6 Places to Visit in Rishikesh

The east bank — Swarg Ashram and Lakshman Jhula area — is the older, quieter side: a strip of ashrams, sadhus with ash-rubbed foreheads, and narrow galis that smell of incense and frying pakoras. The west bank, around Ram Jhula and Triveni Ghat, is more urban, more transactional, and less charismatic. The suspension bridges connecting the two shores — both Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula — have become symbols of the town, though the original Lakshman Jhula was demolished in 2019 due to structural concerns and the replacement completed in 2023.

The city's dual identity — Hindu pilgrimage town and global yoga destination — creates visible tensions on the street. Dhoti-clad pilgrims heading to the Triveni Ghat ghats for morning puja share the same ghats with Israeli backpackers in harem pants, European yoga teacher trainees, and the occasional visiting rock musician completing a musical pilgrimage to the Beatles Ashram. Meat and alcohol are prohibited across most of Rishikesh, though enforcement is selective and the rules do not extend to the cantonment area across the bridge.

The adventure tourism industry — white-water rafting on the Ganga, bungee jumping at Mohan Chatti, cliff jumping near Shivpuri — has grown rapidly since the early 2000s and now rivals yoga as an economic driver. The rafting stretch from Shivpuri to Rishikesh (16km, Grade 3–4) is well-operated by several licensed companies; budget ₹600–1,200 per person for a half-day trip. The best cafés cluster on the east bank: Devraj Coffee Corner has been caffeinating German tourists and wandering sadhus alike since 1994, while the rooftop restaurants on Laxman Jhula Road offer unobstructed Ganga views worth the 20% food quality premium.