Rishikesh to Neelkanth Mahadev by Bike
- Distance
- ~32 km each way
- Riding time
- ~1 hour 15 minutes up
- Time needed
- Half day
- Altitude
- ~1,330 m
- Season
- Year-round
- Road
- Sealed, narrow, thirty-plus hairpins, forest
- Any bike works
- Including the Activa 125
- Cost
- A tank of fuel
Thirty-two kilometres, thirty-odd hairpins, and forest the whole way. This is the ride we send people on when they’ve just picked up a bike and want to find out what it does before committing to something longer — and it’s a genuinely good road in its own right, not a consolation prize.
The temple at the top sits at around 1,330 m in a fold of the Nar-Narayan hills, and the legend attached to it is the one where Shiva drinks the poison churned from the ocean and his throat turns blue.
Two Ways Up
Via Ram Jhula and the forest road (~32 km). The interesting one. Out from Swarg Ashram, past Pappad Mandi, and then straight into the climb — tight, well-shaded hairpins through proper forest with almost no traffic. This is the route we mean when we recommend it.
Via the Badrinath highway and Bhadrakali (~38 km). Longer, wider, less engaging, and the sensible choice if the forest road is wet or you’re on an Activa two-up.
Go up one and down the other if you have the time.
The Road
Sealed the whole way and generally in decent condition, but narrow — in places genuinely one vehicle wide with a rock face on one side and nothing on the other. The hairpins are tight and blind. There is no barrier on most of it.
What that means practically:
- Use your horn on blind corners. Everyone here does, and it’s not rudeness
- Expect shared jeeps coming down fast on the wrong line
- Monkeys. Large troops, on the road, unbothered by motorcycles. Slow right down; they move at their own pace and a startled one landing on your tank at a hairpin is a real scenario
- In monsoon the forest section gets slick with leaf litter and moss. Take it very gently or use the highway route
When to Go
Early morning is best — cooler, no traffic, and the forest is genuinely alive at that hour. Leave Rishikesh by 6:30.
Avoid Mondays and Shivratri, when the temple gets very busy and the road fills with pilgrim jeeps.
Monsoon (July–August): rideable, greener than any other time, and slippery. The waterfalls along the route run properly, which is worth something.
October to March is the most comfortable riding.
Which Bike
Anything in the fleet.
- The Hunter 350 is the best-suited bike we own for this many tight hairpins — light, short, easy to place
- The Guerrilla 450 makes it a proper ride
- The Classic 350 is heavy through the tighter switchbacks but perfectly fine
- The Activa 125 climbs it without complaint. Take the highway route if you’re two-up
Making a Morning of It
Neelkanth plus Kunjapuri. Sunrise at Kunjapuri, drop back down, cross the valley, ride up to Neelkanth, and be back in Rishikesh for lunch having done both of the best short rides in the area before noon. Roughly 130 km total, all sealed, and the best half-day available here.
Add the waterfalls. Several along the route, running properly in and just after monsoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take from Rishikesh?
Can I ride a scooty to Neelkanth?
Is the road dangerous?
What are the temple timings?
Is there parking?
Best time of day?
· Kunjapuri ride · Rates