Evening Ganga aarti
An aarti is a ceremony where priests offer lamps to the river at dusk. This one is at Har ki Pauri, the main ghat, where signs since January 2026 say non-Hindus may not enter. Read the notice and ask locally.
1 dayHow long to stay
Budget to mid-rangeRough cost
Couples, Families, SoloWho it suits
Uttarakhandthe Himalaya
Is this for you?
This is the most intense, devotional stop in the region: crowds, bells and hundreds of pilgrims at the river. Come if you want to see Hindu worship up close and can cope with a packed, noisy scene. Read the notice on the main ghat, the stone steps down to the river, first, because the rule is unclear if you're a foreigner. If crowds and noise wear you out, skip it and see the aarti, the riverside lamp ceremony, in Rishikesh instead.
When to go
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.
What to do
Mansa Devi temple
A hilltop temple to the goddess Mansa Devi. Ride up by ropeway, a cable car, or go on foot.
Chandi Devi temple
A second hilltop temple above town. Same choice here: the ropeway or your own legs.
Rajaji National Park tour
Take a guided drive in the forest park beside town. It's a proper change of pace from the crowded river steps.
Aarti in Rishikesh
If entry at Har ki Pauri isn't clear for you, go to Rishikesh. Its riverside evening aarti is a calmer way to see the ceremony, and it's a short taxi ride away.
What to eat
Don't expect meat or alcohol in Haridwar's main pilgrim area, because the town keeps both away from the river for faith reasons. Come hungry in the morning, when the fried breakfast shops near the ghats (river steps) are at their best.
Aloo puri
Puffed fried bread with potato curry, a plain and filling pilgrim's meal. Have it at a thali shop (a set plate of small dishes) near Har Ki Pauri.
Vegetarian
Jalebi
Crisp spirals of fried batter soaked in sugar syrup. Eat them hot from a stall on Upper Road, right after your kachori.
Vegetarian
Kachori sabzi
Fried stuffed bread with spiced potato curry. This is the Haridwar breakfast, so go early because popular stalls can sell out by mid-morning.
Vegetarian
Where to go
Hoshiyar PuriUpper Road
Kachori sabzi for breakfast or a veg thali, a set plate, at one of the town's oldest names.
Cheap eats, vegetarianKashyap Kachori BhandarGau Ghat
A kachori stop by the river. We found one source that names it, so ask locally.
Cheap eats, vegetarian
Getting there
Take a day train from Delhi, about 4 to 5 hours. The Shatabdi 12017 leaves New Delhi at 06:45 and arrives 11:35, and the Jan Shatabdi 12055 leaves at 15:20 and arrives 19:27. Rishikesh is a short taxi ride away. Don't plan a tight onward train off road times: hill and highway traffic can be slow.
Where to stay
Near the river We haven't picked a neighbourhood yet, so stay near the river, where hotels run from budget to riverside. Ask about Har ki Pauri access before you book.
Worth knowing
Rules
Ask your hotel or the Ganga Sabha, who run this ghat, before going to Har ki Pauri. Signs since January 2026 bar non-Hindus, so if you're told no, respect it and watch the aarti in Rishikesh.
Safety
Avoid the Ardh Kumbh, a huge Hindu bathing festival, on 14 Jan, 6, 11, 20 Feb, 6, 8 Mar, 7, 14, 15, 20 Apr 2027. It runs 14 Jan to 20 Apr, and the UK warns stampedes have happened at such gatherings.
Safety
Be careful about paying anyone who approaches you around the evening aarti, as people may pose as officials or guides. If you're unsure, decline politely.
1 more to know
Rules
Plan on vegetarian food during your stay. Alcohol and non-vegetarian food aren't sold inside city limits: we found no official text, but two sources agree.
