How to reach Haridwar
Haridwar is one of the best-connected pilgrimage towns in north India, precisely because so many travellers pass through it on the way to the Himalayan shrines. It sits on a major railway line, close to a national-highway corridor, and within an hour of a domestic airport, so reaching it from Delhi or the wider region is straightforward.
By train. The principal station is Haridwar Junction, right in the heart of the city and only a short auto-rickshaw ride from Har Ki Pauri — one of the conveniences of the place is that you can step off a train and be at the river within minutes. It is a busy junction on the Delhi–Dehradun line, with frequent express and superfast services from Delhi, and direct trains from a long list of cities including Amritsar, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Puri. From Delhi the fast daytime services cover the route in roughly four and a half to six hours depending on the train. Because live timetables, fares and seat availability change constantly, check current trains in the search box on this page rather than relying on a fixed schedule. Note that the next station up the line, Rishikesh, and the newer Yog Nagari Rishikesh station, are options if Rishikesh is your first stop.
By road. Haridwar lies on National Highway 34 (the old NH-58 corridor), the main artery running north from Delhi through Meerut and Muzaffarnagar. The Delhi–Haridwar road distance is roughly 220 kilometres and the drive typically takes about five to six hours, traffic depending; the opening of the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway is progressively cutting that time, so check the current fastest route before you set off. State and private buses run frequently from Delhi's Kashmere Gate ISBT and from towns across the region, and shared taxis link Haridwar with Rishikesh, Dehradun and the hill stations. Within Uttarakhand, Haridwar is the road gateway for onward travel to Rishikesh (about 25 km), Mussoorie, and the Char Dham route.
By air. The nearest airport is Dehradun's Jolly Grant Airport (DED), about 35 kilometres away, roughly a one-hour drive — and, usefully, it lies between Haridwar and Rishikesh, so it serves both. It has a growing roster of domestic flights, principally to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other major cities; schedules change seasonally, so confirm current routes when planning. For a wider choice of flights and international connections, Delhi (DEL) is the practical long-haul gateway, about 220 kilometres away, from where you continue by train or road. Taxis and pre-booked cabs run from Jolly Grant to Haridwar; agree the fare or use the airport's prepaid counter.
Getting around once you arrive. Central Haridwar is compact and much of it is best seen on foot — indeed, a large stretch of the riverfront around Har Ki Pauri is pedestrianised or restricted to vehicles, especially around Aarti time, so expect to walk the final approach. For everything else, cycle-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, shared vikram tempos and battery-powered e-rickshaws cover the town cheaply; agree a fare before you set off, as meters are rare. The two hilltop temples are reached by their respective ropeways (cable cars) or on foot. A car with a driver is the easiest way to combine Haridwar with Rishikesh, Rajaji or the more scattered temples in a single day.