Travel to Rishikesh

How to reach Rishikesh – India

If you are flying into India from abroad, we recommend you book your ticket to Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGAI), Delhi. Rishikesh is located about 240 km from Delhi and the various options for traveling from Delhi to Rishikesh are as follows.

How to reach Rishikesh from flight?

International flights can be gotten to India from most destinations of the world; however, not all flights are direct and there may be a need for transit. The closest Indian international airport to Rishikesh is Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi. From IGAI there are connecting flights to Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun which is the closest domestic airport to Rishikesh.

When you arrive at IGIA you will need to transfer from the international terminal to the domestic terminal of IGAI; this could take about 30-40 mins and there is a regular free shuttle service between the two airports. You can also take an airport or uber taxi between the airports which may cost in the region of 450 INR. Should there be a long transit time between your international and domestic flight then you can always rest up in the IGIA lounge for which you may have to pay.

There are some flights (about 10) operating between IGIA and Jolly Grant airport so ensure that you have adequate transfer times when booking your onward flight to Jolly Grant. The flight fares from IGIA to Jolly Grant range from Rs.3500 to Rs.10000 and flights can be booked online. Indigo, Go First, Vistara, SpiceJet & Alliance Air are the most popular airlines offering flights between IGIA and Jolly Grant. After reaching Jolly Grant airport, you can book a taxi to Rishikesh which costs around Rs.900 to  Rs.1000 and takes about 45 minutes to reach Rishikesh. Taxis to Rishikesh can be booked from Jolly Grant airport itself or IYS can send a taxi for which you will have to pay for.

How to reach Rishikesh from Taxi? 

Reaching Rishikesh from New Delhi Airport will take about 6-7 hours, and is available from airport. You can pick up a cab fquite easily at reasonable costs; the journey time is 6-7 hours and the distance is around 240km. The costs can vary depending on the type of car you choose but can be anything from 4000 INR upwards. Indian School Of Yoga can also arrange the cab for you at an additional cost.

How to reach Rishikesh by Train?

You can travel to Rishikesh via train from New Delhi Station to Haridwar Station, which is situated around 24 km from Rishikesh; Rishikesh does have its own railway station but trains to this station are few and far between. You can catch a metro to the station from the airport metro station located just outside of IGIA terminal 3; you may also use Radio taxi which u can pick up at the exit gate of the airport. Alternatively, you can get a prepaid taxi from inside the airport straight to the station. Remember you are going to the New Delhi railway station and NOT the Old Delhi railway station.

The train schedule for trains from Delhi to Haridwar has been given below however this may be subject to change. We, therefore, advise you to visit

https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search for up-to-date details, timings, and bookings. The current rain schedule from New Delhi Station to Haridwar has been given in the table below:           

How to reach Rishikesh by Bus?

A bus journey from Delhi to Rishikesh can take around 7-8 hours to reach Rishikesh. There are a total of 10 buses daily from Kashmiri Gate Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT)  and they operate from 02:15 to 22:15.  It takes about 30 mins from IGIA to ISBT. You can also book your bus ticket online via  https://www.utconline.uk.gov.in/ which is a government bus service from ISBT. You can also opt for a private bus service like red bus https://www.redbus.in/. When you book online check the departure and arrival points carefully.

To get to ISBT from IGIA, you will need to take an airport metro line to New Delhi Station; from there you need to change metro and catch the yellow line metro to  Kashmiri Gate Metro Station.  Get down at Gate No. 7 and you will find yourself at ISBT.

You can also consider taking a taxi or tuk-tuk from IGIA to ISBT. From ISBT you can get an AC or non-AC bus directly and fares start from Rs.600 upwards.

How to travel from Haridwar to Rishikesh?

From Haridwar Station, you can travel easily to Rishikesh via taxi/ bus/tuk-tuk. Taxis can be booked at Haridwar Station and can cost between 1000-1500 INR depending on the type of car you choose. The journey time is about an hour. IYC can book a taxi for you at an additional cost.

There are buses almost every five minutes to Rishikesh which can be found right outside Haridwar station. Buses cost around 175 INR. You can book a bust ticket online via  https://www.utconline.uk.gov.in/ which is a government bus service however you can opt for a private bus service like red bus https://www.redbus.in/

You can also take tuk-tuks to Rishikesh from Haridwar which cost around 200 INR and are also available from the Haridwar station area. Traveling by bus or tuk-tuk to Rishikesh can take about 1 hour and 30 mins.

What kind of Visa Is required for yoga training and how do I apply?

Where you are enrolling for a 200-hour or 300-hour yoga teachers training course, we advise you to apply for a tourist visa. Depending on your country of nationality you may apply electronically for an e-tourist visa on the effro website which is https://indianfrro.gov.in/frro/FormC/dummy1.jsp  Please check on this site for your eligibility for an e-visa and please note that the duration of the visa is usually 3 months. Should you not be eligible for an e-visa then you can apply via your local Indian high commission/embassy for a sticker tourist visa which can be valid for 6 months. E-visas usually take a few days to process whilst sticker visas will take longer; for the exact periods of sticker visa processing, please contact your local Indian diplomatic post

When should I book flight tickets for yoga training?

We advise you to only book your flight ticket to India once you have received an email confirmation of your enrolment in the Yoga Teachers Training Course and of course, your visa.

How do I travel locally in Rishikesh?

For local travel, you can walk/hire a cycle/hire a scooter or motorbike or even a car. Most people use the local transport service which is the tuk-tuk. There are taxis too but for local travel, this is not so practical as parking can be an issue