Hi! I will be in Rishikesh at the beginning of November for a 7 day yoga retreat. I plan on exploring the area around Rishikesh after the retreat, which leaves me with 6 days with no official itinerary. Looking for any suggestions on places to go that is within a car ride. Anyone also has any insight on where and if I should purchase a pre-paid phone when I arrive in Delhi?

hello Jen2146
Rishikesh the place is also considered as a ‘holy city’ and is vegetarian. you most visit in these places
1Haridwar
2Laxman Jhula
3Neelkantha Mahadev Temple
4The Beatles ashram
5Shivpuri

We really enjoyed Haridwar and found it to be a highly interesting place to visit. We got a car and driver and went into the mountains up to the Bimsar area.

Frankly, Rikikesh didn't do a lot for us. We did an afternoon rafting trip out of Rikikesh and weren't overwhelmed in comparison to other river trips we've taken. We also did an afternoon safari trip out of the national park whose name is escaping me right now that i located near Rikikesh.

Top Places to Visit in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand :-
Jumpin Heights
Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat
Lakshman Jhula
River Rafting & Tubing
Ram Jhula
Parmath Niketan Temple
Neelkanth Mahadev
The Beatles Ashram
Neer Garh Waterfall
Vashishta Gufa

Well, if you are in Rishikesh, visit to various temples like Neelkanth Mahadev, Kunjapuri. There are number of the places like Lakshman Jhula, Ram Jhula, and Ganga Ghat. If you want see nearby places then visit Bysi, Kaudiyala village, it has amazing scenic landscapes.

Thanks for those list, @macpual and @anjali33! It seems like I want to add India on my itinerary lately.

Haridwar is only six miles from Rishikesh. The aarti there was a moving experience.