Rishikesh Tour Package, 2 Nights 3 Days with Ganga Aarti

What does this Rishikesh tour package include?

This is a 2 nights and 3 days Rishikesh tour package. You start in Delhi or at Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport, and you end at the same place. You stay both nights in one hotel in Rishikesh, so you unpack only once.

On Day 1 you reach Rishikesh and sit for the evening Ganga aarti at Parmarth Niketan. On Day 2 you see the sunrise at Kunjapuri Devi, raft the Ganga if the season is open, walk across the new Bajrang Setu, see the Beatles Ashram and end the day at the Triveni Ghat aarti. On Day 3 you take darshan at Neelkanth Mahadev, sit in the satsang at Sivananda Ashram, and drive back.

Many packages list Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula as places to walk across. In 2026 you cannot walk on either. We tell you what is open, and how to reach each ghat without getting stuck.

Is 2 nights enough for Rishikesh?

Yes, for the main places. Two nights give you two evening aartis, one sunrise, one temple day and one rafting run. Rishikesh is small, and most of it is close to the river.

Add a third night if you want a full yoga day, a quiet morning at the ashrams, or the Har Ki Pauri aarti at Haridwar. If you also want hills, our Haridwar Mussoorie tour package adds Mussoorie to the trip.

How do you reach Rishikesh from Delhi or from abroad?

Most families come by road from Delhi. Here is what each way in looks like for you.

• By road from Delhi. Rishikesh is about 230 to 250 km from Delhi, about 6 to 7 hours by car. Leave Delhi by 6 am to miss the city traffic, and you reach in time for lunch.
• By air. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant at Dehradun. It is about 20 km from Rishikesh, about 45 minutes by car. This is the easiest way in for elders.
• By train. Most trains from Delhi stop at Haridwar, about 25 km from Rishikesh. Only a few slow trains run on the branch line to Rishikesh itself. Check the current trains on the official IRCTC site, and we pick you up at the station.

If you fly in from abroad, land in Delhi and rest one night first. A long flight and then a 6-hour drive is too much for most parents. The short Delhi to Dehradun flight is often the better choice. For a ready plan with the Delhi drive, see our Delhi to Haridwar Rishikesh tour package.

Is Laxman Jhula open, and what is Bajrang Setu?

The old Laxman Jhula is closed. Experts declared the iron suspension bridge unsafe in 2019, and it was shut to the public. It was built between 1927 and 1929. Its plaques say it opened on 11 April 1930. Tradition says Lakshmana crossed the Ganga here on jute ropes. You can still see the old bridge from the banks, but please do not plan to walk on it.

Next to it now stands Bajrang Setu, a new bridge 132 m long and 8 m wide. On each side there is a walkway with thick glass under your feet, so you see the river below you. In late July and early August 2026, news reports said the bridge was complete and open. The glass walkways were open from 6 am to 10 pm. The middle part was free at all hours.

The same reports said a fee for the glass walkways had been approved, but was not yet being charged. Rules here are new and may change. Please confirm the current rate and timings on the spot. If you fear heights, walk in the middle part. Two-wheelers also use it, so keep children close.

Is Ram Jhula open in 2026?

No. Ram Jhula was built in 1986. It links Sivananda Nagar on the west bank with Swarg Ashram on the east bank. Two-wheelers were stopped on it in 2023. On the evening of 25 July 2026, it was closed to walkers too, for repairs to its foundation and cables.

The public works department aims to finish the work by December 2026. That is a target, not a promise. Until it opens again, you cross by Janki Setu, the bridge opened in November 2020. It links the Parmarth Niketan side with the Kailash Ashram side. It has separate lanes for walkers and two-wheelers, so keep children close to you.

When is river rafting open in Rishikesh, and is it safe?

Rafting on the Ganga runs for about 10 months a year. It stops in July and August for the monsoon. In some years it stops earlier: in 2025 it was halted on 24 June as the river neared the warning level. It opens again only after an official team inspects the river. That was 27 September in 2025 and 23 September in 2026.

The rapids on these stretches range from easy to very rough. The longer stretches upstream have bigger rapids. Here are the rules that matter to you:

• Book only with a licensed operator. The state now allows only certified guides with first-aid and CPR training.
• A certified life jacket and a helmet are compulsory. Do not get into a raft without both.
• No raft may carry more people than its capacity. If the operator squeezes in one more, say no.
• Children have a minimum age, and it differs by stretch. Ask the operator before you book, and carry a photo ID for each person.
• If you have heart trouble, back trouble or you are pregnant, ask your doctor first, and choose the shortest stretch or skip it.

For full rafting trips with camps, see our Shivpuri river rafting package. If you want rafting and a short trek together, see rafting in Rishikesh with trekking in the Himalayas.

Ganga aarti in Rishikesh: Parmarth Niketan or Triveni Ghat?

See both. You have two evenings, so you can. They feel very different.

At Parmarth Niketan, the aarti is held every day at sunset on the ashram's own ghat. A yagna begins about half an hour before. Then come the lamps, the bhajans and the prayers, with the large statue of Lord Shiva on the bank behind. The ashram itself says the time changes with the season. In winter it is usually around 5 pm, and in summer around 6 pm. Ask at the reception that day.

At Triveni Ghat, near the main market, devotees believe the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet. People take a dip here and offer water for their ancestors. The evening aarti lasts about 45 minutes, and people float diyas on the river. It is usually around 5.30 pm in winter and around 6.30 pm in summer.

At both places, reach 45 minutes early for a good spot on the steps. Keep your bag in front of you. Parmarth also warns that it never asks for room payment by phone or WhatsApp. If anyone does, it is a fraud.

Is Rishikesh a vegetarian and alcohol-free town?

Yes. The sale of meat, fish and eggs is banned in Rishikesh. In 2004 the Supreme Court upheld the town's ban on eggs and non-vegetarian food. Alcohol is banned in the whole Rishikesh municipal area, and also within 2 km of the Virbhadra temple. Haridwar has the same rule on meat, fish, eggs and alcohol.

Please do not carry alcohol or non-vegetarian food into the town or to the ghats. Respect this rule as you would in a temple. The food is pure vegetarian and very good, so you will not miss anything.

Can you go to the Beatles Ashram?

Yes. The Beatles Ashram is the old ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. People call it Chaurasi Kutia, which means 84 huts. It sits in a corner of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, and the forest department runs it. The Beatles came here in February 1968 to learn meditation. In the weeks they stayed, they wrote about 30 songs.

The ashram was left empty in 1997. The forest department opened it to visitors again in December 2015. You walk among stone meditation huts, the old halls and big painted walls. There is an entry ticket, with a different rate for Indians and foreigners. Please confirm the current rate at the gate. In 2015 the park said it would open from November to June, so check it is open before you go in the monsoon.

What are Kunjapuri and Neelkanth, and why go?

Kunjapuri Devi is a temple of Goddess Durga at about 1,676 m, in Tehri district. The district site counts it among the 13 Shakti Peethas of the Shivalik hills, set up by Adi Shankaracharya. Tradition says a part of Goddess Sati's body fell here. At sunrise you see the snow peaks of Swargarohini, Gangotri, Banderpunch and Chaukhamba, and the valley of Rishikesh and Haridwar far below.

Neelkanth Mahadev is in Pauri Garhwal, deep in the forest. Tradition says Lord Shiva drank the poison that came out of the Samudra Manthan here, and his throat turned blue. The temple stands where the Pankaja and Madhumati rivers meet. The district site gives about 22 km by the Ram Jhula side and about 32 km by the barrage road. In Shravan, Kanwar devotees walk here from Haridwar, and the crowds are very large.

When is the best time to visit Rishikesh?

September to November and February to April are the easiest months. Days are pleasant, the river is clear, and rafting is open. In March, Rishikesh also holds the International Yoga Festival. In 2026 it ran on 16 to 22 March. Check the dates for your year on the official site.

May is hot. The temperature can touch 45 C. Plan outdoor places early and late. July and August bring the monsoon, rafting is closed, and the Shravan Kanwar crowds fill the roads and hotels. Unless you are coming for Shravan itself, avoid these weeks.

Haridwar holds the Ardh Kumbh from January to April 2027. The ten bathing days include 14 January, 6 March, 8 March and 14 April, the last three being Amrit Snan days. On these days roads near Haridwar close and crowds are huge. If your dates touch the Ardh Kumbh, please talk to us before you book.

What to eat and buy in Rishikesh

Everything here is vegetarian. For a full thali, families go to Chotiwala, on the Swarg Ashram side. It opened in 1958. Today two Chotiwala restaurants stand side by side after a family split, each with its own Chotiwala mascot sitting outside. Parmarth Niketan's cafeteria serves simple satvik thalis. In the main market, try hot aloo tikki, samosa and jalebi, and chai at any corner stall.

For shopping, the lanes near the ghats sell religious items, incense, brass diyas, rudraksha malas and small bronze Shiva statues. Prices are usually fair, and you do not need to haggle much. Avoid unofficial guides who offer to take you to a shop. Never agree to carry stones or gems abroad for a gem shop. That is a known fraud.

If you want a longer holy trip, see our Haridwar Rishikesh tour, or the Char Dham yatra tour package, which starts from this side. For the whole state, see our Uttarakhand tour package.

How is this package different from others?

We read the top pages that sell Rishikesh packages. Most give no day-by-day plan. None of them says that Ram Jhula is closed, and only one names Bajrang Setu. Most never give the rafting months or the safety rules. None explains the vegetarian and alcohol-free rule.

This page gives you the bridge status, the rafting months with the 2025 and 2026 opening dates, the aarti times by season, the Ardh Kumbh dates, and a clear river safety warning. Official sites come first, and then trusted guides. Where sources differ, we tell you so.