Rishikesh Travel Guide

Rishikesh is a small town in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India. Scenically located where the Ganges River comes down from the Himalayas, Rishikesh catapulted to Western fame when the Beatles dropped by for a visit to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram. The town is still known as the World Capital of Yoga.

FromDelhi, Rishikesh is about 230 km away and is well connected with buses. A bus journey may take about 5–7 hr (depending on the traffic) and costs you ₹130–350. An AC bus will cost ₹200–500. The right time to visit would be February, March, August-October. In July there is a festival called Savan where thousands of people flock to Rishikesh. Major roads are blocked and hotels are crowded. It is better to avoid travelling to Rishikesh during that time.

The town's centre, where the bus and train stations are, is of little interest to most travellers.

A holy city it may be, but Rishikesh draws more than its fair share ofcriminals and con men. Don't walk around alone at night and beware of the motives of sadhus offering one-on-one tutoring. There is also a gem stone hoax going on in at least one gem store: They ask you to bring the stones to your own country to a "buyer" who doesn't exist. In general, try not getting involved with any local guide who is offering you services. They are mostly con men and goons.

Rishikesh is filled almost entirely with budget hotels, with a few mid-range thrown in for good measure.Tapovanis popular with backpackers and has the cheapest accommodation, whileSwargashramis where the majority of the ashrams are, and is a nice alternative. There is also a handful of accommodation options available inHigh Bank.