Trip Planning – Aspire Media Partners

2018 TRIP PLANNING

COME TOGETHER 2018 OFFICIAL GUIDE

To help you have a transformative musical, cultural and spiritual experience of a lifetime, the creators and staff of Come Together 2018 recommend that you secure the details of your trip – including where you’ll be staying, how to get to Rishikesh and key international travel requirements – as soon as possible. Here is a guide to help you:

GETTING HERE

There are two main options for those traveling to Rishikesh. Most visitors fly to the major airport in Delhi and rent a jeep/car or take a taxi for the six-hour drive. Many opt for a taxi because of the difficulties of driving through the mountain/jungle route to the back of the ashram. The vehicle can park in the Muni-ki-reti parking lot at Ram Jhula. From that location, it can cross the Ganges by motorboat or via the footbridge. Coolies are available for hire at the Muni-ki-reti parking lot to help carry luggage across the water. After crossing the river, visitors should turn right (going back down river) and walk until they arrive at Parmarth Niketan – a distance of a few hundred meters. Visitors can also take a train from Delhi. The second option is to take a direct flight to the smaller, nearby Dehradun Airport, which is a 90-minute car ride from Rishikesh.

GETTING HERE GUIDE

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Parmath Niketan Temple is the main accommodation for this event. There are about 1,000 residential rooms that retain the simplicity of ashram living and yet are equipped with the necessary modern amenities. Many guest rooms have attached, Western-style bathrooms and many have hot, running water. Linens are provided. The ashram provides a clean, pure and sacred atmosphere to thousands of pilgrims and devotees.

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Nearby Hotels

Nestled amidst the panoramic wonders of the Himalayan Mountain Range, the Hotel Nirvana Palace is the spiritual pathway to eternity, there ultimate escape from mundane to spirituality. To infuse a sense of Indian heritage and culture and to anticipate the needs and desires of the sophisticated traveler, Hotel Nirvana Palace offers a serene refuge of comfort and hospitality where Indian tradition and modern services are blended.

TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Hotels in Rishikesh (most within walking distance of the festival grounds):

WHILE YOU ARE THERE: ADDITIONAL RETREATS AND TOURS

VISA REQUIREMENTS

All U.S. citizens need a valid passport and valid Indian visa to enter and exit India for any purpose (check Local Laws and Special Circumstances). Please ensure you have the correct type of visa for your planned activity in India. If you have the incorrect visa you may be refused entry. Many visitors, including those on official U.S. government business, must apply for visas at an Indian embassy or consulate abroad before entering the country.

U.S. citizens seeking to enter India solely for tourist purposes, and who plan to stay no longer than 60 days, may apply for an electronic travel authorization at least four days prior to their arrival in lieu of applying for a tourist visa at an Indian embassy or consulate. Please visit the Indian government’s website for electronic travel authorization for additional information regarding the eligibilities and requirements for this type of visa.

THINGS TO KNOW WHEN TRAVELING TO INDIA

Inoculations – check with agencies; malaria and zika

Water Safety – Bring reusable water bottles and refill at the Ashram filtered water stations

Eating Guidelines

Time Zone Adjustments – What to expect.

The India Experience – What to expect.
India is “an assault on your senses.” Animals in the streets: stray dogs, monkeys, cows and cow pies everywhere. India is also known as “The land of Mysteries and Miseries” You can have an amazing spiritual experience and at the same time experience extreme poverty and squalor.

Do not give money to anyone.

WHILE YOU ARE THERE: ADDITIONAL RETREATS AND TOURS