Things to do in Rishikesh — 5 stops, and which need a car
How this list is built
Sorted by distance from the centre of Rishikesh, because that is how a day here gets planned: what is a walk, what needs a car. The minutes are our own road routing. Each entry sits inside one of our copyable itineraries.
Photos: Billjones94 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
By the river
1. Lakshman Jhula
The suspension bridge about 5.6 km from the centre, with ashrams and cafes along the bank. Wikipedia reports it pedestrian-only since 2020, so check before you plan a crossing. Lakshman Jhula.
2. Ram Jhula
The 1986 bridge about 2 km downriver, which Wikipedia reports closed by 2025. Ram Jhula.
3. Parmarth Niketan
The Swargashram ashram and ghat, where the sunset aarti draws a crowd. Parmarth Niketan.
By car
4. Beatles Ashram
The ruined Chaurasi Kutia on the east bank, 25 minutes from the centre, where the Beatles studied meditation in 1968. Beatles Ashram.
5. Neelkanth Mahadev Temple
A Shiva temple in the forest, 26 km and 51 minutes from the centre on our routing, where Wikipedia says pilgrims walk from Haridwar at the Shivratri fairs. We have no place page for it yet, because we have no verified picture.
Putting it together
The one-day plan does the ashram, the bridge bank and the aarti. The two-day plan adds the Ram Jhula and the temple. See when to visit Rishikesh and how to reach Rishikesh.
Plans that include this
All Rishikesh itineraries →
Questions people ask
What are the best things to do in Rishikesh?
Visit the ruined Beatles Ashram, walk the bank by the Lakshman Jhula and the Ram Jhula, and watch the evening aarti at Parmarth Niketan. A second day adds Neelkanth Mahadev, a Shiva temple 51 minutes by road. Wikipedia also lists rafting on the Ganges, from Grade I to IV, which we have no operator data for.
What can you do in Rishikesh for free?
Walk the river bank between the bridges, sit on the ghats and watch the aarti, which Wikipedia describes as a public ritual of music and fire offerings at dusk. We have no verified ticket price for the Beatles Ashram, so ask. Taxis between the two banks are the real cost, because the river separates them by road.
Is Rishikesh vegetarian and alcohol-free?
Wikipedia describes it as a vegetarian-only and alcohol-free city, and says meat, fish and eggs may not be sold there, a ban dating from 1956, with the Supreme Court upholding the egg ban in 2004. Restaurants serve Garhwali food and thalis, and the rule applies to the town, so check outside it.