Hill stations are as much for relaxation and recreation as for spiritual connection with the nature. India is blessed with some of the most breathtaking hill stations like Dalhousie, Shimla, Darjeeling, Manali, Nainital and Ooty to name a few. Because of the Himalayas, north Indian hill stations present with majestic views of snow-clad mountains. While south Indian hill stations have cute rolling hills. Among all the hill stations of India, Mussoorie will always have a special place in my heart.
Why is Mussoorie a special place:
Mussoorie has everything that one looks for in a hill station- amazing views, peaceful vibes, entertainment options and great food. Besides, if you love shopping, it won’t disappoint you. We first visited Mussoorie in July 2010. It was for our honeymoon, and we fell in love with this special place. As it was monsoon time, the entire town was engulfed in the clouds.
Hill stations have a special charm in the rainy season. The clouds, rain soaked pine trees all around, an all-the-more green look of the hills…it was so charming! That trip has left an indelible mark in my heart.
Revisiting after a decade:
We had thought of revisiting the hill station to celebrate our 10th anniversary, but unfortunately, it was not to be, thanks to covid-19. However, we made it a point to visit the next year- Nov 2021. For the sake of nostalgia, we searched for, and found out the same hotel that we stayed in a decade ago! Interestingly, not much seemed to have changed there.
While on the first time we were tourists, the second time round, we explored Mussoorie better like proper travellers. We rode a bike, enjoyed sunsets, ate at better places, explored not-so-touristy corners of the town. Mussoorie indeed is a special place; in this article, I explain why. This includes the top five things to do there and some helpful travel tips.
Top 5 things to do in Mussoorie
Mussoorie offers breathtaking views of the Himalayas, tranquility of forests, a bustling town with great shopping options and amazing cafes/ restaurants for your gastronomic pleasure. And, it has a different charm in all the seasons. Summer gives a much needed respite from the heat of the cities we live in. However, to me, monsoons are the most charming times with clouds engulfing the whole town and the mountains. And winter offers you the most amazing sunsets.
One needs 3-4 days to explore the whole area, spend some time with nature, and have lovely evenings at the market place. In case you are looking for suggestions on the top things to do in Mussoorie, here goes my list.
1. Watch the sunset from Lal Tibba
At the top of my list of top things to do in Mussoorie is watching the famous Mussoorie sunset, especially in the winters, which is called the “winter line“. Special because, it happens only at two places- Mussoorie and Switzerland. Just look at the picture of the sunset. The orange hue doesn’t cover the entire sky as is generally observed elsewhere, rather it makes an orange line in the horizon. Such a fascinating view! If Mussoorie is such a special place, this sunset from Lal Tibba is a major reason.
Though one can witness the sunset from the Mall Road in Mussoorie itself, it is best viewed from Lal Tibba, about 4 kms up from the town.
2. Walk around Landour
Next on the list of things to do in Mussoorie is Landour. Situated on the way to Lal Tibba, Landour is a quaint little place frozen in time. The same old houses from the pre-independence days, a few shops and a little church constitute Landour. A popular place in Landour is Char Dukan (meaning four shops) where you can have some really good snacks and tea/ coffee. Maybe only 2 shops have been added to the place over a hundred years! So, literally, it’s Chhe Dukan (six shops) now!
And then look for the Landour Bakehouse in Sister Bazar. Once inside, you won’t believe it’s only 2- years old! It’s designed like the old British era cafes. I loved its classy interiors with meaningful posters and a cute book shelf. It offers a nice variety of cakes, cookies, croissants, sandwiches, tea and coffee. Have a cup of your favorite tea or coffee with a charming view of the beautiful deodars from the window.
The best way to experience Landour is by foot; a walk around the sleepy village will fill your heart with joy. It’s a poetry in time. I wish the place remains the same way in times to come.
3. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Mall Road
You typically find a Mall Road in the Himalayan hill stations; for me, this is easily the best one. It offers amazing view of the Himalayas, a beautiful sunset in the evening, and the most bustling market place to satisfy your taste buds. It is a bit crowded all the time, but you will enjoy the ambiance (we certainly do). From Library bazar to Kulri bazar, it’s a long enjoyable walk, especially in the evening. Thus, experiencing the Mall Road is definitely among the best things to do in Mussoorie.
Visit the Cambridge Book Store to pick up a Ruskin Bond book as a souvenir. And if you are lucky, you can see the famous author there in flesh and blood. He used to visit this shop regularly in pre-covid days and sign off books for his readers. But these days, he is avoiding the market place. We were lucky to have a book signed by him on our first visit. To know more about the author, have a look at his website.
Another interesting thing to do is to take a rickshaw ride from the market to a little outside of the crowded place, and enjoy the views with cool air brushing past your face.
4. Spend half a day at the Kempty falls
About 20 kms away from the town is the beautiful multi-level Kempty waterfall. It takes about 45 minutes to reach there. On the way, you will come across beautiful little villages and typical pahadi houses (typical houses in this hilly region). You will love the wonderful views of the different shades of the Himalayas- from lush green to brown and black to snow-capped white mountains.
At the waterfall, you will have a great time taking a bath and sitting idly for a while enjoying the view of rushing waters through the mountains. Believe me, the picture above taken from far doesn’t do justice to the actual view of the waterfall.
On the way back to Mussoorie, you will come across a little café called “On the Edge”. The café offers a stunning view of the Himalayas; do stop over for a cup of tea.
5. Take a bike ride from Mussoorie to Dhanaulti
Dhanaulti, another sleepy town nestled in the high mountains, is just 60 kms from Mussoorie. The town itself has not a lot to offer; however, the view reaching up to Dhanaulti is magnificent. The view of Gangotri and Kedarnath group of mountain peaks is mesmerizing; and it runs a long way between Mussoorie and Dhanaulti. (see below)
Though you can take a taxi, I suggest, you ride a bike (available on rent for Rs.500- 600/ day). In warm sunshine, enjoying the view, ride through the curvy mountainous terrains, because the ride itself is an experience. It takes about 2 and half hours to reach Dhanaulti. Hence, take a few stops here and there to take some rest, and click beautiful pictures.
On reaching Dhanaulti, If you are interested, take a walk in the Eco Park in Dhanaulti (we didn’t choose to enter though), or just walk beside it. You can have some street food if you like; recharge your batteries, and then take the ride back to Mussoorie.
Other notable things to do in Mussoorie, a special place:
- Take the ropeway to Gun Hill from the Mall Road. Costume-photography is an interesting option up there.
- Spend some time at the Company Garden; about 6 kms from Mussoorie and a Buddhist monastery nearby
Day Trip Options:
- Chakrata, a small hill station, 80 kms away
- Dehradun, at 35 kms, is the state capital, and has some nice places like the Robber’s cave
- At 74 kms, Rishikesh is not far too. Know more: Best things to do in Rishikesh
- Tehri dam, 75 kms; dam site with backwaters
Mussoorie Travel Tips
Best time to visit:
- It’s always good to get your timing right to visit a special place like Mussoorie
- For pleasant weather: Spring- Summer months of March to June
- For romantic weather: Monsoon months of July to September
- Winters (Nov-Feb) are not the best times
How to reach:
- The nearest city to Mussoorie is Dehradun, which is well connected by trains and buses from Delhi.
- Nearest airport is Jollygrant airport near Dehradun
- One can take a taxi from Dehradun to Mussoorie, just 35 kms away.
- Shared taxis are available at the local bus station as well
- Local buses frequently ply between Dehradun and Mussoorie
Moving around:
- Taking a bike is the best option to explore Mussoorie, and the nearby places as well
- No rented bikes are allowed on Mall Road though. Thus, walking on the Mall Road is the best way to enjoy the views (especially during sunset) and the ambience
- It feels nice to take a rickshaw-ride on- and- off the Mall Road; we really enjoyed the rides
- And of course, one can always take a taxi to explore the nearby places
Where to stay:
Special places in Mussoorie to eat:
- The Chick Chocolate (European, Fast food)
- Doma’s café- Mussoorie to Landour (Tibetan, Asian food)
- Kalsang Friend’s Corner- Mall Road (Momos, Thukpa)
- Cafe Ivy- Char Dukan (Pizza, Pasta)
- Little Llama cafe- Kulri (Asian, Continental)
- Lovely Omelette Center- Mall Road (omelette, snacks)
- Urban Turban- Mall Road (Punjabi, North Indian)
- The Tavern- Mall Road (Pizza, Pasta)
An end note on Mussoorie, a special place
There are places that we like, and then there are places that strike an emotional chord. Mussoorie does this to me, and Parina. I have been there three times, and yet I feel like going back. Moreover, Mussoorie will always have a special place in my heart.
However, as the hill station is in the vicinity of Dehradun, and Delhi is not far, it’s becoming really crowded by the day. If you don’t like too much crowd, escape to the nearby places for day trips and enjoy the evenings in Mussoorie.
Hope you liked my list of top five things to do in Mussoorie, and agree with me that it’s a special place. Please write to us about your favorite things to do in Mussoorie.
Jignesh Patel
I love this place very much… Two time visited this place… Hope around this Diwali plan with family…
Will Asking for more details on it…
Keep it up!!!
stampedmoments
Yes, this is a special place.
We will be happy to share more details whenever you reach out.
Thanks a lot. Keep connected.
Soumen Chatterjee
I now must say that I have visited Mussoorie this year itself and it was a short trip and not explored that much but after reading the blog I think I have missed a lot of things.
Coming back to the blog I must say it’s again a detailed one Mussoorie definitely counts among the top five hill stations in India. Because, it has everything that one looks for in a hill station- amazing views, entertainment options and great food. it’s true that Hill stations have a special charm in the rainy season. The clouds, rain soaked pine trees all around, an all-the-more green look of the hills…it was so charming. Beautifully explained the top 5 places to visit in Mussoorie which includes Watch sunset from La Tibba where the capture of the sun set and the beautiful sky is really breadth taking, 2nd is Landour and specially the bakehouse which is just interesting with classy interiors with meaningful posters and a cute book shelf. It offers a nice variety of cakes, cookies, croissants, sandwiches, tea and coffee and watch beautiful deodhar from the window must be an exciting and peaceful one , 3rd is the husle bussel Mall road and most interesting is u got a chance to meet the famous Ruskin Bond , 4th is the Kempty Fall which has a really stunning view but when I went there it was really croudy , the special mention is the small cafe On the Edge which gives a stunning view of Himalayas, 5th important place is Dhanaulti where u get to see the views of Kedarnath and Badrinath , the other places to watch out for is the Gun hill and company garden which I have also visited. Over all the travel trips are full of information and I must plan once again 😊😊
stampedmoments
I am sure you would like to go back, it’s such a lovely place!
The variety of activities to do, and especially Landour and Mall Road are great places to hang around.
Thanks Soumen.
Jayvanti
V.nice
stampedmoments
Thank you.