Rishikesh is the most versatile weekend from Delhi. A crew can raft in the morning, sit at a riverside café all afternoon, and catch the Ganga aarti in the evening. It is close enough that leaving on Saturday morning still gets you a full first day.
Delhi → Meerut → Muzaffarnagar → Roorkee → Haridwar → Rishikesh, mostly on NH334 and the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway corridor. The roads are good, but Haridwar can be slow on weekends and during festivals, so time your arrival around it.
By train, take a Shatabdi or Vande Bharat to Haridwar or Dehradun, then a cab for the last 25 to 45 km. Overnight Volvo buses from Delhi also run regularly.
Riverside camps around Shivpuri are the crew favourite and usually bundle rafting, meals, and a bonfire into one package. Tapovan and the Laxman Jhula area have hostels and guesthouses that suit backpacking groups. Pick stays near Ram Jhula if you want to be close to the aarti.
Rishikesh is about 240 km from Delhi, a 5 to 6 hour drive via Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Roorkee, and Haridwar.
September to November and February to May are best. River rafting is usually suspended during the monsoon, roughly July to August.
Yes. The 16 km Shivpuri to Rishikesh stretch has Grade II-III rapids and is ideal for first-timers when booked with a licensed operator.
No. Rishikesh is a vegetarian, alcohol-free town within its municipal limits.
Take a Shatabdi or Vande Bharat to Haridwar or Dehradun, then a cab for the last 25 to 45 km. Overnight Volvo buses from Delhi also run regularly.
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