Situated just north of Delhi, the state of Uttarakhand has some of the most varied whitewater in any state and also the holiest rivers to Hindus in India. From the big warm water of the Upper Ganges, to the Alpine style rivers such as the Pindar, Tons, Yamuna and the amazing Alaknanda River. It is the perfect region to improve your whitewater kayaking within some stunning Himalayan scenery!
The Upper Ganges and its Tributaries
The area
Uttarakhand is a state in the northern part of India. With many sacred rivers, mountains and temples in the area, Uttarakhand is often referred to as Devbhumi, which translated means Land of Gods. The mighty Himalayas cover a lot of Uttarakhand including India's second highest peak, the 7816m Nanda Devi. However it is not just the high Himalayan that dominate, some 65% of the state is covered in forest! Two of Indias largest and holiest of rivers - the Ganges and Yamuna - originate from the high glaciers in Uttarakhand. The Valley of the Flowers, which is also a UNESCO site, contains meadows of Alpine flowers and is home to many endangered animals such as the black bear, blue sheep and snow leopards! To understand just the shear size of India, the state of Uttarakhand is slightly bigger than Switzerland.
The rivers
The Ganges is one of the most renowned and talked about rivers in the world. It is the most sacred of rivers to Hindus and also the third largest rivers in the world by discharge. The start of the Ganges is at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda Rivers in Devprayag. Of the two confluences the Bhagirathi River is regarded as the source of the Hindu culture. The Alaknanda River is bigger and is generally considered as the source of the Ganges. The tributaries of the Alaknanda are also considered sacred, two of which Pindar and Mandakini can also be kayaked on this Adventure Trip.
The Tons River over on the far western state border is a classic Alpine style river where there has been very little tourism and is really off the beaten track! The Yamuna River also has an Alpine feel and with easy access points it gives us a variety of sections of whitewater depending on our goals and aims throughout the trip. Finally there is the Kali River on the far eastern side of the state that borders Nepal. With little road access it makes for a complete wilderness journey surrounded by lush jungle and pool drop rapids. It is the perfect introduction to multi-day whitewater kayaking.
“Good food, awesome whitewater, great guiding and company. What more can one ask?
With their experience and knowledge of India I got the trip of a lifetime!”
Practicalities
Instructors / Coaches
All of our coaches / instructors / guides have international recognised qualifications! They have a wealth of experience kayaking in Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland and Bavaria and of course they have kayaked ALL of the rivers that you will get to paddle on this kayak adventure trip to India. Stanzin will be leading these trips and is a fantastic person not only to have on the river but to talk to in the evening. He speaks English, Hindi, Ladakhi, Tibetan and Nepali so if you meet local residents by the side of the river or on the road to your next destination, Stanzin can translate for you which gives a fantastic insight to the local communities. To find out more about Stanzin check out our Team Page.
Group Composition
The maximum number of kayakers/clients for this trip will be 6. We will have a ratio of no more than 3 clients to 1 Kayak Instructor (2 instructors with 4 or more clients). All of our trips and courses will run with a minimum of 2 clients. This gives you plenty of whitewater actions and the opportunity to improve your kayaking technique throughout the trip. We also have at least 1 local kayaking guide with us.
Experience Required
You should have experience of kayaking Class III whitewater and though your roll does not need to be solid, you should be making at least 2-3 attempts to roll back up.We will be kayaking for around 4 - 5 hours a day, so though you do not need to be an Olympic Athlete you should have a certain amount of paddle fitness or stamina.
Transport
Throughout the kayak adventure trip we use private taxis. You take a 45 minute flight from New Delhi to Dehradun on the edge of the Himalayas from where we meet you at the airport and take you to your accommodation in Rishikesh in a private taxi. Once in Rishikesh we transfer to Puran’s jeep. Puran is our local driver, we have known and used Puran for over a decade now. His driving is good and safe. He knows the put-ins and take-outs so we never need to wait for him and if we are on a self-support multi-day kayak trip he will keep hold of any equipment not needed on the river. With Puran, we can dictate when and where we need to stop for lunch, chai or a toilet break plus we get as close to the river as possible compared to a chicken bus where you are scared senseless by their driving in the mountains and they always stop in a town, not close to the river!
Food
In Shivanandi it is an Indian vegetable diet with organic food sourced from the local villages and market. Full of flavour and not necessary spicy you will get to know and eat some traditional, wholesome Indian food. If you really want meat we can pre-order this with chicken or goat to supplement your diet!
Rishikesh is a vegetarian city and some of our favourite restaurants make flavoursome, plentiful meals that you will enjoy. Be it a traditional Thali meal or something more western such as a veggie burger there is plenty to choose from on the menu!
On the road we eat at local Dhaba restaurants along the way, usually the meals consist of rice, lentil, vegetables and roti (Indian flat bread).
For the self-support multi-day trips we try to vary the meals depending on the duration of the river trip. Everyone helps out with the meals, with Stanzin overseeing the cooking on the 2 MSR stoves, it is a very communal affair and great way to finish that days adventure!
Season and Climate
Spring
During the day the temperature is around 28 ̊C and the nights are warm. Towards the end of May the day temperature can rise to close to 40 ̊C in Rishikesh but in the mountains it is slightly cooler and of course on the river the intense heat is not noticeable. Some occasional rain can be expected, which will fall as snow afterwards the sky is clear giving fantastic views of the Himalayan snowcapped peaks! If you are wanting to kayak more Class 4 then we would be heading up into the mountains looking for more steeper whitewater and heading to the Tons River. For more Class 3 with a few Class 4 rapids then the Ganges, Alaknanda and Lower Pindar would be ideal!
We generally kayak with a semi dry paddle top such as the PeakPS Freeride Jacket plus we take a dry top with a rubber neck seal if we are heading high into the mountains or over to the Tons Valley. A pair semi dry pants would also be recommended incase of rain.
Autumn:
During the day the temperature is around 24 ̊C and the nights are warm. It is a locally known fact that after the monsoon the sun will shine for 100 days! The sky is clear and the views of the snowcapped Himalayan peaks are outstanding. If you are wanting to kayak more Class 4 then mid- October is the best time. As we draw nearer to the end of November, the temperature of the water drops and the nights are cool. Some rain can be expected towards the end of the year and this is most likely to fall as snow in the mountains giving us some stunning snowcapped views afterwards. If you are looking at more Class 3 and some Class 4 rapids then mid-November is a good time to come!
End of monsoon and the beginning of Autumn we wear a semi dry paddle top such as the PeakPS Freeride Jacket, as the days get colder we kayak in a dry top with a rubber neck seal and by the end of November we would be looking at kayaking with a dry suit.
Accomodation
On the banks for the Alaknanda we spend time at the stunning Shivanandi River Lodge. It is a place that we have come to love since it first opened. Traditional stone houses that offer double rooms, all with an attached bathroom with solar heated hot water. Ute even helped to design some of the bathrooms and furniture in the rooms. Set away from the road with rice fields next to either side, you can watch rural Indian life going on around you while you drink a herbal tea or chai on the balcony. The views of the Alaknanda are stunning and of course you can either put-in or take-out of the river at the sandy beach in-front of the lodge.
In Rishikesh, we stay at a nice hotel in the tourist area of Tapovan. Each room has attached bathrooms and is based on double sharing. It is just a short walk to the restaurants, tourist sights and the River Ganges.
When we are on a self-support multi-day expedition, we stay a night in a clean and basic local guest house and then once we are on the river we camp under the stars of a stunning Himalayan sky and landscape.
Dates & Prices
Tour Dates
We have tours planned on the following dates:
05-16 October 2025 (12 Days)
No dates to suit your plans? Just let us know through the contact form, we are pretty flexible here at the Kayak School trying to give you more of a chance to make that dream trip to the Indian Himalayas.
Tour Price
For an itinerary, price and more information about this Adventure Trip, please send us a message through the contact form and we'll get back to you soon.