Yes, you can stay in Rishikesh and go to Haridwar for your bath, by train from Yog Nagari Rishikesh or Rishikesh station, or by road through Raiwala. It works best on ordinary bathing days. Early trains are few, and on the big days road controls can make the last stretch slow, and the 2027 traffic plan is not announced yet.
Why Rishikesh comes up
When we checked on 16 October 2026, the official Haridwar Kumbh hotel directory listed 736 registered hotels under Rishikesh and 163 under Haridwar, with Rishikesh addresses in Tapovan, Swargashram, Laxman Jhula and Muni Ki Reti. The official site also lists two Rishikesh stations among the railway stations in and around Haridwar.
Rishikesh has been part of a Haridwar Kumbh before. The 2021 notification, as PTI reported it, drew the Kumbh area to include Tapovan, the road to Muni-Ki-Reti, the Rishikesh bypass and Neelkanth Mahadev. On the 14 April 2021 shahi snan, lakhs of pilgrims bathed at other ghats in Haridwar and Rishikesh while Har Ki Pauri was kept for the akharas. We have not seen the notice that sets the 2027 mela area.
By train
On 16 October 2026 the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) showed these services. Timetables change, so check again before you travel.
| Route | Trains listed | Daily departures |
|---|---|---|
| Yog Nagari Rishikesh (YNRK) to Haridwar | 15, taking about 50 minutes to 1 hour 34 minutes | 05:35, 14:55, 17:20, 20:55 |
| Rishikesh (RKSH) to Haridwar | 4, taking about 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes | 07:45, 12:45, 18:25, 19:40 |
| Haridwar to Yog Nagari Rishikesh | 15, taking about 55 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes | 05:30, 07:05, 11:25, 20:18 |
Two things follow. The earliest daily train from Rishikesh, leaving YNRK at 05:35, reaches Haridwar at 06:44, so by train you cannot reach a ghat in the first hours of the official bathing window, which starts at 4 am. And after the evening aarti, the last daily train back to YNRK leaves Haridwar at 20:18. The other trains run only on some days. No Kumbh special trains had been announced when we checked.
By road
The official site lists bus stands at Rishikesh and Raiwala as well as Haridwar, and points to the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) for bookings. Check the UTC timetable for current services; we do not give a road distance or journey time, because both change on bathing days.
What we do know is how Haridwar has handled this traffic before. In April 2021 vehicles were kept out of the city from 8 to 15 April. Cars from Dehradun and Rishikesh were sent to parking at Dudhiyabandh, with Saptarishi and Shantikunj also used, and state buses to Motichur. For the Buddha Purnima bath in spring 2026, police sent Dehradun and Rishikesh traffic through Nepali Farm and Raiwala to parking at Laljiwala, Pant Dweep and Chamgadad Tapu, and kept the Chila road for traffic leaving towards Rishikesh. These were past plans. The 2027 plan will decide where you can stop.
When a Rishikesh base makes sense
- It suits an ordinary bathing day, a flexible group that can walk from outer parking, or a visit that is mainly about Rishikesh with one day in Haridwar.
- It is harder on the four Amrit Snan days, 6 March, 8 March, 15 March and 14 April 2027 (provisional), when you would travel in the dark and meet the heaviest controls.
- Think twice with older people or small children. Every extra change of vehicle adds walking and waiting.
- Ask the stay how its guests reached Haridwar on past big bathing days, and how they came back.
- Book with care. The official site advises checking the distance from the mela, transport, facilities and cancellation terms. Choose something you can cancel while the dates are provisional.
See where to stay for Haridwar Kumbh 2027, choosing a Haridwar area by walking distance and Haridwar Kumbh by train. For the wider road picture, read Haridwar Kumbh parking and shuttles and how to reach Haridwar.
Sources
- Hotels directory: Registered Hotels (Haridwar Kumbh 2027 official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- Stay and Accommodation (Haridwar Kumbh 2027 official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- Plan Your Visit, Haridwar Kumbh 2027 · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- National Train Enquiry System (NTES): trains between Rishikesh stations and Haridwar · Indian Railways (Centre for Railway Information Systems) ·
- National Train Enquiry System (NTES): trains between stations to Haridwar · Indian Railways (Centre for Railway Information Systems) ·
- Kumbh duration curtailed to one month; Covid-19 negative report mandatory · Press Trust of India (via Business Standard) ·
- Shahi snan in Haridwar: Lakhs ignore Covid-19 concerns to take holy dip · Press Trust of India (via Deccan Herald) ·
- Haridwar Mahakumbh: entry of small and large vehicles banned from 8 to 15 April, traffic plan issued · Aaj Tak ·
- Haridwar: heavy vehicles barred from Kumbh area from 8 to 15 April for Shahi Snan · Amar Ujala ·
- Haridwar: Buddha Purnima snan traffic route diversion plan issued, heavy vehicles barred · Amar Ujala ·
- Bus timetable, UTC Online · Uttarakhand Transport Corporation ·
- Snan and Events: Haridwar Kumbh 2027 (official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
Photo: Tirth
Photo: DeeKayGangwar, CC BY-SA 4.0