Rishikesh: Best Weekend Holiday Destination near Delhi

Rishikesh is one of the most popular weekend holiday destinations near Delhi. This place is more famous for spiritual tour rather than a weekend trip near Delhi, but today I will also highlight other face of this city which has much more to offer than the evening prayers. The most interesting thing is that a trip to Rishikesh is not limited to any time of the year. This makes Rishikesh an evergreen weekend destination from Delhi. Now here are some details of Rishikesh which I am going to share in this hub including:

• Location and history of Rishikesh
• Places to visit in Rishikesh
• Adventure Sports in Rishikesh
• Map with information on how to reach Rishikesh via road, train, and air
• Pre-calculated accommodation, food, and travel cost from Delhi to Rishikesh to Delhi by road
• Amazing rafting videos and beautiful photographs of Rishikesh and river Ganges

Starting Note: Rishikesh is a favorite holiday destination among foreign visitors who come to India to learn meditation, yoga, and spirituality, and at the same time, adventure sports enthusiasts who love cliff jumping, rock climbing, river rafting, and trekking. Rishikesh has given birth to a new breed of adventure lovers that come here for fun and excitement. So Rishikesh is a combination of both spirituality and adventure. In Rishikesh, you get a chance to discover these two opposite sides of a coin.

Location and History of Rishikesh

Rishikesh is a holy city situated at a height of about 1740 feet above mean sea level, lying in the foothills of Himalayan range in Dehradun District of Uttaranchal, India. According to Hindu mythology, Rishikesh is a Sanskrit word used for “Lord Vishnu” which is termed as “Lord of all Senses” in English.

According to mythological history of India, Lord Rama (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) visited Rishikesh in Satyug and reparated (self punished) himself for killing the demon king Ravana in the war of Lanka. According to Hindu mythology, Satyug was the “The Time of Truth” that started from 10000 BC and ended in 6000 BC.

At around the same point in time, Lakshmana, the younger brother of Lord Rama, crossed the Ganges River and right at that point Lakshman Jhula is located. Lakshman Jhula in Rishikesh was an ancient bridge made up of jute ropes but the current day bridge is made up of steel wires and structure to be able to hold lots of tourists and devotees who come from far off places to visit Rishikesh.

Swarg Ashram

For those who wish to visit a soothing and peaceful spiritual place and would like to offer their prayers to God, visiting Swarg Ashram is the best option. Swarg Ashram is a home to various small and big ashrams engaged in several spiritual and mental relief activities.

Triveni Ghat

Triveni is a bathing ghat. Here you can take a dip in the holy Ganges river and participate in the Maha Aarti on the banks of River Ganges. You will feel relaxed sitting by the sides of the river Ganga, especially in the evening when the beauty and charm of this place is on its peak level.

Lakshman Jhula

Lakshman Jhula connects one part of Rishikesh from the other and as mentioned above, this is the place from where Lakshman crossed the Ganges River in Satyug.

River Rafting in Rishikesh

Without doubt, Rishikesh’s most popular and adventurous offering is river rafting which is quite famous among North Indians. River rafting in Rishikesh offers up to 13 exciting big and small rapids to tackle. Return to slender, black money, golf course, roller coaster, cross fire, and three blind mice are some popular names given to a few rapids in Rishikesh.

Rock Climbing in Rishikesh

Rock climbing is one of those adventure sports that require a combination of strength, courage, and stamina. Various camps in Rishikesh provide rock climbing activities for the visitors. The rock climbing groups in Rishikesh provide essential safety gear for engaging in this adventure activity.

Cliff Jumping in Rishikesh

Various sports camps in Rishikesh provide the facility to enjoy this highly skilled adventure activity. Participants are provided helmets and life jackets to jump from a cliff into freezing water of Ganges River. This is not like you jump into your home swimming pool where you are able to see the bottom of the water and can assume the depth. In Rishikesh, it is totally opposite as the water is not stationary and you cannot assume the depth of the river.

Trekking in Rishikesh

Being part of the Himalayan foothills, Rishikesh has its own share of various trekking routes which you can explore and enjoy. Again, various camps in and around Rishikesh provide essential gear for trekking including trekking sticks and other safety equipment.

By Air: Rishikesh is at a distance of approximately 15 kilometers from Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport. Once you reach the airport from Delhi, you can hire a taxi to reach Rishikesh.

By Train: The best way by train route to reach Rishikesh is to take a train from Delhi to Haridwar and then reach Rishikesh on a taxi.

By Road: Rishikesh is around 230 kilometers from Delhi and is a straight drive passing through towns like Ghaziabad, Muradnagar (DO NOT miss the tasty Jain Shikanji at the famous Gang Neher (canal) roadside dhaba here), Modinagar, Meerut (cross the town via bypass), Muzaffarnagar (again cross by bypass), Roorkee, and finally Haridwar. You can also decide to take a halt at Haridwar and enjoy a dip at Har Ki Pauri Haridwar, though Rishikesh itself has better share of Ganges River which is less polluted.

Budget Calculation: We take diesel and petrol cars into consideration for calculation of a trip from Delhi to Rishikesh and back with 4 adults for 2 nights and 3 days.

Fuel: 230 kilometers one side means 460 both ways and as Rishikesh has only Shivpuri and Rajaji National Park as only nearby places to visit and both are at a distance of around 25 kilometers, we can add another 100 kilometers to the travel. Now the distance comes to 560 kilometers. So we will calculate:

Accommodation: There are plenty of budget and mid budget hotels in Rishikesh ranging from 1000 to 3000 per day. Let us pick a decent hotel with 2000 INR as the daily tariff and for 2 nights it comes out to be 4000 for four people.

Food: Food is also cheaper here in the city, so let us take it as 1200 INR per day so for a 4 day trip including going, staying, and coming back comes out to be 4800 INR.

So according to my travel experience, spending 2500 to 3000 INR per person for 2 nights and 3 days in Rishikesh is worth every penny plus where in world you will get a chance to explore both adventure and spirituality together. Rishikesh is an easily accessible recreation destination and fun place where you can spend a short vacation with your friends, family, and kids at an affordable price. At last, besides being one of the best weekend holiday destinations near Delhi, Rishikesh can also be called as the cheapest vacation destination near Delhi.

Ending Note: This is to inform you that any adventure activity including equipment rentals will require additional expenses, but fortunately the charges are not so much as there are a lot of options and competition, so you can expect a little increase in your budget if you plan to engage in adventure activities in Rishikesh. Best of luck for your spiritual and adventure trip to Rishikesh. Isn't this a unique combination.