River Rafting in Rishikesh

12 Apr 2024
BySandhya Singh

River Rafting in Rishikesh

Experiencing river rafting in Rishikesh is a type of pulse-freezing experience of your lifetime. It is also called the playground for adventure activities in Rishikesh and is located in Uttarakhand in the foothills of the Himalayas. A great number of tourists both nationally and internationally visit this place to enjoy various adventure activities. While performing this activity you will experience some thundering rapids in the river Ganga. River Rafting is a good adventure and fun activity to perform for both adults and children.

You get to perform this activity under the abled guidance of professionals. This activity can be enjoyed by both swimmers and non-swimmers and can be pre-booked online from your home. Full care of your security is taken by the trained experts and allows you to have a worry-free experience of this adventure. Rishikesh is also called the heaven for rafting enthusiasts. The range of rafting depending on the km covered will vary in price from INR300 up to INR 1100 to give a budget-friendly experience to everyone.

Season and Cost of River Rafting

1. Rishikesh: You can enjoy the thrilling experience of rapids in Rishikesh, all year round. But during the monsoon season as the level of the river Ganga rises so rafting remains closed from the 1st of July till the 15th of September. March is the peak season for Rafting and it can be enjoyed at its best from mid of September to early December.

2. Brahmpuri: This is the most basic stretch which is having the Grade ll rapid. This is about a 9km long stretch of river rafting in Brahmpuri. The best time to enjoy this grade is during the month of mid-September until June-end. This is not a much challenging route so everyone can enjoy this route and the approximate time taken to complete this is around 1.5 hours. The per-person cost goes up to INR 450.

3. Shivpuri: The Shivpuri stretch has the grade lll rapid and is about 16km in length and also is the most recommended stretch in white river rafting. This stretch opens immediately after the Brahmpuri stretch opens and again closes at the beginning of June month. You will be getting some thrilling and spine-freezing huddles on this route. It is not recommended for those who are non-swimmers and new to whitewater river rafting to take this route. The time taken is around 3.5 hours and the price for this goes up to INR 700 per person.

4. Marine Drive: This stretch is the most thrilling one so it is not recommended to the first-timer. This stretch has the Grade lV rapid and has a length of about 25km. This stretch is open as soon as the stretch of Shivpuri is opened and it shuts again 1-2 weeks earlier than the Shivpuri stretch. This route is a bit difficult and is able enough to skip your heartbeat too. The time taken to complete this is around 4.5 hours and the estimated price per person goes up to INR 850.

5. Kaudiyala: This zone is recommended for experienced professionals and it has Grade V rapids that provide extreme adventure in the rafting activity. The period for which this stretch is opened is very limited as it opens in the middle of October and again closes by the middle of May month. As it is the most thrilling one it is the most expensive one too. The length of this stretch is 34km and the time taken is 8 hours to cover this and the price for this goes around 1800 per person.

Classification of Rapids

1. Sweet Sixteen (Grade l)

These are the easiest type of Grade as it has less challenging rapids that also mostly occur in the plain area. The speed and flow of water are considerably low in the rapids of Grade I as compared to all other grades. This grade is ideal for beginners and non-swimmers. Less amount of maneuvering techniques and skills are required in this grade. The rapids are performed in a shallow region as they require a mild amount of currents. The raft passes through the shallow region so everyone can enjoy it.

2. Hilton and Terminator (Grade ll)

As Grade l this Grade is also considered ideal for novice rafters. Rapids and the challenges are a level increased in the Grade ll rapids and this stretch, the raft passes through the uneven, rocky, and rough surface. It provides a reasonable amount of challenges to the rafters while performing. For the navigation, prior navigation techniques are required in Grade ll so you need to have a skilled guide for this grade. It is one of the most preferred sought in adventure activities for rafting enthusiasts. As you will reach Ram Jhula in Rishikesh you will experience a fascinating rapid that is called Hilton and Terminator. This grade rapidly starts from Brahmapuri and finishes up, on reaching Ram Jhula. You can also enjoy cliff jumping, and body surfing in this grade.

3. Three Blind Mice (Grade lll)

In this Grade, you will have some thrilling experiences of rapids in Ganga and its tributaries. Since there are high rapids and the size of these rapids, when they are banged against the rocks it look like white foam and so it is called the White water river rafting. You will find these types of rapids when the river flows in a downward direction or when it passes through a rough surface. A rafting guide is a must to have while experiencing this Grade as the thrill, excitement, and challenges increase. In this grade, high cruising skills and techniques are required. You can hop on the Grade lll rapid Three Blind mice after experiencing Grade l and Garde ll. This rapid passes through a series of sharp and enthralling passes.

4. CrossFire (Grade lll)

This is also another Grade lll rapid where you can cruise through the holy Ganga. Crossfire is a series of challenges that pass through the roughest and most strenuous phase of the river. If you are planning to pass through a crossfire you need some prior experience and expert guidance.

5. Roller coaster (Grade lll \ lV)

In the roller coaster rapid you will phase extreme levels of turbulence, high current flow, rocky terrains, and the large area of the wave. You need to have some expert level of rafting techniques for this rapid. There are many rock formations in this rapid and so you will witness the white foam which will make the experience of your white water river rafting a memorable one.

6. Golf Course (Grade lll)

While rafting through this rapid all your paddling skills will come to a test. Before hopping into this rapid you must know the challenged in Grade ll and Grade lll rapids. The golf course offers some extreme challenges, unlike other Grade lll rapids. I will take you to some uneven paths and rough surfaces so you need to cruise through this rapid under the guidance of experienced guides.

7. The Wall (Grade lV)

Once you get used to all the tips and tricks of rafting in Rishikesh then you can opt for Grade lV rapid. The level of fear increases in this grade much more as compared to the other three grades. The rapids are experienced mainly in the rocky region where the flow is downwards at full speed so this rapid requires a lot of maneuvering technique and potential as well as high endurance. There are various Grade lV rapids. This rapid increases fun, vigor, and excitement so for this grade you need to have the full knowledge of all tips and tricks that are involved while rafting. The wall is a grade lV rapid and is to be performed under the able guidance of the experts.

8. Daniel’s Dip (Grade V)

This Grade of rafting is only advisable for the expert rafters as it requires the ardent set of rafting skills and tricks that are required to encounter challenges in white river rafting. In this grade, rapid occurs in the region that has extreme rocky patches or a sudden drop. There are only a few such rapids in the whole country out of which you will find mostly in Rishikesh itself. Only well-acquainted swimmers are allowed in this grade as the water becomes deeper. Most of the time you will also face swirls in water along with rapids as most of them occur at the confluence point of water. You must have the proper consent of the highly experienced rafting guides and should be performed under the able guidance of the highly experienced rafting guides. Daniel’s Dip is one of the Grade V rapid in the whole country. As there are a series of challenges in this rapid you must be accompanied by the full-fledged rafting crew and experienced guides in Daniel’s Dip rapid.

Some Safety Measures:

Rafting can be enjoyed by non-swimmers and minors too, but you need to follow all the rules and regulations and safety instructions given by guides.
You need to get your health check-up done before opting for rafting or any other adventure activity in Rishikesh as fitness is extremely important.
Do not consume any kind of drugs or alcohol during or before going for Rafting.
You need to paddle the raft as a team and not as an individual.
Pay proper attention to all the instructions and the guidelines given by the guide or facilitators.
It is very mandatory to wear a life jacket while rafting, do not panic in case of any mishap just follow the instructions given by the guide.
Do not get into the water as it may lead to disorientation.
You need to wear sports shoes or river sandals during the activity.

The thing needs to carry

You need to carry towels, shoes and an extra pair of clothes.
Only wear the suggested clothes while rafting. You can wear shorts and a T-shirt, a swimsuit, etc. Wearing cotton clothes and loose clothes is not advisable.
If you want to carry a camera for filming then you need to carry it at your own risk.
A small first aid kit is needed to be taken along having bandages, lotions, creams, painkillers, etc.
Sunscreen or any similar lotion is needed to be taken along.
If necessary you can carry sunglasses or swimming glasses.

River Rafting in Rishikesh Price List 2021

Rafting Point Details

Kilometers

Price

Bhrahmpuri to Nimbeech

1. Duration 1-1.5 Hrs

2. Including Body Surfing & Cliff Jumping

3. Rapid Grade II

9 Km

600

Shivpuri to Nimbeech

1. Duration 2.5- 3 Hrs