Practicalities

Rishikesh is a small town in the northern state of Uttrakhand in India and is known as the World Capital of Yoga. Scenically located where the Ganges River comes down from the Himalayas,
Rishikesh is also the Gateway to the Himalayas. The Char Dham Yatra (Four Shrines Sacred Journey) ideally begins from Rishikesh.
Further north-east are 2 bridges spanning the Ganges, Ram Jhula and Lakshman Jhula, at either end of these bridges are the main hubs of activity and interest. Most accommodation and restaurants can be found near Lakshman Jhula, and Swarg Ashram.

How to reach Rishikesh

By plane
Rishikesh is in close proximity of Dehradun ‘s Jolly Grant Airport a small, quiet and recently renovated airport. The runway is being extended and will possibly then handle flights from other metros.
Rishikesh being the closest city to Dehradun Airport, flight is probably the best way to travel. Rishikesh city is about 15 km from the airport (around 15-20 minutes drive)

Flights from New Delhi (DEL) to Dehradun (DED)

9:00 am → 9:45 am DEL-DED – – – – – F – Air India 9609
10:05 am → 11:00 am DEL-DED S M T W T F S SpiceJet 2328
11:10 am → 12:00 pm DEL-DED S M T W T F S Jet Airways 2814
11:30 am → 12:15 pm DEL-DED S – T – T – S Air India 9609
1:30 pm → 2:15 pm DEL-DED S M T W T F S Jet Airways 307
1:55 pm → 2:40 pm DEL-DED – – – W – – – Air India 9609
3:05 pm → 4:00 pm DEL-DED S M T W T F S SpiceJet 2223

By car
Delhi airport to Rishikesh by car is a good option for a hassle free traveling specially for foreign tourists who are traveling to India for the first time. It’s a 6 to 7 hours journey. Prices vary from US$ 85 for an air conditioned compact car to US$ 125 for an air conditioned SUV (but rates are much higher if one avails these services from prepaid taxi booths located at the airport).
By bus
From delhi the city is about 230 km away and is well connected with buses. A bus journey may take about 5-7 hours – depending on the traffic – and costs you about Rs 130-350. An AC Bus will cost about Rs 250-700. In Rishikesh, there are several travel agencies scattered around Swarg Ashram and Lakshman Jhula that can book luxury buses to common destinations like Delhi, Jaipur, Agra etc
By train
Haridwar is the biggest railway station, 25 km from Rishikesh. There are many trains from Delhi to Haridwar. Some of the better are: Shatabadi Express, Jan Shatabdi, AC Special Express, Mussoorie Express. From Haridwar to Rishikesh, you can come by pre-paid taxi (fare-around 900-1000 INR) or bus (fare 35 INR) or by sharing Auto rickshaw (fare 35-40 INR per person) or through Train (fare 5INR only) as listed below
• Passenger Trains from Haridwar to Rishikesh, Approx travel time 1hr.
o Haridwar – Rishikesh 05:20
o Haridwar – Rishikesh 10:30
o Haridwar – Rishikesh 17:25