A timed Saturday-Sunday plan from Delhi NCR: Neer Garh and an evening aarti on Day 1, Shivpuri rafting and the Beatles Ashram on Day 2, home by Sunday night.
Quick summary
This two-day Rishikesh itinerary is built for a Saturday–Sunday trip from Delhi NCR by car, with one night in Rishikesh, between October and March. It covers a waterfall walk, an evening Ganga aarti, a morning on the river and the Beatles Ashram, and gets you home on Sunday night. Train and bus versions, and a third-day option with a Kunjapuri sunrise, follow below. For background on the town, routes and closures, see the Rishikesh destination guide.
Before you go: Laxman Jhula has been closed since 2019 and Ram Jhula was closed in July 2026 for repairs expected to last until December 2026, so this plan uses Bajrang Setu and Janki Setu for crossings. Rafting runs only from late September to 30 June. Sunset is roughly 5.15–5.45 pm in December and January and closer to 6–6.30 pm in October and March, so evening timings below shift with the month.
Day 1 (Saturday): drive, Neer Garh and the evening aarti
5.00 am: leave Delhi NCR
Take the Delhi–Meerut Expressway and NH334 via Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Roorkee and Haridwar, about 240 km. Allow 5–6 hours with one breakfast stop around Muzaffarnagar. In December and January, check the IMD fog warnings the night before; if dense fog is forecast, leave after first light and drop Neer Garh from the afternoon.
11.00 am: arrive, check in and book rafting
Drop your bags in Tapovan, Muni Ki Reti or a Shivpuri camp. Book Sunday's rafting now with a licensed operator, choosing the first morning slot on the Shivpuri stretch. Confirm that the price includes life jacket, helmet, guide and transport to Shivpuri, and tell the operator if anyone in the group cannot swim.
12.00 pm: lunch
A Tapovan cafe or a thali place in Muni Ki Reti. Remember the town is vegetarian and does not sell alcohol.
1.15 pm to 3.30 pm: Neer Garh Waterfall
Drive or take an auto about 5 km from Laxman Jhula to the Neer Garh gate, pay the small entry fee and walk the 1.5–2 km trail past the tiered falls. Wear shoes with grip and keep out of the pools if the water is high after rain.
3.45 pm to 4.45 pm: Bajrang Setu and Laxman Jhula
Walk across Bajrang Setu next to the closed Laxman Jhula. The central deck is free; the glass walkways are open 6 am to 10 pm with an approved fee of ₹100 per adult and ₹50 per child for a two-hour slot. Check on arrival that the walkways are open.
Sunset (about 5.15–6.30 pm): Ganga aarti
Choose one. Parmarth Niketan in Swargashram on the east bank runs a large, well-organised aarti; with Ram Jhula closed, cross by Janki Setu from Muni Ki Reti. Triveni Ghat in the old town on the west bank has a larger local crowd and a bazaar for evening snacks. Both start around sunset and timings vary by season, so confirm locally and arrive 30–45 minutes early for a spot on the steps. Allow about an hour.
7.30 pm: dinner and an early night
Eat near your stay and sleep early; the rafting pick-up is at 7.30 am.
Day 2 (Sunday): rafting, Beatles Ashram and the drive home
7.00 am: light breakfast
Wear quick-dry clothes and sandals with straps. Leave valuables at your stay and carry your phone only in a waterproof pouch.
7.30 am: report to the rafting operator
Most operators drive groups up the Badrinath highway to Shivpuri, about 16 km upstream of Laxman Jhula, for a safety briefing and helmet and life-jacket fitting.
8.30 am to about 11.30 am: Shivpuri to Rishikesh rafting
The run is roughly 16–18 km of Grade II and III rapids down to Rishikesh. Allow 2.5–3.5 hours from briefing to take-out (an estimate; it depends on water levels and group size). Follow the guide's instructions at every rapid and keep your life jacket and helmet on until you are out of the water.
12.00 pm to 1.00 pm: change and lunch
Shower, check out and have lunch near your stay.
1.15 pm to 2.45 pm: Beatles Ashram (Chaurasi Kutia)
Head to the southern end of Swargashram on the east bank. The ashram is open 10 am to 4 pm. Foreign nationals pay a much higher fee and need a passport; Indian visitors pay a lower fee, confirmed at the gate. Allow about an hour among the meditation huts and the mural-covered lecture hall.
3.00 pm: start the drive back
With 5–6 hours on the road plus Sunday-evening traffic into Delhi, expect to be home around 9–9.30 pm. Take a break at Muzaffarnagar or Meerut and avoid driving tired. In fog season, leaving by 2 pm keeps more of the drive in daylight.
If you are coming by train
Take the New Delhi–Dehradun Shatabdi (12017), which leaves New Delhi at 06:45 daily and reaches Haridwar at 11:35, then a cab or shared auto for the 25 km to Rishikesh. You will arrive around 12.30–1 pm: skip Neer Garh on Day 1, check in, walk Bajrang Setu and attend the aarti. On Day 2, raft in the morning, visit the Beatles Ashram by about 2 pm and leave Rishikesh by 4.45 pm for the return Shatabdi (12018), which departs Haridwar at 18:07 and reaches New Delhi at 22:50. Alternatively, the Vande Bharat Express (22457) leaves Anand Vihar Terminal at 17:50 on Friday and reaches Haridwar at 21:11, which gives you a full Saturday; it does not run on Thursdays. Confirm timings on NTES or IRCTC before booking.
If you are coming by bus
An overnight bus from Delhi reaches Rishikesh early on Saturday morning. Take an auto to Tapovan or Muni Ki Reti, leave your bags, rest, and pick up the plan from lunch. On Sunday, book an evening bus back after the Beatles Ashram; government buses can be reserved on the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation portal.
Adding a third day: Kunjapuri sunrise
Stay Sunday night and drive the roughly 25 km up the Narendra Nagar road to Kunjapuri Devi Temple (about 1,676 m) for sunrise. Leave about an hour and a quarter before sunrise, which is around 6 am in October and late March and after 7 am in late December and January. Climb the steps to the temple terrace, watch the light come up over the Garhwal peaks, and be back for breakfast by about 9 am. Leave for Delhi by 10 am to be home by around 4–5 pm. The hill road has tight hairpins, so drive slowly in the dark and watch for fog in winter.
Swaps and add-ons
- Bungee jumping: Jumpin Heights runs an 83 m jump at Mohan Chatti. Book ahead, jump in the morning, and do not go in rain or poor visibility; use only established operators.
- Rajaji safari: the Chilla zone is open from 15 November to 15 June with morning and evening slots; it can replace Neer Garh on the third day.
- Devprayag: about 70 km up the Badrinath highway at the Alaknanda–Bhagirathi confluence; a half-day trip on the extra day, not during monsoon alerts.
- Long weekends: stay at Shivpuri, do town sights before 11 am, and expect the drive to take longer.
Packing list
- Quick-dry clothes and strap sandals for rafting
- Waterproof phone pouch
- Warm layer for winter evenings on the ghats and the Kunjapuri dawn
- Shoes with grip for Neer Garh
- Sunscreen and a cap
- Modest clothing for temples, ghats and ashram areas
- ID for all travellers, and a passport for foreign nationals
For a breakdown of what this weekend costs, see the Rishikesh trip cost guide. For more on each stop, read the best places to visit in Rishikesh, and check the best time to visit Rishikesh before fixing your dates. You can save and adjust this plan in the trip planner.