Finally, after a gap of 2 years, I went on a trip, Jaipur to Rishikesh. We did camping, rafting and everything that we could do in two days. It was a short trip but we enjoyed it to the fullest. In this article, I would tell you how to reach Rishikesh from Jaipur. The distance between Jaipur to Rishikesh is roughly 500 Km.
There are a number of ways by which you can reach Rishikesh from Jaipur. Let us take a look at all the modes of transportation in this article. This is going to be a detailed article in which I would cover all the modes namely, by road, by train, and by flight.
Jaipur to Rishikesh by Train
One of the easiest and less tiring ways of reaching Rishikesh from Jaipur is by train. There are two trains that can take you from Jaipur to Rishikesh. I am listing the details of both the trains below.
- 09609 Udz Ynrk Spl: This train operates on Monday, Thursday and Saturday’s. From Jaipur the departure is at 9:50 PM and it reaches Rishikesh by 9:37 AM. Click here to book your seat
- 09031 Adi Ynrk Special: This train operates everyday and it starts from Jaipur at 10:50 PM and reaches Rishikesh at 12:30 PM. Click here to book your seat
I prefer the first one as it arrives at Rishikesh by morning around the preferred check-in time for most of the hotels and camping sites.
You can book any class on the train as per your budget and the way you want to travel. The only pain point here that I can find is the below-average ticket booking system from the IRCTC.
I wasted about 2 hours trying to register an account with IRCTC. Most of the time page gives an error and at times this becomes frustrating. Having said that, if you have an active account then it’s a cakewalk to book the ticket.
The reason why I like trains is that they have fixed schedules and the arrival and departure are onset times. So there is a very negligible chance of getting late to any destination. Unless there is a train delay due to unforeseen circumstances.
Plus you get ample space to sleep on the birth so unlike a seater bus or a car you do not have to sit the entire way to your destination.
Usually, train delays in India are not very frequent so this would be the most ideal way for Jaipur to Rishikesh travel. Check out my Jaipur blog for more travel articles.
Jaipur to Rishikesh by Flight
There is no airport in Rishikesh. The nearest airport is in Dehradun known as “Jolly Grant Airport”. If you take a flight from Jaipur to Rishikesh or if you take a flight from Delhi to Rishikesh you will be arriving at Jolly Grant and then you will have to hire a cab/taxi to reach Rishikesh.
There are 3 flight operators that have direct flights from Jaipur to Rishikesh. Spicejet, Indigo, and Air India operate flights to Dehradoon.
A non-stop flight can take you to Jolly Grant airport in 1 hour and 35 minutes. I always prefer a direct flight to save time even if it costs money.
Airfare is not too much and keeps on changing. Frequent travelers usually book in advance to get cheap rates and that’s what I do. If you ask me a ballpark figure the price is usually from 4k to 8K depending on the airline that you are choosing. Air India is expensive with bad service, I prefer private airlines like Indigo and Spicejet.
The earlier flight is of Spice Jet that leaves at 6:35 AM and the last flight is operated by Air India that leaves at 2 PM. Post 2 PM there are no flights and you need to wait for the next day.
Jaipur to Rishikesh by Road
The distance between Jaipur to Rishikesh is roughly about 500 km, give and take a few km. A lot of folks prefer traveling via road as they do not want to be bounded by the fixed timings of train and flight. Rishikesh is very close to Delhi so most of the people from Delhi prefer going by road.
There are various modes of transportation that you can use if you prefer a road trip.
- By Bus: There are amples buses from Jaipur that does towards dev bhoomi. These buses are both sleeper and non-sleeper. Sleeper bus is preferred as the journey takes about 10 to 12 hours and even more depending on the traffic. Moreover, I am not the kind of person who goes in a non sleeper bus, can’t sit for the entire journey. Click here to book a bus via redbus. The fare starts from INR 700 and then it depends on the bus company and the ameneties. All the buses are sanitized so don’t worry you will be safe. Check out this article on how to stay safe from COVID while traveling. Most of the buses are in the evening that take you to Rishikesh and next morning you are at your destination.
- Hire a Cab: Cab is also an effective solution if you do not want to drive. The cab fare from Jaipur to Rishikesh starts from INR 8000 and can go as up as INR 25000 depending upon the vehicle type and the features. You can find cabs for hire at the bus stand itself. However, do bargain as they would charge you ridiculous amount and its not worth.
- Hire a traveler: This is what we used. A tempo traveler is good if you are going in a group. This vehicle has a seating capacity of 15 to 17 and can be fun if you are traveling in a group. The only downside to this is that the space is not too much and you might find yourself cramped in small space. These travelers (mini buses) charge about INR 20 to INR 25 per Km and that does not include the state tolls and the state taxes. This can be quite expensive for a small group but great for big groups.
- Go Motovlogging: I a a bike fan and I own a Royal Enfield. I have been to Ladakh as well on my bike, so if you are a bike enthusiast and want to avoid all the state taxes and tolls consider this option. The experience of riding along beautiful roads surrounded with greenry on both sides is refreshing. Believe me you will have more stories to tell if you are on a bike.
Summing Up
The most effective way of travel is flight, however, the fun of road trips can’t be ignored. On the recent trip with my group, we traveled in the traveler. Believe me, it was not fun.
We were cramped in a small space and had to sit the entire journey. I would still prefer hiring a cab or taking my own vehicle and driving all the way to Rishikesh.
I also moto vlog, so I would also recommend people who are into motorcycling to get on their bikes and cover the distance. The roads are amazing and the last leg of the journey from Haridwar to Rishikesh is an amazing experience with good roads surrounded by lush green plantations and trees. Check out my moto vlogging setup.
So this was all about the ways by which you can reach from Jaipur to Rishikesh. If you have any questions please let me know in the comment section below. Happy traveling.
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