Travel Guide: Easy One Day Kunjapuri Sunrise Trek in Rishikesh, 2026

There are many trekking routes in and out of Rishikesh, all trekking routes are very popular among domestic and international adventure travelers. As I am tour operator based in Upper Tapovan and receive  many query from inbound travelers about best easy one day trekking activity, and I advise them Kunjapuri Sunrise Trek in my first interaction, and try to convince travelers strongly, explaining them if you really want to spot and experience something exclusively.

Why Kunjapuri Sunrise Trek

This trekking route offers goddess temple blessing,  distance view snow laden Himalayan peaks, best sunrise point of Rishikesh, the scenic trekking trail from easy to moderate difficulty,  Himalayan village lifestyle and culture, local farming visit and the biggest and most scenic waterfall of Rishikesh that is Neer waterfall. Non of adventure activities like Kujapuri Sunrise Trek in Rishikesh.

I also let them know about that this trek is popular so many adventure lovers go to spot the sunrise from the top of the temple complex, but there are few tourists choose to do trekking.  This trek is for every one, there is no age bound , 10 – 70 years person ( international travelers )  easily can do this trekking activity here.

Because, one way up from Rishikesh you should go by private transport to cover 32 km road distance from Rishikesh to catch the sunrise , usually it takes 1 hours from Rishikesh to reach temple top of Kunjapuri. So, you have to wake early to start early to reach sunrise point in time, generally in summer season in between 4:00 am to 4:30am  and in winter season in between 5:00 am to 5:30 am.

Hence, one way no trekking car drive then only approx. 9 km down hill trek via Badhera village,  Dharkot village, Neer village and Neergarh or Neer Waterfall.  But you have to keep in the mind that some point the trail become moderate challenging and  tricky, so needs maneuvering of leg strength to negotiate with tricky path.

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Spotting Himalayan Peaks

Kunjapuri Temple top offer  a whole some of range of snow laden peaks of the upper Himalaya just before sunrise and something after sunrise too.  If morning is clear not clouds & mist  before and after especially between October–April or after rainy season, the following peaks are visible everyday are:

Chaukhamba (one of the most visible and easily seen peaks)
Bandarpoonch
Swargarohini
Gangotri Group
Neelkanth (visible in favorable weather)
Nanda Devi peak more than 7600 meter also visible on clear morning
Few parts of the Kedarnath Range also be visible.

In addition , travelers also enjoy panoramic views of:

Rishikesh
Haridwar
The Doon Valley
The Ganges winding through the plains.

My Advise to all travelers to Kunjapuri Sunrise Trek 

For sure mountain views, you have to arrive at temple top of Kunjapuri  30–60 minutes before sunrise, when clarity of sky is typically at its best and the peaks are brimming by the first sunlight.

How to reach Kunjapuri Temple from Rishikesh

If you wan to go with your driver and not interested in trekking activity than you must know about the way to reach Kunjpauri temple from Rishikesh, because many cases the drivers are taking tourist from New Delhi by road and they ( drivers ) do not have exact idea when to go and how to reach there.

Therefore , I did some homework for you here, this guide takes you easily to the temple site that is located  Agrakhal area on the Rishikesh–Gangotri National Highway of  32 km road trip from Rishikesh, one can reach up to this Hindolakhal.

• Travel from Rishikesh with a 45–60 minute road trip
• Start at Tapovan, or down town and drive through Bhadarakali Temple on Gangotri Highway , Narendra Nagar and Ananda in the Himalayas, and you reach at T point , called Hindolakhad and take right turn and keep right and drive for 5 km more and you arrive at the base of the temple.
• Once you arrive at base and take flight of 320 stairs to touch the temple top.

My Experience:  During Kunjapuri Sunrise Trek

I am very adventurous and conscious travelers, that is reason I have been working in travel sector since 2026,  by the way, I starts this sunrise trip in early morning around 5 am  from Tapovan in private transport, and sit in front the seat because sometime I feel sick due to motion sickness problem.

From Rishikesh up to Hindolakhal Bend road is zig-zag but manageable , but last 5 km is single road and very windy, so, I hardly manage this 5 km stretch up to the base of the temple site, after arriving at foot hill of the temple, I start climbing , the  cement paved steps are even in measurement, not uneven, so good  but very steep, so starts beathing consciously  to avoid immediate  exhaustion, and easily reached on the top 30 minutes before sunrise.

I wanted to visit first temple to take blessing of goddess but the temple was remain closed, so moved to the sunrise spot, when first light starts enveloping the horizon, for me was unmissable experience, one thing which little bit make me feel down the noise of chattering people up there  while watching sunrise. Whereas I like pin drop silence at the time of sunrising especially there.

After, sunrise, just paid the visit to the temple, put myself in queue to go inside that takes me around 15 minutes,  temple top floor was very cold due to winter time  and I do not allow while wearing shoes the entire area of temple complex. Here, I advise you  to wear extra thick shocks while visiting Kunjapuri temple during winter time.

I after my person prayer inside I realized that  I have spend more time, so I did 30 minutes there watching peaks, hearing the chirping birds , ringing bells and beating drums by drummers.

When sun rose high in the sky , feeling warm,  then move to a terrace are , from there I overserved the Ganges valley along with Haridwar and Rishikesh city and in westwards lush green Doon valley, amazing moment , amazing morning , was not able see the peaks because of mist but rewarding and heat satisfying experience.

Finally, started descending down , saying hell to my Hello to Pawar Ji ( Owner of Coffee Shop ), just few steps down to the temple,  keep looking the changing color of far horizon and rolling hills, just feeling gratefulness.

Now, start off beat trails jungles, rugged paths , green landscapes, distance view of holy Ganga, lush green valley, fresh air mixed with vegetation,  smells like gasping the herbal air.   Looking over Badera village, passing through Dharkot village, cattle herder house towards Neer village. After Dharkot village, the trail changes become very tricky and moderate challenging but raw beauty , rugged experience, following the trail ,  no noise , making my experience marvel.

When I am about reach the Neer village,  fresh water stream appears on the way , later the same stream makes the biggest  waterfall of Rishikesh,  the path becomes easy but tricky because I have to walk along the small narrow  irrigation water channel, so keep walking carefully because some places skit the foot .

When I reach just above the waterfall, wow the path become more tricky then ever before, uneven trails but everybody can manage because this  100 mt stretch is going reveal the most majestic creation of the nature, the waterfall and its natural pool, proved enough space to swim, WOW , must visit place in Rishikesh.

I do highly recommend take route of Neer waterfall because it short, fresh , amazing landscapes more fun,  and  other route to get back Rishikesh is Kunjapuri – Tapovan trail,  it is longer than first route, it is  via secret waterfall , it is more challenging, rugged,  more wild,  more offbeat , and more distance about 3 km more than first route.

So, after refreshing in the crystal clear pool of Neer waterfall, starts trekking down, following the waterfall and finally my feet  touched link road, from this place you can get back Rishikesh in private or sharing transport but I take walking path for 2 km and reached Badrinath highway, immediate when I arrived at Highway , I choose the path which took me at place on the bank of Ganges, there 2  Sanyasis are living in Kutiya ( Hermitage ) , so I spent some times with them talking about spiritual stuff and keep following the down stream trail, reached Nim Beach and kept walking reached Laxman Jhula hanging bridge and I sum up here my Kunjapuri sunrise trek.

Thank you