I am going to be driving from Kurukshetra with my family and stopping over in Delhi for a night. From Delhi, I will head towards Rishikesh. This is a route I have not been on before, and I do wish to drive their rather than take public transport which I am not too fond of. I would like some assistance with the journey from Delhi to Rishikesh. My main question is to know what the distance from Delhi to Rishikesh is? What are the road conditions like from Delhi to Rishikesh? What time should I leave from Delhi to reach Rishikesh at a good time? Should I come back the same day or do you recommend staying at Rishikesh overnight?
Hello, @Kishan! Welcome to the forum! The distance between Delhi and Rishikesh is about 230 kms, it depends on which route you take: Route No. 1 - Delhi > Ghaziabad > Hapur > Meerut > Muzaffarnagar > Roorkee > Haridwar > Rishikesh. This route is about 263 kms and it can take you 6 to 7 hours to cover this distance. This is the longest route and it's best suited for individuals living near Ghaziabad. Otherwise, choose the other routes below since it can take you a longer time to reach Rishikesh with this one. Route No. 2 - Delhi > Sonipat > Bagpath > Meerut > Muzaffarnagar > Roorkee > Haridwar > Rishikesh. This route is about 260 kms and it can take you 6 to 7 hours to cover this distance. It's a good route for people near Kundli or Rohini. It passes through smaller towns instead of the highway so you're taken out of the traffic. Route No. 3 - Delhi > Ghaziabad > Muradnagar > Modinagar > Meerut > Muzaffarnagar > Roorkee > Haridwar > Rishikesh. This route is about 223 kms and it can take you 6 hours or less to cover this distance. This is the shortest route and it is through the National Highway 58 so road conditions are good. So it depends on what route you take but on average, it's at 220 to 240 kms. Time covered is usually 6 to 7 hours. So I'll base the road conditions on Route No. 3 which is: Delhi > Ghaziabad > Muradnagar > Modinagar > Meerut > Muzaffarnagar > Roorkee > Haridwar > Rishikesh. From Delhi to Ghaziabad, road conditions are good. It's about 41 kms and you can reach Ghaziabad in about an hour or two. If you leave early, you won't encounter traffic. But if you leave at a later time, then be prepared for the traffic. But overall, the roads are good enough and there are no rough patches. From Ghaziabad to Meerut, road conditions are bad. You would encounter potholes and rough patches. Not to mention the traffic which can be bad during rush hours. The distance covered is about 46 kms so you can reach Meerut in about an hour or so. From Meerut to Muzaffarnagar, road conditions are good. It's about 57 kms and you can reach the latter in an hour or so. You can also halt here for a quick snack or meal if you'd like. From Muzaffarnagar to Roorkee, it's an okay drive. Road conditions are not that great and it's a single lane highway. Traffic-wise, trucks are rampant in the area which leads to bad traffic. But overall, it's an okay patch. The distance is about 52 kms and you can reach Roorkee in an hour or so. From Roorkee to Rishikesh, road conditions are okay. Although if you don't leave early, traffic can be horrible. That's the bad thing about this stretch. This is about 58 kms and can take you an hour or so to cover the distance. I would suggest leaving as early as 4:00 am from Delhi. This way, you can reach Rishikesh at 9:00 am or 10:00 am. You can also avoid the traffic in Delhi this way. I would suggest staying overnight in Rishikesh. Driving during the night in these routes can be difficult especially if you're not familiar with the roads. If you cannot avoid driving at night time and you need to go back to Delhi at the same day, then avoid the bypass roads and you'll be more safe. There's this alternative route to reach Rishikesh which is: Delhi > Ghaziabad > Meerut > Mawana > Mirapur > Bijnaur > Najibabad > Haridwar > Rishikesh. With this route, the roads are narrow and you'd go through forests. There are also planned robberies occurring in this route. It's best to avoid this route when travelling during night time. Plus, in order to explore Rishikesh and the pilgrimage sites in it, you'd need a day or two. So if you do have the time, it's better to just spend a few nights here and go back to Delhi by leaving early in the morning, instead of the night. I hope this helps!
