Getting there and choosing your base
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun: About 15 km away, with flights from Delhi and other Indian cities; from there a taxi is simplest to the riverside hotels.
- Yog Nagari Rishikesh station and Haridwar: Yog Nagari takes long-distance expresses, but many trains stop at Haridwar, leaving a bus, taxi or shared-auto ride. During a mela, buses through Haridwar are diverted and the train is the better option.
- Rishikesh ISBT: Buses arrive from Delhi, roughly 230 km away, and from Dehradun. Shared vikrams run from here to Janki Setu and Tapovan.
Areas to consider
Swargashram
On the east bank, home to most of the ashrams, compact and largely pedestrian. Vehicles cannot reach most doors, so ask how far you will carry luggage from the nearest road or bridge.
Tapovan
The backpacker hub, about 5 km north-east of town, with the cheapest beds. Lanes are unlit after sundown; check the walk from the main road and pack a torch.
Lakshman Jhula area
Cafés, yoga studios and guesthouses on both banks near the old bridge. The Lakshman Jhula bridge has been closed to pedestrians since 2019, so confirm which bank the hotel is on and how you will cross.
Shivpuri
Riverside camps around 12 km upstream for rafting, ziplining and trekking. Ask whether the camp's tents have attached bathrooms and whether rafting is included in the price.
When to go
February, March and August to October are good months to visit. In July the Savan pilgrimage fills the town, blocks major roads and crowds hotels. Rafting is best from September to November and March to May, and rooms should be booked well ahead whenever the Kumbh Mela is held in nearby Haridwar.
Before choosing a room
- Ashrams offer cheap lodging but may set gate hours, meal times and class attendance; read the rules before paying.
- The sale of meat, fish, eggs and alcohol is banned in town, so hotel restaurants are vegetarian unless the property is a licensed upscale hotel further upstream.
- Monkeys are bold near the bridges; keep balcony doors shut and food out of sight in rooms.
Sources and planning resources
Facts checked on . Transport services, taxes and hotel offers can change. Confirm the details for your trip before booking.