Rishikesh to Auli cab
Fare, distance and the road itself — written by the people who drive it.
A retired Indian Army officer who founded Shiv Ganga Travels in Haridwar in 2010 and pioneered the zero-commission model for Char Dham operators here. About us
Fares and road notes on this page reviewed July 30, 2026.
The Rishikesh approach to Auli is the same beautiful Alaknanda road as Badrinath, peeling up to the meadows at Joshimath instead of carrying on to the temple. Adventure travellers like starting here because they are often in Rishikesh already for rafting. Reach Joshimath by evening, ride Asia’s longest cable car up, and wake to Nanda Devi.
Rishikesh to Auli taxi fare
One-way bands by vehicle for the 255 km run from Rishikesh to Auli, 9–10 hrs behind the wheel. Fuel, driver, tolls, state taxes and parking are already inside the number.
| Vehicle | Seats | One-way fare |
|---|---|---|
| Swift Dzire | 4 | ₹7,500–₹8,500 |
| Ertiga | 6 | ₹9,500–₹11,000 |
| Innova Crysta | 6 | ₹11,000–₹13,000 |
| Tempo Traveller | 12 | ₹15,000–₹18,000 |
Indicative 2026 bands for Rishikesh–Auli. We confirm one fixed all-in price on enquiry — no per-km meter, and no hill surcharge appearing halfway up. The fare covers the drive as far as Joshimath (ropeway to Auli). Round trips with an overnight halt are quoted as a package.
Exactly what the Rishikesh–Auli fare covers
What the Rishikesh–Auli fare does and does not cover, both columns, before you book rather than at the end of the trip.
- Fuel for the whole journey
- Driver charges, his food and his night halt
- All tolls, state border taxes and green tax
- Parking at temples and viewpoints
- Green Card and trip permit for hill routes
- Oxygen cylinder on board above 2,500 m
- Basic first-aid kit
- GST
- Your hotel or lodge — we can book it, billed separately
- Meals for passengers
- Pony, palki, porter or helicopter charges
- Temple pujas, VIP darshan or aarti tickets
- Anything caused by a landslide, roadblock or weather halt beyond the planned days
- AC in the hills — ₹2,000 extra if you want it running above the valleys
Where you actually stop
Ganga’s birth confluence.
Pindar river sangam; lunch halt.
Base town (1,890 m) — stay here, Auli is 4 km up by ropeway.
Ski meadows and the Nanda Devi panorama (2,800 m).
Rules of the road up here
Hill routes in Uttarakhand run on rules that catch first-time visitors out. None of these are ours — they are the administration's, and they shape how the trip has to be planned.
Vehicle movement on the Char Dham roads is banned between 10 PM and 4 AM by the district administration. We plan every pickup so you reach your halt in daylight — anyone promising to drive you through the night is planning to be stopped at a checkpost.
Every commercial vehicle on a Char Dham route needs a Green Card (a fitness certificate specific to hill driving) plus a trip card for the journey. Ours are current on every vehicle we send. Without them you get turned back, usually at Rishikesh or Sonprayag.
The vehicle for the Rishikesh–Auli run
Auli sits at 2,800 m (Joshimath base 1,890 m), and the last stretch is where clearance starts to matter. We lead with the Scorpio on this route, especially in April and October when diversions leave the surface unpredictable.
Mahindra Scorpio / XUV
What we send in April and again in October, when landslide diversions leave the road surface unpredictable.
- Seats
- 6 + driver
- Luggage
- 3 large + 2 cabin bags
- Best for
- Higher clearance for early and late season
- Availability
- On request, no surcharge
- High ground clearance
- Strong on rough diversions
- AC in the plains
Cancellation, in plain terms
Plans change, and a 9–10 hrs mountain drive is the kind of thing weather rearranges. The Rishikesh–Auli booking runs on the same terms as every other cab we send out.
We do not take payment online. Most bookings run on a small advance over UPI and the balance to the driver at the end of the trip, so there is rarely anything to refund. Full cancellation terms.
What our passengers say
Solo woman traveller and I was honestly nervous. They put me with a small group of other solo pilgrims and a guide who checked in without hovering. Guptkashi hotel was clean and warm, food was simple and good. Going back for Badrinath next season.
Booked after comparing four operators. What sold me was that the person who answered the phone was the person who ran the trip. Hotels, vehicle and darshan slots were exactly as quoted. The Kedarnath trek support was the strongest part — our guide walked at my father’s pace the whole way and never once made it feel like a problem.
Eight of us, including my parents at 72 and 69. Palki was arranged for both at Kedarnath without any fuss. Ramesh bhai, our driver, was calm on roads that frightened me and knew every tea stop worth stopping at. Ground-floor rooms at every hotel, as promised.
Rishikesh to Auli, answered
About 255 km to Joshimath, 9–10 hours of driving, then the ropeway up to Auli. Plan two days minimum with a Joshimath night.
The Rishikesh to Auli run is operated by us directly — our vehicle, our driver, no broker taking a cut in between.
Direct operator — our own vehicles and our own drivers, no broker in between, operating from Haridwar since 2010. Registration, fleet and credentials.
Related routes and guides
Book your Rishikesh → Auli cab
Send us your date and how many of you there are. You get one fixed all-in fare for the Rishikesh–Auli run, 9–10 hrs of driving, usually inside two hours.