Two easy days cover Haridwar. Day one is the Chandi Devi and Mansa Devi ropeways and Shantikunj, about 20 km. Day two is Patanjali Yogpeeth on the Delhi highway and the Daksha Mahadev temple in Kankhal, about 43 km. Both days end by about 14:45, so the afternoons are free for Maya Devi temple and the bazaars on foot, and the evenings for the Ganga aarti at Har Ki Pauri.
5 places64 km by cabtimed against opening hours
Day 1
The two ropeway temples and Shantikunj
Leave at 08:05 for the Chandi Devi ropeway, then the Mansa Devi ropeway above Har Ki Pauri, and lunch in town. The afternoon is Shantikunj on the Rishikesh road, when the Akhand Deep hall is open. About 20 km by cab, back by about 14:45. Walk to Har Ki Pauri for the evening aarti.
08:05 to 14:423 places20 km by cab
1Chandi Devi Temple (by ropeway)
2Mansa Devi Temple (by ropeway)
Lunch
3Shantikunj
Back
★
Leave central Haridwar
4.5 km · 6 min by cab
1
Chandi Devi Temple (by ropeway)
2 h here
A temple to the goddess Chandi on Neel Parvat, the hill across the river from Har Ki Pauri. The present temple was built in 1929 by the king of Kashmir. With Mansa Devi and Maya Devi it is one of Haridwar's three great goddess temples. The cable car ride takes about 5 minutes over the forest.
Temples & ghatsRopeway about 07:00 to 18:00. The temple is open about 06:00 to 20:00
Tip: The ropeway starts on the east side of the river, a short drive from town. Use the same combined ticket as Mansa Devi. The ropeway stops at about 18:00, before the temple closes, so do not leave it late.
6 km · 7 min by cab
2
Mansa Devi Temple (by ropeway)
2 h here
A temple to the goddess Mansa Devi on Bilwa Parvat, the hill right above Har Ki Pauri. It was built between 1811 and 1815. People tie a thread to a tree in the temple to make a wish, and come back to untie it when the wish comes true. A cable car takes about 2 minutes to the top, with views over the town and the river.
Temples & ghatsRopeway about 06:00 to 19:00. The temple is open from early morning to about 21:00, with a short offering break from 11:00 to 11:15. One listing says it closes 12:00 to 14:00, so go in the morning
Tip: The cab drops you at the ropeway on the road below. One combined ticket covers the Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi ropeways. Queues are long at weekends and in festival weeks, so allow 2 hours. You can also walk up a path of about 3 km.
Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
5.5 km · 13 min by cab
3
Shantikunj
1 h here
The home of the Gayatri Pariwar, a large spiritual movement, set up in 1971 by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya. It is a big, tidy campus of halls and gardens about 6 km north of town on the Rishikesh road. The Akhand Deep, a lamp the movement says has burned since 1926, is the main thing people come to see.
Ashrams & yogaThe ashram is open all day. The Akhand Deep hall opens about 05:30 to 09:00 and 12:30 to 16:30 (listings give 12:00 or 12:30)
Tip: Entry is free. Dress simply and keep your voice low; people live and study here. Two free meals are served to visitors each day.
4.4 km · 11 min by cab back
★
Back at central Haridwar
Day 2
Patanjali Yogpeeth and Kankhal
Leave at 09:45 for Patanjali Yogpeeth, about 20 km out on the Delhi highway, and have lunch at its canteen. On the way back, the Daksha Mahadev temple in Kankhal. About 43 km by cab, back by about 14:45, so the late afternoon is free for Maya Devi temple on foot (it reopens at 15:00) and the aarti again, or a quiet ghat in Kankhal. One listing says Patanjali closes on Sundays, so make this a weekday if you can.
09:45 to 14:452 places43 km by cab
1Patanjali Yogpeeth
Lunch
2Daksha Mahadev Temple, Kankhal
Back
★
Leave central Haridwar
19.9 km · 32 min by cab
1
Patanjali Yogpeeth
2 h here
Baba Ramdev's yoga and Ayurveda campus on the Delhi highway, opened in 2006. It is huge: an Ayurveda hospital, yoga halls, a library of old books and a herbal garden, plus shops and a canteen selling Patanjali products.
Ashrams & yogaPlanned 09:00 to 17:00. Listings give 08:00 to 18:00 or 20:00; one says 09:00 to 17:00 and closed on Sundays?
Tip: It is about 20 km from Har Ki Pauri, so it fits a morning on the way out of town too. Entry is free. One listing says it closes on Sundays, so check before you go.
Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
16.2 km · 29 min by cab
2
Daksha Mahadev Temple, Kankhal
45 min here
A Shiva temple in Kankhal, the old town just south of Haridwar, also called Daksheshwar Mahadev. It tells the story of King Daksha, who held a great fire ritual and left out Shiva, and of his daughter Sati, who gave her life in its fire. Sati Kund, the fire pit of the story, is at the temple. The present building is from 1810.
Temples & ghatsAbout 06:00 to 19:00 (one listing says to 20:00)
Tip: Kankhal's lanes are narrow, so the cab may stop a few minutes away. The ghat behind the temple is calmer than Har Ki Pauri.
7 km · 14 min by cab back
★
Back at central Haridwar
Drive times come from road routing without traffic. Haridwar's roads round Har Ki Pauri and Upper Road are slow and crowded, and police close them to cars on festival days, in the Kanwar Yatra (July and early August) and during the Kumbh, so allow more time than shown. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Book a cab for these 2 days
Call or message a local Haridwar operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
2 × full day, 8 h / 80 kmSedan, SUV or InnovaPrice from the operator
The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.
Place
Open
Best time
Visit
Chandi Devi Temple (by ropeway)
Ropeway about 07:00 to 18:00. The temple is open about 06:00 to 20:00
Early morning, when the ropeway opens.
2 h
Mansa Devi Temple (by ropeway)
Ropeway about 06:00 to 19:00. The temple is open from early morning to about 21:00, with a short offering break from 11:00 to 11:15. One listing says it closes 12:00 to 14:00, so go in the morning
Morning, before the queues and the midday heat.
2 h
Shantikunj
The ashram is open all day. The Akhand Deep hall opens about 05:30 to 09:00 and 12:30 to 16:30 (listings give 12:00 or 12:30)
Afternoon, when the Akhand Deep hall is open.
1 h
Patanjali Yogpeeth
Planned 09:00 to 17:00. Listings give 08:00 to 18:00 or 20:00; one says 09:00 to 17:00 and closed on Sundays?
Late morning on a weekday.
2 h
Daksha Mahadev Temple, Kankhal
About 06:00 to 19:00 (one listing says to 20:00)
Any time of day; it is busiest in the month of Saavan and on Maha Shivaratri.
Yes. Two days lets you see the temples without rushing and watch the aarti twice. Add a day for Rishikesh, about 30 km away.
Which order should the two days go in?+
Either. One listing says Patanjali closes on Sundays, so keep day two off a Sunday if you can. Do the ropeway day on a weekday if you can, when the queues are shorter.
Why are the days short?+
Haridwar's sights are close together, and the best part of the day, the evening aarti, is on foot. The free afternoons are for Maya Devi temple, which reopens at 15:00, and the bazaars near Har Ki Pauri.
Can I add the Gurukul Kangri museum?+
Yes, it is on the way to Patanjali. One listing gives about 09:00 to 17:00, but we found no closed day, so check before you go.