India Ganges River Heritage Tour 2026: Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna, Gangotri Source Pilgrimage Complete Guide
Browse more guides: India travel | Asia destinations India Ganges River Heritage Tour 2026: Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna, Gangotri Source Pilgrimage Complete Guide When I first stood on the bank of the Ganga at Rishikesh and watched lamps drift downstream during the evening aarti, I understood that this river is not simply water. It carries 5,000 years of faith and a living tradition from a glacier in Uttarakhand to the Bay of Bengal. After three planning trips I wrote this guide so you can follow the Ganga from source to mouth without losing time or money. TL;DR I cover the full Ganga route across India in this guide. You can start at the source near Gangotri (3,892 m) in Uttarakhand, then move through Rishikesh and Haridwar, follow the river into Uttar Pradesh for Varanasi and Prayagraj (Sangam), continue to Patna and Bhagalpur in Bihar, and finish at Ganga Sagar in West Bengal where the river meets the sea. The river runs 2,525 km through India and Banglades...