Rishikesh River Rafting
1 day · Moderate
5w left in seasonFrom ₹1,000
Cheapest: Camp Ganga Vatika
All AdventuresRiver Rafting · Uttarakhand
Rishikesh River Rafting4.7
White water on the Ganga, from a first splash at Shivpuri to the big rapids of Kaudiyala
at a glance
- Duration
- 3–6 Hours
- Distance
- 16–36 km
- Max Altitude
- 380m
- Best Season
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Difficulty
- Moderate
The Ganga leaves the mountains at Rishikesh through a string of named rapids, and rafting them is the town's great day out. Two runs, one river: the classic Shivpuri run (16 km, about 3 hours) takes you through Grade II–III rapids like Roller Coaster and Golf Course, with calm stretches for a swim and cliff jumping in between, and is the perfect first rafting trip. For more, start upstream at Kaudiyala (36 km, a full day): the river is wilder, the rapids reach Grade IV at The Wall, and you share the gorge with forest and sandy beaches before paddling into Rishikesh past the temples and Ram Jhula. Shorter Brahmpuri (9 km) and Marine Drive (26 km) runs fill in between.
Raft only with a government-licensed operator: helmets, life jackets and a trained guide on every raft, ideally with a safety kayaker. Keep your life jacket fastened at all times, including the calm swims. If you fall in, float on your back, feet first and downstream, and wait for the rope or the kayak. Rafting closes from July to mid-September when the river floods; spring water is cold and autumn flows are higher, so ask for a wetsuit top early in the season. The Kaudiyala run's Grade IV rapids flip rafts more often; most operators set 18 as the minimum age there.
key risks · tap one for how to manage it
read before you go
Adventurepediafor you if
- First-timers on the Shivpuri run: no rafting experience or swimming needed, the guide teaches you on the bank
- Groups, friends and families with teenagers (14+)
- Fit, confident swimmers wanting bigger water on the Kaudiyala run
- A one-day trip from Delhi or a break between Uttarakhand treks
skip it if
- Children under 14
- Pregnancy, heart conditions, recent surgery or seizures
- Anyone who panics in water and can't follow the guide's commands
- Non-swimmers on the full Kaudiyala run
- Travel in July–August, when rafting is closed for the monsoon
how do you measure up
See how you measure up
A 2-minute check against this trek.
- operators
- 3
- from
- ₹1,000
from
₹1,000
Cheapest: Camp Ganga Vatika
3 operators
5 weeks left in season
