Rishikesh is famous as the Yoga Capital of India because of the prevalence of Yoga there. But apart from being a meditation hub and spiritual place it is famous for other reasons too. Rishikesh is very close to Haridwar and it takes around 45 minutes to reach. It is also the starting point of the famous Char Dham Yatra constituting Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath. You can reach this place via self-drive or public transport. So here are some of the best things to do if you are in Rishikesh.
Rajaji National Park and Wildlife Safari
It is 20 kilometers away from Rishikesh and takes 40 minutes to reach. It is both a national park and a tiger reserve. There is a beautiful wildlife safari that is allowed in Rajaji National park. It is a 45 kilometer ride and takes around 3 hours to cover the area. The safari into the national park will show you many animals like Cheetah, Spotted Deer, Sambar, peacocks, peahens, Elephants, and of course tigers. The vegetation here ranges from evergreen to grasslands. You can also see different types of grasses like tiger grass, elephant grass etc. It is a family-friendly safari if you were to see animals like elephants and peacocks, but be careful about the animals like tigers which can spot them rarely. So an experience of safari in Rajaji National Park is a must to have.
Ganga Aarthi
Aarti is a Hindhu religious ritual that is offered with the fire to one or more gods. The Ganga Aarthi is a must visit place if you are a spiritual person and want to have a Rishikesh tour. It is located in Triveni Ghat, which is located on the banks of river Ganga. Triveni Ghat is the convergence of 3 holy rivers namely Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi. The Ganga Aarthi and Triveni Ghat is located in Parmarth Niketan. The speciality of this is that many children who are learning Vedic chants do come here and chant during the evening Aarthi. Everybody is allowed to light the Aarthi and pray. So it’s a nice place for spirituality and serenity.
Food Tour in Rishikesh
If you are a foodie then experiencing the taste of Rishikesh is a must. Rishikesh is famous for vegetarian food. It has many cafes and restaurants that serve some of the best food in the country. Some of the famous cafes in Rishikesh are Chotiwala Restaurant, Steps Cafe, German Bakery, Ganga Beach Cafe, Honey Hunt Nature’s Cafe, and so on. And you get to see some of the awesome dishes like Pour over Coffee, Peanut Cookies, Green Veg Salad, Israeli Falafel and many more. Tasting the local food when you are on tour is the best experience that you get and especially when you are in Rishikesh, so do check out some interesting mouthwatering dishes, traditional food and cuisine of Rishikesh.
Camping and Rafting
Rishikesh is famous for river rafting and Camping on the banks of river Ganga. There are many budget friendly camping sites in Rishikesh where you can enjoy the views from your camp as the camps are usually before mountains and rivers. The nature would be so peaceful and serene that you would never have seen and experienced it. Rafting is an adventurous activity especially in the river that is flowing at a moderate to high speed. Most of the rafting sites start from Shivpuri in Rishikesh. If you were to start from Shivpuri then you would come across 9 major rapids while rafting and it is almost a 16 kilometers raft. Along with rafting you can also do cliff jumping if you want some more adventure. So camping and rafting in Rishikesh is the most recommended activity that you cannot miss.
Neer Waterfalls
It is 12 kilometers away from Rishikesh and you can come here with your 2 or 4 wheelers. You have to follow National Highway-7 along Karnaprayag – Haridwar Road towards east until you see the board having Neer Gary Waterfall on the left side. You must buy your tickets at the starting point and start heading towards the waterfall. It is accessible only via trek. There are multiple waterfalls in this area and to reach the one where you can swim you need to hike about 1 kilometer upwards. There are two bridges and few resting points in the way while you are doing the trek. It is an amalgamation of trekking and sightseeing and also swimming in the pool of the waterfall.
