The reason I have put together this short guide is that when I came to Rishikesh, I had no idea of what to expect. I landed at the bus station and went on asking shopkeepers and strangers where to stay and eat. In case you don’t have anyone to guide you, this primer will at least give you a decent idea of where to stay, eat, and visit.

Where to Stay

There are two kinds of visitors to Rishikesh:

1. The Pilgrim

2. The Adventure, Yoga Experience Junkie

1. Let’s Talk About the First One - The Pilgrim

The Pilgrim prefers to stay around the Ram Jhula area. All ashrams are mostly based around this area. The most popular of these ashrams is the Parmath Niketan and Gita Bhavan Ashram. Gita Bhavan has 1000 rooms and is cheaper (around Rs 500), while Parmath would be a bit more expensive. Parmath is for the urban upper-middle class, while Gita Bhavan is more suited to the rural middle class.