Haridwar Kumbh Mela from Delhi: Train, Bus and Road Guide

By Teerthayan • October 2026

Haridwar sits about 230 km north-east of Delhi, and on an ordinary day you can reach it in roughly five to six hours by train, bus or car. Travelling to the Haridwar Kumbh Mela from Delhi in 2027 (the mela runs 14 January to 20 April 2027) needs a little more planning, because the city fills up and the roads near Har Ki Pauri close to traffic on the big bathing days. This guide covers every way to get from Delhi to the Haridwar Kumbh Mela — train, bus and road — with honest travel times and what changes on a snan day.

How far is Haridwar from Delhi?

The road distance is about 230 km, almost all of it across the plains on the Delhi–Meerut Expressway and NH-334, through Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Roorkee. There is no airport at Haridwar itself; the nearest is Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport, about 35 to 40 km away, so even flying ends in a road transfer. For most pilgrims the train is the simplest way to reach the Haridwar Kumbh Mela from Delhi.

Mode	Time (off-peak)	Arrives at	Best for
Train	About 4.5–6 hours	Haridwar Junction	Comfort and speed
Car or cab	About 5–6 hours	Your hotel or camp	Door-to-door, flexible
Bus (AC / Volvo)	About 6–7 hours	Haridwar bus stand	Frequent, lower cost
Flight + road	~1 hr air + ~1 hr road	Via Dehradun airport	Saving time

By train from Delhi

Trains to Haridwar Junction leave from New Delhi, Old Delhi and Anand Vihar; the station is around 2 km from Har Ki Pauri. The quickest are the Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi expresses on the Dehradun line, which stop at Haridwar, and there are day and overnight expresses on the Dehradun and Rishikesh routes too. Fares and seats go quickly in the Kumbh season, so book as early as you can and check live running and availability on the Indian Railways enquiry site. The railways usually add special trains for the mela, announced closer to the dates.

By bus from Delhi

Government and private buses run through the day from the Maharana Pratap ISBT at Kashmere Gate. Uttarakhand Transport Corporation and UPSRTC operate ordinary and AC services, and private companies run Volvo AC coaches; government buses can be checked and booked on the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation site. Allow six to seven hours, and more on a weekend or a snan day. Buses set you down at the Haridwar bus stand near the railway station, a short auto ride or walk from the ghats — though on snan days you may have to walk the final stretch.

Reaching the Delhi stations and ISBT

All three jump-off points are on the Delhi Metro. New Delhi and Kashmere Gate are on the Yellow Line, Anand Vihar sits on the Blue and Pink Lines, and the Kashmere Gate ISBT adjoins the metro station of the same name. If you fly into Delhi first, take the Airport Express to New Delhi and change there. Allow extra time to cross the city, as Delhi traffic alone can eat an hour before you even start north.

By road or self-drive

The drive is straightforward: take the Delhi–Meerut Expressway, then NH-334 through Muzaffarnagar and Roorkee into Haridwar. Leave very early to clear the Delhi and Meerut stretch before it clogs, and plan a single tea-and-fuel halt around Khatauli or Roorkee. During the Kumbh, private cars are kept out of the city centre on the main days — you will be guided to parking grounds on the edge of Haridwar and shuttled or walked in from there. If you are self-driving, plan to park at your hotel or a marked lot and go to the ghats on foot.

Travelling on a snan day

The three Amrit Snan days — 6 March, 8 March and 14 April 2027 — and the other main bathing days bring the heaviest crowds. On these days the Haridwar district administration and police set up vehicle diversions, one-way routes, heavy-vehicle bans and park-and-ride points. The exact 2027 traffic orders are issued closer to the mela, so check the Haridwar district website and local notices before you leave. In general, expect this:

1. Private vehicles are stopped outside the core area; park where you are directed and walk or take a shuttle in.
2. Trains and buses are packed on and around snan days — travel a day early if you can.
3. Keep a buffer of a few hours; diversions and crowds stretch every journey.
4. Follow the police and volunteers at junctions and on the ghats; do not try to drive to Har Ki Pauri.

Which option should you choose?

If comfort and a predictable arrival matter most, take the train and book the moment the quota opens. If you are travelling as a family with luggage and want to be set down at your camp, a private cab is worth the extra cost, though it is slower in snan-day traffic. Buses are the easiest on the budget and run very often, but they are the most affected by crowds and diversions. Whatever you choose for reaching the Haridwar Kumbh Mela from Delhi, the single most useful decision is to arrive the day before a snan rather than on the morning itself.

When to arrive and where to stay

If you want to witness an Amrit Snan, reach Haridwar the day before and stay the night, so you are already inside the city when the roads close in the small hours. For where to stay and what each option costs, see our Kumbh camp vs hotel guide, and book a camp or hotel through Teerthayan's Haridwar Kumbh page. Plan the days themselves with the Haridwar Kumbh trip plan, and pack for cold mornings using our weather and packing guide. Many pilgrims add a yatra once the mela ends and the Char Dham season opens in spring — the Do Dham Yatra from Haridwar is a natural next step.