventure in Rishikesh The river runs from mid-September to the end of June. Nothing runs through the monsoon. 1. **Shivpuri run** (Half day · Grade II–III · Shivpuri): The standard 16 km stretch back into town, Grade II and III. 2. **Brahmapuri run** (2 hrs · Grade I–II · Brahmapuri): The short, mild 9 km version, and the one to take with children. 3. **Marine Drive run** (Half day · Grade III · Marine Drive): About 24 km and bigger water, Three Blind Mice included. 4. **Kaudiyala run** (Full day · Grade III–IV · Kaudiyala): The full 36 km, The Wall included, and the only one that asks for experience. 5. **Jumpin Heights** (Bungee · 83 m · Mohanchatti): India's highest fixed-platform bungee at 83 m, with a giant swing and flying fox. [Website](https://www.jumpinheights.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 6. **Cliff jump at Shivpuri** (Included in most runs · Shivpuri): Most rafting packages stop for a jump off the rocks and a float through flat water. ## Best cafes & restaurants in Rishikesh No alcohol and no meat are sold here, so the social life happens on terraces above the river. 1. **Little Buddha Cafe** (Cafe · river view · Tapovan): A timber tower of terraces over the water at Tapovan, and usually full. 2. **Ramana's Garden Organic Cafe** (Cafe · charity-run · Tapovan): An organic kitchen run by a children's home, on the path above Laxman Jhula. [Website](https://www.ramanas.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Chotiwala** (Thali · vegetarian · Swarg Ashram): The Swarg Ashram thali institution, now trading as two restaurants side by side. 4. **The Beatles Cafe** (Cafe · rooftop · Laxman Jhula): Rooftop above Laxman Jhula, named for the obvious and worth it for the view. 5. **German Bakery** (Bakery · Laxman Jhula): Bakery and traveller food, the format Rishikesh borrowed from Goa. 6. **Freedom Cafe** (Cafe · riverside · Tapovan): Cushions on the sand at Tapovan, and the sunset seat people queue for. 7. **Tip Top Cafe** (Cafe · river view · Swarg Ashram): A Swarg Ashram terrace looking straight down the river. 8. **60's Cafe Delmar** (Cafe · riverside · Tapovan): A beach cafe below Tapovan, reached down a footpath rather than a road. ## Best hikes & waterfalls in Rishikesh Everything here starts within half an hour of the bridges, and all of it climbs. 1. **Neer Garh waterfall** (2 hrs · ticketed · Above Laxman Jhula): Three tiers up a steep path off the Badrinath road, with a ticket booth at the gate. 2. **Patna waterfall** (Half day · Neelkanth road): A longer forest climb to a cave behind the water. Quieter than Neer Garh. 3. **Garud Chatti waterfall** (1 hr · Garud Chatti): The closest fall to Laxman Jhula, and the easiest walk of the three. 4. **Kunjapuri sunrise walk** (Half day · 25 km · Tehri Garhwal): Jeep to the base, then a steep flight of steps to the shrine and the peak line. 5. **Neelkanth forest trail** (Full day · uphill · Rajaji forest): The pilgrim climb from Swarg Ashram, still walked in thousands in Kanwar season. ## Best neighborhoods in Rishikesh Four settlements share one name, and the choice decides the shape of the whole trip. 1. **Tapovan** (Cafes and yoga · West bank): Cafes, yoga schools and guesthouses above Laxman Jhula. Where most foreigners stay. 2. **Swarg Ashram** (Ashrams and ghats · East bank): The pilgrim side: ashrams, ghats and thali houses, mostly walked rather than driven. 3. **Muni Ki Reti** (Ashrams and transport · West bank): Ram Jhula, the older ashrams and the bus stand. The practical base. 4. **Rishikesh town** (Ghat and market · Town centre): Triveni Ghat, the markets and the old station. The part that is a working town. 5. **Shivpuri** (Rafting base · 16 km · Upstream): Sixteen kilometres upstream, where the rafting put-ins and the camps are. ## Best day trips from Rishikesh The Himalaya begins at the edge of town, so most of these gain altitude quickly. 1. **Haridwar** (25 km · 1 hr · Haridwar district): The older, bigger pilgrimage city downstream. Har Ki Pauri's aarti dwarfs Rishikesh's. 2. **Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Chilla** (20 km · park ticket · Chilla): Elephants, tigers and Shivalik forest. Jeep safaris run from the Chilla gate. [Website](https://rajajitigerreserve.uk.gov.in/chilla-zone.aspx?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Devprayag** (75 km · 2 hrs · Tehri Garhwal): Where the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda meet and become the Ganga. Two colours, one river. 4. **Neelkanth Mahadev** (26 km · half day · Pauri Garhwal): The hill temple above town, and the easiest half day with real altitude in it. 5. **Tehri Lake** (85 km · 3 hrs · New Tehri): The reservoir behind India's tallest dam, now used for boats and watersports. 6. **Vashishta Gufa** (22 km · 1 hr · Badrinath road): A meditation cave off the Badrinath road, still used and kept silent. ## Festivals & annual events in Rishikesh (2026) - **Basant Panchami** (Jan–Feb): Yellow at the ghats to mark the turn toward spring, and the start of the wedding run. - **Maha Shivratri** (Feb–Mar): Night-long queues at Neelkanth Mahadev, and processions through the town below. - **Holi** (Mar): Played hard in the town and around the ghats. The ashrams keep a quieter version. - **International Yoga Festival** (Mar): A week of classes and talks at Parmarth Niketan, with teachers from dozens of countries. - **Char Dham Yatra season** (Apr–Nov): Rishikesh is the road head for the four shrines, so buses and rooms fill from April. - **Ganga Dussehra** (May–Jun): The day the river is said to have come to earth. Bathing at the ghats from before dawn. - **Kanwar Yatra** (Jul–Aug): Walkers in orange carry Ganga water south through Shravan. Roads and ghats fill. - **Diwali** (Oct–Nov): Lamps down the ghats and along both banks, with the aarti larger than usual. ## Must-try dishes in Rishikesh, India - **Aloo ke gutke**: Boiled potatoes fried down with cumin and dried chilli. The Garhwali staple. - **Kafuli**: Spinach and fenugreek slow-cooked in an iron pan and thickened with rice flour. - **Chainsoo**: Roasted black gram ground to a powder, then cooked slowly. Heavy and earthy. - **Phaanu**: Mixed lentils soaked overnight and cooked to a thin curry, eaten over rice. - **Bhang ki chutney**: Roasted hemp seed ground with lemon and chilli. Sour, nutty, served with everything. - **Jhangora ki kheer**: Barnyard millet cooked in milk with cashews. The dessert worth ordering. - **Aloo puri**: The ghat breakfast: fried bread and a potato curry, eaten standing up. - **Malai lassi**: Thick, sweet and served in a clay cup along the Ram Jhula road. ## Rishikesh transport & airports - **Dehradun Airport** (DED): Jolly Grant, about 20 km away and the only airport near the town. Taxis and shared vehicles cover the run in under an hour. [Official website](https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/dehradun?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Trains** (RAIL): Two stations: the old Rishikesh terminus in town, and Yog Nagari Rishikesh, opened in 2021 on the Karnaprayag line and served by long-distance trains. [Official website](https://www.irctc.co.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Buses** (BUS): State buses from Delhi, Haridwar and Dehradun use the ISBT near Nataraj Chowk. Hill services for the Char Dham towns leave from the yatra stand. [Official website](https://utconline.uk.gov.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Getting around** (LOCAL): Shared autos and e-rickshaws run between the town, Ram Jhula and Tapovan. The crossings are footbridges, so the last stretch is always walked. ## Rishikesh at a glance - **Country:** India - **Region:** Uttarakhand, Dehradun district - **Population:** About 102,000 in the urban agglomeration (2011 census) - **Founded:** An old pilgrimage settlement; Bharat Mandir is credited to Adi Shankaracharya - **Nickname:** Yoga Capital of the World, Gateway to the Himalaya - **Language:** Hindi and Garhwali, with English widely spoken - **Currency:** Indian rupee (₹) - **Time zone:** IST · UTC+5:30, no daylight saving - **Calling code:** +91, area code 0135 - **Airports:** DED 20 km - **Power:** 230V, Type C, D and M sockets - **Emergency:** 112 ## Interesting facts - The town sits at about 340 m, where the Ganga leaves the Himalaya for the plain. - The Beatles arrived in February 1968 and wrote most of the White Album at the ashram. - Laxman Jhula, built in 1929, was closed to foot traffic in July 2019 after safety checks. - Neither meat nor alcohol is sold in the town, which is why the nightlife is a cafe terrace. - Ram Jhula spans 228 m and opened in 1986. It still carries cows, scooters and pilgrims. ## Watch [Rishikesh Travel Guide](https://wimup.com/watch/rishikesh.md), 23:58 ## Rishikesh travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Rishikesh? Two full days covers the aarti at Triveni Ghat, the Beatles Ashram, both bridges and a rafting run. A third buys the Kunjapuri sunrise and Neelkanth Mahadev, or a day in Haridwar. Anyone here for a yoga course stays weeks rather than days. ### When can you raft the Ganges at Rishikesh? The season runs from about mid-September to the end of June. The river is closed through the monsoon, when the water is too high to run safely. October and November give the clearest water and the most comfortable air on the boat. ### Can you drink alcohol or eat meat in Rishikesh? No. The town is treated as a holy place and neither is sold in it. Restaurants are vegetarian, many are also egg-free, and the licensed bars are outside the municipal limits. Plan the evening around a river terrace and the aarti instead. ### Is Laxman Jhula open to cross? Not on foot. The 1929 suspension bridge has been closed to pedestrians since July 2019, after engineers found it unsafe, and a replacement has been built beside it. Ram Jhula, 228 m and open since 1986, and Janki Setu, opened in 2020, carry the traffic. ### How do you get to Rishikesh from Delhi? Trains run to both Rishikesh stations, and state buses run from Delhi to the Rishikesh ISBT through the day. Flying into Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport, about 20 km away, is the fastest route. Most visitors still arrive by road through Haridwar. ## Nearby guides - [New Delhi](https://wimup.com/city/new-delhi.md): India · 10 picks - [Dharamshala](https://wimup.com/city/dharamshala.md): India · 10 picks - [Jaipur](https://wimup.com/city/jaipur.md): India · 10 picks - [All of Asia →](https://wimup.com/asia): 109 cities Part of the [India guide](https://wimup.com/country/india.md) · [Asia](https://wimup.com/asia.md) ## Sources - [Rishikesh tourism board](https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/destination/rishikesh?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Walk the Beatles Ashram at Chaurasi Kutia (official site)](https://rajajitigerreserve.uk.gov.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Raft the Ganges down from Shivpuri (official site)](https://gmvnonline.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Take the aarti at Parmarth Niketan instead (official site)](https://parmarth.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Jump 83 m at Mohanchatti (official site)](https://www.jumpinheights.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Sivananda Ashram (official site)](https://www.dlshq.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Bharat Mandir (official site)](https://shribharatmandir.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Ramana's Garden Organic Cafe (official site)](https://www.ramanas.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Chilla (official site)](https://rajajitigerreserve.uk.gov.in/chilla-zone.aspx?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Dehradun Airport (official site)](https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/dehradun?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Trains (official site)](https://www.irctc.co.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Buses (official site)](https://utconline.uk.gov.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.