Discover the heart and soul of one of India’s holiest cities, Rishikesh, nestled into the foothills of the majestic Himalaya Mountains where the Ganga River begins. Come with us on a magical and mystical tour.

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• Journey Highlights
• Itinerary
• About Janis
• About Karen
• About RetreaTours
• Price & Inclusions
• Payment Details
• Registration Questions & Contract
• Travel Insurance
• Contact
• FAQ
• Packing List
• Video album
• Photo album
• Going to the International Yoga Festival?

Immerse yourself in Indian culture, while feeling the pulse of life in the birthplace of Yoga.

Visitors to Rishikesh are awestruck by the beauty of the clean, green, sparkly Ganga (Ganges) River, which flows through the center of town. Find your quiet center meditating silently here, alongside the river banks and beaches. Dip your toes or perform the traditional purification by submerging yourself in the healing, holy waters of the Ganga River. Janis and Karen are your guides in a land where spirituality is everywhere. 

On this trip, your days will include practicing yoga and meditation at local Ashrams and with Janis and Karen. You can explore nature on foot with daily walks, at an Aarti ceremony or a historic site. You may even wish to go river rafting. Discovering Indian art and enjoying Indian culture will be jumping off points for making your own art during creative sessions with Karen. You may wish to volunteer, supported by our guided program. There are so many ways to find the magic and open to mystical energy on our trip to Rishikesh!

Itinerary Overview

Upon arrival at Dehradun airport outside Rishikesh, each guest is greeted and escorted by a driver who will bring you to your home away from home, Dewa Hotel & Spa. Dewa Retreat is a 4-star hotel with all the services you will need to feel safe and comfortable on your journey. 

For the next 9 full days, we will explore the spiritual center of Rishikesh and the surrounding Himalayan mountains and Ganga River. The temperature range of 50° to 75° Fahrenheit is not too hot, not too cold. We’ll sample several styles of yoga. Janis and Karen highly recommend one of the local teachers, Yogrishi Vishveketu. He is the internationally known founder of Anand Prakash Ashram just around the corner from our hotel. He teaches classes at 6 AM.

We are only a few minutes by foot from Ramana’s Garden Children’s Home. We will eat many lunches at their organic café, overlooking the Ganga River, listening to children in school and at play, as well joining in the evening prayers chanted by the children before bed.  We’ll be involved as much as their, and our schedule permits, serving the children and teachers there. 

A short walk into the center of our part of town, at Laxman Jhula, there are master teachers who hold gatherings or satsang, at Sachcha Dham Ashram. These satsang sessions bring people together with an enlightened person who answers questions. There is usually kirtan chanting with lively music performed by devotional musicians, and a spiritually stimulating exchange among sincere people such as you!  These sessions are designed to enliven the potential within all of us.  There are opportunities to sit in on these satsangs with Shanti Mayi, and Prem Baba throughout our time together.

As you can see, our adventures are designed to introduce you to the many layers of culture in Rishikesh.

Taking a magical tour of the 14-acre “Beatles Ashram,” also known as the Maharishi Ashram, reminds us of the historical role Rishikesh plays in world culture. This is where the Beatles stayed in the 1960s to study TM (transcendental meditation) with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The ashram recently reopened in 2015, as a historic architectural site. Our guided walking tour is the perfect pace for admiring the colorful wall murals by Pan Trinity Das and other artists, that pay homage to the Fab Four and their Guru.

From sunrise to sunset in Rishikesh, we seek the beauty of nature in many pilgrimage sites. On all of our travels, have your senses open for discovering art, shrines, animals, and so much more.  Rishikesh is full of surprises. Many visitors enjoy capturing these moments with their cameras. One of Karen’s daily practices is walking. Janis and Karen share their love of the natural world with the hikes and destination walks planned for this unique tour.Guests can expect to enjoy walking tours of up to 5 miles in duration. Be in shape for leisurely daily exploration on foot & come prepared with proper footwear. It is a great place for sightseeing! The journey of a lifetime begins with a single step. Allow yourself to enter the portal of discovery with every step in Rishikesh.

Find the mystical pulse as we tour a variety of ancient temple sites. Watch the sun rise over the Himalayan mountains from Kunjapuri Temple’s spectacular viewing deck, or join us in surya namaskaras (sun salutations). 

Participating in the Aarti ceremony at Parmarth Niketan Ashram (the host of the International Yoga Festival in March), we join a devotional ritual that takes place every day at sunset on the banks of the Ganga River with a spectacular fire ceremony.

A day trip to Vashista Cave, introduces us to the sacred tradition of the holy beings who meditated in silence far from the distractions of society, like the ancient sage Vashishta. About a five-minute walk down-river from this cave is another cave known as the “Jesus cave.” Set in the side of a sheer cliff on the banks of the Ganga, the cave has a spectacular view of the river and the surrounding peaks of the Himalayas. It is said that the cave derived its name because Jesus spent time there during His sojourn in India called the “Lost Years.”

A special day trip will be offered to the city of Haridwar, one of the holiest pilgrimage places in India. Situated on the Ganga River, Haridwar is an active center of Hindu religion and mysticism, with many historic temples, a sunset Ganga Aarti ceremony and more. Unlike Rishikesh, which is full of spiritual travelers from all around the world, Haridwar is overflowing with spiritual travelers from all over India, so it will have a different feel and flavor. This is a great city for visiting the small shops and street vendors. You might prefer to see the city while riding in a bicycle-pedaled rickshaw. 

In her years of exploring Rishikesh, Janis uncovered many rich adventures as they presented themselves. 

A volunteer at Ramana’s Garden Children’s Home for the last three winters, Janis has spent many hours with the children after school and on the weekends. We will be introduced to this unique and wonderful home for at-risk children in a way most visitors can only glimpse. 

One of the features of this trip is inspirational creative time with travel artist, Karen Arp-Sandel.

Karen will share with you the way she transforms the ordinary into extraordinary when discovering new places, people, and culture. During our scheduled “Collage, Chat and Chai” sessions, we will gather to make collage or journal pages, often using new and found papers from your day in Rishikesh. Bring your travel art kit, or assemble one in India from the materials available locally. Take time for the fun of spontaneous creativity in colorful India.

You are sure to be delighted with our spacious schedule allowing time for discovering nature, culture, and (if you like) shopping. We will sample the local cuisine, often eating family-style.  If you like, book an Ayurvedic consultation or sign up for traditional Indian Ayurvedic treatments and massages. There are local residents (some of them grew up in Ramana’s) that we will call on to guide us on a hike or a tour, or teach us cooking. Perhaps you fancy a henna session, classical Indian dance class, private yoga session, or music lesson—we know the best places and people to provide these.

We are in the capable and loving hands of RetreaTours (BJ and Lauren) who can arrange for any sort of help that you might need. You are welcome to have as much downtime as you want on our retreat, and to explore on your own. Sleeping in or going to bed early are choices you can make as you like.  Rishikesh is a safe, vegetarian, alcohol-free town full of spiritual visitors (as well as sacred cows and sadhus).  Everyone goes out of his or her way to treat you well.

On our last day in Rishikesh (February 28), some of you will be transitioning back to Delhi to catch your airplane back to your home. You are also welcome to extend your trip. If you decide you would like to continue to travel outside of Rishikesh, RetreaTours experts BJ and Lauren can offer assistance, referring you to their contacts in India (Delhi, Agra, and Amritsar, for example) as well as other countries like Nepal, Bhutan, and beyond.  We suggest that you schedule any add-on trips for after our time together, so you feel grounded. 

One exciting option is to register for the International Yoga Festival (held March 1-7 for the last several years), staying at Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh.  A second option is also to stay in Rishikesh to continue to enjoy the nature, culture, and spirit.  The satsangs with Prem Baba and Shanti Mayi usually continue until the second or third week in March each year.

Please note also that the traffic and pollution in and around Delhi is an unfortunate reality that can not be avoided. This is a drawback if you want to see the Taj Mahal (one of the new 7 Wonders of the World), which is south of Delhi in the city of Agra. Also, if you want to tour Delhi, you will be breathing air that is likely smoky and polluted, so we advise bringing a mask for your own comfort and health.

Want to attend the International Yoga Festival?

Please enjoy these video snippets taken by Janis in Rishikesh!