Rishikesh
Rishikesh: A 2-Day Itinerary
A practical two-day plan for first-time visitors, balancing the main ghats and ashrams with one adventure activity and an evening Ganga Aarti.
- Day 1
- Ghats, ashrams, Aarti
- Day 2
- Neelkanth Mahadev or rafting
- Pace
- Relaxed but complete
- Transport
- Walk + local taxi
Two days is enough to see Rishikesh’s highlights without rushing — the main ghats and ashrams on day one, and either a temple excursion or an adventure activity on day two. This is the pace we build most local sightseeing bookings around.
Day 1: Ghats, ashrams and the evening Aarti
Start late morning at Triveni Ghat, then walk or taxi across to Ram Jhula and Laxman Jhula — the two suspension bridges that anchor Rishikesh’s old town. Both areas have cafés overlooking the Ganga, good for a slow lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Beatles Ashram (Chaurasi Kutia), the abandoned meditation retreat the band stayed at in 1968, now partly open with murals and old buildings to walk through.
In the evening, head to Triveni Ghat or Parmarth Niketan for the Ganga Aarti — arrive 20-30 minutes before sunset to get a good spot as the crowd builds.
Day 2: Neelkanth Mahadev, or rafting
For a quieter day, take a taxi up to Neelkanth Mahadev, a Shiva temple in the forested hills above Rishikesh with views back over the valley — a half-day round trip including time at the temple.
For a more active day, book a river rafting run on the Ganga instead — the Brahmapuri stretch (Grade I-III) is a good fit for first-timers and takes 2-4 hours including transport to the put-in point.
Getting around
Most of day one is walkable between Ram Jhula, Laxman Jhula and the Beatles Ashram; a local taxi covers Neelkanth Mahadev or rafting transfers on day two. We run both as a single half/full-day sightseeing booking if you’d rather not coordinate separate trips.
