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Har Ki Pauri at Haridwar with its clock tower, orange-roofed shrines and pilgrims on the ghat beside the Ganga
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Photo: Paradise Chronicle · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Rishikesh or Haridwar — two towns on the Ganga, and how to choose

Rishikesh or Haridwar: a pilgrim city at Har Ki Pauri, or a river town for yoga, the Beatles Ashram and rafting. Distance, what each is for, doing both.

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The Ganga leaves the hills at Rishikesh and reaches the plains at Haridwar. The two towns sit close together, but they feel very different.

Haridwar: the pilgrim city

Haridwar is one of the holiest cities of the Hindu faith. Its centre is Har Ki Pauri, where the evening aarti on the river draws great crowds. The hill temples of Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi are reached by ropeway. Wikipedia notes that alcohol and meat are not sold in the city.

Rishikesh: the river town

Rishikesh is greener and slower. People come for the ashrams, for yoga, and for the walks along both banks. Parmarth Niketan holds an aarti at dusk, the Beatles Ashram is in the forest, and rafting runs upriver in season. The old bridges have changed access in recent years, so ask locally how to cross.

Photos: Snehrashmi (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

How to choose

See how to reach Haridwar, how to reach Rishikesh and the best time to visit Rishikesh.

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Questions people ask

Which is better, Rishikesh or Haridwar?

They suit different trips. Haridwar is a pilgrim city, and its heart is Har Ki Pauri and the evening aarti on the Ganga. Rishikesh is a riverside town for walks, ashrams, yoga, the Beatles Ashram and, in season, rafting. Many people stay in Rishikesh and spend an evening in Haridwar.

How far is Rishikesh from Haridwar?

About 22 km by road on our routing, so the two are easy to combine. You can stay in one and visit the other in an afternoon. From Delhi, Haridwar is about 217 km by road and Rishikesh about 241 km, and both are reached by train and road.

Can you do Haridwar and Rishikesh in one day?

You can see the main sights of both in one long day, but it is a rush. A better plan is two days: Rishikesh by day, with the ashrams and the bridges, and Haridwar for the evening aarti at Har Ki Pauri. Our two-day plan lays it out with road times.