By plane Rishikesh is in close proximity of Dehradun‘s Jolly Grant Airport (about 15 km) – a small, quiet and recently renovated airport handling just two flights from Delhi.
By car
Delhi airport to Rishikesh by car is a good option for a hassle free traveling specially for foreign tourists. It’s a 6 to 7 hours journey and on the way one can stop for short break at a nice and clean restaurant named Cheetal. Prices vary from US$ 80 to US$ 120 for an air conditioned car. There are two trusted taxi services listed below.
By train
A quiet branch line connects Rishikesh to Haridwar, but there are only about three slow trains daily. It’s best to take the train to Haridwar and continue by bus (45 min, Rs 20), by taxi (30 mins, Rs 500) or by shared auto-rickshaw (40 min, Rs 10). Travelling by train comes recommended because they often run empty and the fares are low (just Rs 4/- for a passenger service) & run right-time especially in peak seasons or “Melas” (Fares) when bus routes are diverted in Haridwar & share rickshaws try to make a killing. You can take “Vikrams” towards Lakshman Jhula (Rs 10) from Rishikesh station. You will have to cross Ram Jhula to reach Swarg Ashram(On the other side of river Ganges). From Delhi there are many trains to Haridwar, some of the best are: Shatabadi Express, Jan Shatabdi, AC Special Express, Mussoorie Express.
- Trains from Rishikesh
- Rishikesh – Delhi 07:00
- Rishikesh – Haridwar 08:10
- Rishikesh – Bandikui 14:10
- Rishikesh – Haridwar 15:35 Rs 4/-
- Rishikesh – Haridwar 18:35 Rs 4/-
- Express:
- Rishikesh – Jammutawi 16:20
- Passenger Trains from Haridwar to Rishikesh, Approx travel time 1hr.
- Haridwar – Rishikesh 05:20
- Haridwar – Rishikesh 10:30
- Haridwar – Rishikesh 17:25
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 200-500. In Rishikesh, there are several travel agencies scattered around Swarg Ashram and Lakshman Jhula that can book luxury buses to common destinations like Delhi (Rs 250-500), Jaipur, Pushkar and Varanasi.
