Rishikesh – The Yoga Capital Of The World

Rishikesh is the go-to destination for all people interested in a lifestyle filled with yoga, meditation, and spiritualism. Compared to the hectic streets of Delhi or Agra, Rishikesh offers an environment for finding inner peace amidst beautiful nature and a variety of exciting activities at affordable prices, such as rafting, paragliding, or even bungee jumping.

How To Travel To Rishikesh

Most people travel to Rishikesh from Delhi by train or bus, but I took a night bus from Agra after visiting the majestic Taj Mahal. Without any prior experience of night buses in India, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and didn’t assume I would get any sleep during the ride. However, to my positive surprise, the night bus provided a comfortable way to travel.

Getting the bus at first was rather complicated and required a bit of courage. After buying the ticket and receiving the confirmation with contact details, I contacted the driver on WhatsApp to ask where the pick-up point would be. It turned out to be half an hour’s drive out of Agra at a remote petrol station by the highway, so I ordered an Uber to drive me there. While I waited for the bus in the middle of the night at the bus station, many people were observing me curiously, especially an elderly man with a rifle on his shoulder. I doubt, however, that the weapon was even working.

This modern bus had a small capsule for every passenger with a soundproof door and drapes for privacy, making it a safe and easy way to cover the 8-hour journey. The ticket for this night bus cost me about 13€, which is a bargain considering that it saves you the price of a night’s accommodation. You can easily book the ticket through Makemytrip.

If you choose to travel rather by train, you can ask your accomodation to make the booking for you for a small fee, or you can do it yourself through an authorized IRCTC partner, RailYatri.

The Best Activities in Rishikesh

Interested in Becoming a Yoga Teacher?

Especially the part of Rishikesh called Tapovan is packed with yoga studios, Ayurvedic treatment centers, and ashrams where you can easily shake off the stress from everyday life. Tapovan is an extremely popular location for yoga enthusiasts who train to become yoga teachers themselves. The most popular option for these individuals is to stay in Rishikesh for a month for the 200-hour yoga retreat, which includes accommodation, daily yoga and meditation sessions, and even healthy meals.

If you would just like to try a few yoga sessions without committing yourself to a full program, you can find many morning drop-in classes around Tapovan. The price of the drop-in classes varies between 300-500 rupees. Some ashrams even provide free yoga and meditation sessions, but for those, you need to bring your own yoga mat.

Check Out the Waterfalls

The nature in the northern region of India is breathtakingly beautiful, with many waterfalls and lush forests. There are two marvelous waterfalls near Rishikesh that you can easily reach by scooter, taxi or even by foot.

The Secret Waterfall

This waterfall can be easily reached within one hour by foot from Tapovan. The waterfall has three different levels, and you can take a refreshing bath in its natural pools after walking up the hill. Just bring your swimming shorts or outfit and a towel.

Neer Garh Waterfall

The best way to reach Neer Garh waterfall is to rent a scooter or take a taxi, as it is about a 10-minute drive away from Tapovan. This waterfall is a very popular place for people to socialize and bathe under this magnificent multilevel waterfall. With an entry fee of merely 50 rupees for foreigners, this location is a must-see for anyone visiting Rishikesh.

The Mother Ganga

The river Ganges is still clean as it forms nearby Rishikesh from many small rivers around the Himalayan mountains. From here, the sacred river finds its path through the valleys between the mountain ranges, running through a major part of India, and ends its journey in the ocean in Bangladesh.

Rafting on Ganges

River rafting on the Ganges is perhaps the most popular activity and a great way to spend an afternoon in Rishikesh. The experience is suitable for people looking for some thrills and would like to experience rafting for the first time. The activity is organized in a safe way, and your boat captain takes pictures and videos with a GoPro, so there’s no need to carry anything else except drinking water. Just wear clothes suitable for swimming and don´t forget your flipflops!

Please note: The “Captain” will ask you for money for the pictures and videos. From our three-headed group, he asked 500 rupees each, but we negotiated the price down to 300 per head.

Join the Ganga Aarti Ceremony

Ganga Aarti is a daily ritual on the sacred river Ganges and is highly revered in Hinduism. This ritual is believed to purify the believers’ sins and bestow spiritual bliss upon them. The enchanting ceremony includes rhythmic chants and music; the aroma of incense and melodious sound of bells create a captivating and peaceful ambiance. During the ceremony, people gently place oil lamps on the river Ganges, which you can watch slowly travel further into the darkness.

Enjoy the Sunrise

My favorite experience during the week in Rishikesh was to hire a scooter with a group from the hostel and ride early in the morning to the top of the hill near Rishikesh. On top of this hill is the holy Kunjapuri Sun Salutation Temple, where many locals gather every morning to greet the sun as it rises from behind the snow-capped Himalayan mountains.

The experience is truly magical as dozens of people suddenly become all quiet when the first rays of the sun cast long shadows of the mountains on this never-ending landscape. After the sunrise, you can even join the people for a sun salutation yoga session while still enjoying this epic view.

You will also find a small canteen by the temple where you can get delicious masala tea, coffee, and some basic breakfast items. The canteen and the staircase are covered by a wire fence due to the presence of many monkeys. They jump from tree to tree and on rooftops of buildings, curious if they too could have breakfast. However, the canteen owner hardly liked the monkey guests, as he threw many fair-sized stones at them while I sipped my hot coffee.

Feel the Vibes at the Beatles Ashram

Another immensely popular tourist attraction is the well-known Beatles ashram. In 1968, while already having achieved worldwide popularity, the Beatles decided to travel to India and reside in Rishikesh to practice mindfulness.

Nowadays, the entry fee to the Beatles ashram is, however, very expensive. Many tourists, myself included, hoping to see this historical location, turn around at the gates as they are asked to pay an entry fee of ₹1200! In comparison, the entry to the world wonder Taj Mahal in the highly touristic city of Agra costs ₹1000.

Accomodation

There are plenty of accommodation options available, even for shorter visits. My personal recommendation would be to consider a hostel with a private room if bunk bed accommodation feels too adventurous. Rishikesh’s hostels provide an excellent opportunity to connect with both locals and fellow travelers while offering delicious meals through out the day among other services. During my stay at Live Free Hostel in Tapovan, the staff made sure I felt at home and even organized activities for me without asking any money for it.

The Best Food in the World

Many say Indian cuisine is the best in the world, and I cannot really make an argument to disagree with that. The food in Rishikesh is excellent, hygienic, and very affordable. My favorite restaurant in Tapovan was Anna’s Mess, where they serve delicious and authentic South Indian dishes. I couldn’t get enough of their amazing dosas, and their coffee was awesome too!

Rajasthani Jalpan Grih & Bhojanalaya is another great and very popular restaurant among local people in downtown Rishikesh. I fell in love with their garlic naan, but every dish I had the chance to try there was exquisite.

Goodbye India! (for now)

Experiencing Rishikesh as my last destination during my 4-week travels in India was the perfect ending to the story. From the beautiful white sand beaches in Goa to the loud and chaotic streets of Delhi, walking through the gardens of Taj Mahal in Agra, and experiencing the spiritualism and Hindu traditions firsthand in Rishikesh, India has given me new friends, happy memories, and more priceless experiences than I would have ever gotten if I had stayed home instead.

Thank you, India, for hosting me and showing me your good and the dirty sides. I will miss you, especially the delicious food, both southern and northern cuisine. 😉

The next destination awaits…

Stay curious!

“Where there is love there is life.”
― Mahatma Gandhi