Rishikesh: safety, scams and fair fares

From the Wikivoyage guide to Rishikesh, written by travellers. Quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0; source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rishikesh, fetched 2026-11-13.

By taxi

• Shared taxis to destinations within Uttarakhand leave from Natraj Chowk, 1 km from the Rishikesh bus station.

By rickshaw

• Auto-rickshaws (vikrams) are useful from the bus/train stations to get around:
• Janki Setu or southern Rishikesh – ₹10.
• Tapovan – ₹20 (2023), maybe ₹25 from the bus terminal

Outdoor activities

• There are numerous travel agencies offering all kinds of trips and thrill adventures. It's probably just agencies that contact the tour organisiers, so ask around for the best price, it will be the same tour anyhow.
• Bungee jump – You can try bungee jump at Jumpin Heights, a jump from 83 m just above a natural river and have the time of your life—₹3,700. Similarly, there is Fox Flying available—₹2,000.
• Camping – Camping in Rishikesh on the Ganga beach offer an environment to wake up with the birds and swim in the fresh water of the river Ganges. Camping in Rishikesh is a very popular activity, don't ask why. The nearest camp is just across Goa Beach adjacent to Laxman Jhula.
• Chota Char Dham – It starts in summer and continues till the end of October. The Chota Char Dham is a Hindu pilgrimage route taking in four holy sites within Uttarakhand: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri (all sources of tributaries of the River Ganga) and Yamunotri (source of the Yamuna River).
• Cliff jumping – You are supposed to jump into cold water from a cliff! Of course you are wearing a life jacket and a helmet but still jumping from so high into the Ganges, which is murky so the bottom can't be seen, unlike jumping into a swimming pool where one can see the bottom and the water is static.
• Trekking to Hemkunt (Hemkund, 4,150 m) – Officially this is a Sikh pilgrim journey, but if you are fed up with whole enlightenment circus or the overly commercialised tourism spectacle in town, this could be a great combination of inexpensive stays and great hikes.
• Hiking – There are a lot of soft hikes in this region and good birdwatching. But this altitude is barely where you want to do any larger hiking trips, better try Hemkunt above.
• Rappelling – Climbing down with a rope is called rappelling. The group is taken to a spot where there is a cliff drop, experts with proper equipment who set up the gear first and then, one by one, everyone comes down. It's all about trusting your gear and following the instructions and then it's a lot of fun.
• Reverse Bungee Jumping – Feel the adrenaline rush as you bound up to 180 feet and back down in the adventure of reverse bungee jump in Rishikesh—₹1,500.
• Rock climbing – This is also included at some of the camps but not everyone can do it as it requires a lot of strength and skill. The group is taken to a cliff side and with proper safety gear everyone is given a chance to climb the cliff side.
• Shivpuri — one of the most visited places around Rishikesh, 12 km away. Named after Shiva. It is a spiritual village which is also the hub for adventure sports. One can do many adventure activities in Shivpuri like river rafting, camping, ziplining and trekking.
• White water rafting – Rishikesh is very popular for its rafting on the River Ganga (Ganges). The area offers rapids of Grade-I to V. September–November and March-May are ideal for rafting. The rafting goes for several kilometres, and the path is interspersed with rapids, ranging from Level 1 to Level 5, in order of difficulty. At the end of the trip, you have the option of jumping some 20 feet from a ledge into the water. The package usually includes an overnight camp on the banks of the river, with a brilliant and moderate trek among the hills in the morning. If one has time, courses in rafting are also offered.

Stay safe

• A holy city it may be, but Rishikesh draws more than its fair share of criminals and con men. Don't walk around alone at night and beware of the motives of sadhus offering one-on-one tutoring. There is also a gem stone hoax going on in at least one gem store: They ask you to bring the stones to your own country to a "buyer" who doesn't exist. In general, try not getting involved with any local guide who is offering you services. They are mostly con men and goons.
• With the influx of many tourists, particularly westerners, there has been an increased influx of illegal drugs in Rishikesh. Do not accept any unknown goods from a stranger. Use of illegal drugs remains frowned upon and punishable by imprisonment. but still many foreigners do it.
• Watch where you step: After sundown it is pitch dark, so bring a light.
• Watch out for the sometimes brash food stealing monkeys too. They mostly "operate" on and around the foot bridges, and if you look them in the eyes they become aggressive, but rarely/never attack unless you carry food. Sadhus and police officers carry sticks to keep monkeys and cows/oxen at a distance. The brown monkeys are aggressive; the grey big languors are nicer. The greys sometimes steal food from tourists (not on the bridges), but mostly because their size scares the tourist. They don't bite you to get food.
• Be alert if an ox is on your path: They are mostly harmless, but after dark they are sometimes nervous. Especially on the narrow foot bridges, you should try to read their body language before a close encounter.