By bus
From Delhi the city is about 230 km away and is well connected with buses. A bus journey may take about 5-7 hours - depending on the traffic - and costs you about Rs 130-350. An AC Bus will cost about Rs 250-500. In Rishikesh, there are several travel agencies scattered around Swarg Ashram and Lakshman Jhula that can book luxury buses to common destinations like Delhi Rs 250-500, Jaipur, Pushkar and Varanasi. The right time to visit would be February, March, August-October. In July there is a festival called Saavan where thousands of people flock to Rishikesh. Major roads are blocked and hotels are crowded. It is better to avoid travelling to Rishikesh during that time.
By train
A quiet branch line connects Rishikesh to Haridwar, but there are only about three slow trains daily. It is better to take the train to Haridwar and continue by bus 45 min, Rs.23, by taxi 30 min, Rs.800 or by shared auto-rickshaw 40 min, Rs.35. However, travelling by train is recommended in peak seasons or during a 'mela' fair when bus routes are diverted in Haridwar whereas trains often run empty and the fares are low just Rs.4 for a passenger train service. You can take share rickshaws vehicle brand name Vikram towards Lakshman Jhula Rs.15 from Rishikesh station. You will have to cross Ram Jhula to reach Swarg Ashram on the other side of river Ganga. There are many trains from Delhi to Haridwar. Some of the better are: Shatabadi Express, Jan Shatabdi, AC Special Express, Mussoorie Express. Travel agents in Swarg Ashram and Lakshman Jhula can book train tickets for onward journeys; much easier than going to Rishikesh railway station to buy a ticket. Some may sell you a ticket from Raiwala, a small stop between Rishikesh and Haridwar, but this station, while closer, is tiny and trains only stop for a few seconds - better to board the train at Haridwar.
Trains from Rishikesh Rishikesh - Delhi 07:00 Rishikesh - Haridwar 08:10 Rishikesh - Bandikui 14:10 Rishikesh - Haridwar 14:20 Rs 4/- Rishikesh - Haridwar 18:35 Rs 4/-
Express: Rishikesh - Jammutawi 16:20
Passenger Trains from Haridwar to Rishikesh, Approx travel time 1hr. Haridwar - Rishikesh 05:20 Haridwar - Rishikesh 10:30 Haridwar - Rishikesh 17:25
By plane
Rishikesh is in close proximity of Dehradun's Jolly Grant Airport about 15 km - a small, quiet and recently renovated airport handling just two flights from Delhi. The runway is being extended and will possibly then handle flights from other metros as of now there are flights only from Delhi The capital of India