Rishikesh sits where the Ganges leaves the mountains and spreads into the plains, a fast, jade-green river flanked by forested hills in the state of Uttarakhand. It is India's self-declared yoga capital, a town of ashrams, temple bells, riverside meditation, and vegetarian cafes, all wrapped around a river that Hindus consider sacred. The city is legally vegetarian and alcohol-free, which gives it a distinctly clean, unhurried air compared with most Indian tourist hubs.

The town has two personalities that coexist happily. On one side there is the spiritual Rishikesh of morning chanting, evening Ganga aarti, and hundreds of yoga schools drawing students from around the world. On the other is the adventure Rishikesh of white-water rafting, bungee jumping, and cliff-side cafes full of backpackers nursing masala chai and banana pancakes. The Beatles famously spent weeks meditating here in 1968, and the graffiti-covered ashram they used is now one of the town's most atmospheric visits.

Most life happens around two footbridges, Ram Jhula and Lakshman Jhula, and the neighborhoods that cluster around them. It is compact, walkable, and cheap, the kind of place travelers arrive at for three days and end up staying three weeks.