9 daysIndiaAges 18–40
9 days · Rishikesh & Mussoorie
Rishikesh & Himalaya is a 9-day group trip for solo travellers aged 18 to 40 that mixes white-water rafting on the Ganges, yoga in the world's self-styled yoga capital and a couple of easy days in the hills. You take the train from Delhi to Rishikesh, spend five nights based in Tapovan for rafting, yoga and the evening aarti, then head up to the hill station of Mussoorie to finish. Your Trip Host is with the group the whole way.
Updated
From, per person
$330 / £248 / €290 / A$470 / CA$470 / NZ$580 / ₹31,680
Free to reserve
Sarthak's best travel memories come from going solo: hostel dorms, a new activity most days, new cultures and new food. SoloNomads grew out of that.
Sarthak travels with every group, from the first day to the last, so there's always someone on hand to sort things out when plans change and to make sure nobody gets left out.
In every country, a licensed local agency and licensed local guides look after the ground services, so you get local know-how too.
Delhi to Mussoorie, 3 stops in 9 days.
3 stops
9 days
Day 1
Arrive whenever your flight lands and check in at the hotel near Connaught Place. The Trip Host meets everyone in the early evening for introductions and a run-through of the trip, then we walk to dinner together.
Day 2
The Vande Bharat Express leaves Anand Vihar in the late afternoon and reaches Haridwar in a little over three hours. From there it's a 45 to 60 minute taxi transfer to our hostel in Tapovan, the backpacker end of Rishikesh, above the river. The evening is free to find your feet in the cafes along the lanes.
Day 3
A morning drop-in yoga class, taught in one of the studios Tapovan is known for. The rest of the day is free, then in the evening we walk down to Parmarth Niketan for the Ganga Aarti: songs, fire lamps and bells offered to the river as the sun goes down.
Day 4
We raft the Shivpuri stretch of the Ganges, a run of rapids up to Grade III with flat sections in between for swimming. A packed lunch is included on the water. You need to be at least 14 to raft, and everyone gets a briefing and safety kit from a licensed operator before we set off.
Day 5
An early start for those who want it: a drive up to the Kunjapuri temple for sunrise, with a view over the Ganga valley to the snow peaks of the Garhwal Himalaya on a clear morning. Back in Rishikesh, the rest of the day is free for the Beatles Ashram, a walk over Bajrang Setu, or another yoga class.
Day 6
A day with nothing booked, so you can go back to whatever you liked best: a second rafting run, more yoga, the walk up to Neer Garh waterfall, or just the cafes and the river. The Trip Host has suggestions if you want them.
Day 7
After breakfast we drive to Mussoorie, about three hours through Dehradun and up into the hills. We check in on Mall Road in the afternoon, with views over the Doon Valley, and the evening is free to walk the road and find dinner.
Day 8
A cable car up to Gun Hill in the morning for the best view in town, then out to Kempty Falls in the afternoon. In the evening we have a farewell dinner together, and afterwards it's a free walk on Camel's Back Road under the stars.
Day 9
The trip ends after breakfast. Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport is about an hour and a half away by taxi, and Dehradun railway station has trains back to Delhi. The Trip Host can help you book onward transport.
Prices are per person, and reserving is free. A date goes ahead once about 10 travellers have joined. You pay nothing until then. Once it's confirmed, we send you an invoice for the full price, and you have 7 days to pay it (or until the trip starts, if that's sooner).
21 Nov – 29 Nov 2026
AvailableCool, clear, good Kunjapuri visibilityMax 16 people
Price
$340 / £255 / €300 / A$480 / CA$480 / NZ$600 / ₹32,640
20 Feb – 28 Feb 2027
AvailableWarm days before the Char Dham crowds buildMax 16 people
Price
$340 / £255 / €300 / A$480 / CA$480 / NZ$600 / ₹32,640
17 Apr – 25 Apr 2027
AvailableWarm, before the worst of the May/June heatMax 16 people
Price
$330 / £248 / €290 / A$470 / CA$470 / NZ$580 / ₹31,680
You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join. Once enough travellers have signed on, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price, paid by card or bank transfer in your own currency within 7 days.
US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees. Once your departure is confirmed, we send an invoice you can pay by card or bank transfer in whichever currency you choose, and the price shown for each date is what you pay.
Rafting on the Ganges closes for the monsoon, roughly July to late September, when the river runs high and brown. We only run departures when rafting is open.
Solo travellers aged 18 to 40. Most people come on their own, and some come with a friend.
The maximum for each departure is shown with its dates, and it's never more than 16.
The Trip Host travels with the group for all 9 days, sorts out every train, transfer and check-in, and is the person you go to if anything goes wrong. On the water, a licensed rafting guide runs the safety briefing and steers the raft.
It starts at our hotel in central Delhi on the evening of Day 1, and we send the address when you book. It ends in Mussoorie after breakfast on Day 9.
From Mussoorie, it's about an hour and a half by taxi to Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport, which has flights to Delhi, or to Dehradun railway station for a train back to Delhi. Leave a buffer if you're connecting to an international flight the same day.
Yes. Most nationalities need a visa for India, and most can apply for an e-Visa online on the official site, indianvisaonline.gov.in. You also have to file India's free online arrival and health forms before you fly. Rules change, so read our India visa guide for your passport before you book flights.
No. Rishikesh, Dehradun and Mussoorie don't need a permit beyond your regular Indian visa.
A hostel in Tapovan, the backpacker end of Rishikesh, with hot water and shared or twin rooms, then a hotel on Mall Road in Mussoorie with private bathrooms. You share a twin or dorm room with a traveller of the same gender.
Eleven meals are included. Rishikesh's cafes are all vegetarian and a thali costs about 150 to 350 rupees. Budget roughly 800 to 1,200 rupees a day for meals that aren't included, plus drinks.
Quick-dry clothes and sandals you don't mind getting wet for rafting, a warm layer for the evenings and for Mussoorie, which is cooler than the plains, and comfortable shoes for the Kunjapuri hike and Gun Hill. A swimsuit for the calmer stretches of the river.
No, not within the town. Alcohol isn't sold in Rishikesh itself, and it's also a vegetarian town, so meat and fish aren't on the menu until you reach Mussoorie.
Yes, it's a condition of joining, and it must cover both medical treatment and evacuation. Make sure your policy specifically covers white-water rafting.
Rafting on the Shivpuri stretch reaches Grade III rapids. We use a licensed operator, life jackets and helmets are provided, and there's a safety briefing before you get on the water. You need to be at least 14 to raft. If you have a heart or back condition, tell your doctor before you book.
Check with a travel health clinic or your doctor at least six weeks before you go. The NHS fitfortravel site and the US CDC keep up-to-date advice for India.
Ask here and someone on the team will email you back within 1 to 2 business days.
From
$330 / £248 / €290 / A$470 / CA$470 / NZ$580 / ₹31,680