Chetram Holidays, the partner you can trust when it comes to spirit-oriented, culture-oriented and nature-centered trips in India. We also want to make your journey stimulate your mind and your heart, so our tours are comfortable, secure, and full of true local experience. This Discover Haridwar and Rishikesh package reveals the Ganges, ancient temples, yoga, meditation, adventure and peaceful Himalayan foothills. During 5 days and 4 nights, you will visit religious ghats and temples of Haridwar, travel on to Rishikesh, its yoga and spiritual atmosphere, experience nature and optional adventure, and stay in comfortable rooms with a guide.
In the morning or afternoon, you come to Haridwar by train, by bus or by air to the nearest railway station or by airplane. Chetram Holidays will receive you and drive you to the hotel. Take a break and then enjoy a leisurely lunch after which go on a sightseeing tour of the old city streets. Pay a visit to Har Ki Pauri, the popular ghat on the Ganges where people purify themselves and take holy water. Later on in the evening you will attend the beautiful Ganga Aarti at Har Ki Pauri, where you can see the priests lighting lamps, bells ringing, and the air filled with hymns and the river with lights. It is a very touching spectacle. Hotel dinner and stay in Haridwar.
In the morning, visit the religious places of Haridwar. Begin at Mansa Devi Temple on Bilwa Parvat - walk, or by rope-way, to see the great city and river. Then take a walk to Chandi Devi Temple on another hill which can be approached by cable car or steps and is situated in forested hills. Secondly, go to Daksha Mahadev Temple in Kankhal which is the story of Sati Goddess and Shiva Lord. Lunch and then explore local markets like Moti Bazaar and old bazaars of Haridwar, where your guide will indicate crafts, incense, sweets and prayer related items. During the evening you may witness another Ganga Aarti or visit Shantikunj or Pawan Dham and observe a less-obtrusive ritual. Haridwar overnight and dinner.
Early breakfast, transfer to Rishikesh (approximately 1-1.5 hours each way, depending on the traffic). Check-in your hotel or ashram. After lunch, it is time to start your journey in that city: the first steps include Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula, the most popular suspension bridges with views of the river, temples, cafes, and ashrams. Go to Parmarth Niketan Ashram and take a peaceful stroll by the Ganges and a yoga or meditation class (not compulsory). This evening, visit the Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat, which is not like the ghat at Haridwar. Rishikesh dinner and lodging.
Begin the day with the optional river yoga or meditation. In the morning have breakfast and then for a little ride out of town to Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, a temple in the forest, hills, which can be reached by picturesque drive and a short walkway and which is a source of spiritual calm and splendid scenery. Lunch at Rishikesh. Post lunch do adventure activities like river rafting (length varies with safety and season) or nature walk to Neer Garh Waterfall, forests, streams and the serene atmosphere. Beatles Ashram (Chaurasi Kutia) is also worth a visit, the home of the Beatles in the past, a combination of ruins, graffiti and serenity today. In the evening you are free to walk through the stores, visit cafes, or satsang or kirtan in an ashram. Overnight stay in Rishikesh.
Get up early in the morning to have a final morning dip in the Ganga or enjoy the sunrise by the river which is a time that a number of devotees find very strong as the sun comes up in the river and the water is still calm. Breakfast and then leave your hotel. You may visit the shops to buy some souvenirs or visit Vashishta Gufa or local temples in Rishikesh before you leave if time permits. Then, you will be brought back to Haridwar (or directly to the station or airport as arranged), with the positive energy of calmness and flow of rivers, reverberation of sacred mantras, and Himalayan air. With your departure Tour ends.
Chetram Holidays is determined to ensure that this journey is not only a trip, but also a soulful experience; a balance of devotion, nature, adventure and comfort.
