Gujju Diary

Uttarakhand · hills to the Ganga

Dehradun, Mussoorie, Rishikesh & Haridwar

One week, downhill all the way: from Dehradun’s monasteries up to Mussoorie’s Mall Road, then down to the Ganga at Rishikesh and Haridwar.

October 2016

Duration
7 days, 6 nights
Season
October, pleasant days and cool nights
Getting around
Taxi and train
Best for
A first trip to the hills
Stays
Dehradun, Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Haridwar

The route

We flew into Dehradun, went up to Mussoorie for two nights, then came down to the Ganga at Rishikesh and Haridwar before a family wedding and the flight home from Delhi.

Hills to the river

  1. Dehradun 1 night
  2. Mussoorie 2 nights
  3. Rishikesh 1 night
  4. Haridwar 1 night

Train to a family wedding, then home via Delhi

How the trip went

If you only read one part of this page, read this. The full day-by-day table is below it.

Days 1–2
Dehradun

A gentle start in Dehradun

We landed in Dehradun around lunchtime and went straight into the sights: the cool stream running through Robber’s Cave, the grand old Forest Research Institute, the calm of Mindrolling Monastery and the sulphur springs at Sahastradhara.

The next day we had a look around Paltan Bazaar before driving up to Mussoorie in the evening, stopping at Jharipani and Bhatta falls on the way.

Day 3
Mussoorie

A day on Mall Road

Mussoorie is best on foot. We spent the day walking Mall Road in both directions: Gun Hill and Camel’s Back Road on one side, Kempty Falls, Company Garden, George Everest’s house and Cloud’s End on the other, and Lal Tibba, the highest point, for the view.

Draft note for Manan: evening on Mall Road, in a line or two.

Days 4–5
Rishikesh, Haridwar

Down to the river

From the hills we dropped down to Rishikesh, crossing Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula and joining the evening aarti at Triveni Ghat. Rafting from Shivpuri is the classic add-on here.

Haridwar was the finale: Har Ki Pauri at dusk, with thousands of diyas floating down the Ganga.

Draft note for Manan: the aarti at Har Ki Pauri.

Days 6–7
Haridwar, Delhi

A wedding and the way home

On the last morning we walked through Moti Bazaar and up to Mansa Devi temple, then took the train to a family wedding. The next day we went on to Delhi for the evening flight home.

Day-by-day itinerary

Distances and drive times are the ones we planned with. Optional extras are highlighted like this.

Day Route and travel Sightseeing Stay Distance
Day 1 Fly to Dehradun (reach 12:30 pm) Robber’s Cave (Guchhupani), Forest Research Institute, Mindrolling Monastery, Sahastradhara Hotel Doon Castle, Dehradun Flight
Day 2 Dehradun, evening drive to Mussoorie (1.5 h) Pacific Mall, Paltan Bazaar; Jharipani and Bhatta falls and Mussoorie lake on the way up Honeymoon Inn, Mall Road, Mussoorie 33 km
Day 3 Mussoorie Gun Hill, the aquarium, Camel’s Back Road; Kempty Falls, Company Garden, George Everest’s house, Cloud’s End; Lal Tibba, the highest point Honeymoon Inn, Mussoorie
Day 4 Mussoorie to Rishikesh (2.5 h) Lakshman Jhula, Ram Jhula, Ganga aarti at Triveni Ghat (6–7 pm) River rafting from Shivpuri Vedas, Rishikesh 77 km
Day 5 Rishikesh to Haridwar (1 h) Har Ki Pauri and the evening Ganga aarti (5:30 pm) Sun Hotel, Haridwar 23 km
Day 6 Haridwar, then train onward Moti Bazaar, Mansa Devi temple, then a family wedding Yamuna Nagar Train
Day 7 Taxi or train to Delhi, evening flight home Flight

What has changed since our trip

  • Recent changes: Nothing major we know of on this route. Spotted a change? Tell us in the comments.
  • Rafting: Rafting seasons and permitted stretches are set by the state each year. Check before booking.
  • Prices: Those from 2016 are out of date, so we have left them out.

Last checked: November 2026

If you are planning this route

  • Gujarati breakfast in Haridwar. There is a Gujarati area near the station with familiar food.
  • Reach the ghats early. Arrive 45 minutes before the aarti for a good spot.
  • Walk Mall Road. Parking and traffic in Mussoorie are a headache.
  • Rishikesh and Haridwar are vegetarian. Food is the easy part of this trip.
  • October is ideal. Pleasant days and cool nights; carry a light jacket for Mussoorie.
  • Book rafting through a known operator. Shivpuri is the usual starting point, 16 km from Rishikesh.