Rishikesh is a city located on the banks of the Ganga River in the foothills of the Himalayas. Rishikesh is also known as the Yoga Capital of the World. The city has numerous ashrams and is famous for yoga practices, meditation, ayurvedic treatments.
In the first week of March, Rishikesh hosts the International Yoga Festival.
Rishikesh is known as the pilgrimage town and regarded as one of the holiest places to Hindus. Non-vegetarian food (eggs, fish, meat) and alcohol are strictly prohibited.
It is also a starting point for Hindu Char Dham pilgrimage (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri).
Rishikesh is popular for trekking, hiking and white river rafting.
Major tourist sites in and around Rishikesh: Bharat Mandir Temple, Ram Jhoola Bridge, Lakshman Jhoola Bridge, Shivanand Ashram, Triveni Ghat, etc.

Tourism Board Website

When to visit: March to June, September-October.

HOW TO REACH

Nearest railway station: Haridwar railway station is about 24 km away. It is well connected by trains to major cities in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Varanasi, etc.). There are trains from Rishikesh  railway station to Haridwar.

Nearest airport: Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is about 35 km away.
The second nearest international airport for Rishikesh is in New Delhi, about 245 km away.

Buses: Buses are available from Delhi and major destinations of Uttarakhand like Dehradun, Haridwar, Srinagar, Tehri, Uttarkashi etc.

By road: The distance from Delhi to Rishikesh is about 245 km via NH334. It takes around 6-7 hours.
The distance from Dehradun to Rishikesh is about 45 km via Dehradun - Rishikesh National Hwy. It takes around 1-2 hours.
The distance from Haridwar to Rishikesh is about 24 km via NH34, takes around 1 hour.
The distance from Jim Corbett National Park to Rishikesh is about 143 km via NH34. It takes around 4 hours.