Haridwar to Rishikesh for International Travellers: Taxi, Bus or Train?

Short answer: Haridwar to Rishikesh is about 23–25 km and takes 45–60 minutes by road, via Raiwala. For most international visitors a pre-booked taxi is the easiest option, because it goes door to door to Tapovan, Ram Jhula or your ashram. Buses run all day and cost ₹30–170; two slow local trains run each morning.

How far is Rishikesh from Haridwar, and how long does it take?

Rishikesh is about 23–25 km north of Haridwar, up the Ganga (the Ganges) where it leaves the Himalayan foothills. The road runs north out of Haridwar past Bhupatwala and the edge of Rajaji National Park to Raiwala, then into Rishikesh along the Haridwar Road. In normal traffic it takes 45 minutes to an hour; bus-listing sites quote about 23 km and our own drivers plan on about 25 km and 45 minutes.

The distance matters less than where you are going in Rishikesh. The town is long and thin. The bus stand and the old railway station are at the southern, Haridwar end. Triveni Ghat is in the old centre. Ram Jhula, Swarg Ashram and Parmarth Niketan are a few kilometres further north, and Tapovan, the Laxman Jhula area and most yoga schools and cafés are further still. Add 15–25 minutes in a three-wheeler if you arrive by bus or train.

What are the ways to get from Haridwar to Rishikesh?

Fares from ixigo bus and train listings checked 27–29 October 2026; rupee figures converted at about ₹95 to the US dollar (late October 2026) and rounded. Fares change; treat them as a guide.

Is a taxi the best way from Haridwar to Rishikesh?

For most international visitors, yes. A taxi solves the two awkward parts of this short trip: getting out of Haridwar’s crowded centre and getting to the right end of Rishikesh. A driver can meet you at Haridwar Junction railway station or at the parking nearest Har Ki Pauri (the lanes around the ghat are closed to cars, so you walk the last stretch), and drive you straight to an ashram in Tapovan or a riverside camp at Shivpuri.

It also makes the classic combination easy: arrive in Haridwar by the morning train from Delhi, see the city, watch the evening aarti at Har Ki Pauri and then drive to Rishikesh after dark, a 45-minute run on a busy, well-lit highway. Our Haridwar taxi service page has current fares for local and onward trips. If you are coming from Delhi on the same day, our Delhi to Rishikesh guide compares the Shatabdi and Vande Bharat trains with driving the whole way.

Can you take a bus from Haridwar to Rishikesh?

Yes, and plenty of them. Booking sites list roughly 170–215 departures a day through Haridwar towards Rishikesh, from about 00:30 to 23:30, run by state corporations (Himachal and Uttar Pradesh roadways buses were listed on 27 October 2026) and private operators such as FlixBus and zingbus. Many are long-distance buses from Delhi that stop in Haridwar on the way. Listed fares started at ₹30 on a state bus and ₹73 on a UP Roadways bus, with private AC seats around ₹166.

Two cautions. First, buses end at the Rishikesh bus stand on the Haridwar Road, at the southern end of town, so you still need an auto-rickshaw or e-rickshaw to Ram Jhula or Tapovan. Second, local buses in India are crowded and have little room for a big suitcase. If you travel light and in daylight, the bus is cheap and perfectly workable.

Is there a train from Haridwar to Rishikesh?

There is, but it is slow and infrequent. Two unreserved “Express Special” locals run daily: train 04361 leaves Haridwar Junction at 05:10 and reaches Rishikesh at 06:15, and train 04363 leaves at 10:35 and arrives at 11:40 (ixigo timetable, checked 29 October 2026; RailMitra lists the same pair as daily). The general-class fare is ₹10. There are no reserved seats, so you buy a ticket at the counter and sit where you can.

These trains use the old Rishikesh station (code RKSH) near the town centre. The few long-distance trains that run through to Rishikesh use the newer Yog Nagari Rishikesh station (YNRK), a few kilometres away; check which one your ticket says. If Indian rail jargon such as “GEN”, “CC” or “3A” is new to you, our Indian train classes explained guide decodes it. For a 25 km trip the train is an experience rather than a time-saver.

Should you stay in Haridwar or Rishikesh?

Most international travellers sleep in Rishikesh and visit Haridwar for an afternoon and evening. Rishikesh has the yoga schools, cafés, river walks, rafting and a wide range of guesthouses (our Rishikesh travel guide covers where to stay and what to do); Haridwar is a busy Hindu pilgrimage city, wonderful to see but less relaxing to stay in. Both towns are largely vegetarian and alcohol is not served around the main ghats, so plan your evenings accordingly.

Stay in Haridwar instead if you want the dawn aarti at Har Ki Pauri, if you have an early train, or if you are starting a Char Dham Yatra by road (most yatras start from Haridwar or Rishikesh). If you are going to Rishikesh for a course, our Rishikesh yoga retreat guide explains how to choose an ashram and how long to stay.

When is the Ganga aarti at Haridwar and at Rishikesh?

The evening aarti, a fire ceremony to the river with large brass lamps, chanting and bells, is the reason many people stop in Haridwar. At Har Ki Pauri it happens at sunset every day: roughly 5:00–5:30 pm in winter and later, towards 7 pm, in summer, and lasts about 45 minutes (Yatradham guide, updated 26 September 2026). Times follow sunset, so confirm on the day. Arrive 45–60 minutes early for a place on the steps or the bridge facing Brahmakund, and keep valuables close; crowds are dense.

In Rishikesh the main evening aartis are at Triveni Ghat in the old town (around dusk, about 45 minutes, per Incredible India) and at Parmarth Niketan near Ram Jhula, which is calmer and popular with visitors. A good plan is Haridwar’s aarti on the evening you arrive and Rishikesh’s on a quieter evening later. If you are also visiting Varanasi, our Varanasi Ganga aarti guide covers the best known of them all.

What should you know about the Kumbh in 2027?

Haridwar hosts an Ardh Kumbh Mela (a “half” Kumbh, held between the 12-yearly full ones) from 14 January to 20 April 2027. The Mela administration announced ten bathing dates; the three main Amrit Snan days are 6 March (Mahashivratri), 8 March and 14 April 2027 (PTI via The Week, 15 April 2026). On those days and the days around them, expect closed roads, vehicle bans near the ghats and very large crowds on the Haridwar–Rishikesh road.

If you want to see the Kumbh, base yourself in Rishikesh, travel into Haridwar very early, and do not plan an airport or train connection on a bathing day. Our Kumbh Mela 2027 guide covers the dates, crowds and how international visitors can see it well. The other crowded period is the Kanwar Yatra in the Hindu month of Sawan (late July to early August), when pilgrims walk the highway and traffic is diverted.

What is new in Rishikesh for visitors in 2026?

Bajrang Setu, a 132 m glass-floored suspension bridge, now crosses the Ganga beside the old Laxman Jhula, linking Tapovan with Jonk. Its glass walkway is open 6 am to 10 pm, and the concrete middle section is open around the clock and free. In late July 2026 the state approved a fee of ₹100 for adults and ₹50 for children for two hours on the glass sections (ANI, 29 July 2026; India.com, 1 August 2026); at the time of writing we could not confirm that the fee is being collected, so check on arrival.

Rafting on the Ganga usually pauses during the monsoon (roughly July to mid-September) on the authorities’ orders, and restarts once the river drops. October to April is the most comfortable time for the whole Haridwar–Rishikesh area; December and January mornings are foggy and cold.

What does this mean for your trip?

• Coming from Delhi by train: get off at Haridwar, see Har Ki Pauri and the evening aarti, then take a taxi to Rishikesh for the night.
• Arriving by air: Dehradun’s Jolly Grant airport is about 20 km from Rishikesh and closer to it than to Haridwar, so go to Rishikesh first and visit Haridwar as a half-day trip.
• On a budget: daytime bus to the Rishikesh bus stand, then an auto-rickshaw to your area.
• Avoid: Kumbh Amrit Snan days in March and April 2027, and Kanwar Yatra fortnight in July–August.

Haridwar and Rishikesh fit neatly into a longer North India route; see our India two-week itinerary for how they sit alongside Delhi, Agra and the Himalaya, and the India tours hub for more planning guides.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Haridwar from Rishikesh?

About 23–25 km by road, depending on which part of Rishikesh you are going to. The drive via Raiwala takes 45–60 minutes in normal traffic. Tapovan and the Laxman Jhula area are at the far, northern end of Rishikesh, so allow a little longer for those; the bus stand and old railway station are at the Haridwar end.

What is the cheapest way to get from Haridwar to Rishikesh?

The local train is cheapest at ₹10, but it runs only twice a morning (05:10 and 10:35 from Haridwar Junction). Buses are almost as cheap, from about ₹30 on a state bus, and run all day. Both end at the southern end of Rishikesh, so budget for an auto-rickshaw to Ram Jhula or Tapovan.

Can I do Haridwar as a day trip from Rishikesh?

Yes, and many visitors do. Leave Rishikesh after lunch, visit Mansa Devi by ropeway and walk the Har Ki Pauri ghats in the late afternoon, watch the sunset aarti and drive back in about 45 minutes. A taxi for the evening is simplest, because buses back are busy right after the aarti.

Is Uber or Ola available between Haridwar and Rishikesh?

App cabs do operate in the area at times, but availability is patchy, especially late in the evening and at Har Ki Pauri, where cars cannot enter the lanes. For a fixed pickup after the aarti or from a train, a pre-booked taxi with an agreed fare is more reliable.

Is it safe to travel from Haridwar to Rishikesh at night?

The road is a busy national highway and is used through the evening, so a taxi after the aarti is normal. Avoid walking or flagging down unknown vehicles late at night, keep valuables close in the aarti crowd, and agree the fare before you get into any three-wheeler.

Which Rishikesh railway station should I use?

The two local trains from Haridwar go to the old Rishikesh station (RKSH) near the town centre. The few long-distance trains that run through to Rishikesh use Yog Nagari Rishikesh (YNRK), a newer station a few kilometres from the old one. Check the station code on your ticket and arrange your pickup there.

Sources (checked 27–29 October 2026): ixigo train pages 04361 and 04363 and RailMitra (Haridwar–Rishikesh locals); ixigo bus listing Haridwar–Rishikesh, 27 October 2026; Yatradham, Ganga aarti timing in Haridwar (updated 26 September 2026); Incredible India, Har Ki Pauri and Triveni Ghat; PTI via The Week, Ardh Kumbh bathing dates (15 April 2026); ANI (29 July 2026) and India.com (1 August 2026), Bajrang Setu. Rules, fares and times change; confirm locally before you travel.