RISHIKESH
The longest and most technical commercial run, including the Grade IV 'The Wall' rapid — this is not a first-timer's raft trip. Confirm your operator runs safety kayaks on this stretch specifically, since Kaudiyala's remoteness makes rescue slower if something goes wrong.
Kaudiyala, a riverside settlement on the Badrinath highway roughly 36-40km upstream from Rishikesh, is the put-in point for the longest and most technically demanding commercial rafting run on this stretch of the Ganges, featuring around 13 rapids up to Grade IV, including 'The Wall,' considered the river's biggest rapid. This longer, harder route developed as an extension of the shorter Shivpuri run once rafting operators expanded their offerings in the 1990s and 2000s to meet demand from more experienced rafters seeking bigger white water than the beginner-friendly stretches closer to Rishikesh.
