Attraction · Mussoorie
Kempty Falls
Five cascades dropping through a wooded gorge fifteen kilometres west of Mussoorie, developed as a picnic spot in 1835 and comfortably the busiest place in the district ever since.
Time neededHalf a day
Where15 km west of Mussoorie
Drive45 minutes each way
Developed1835
DescentSteps, or a ropeway
ExpectCrowds, especially in season
About
Kempty Falls
Kempty Falls drops in a series of five cascades through a wooded gorge on the road west from Mussoorie toward Yamunotri, and it was laid out as a picnic ground by a British officer in 1835 — the name is generally read as a corruption of "camp tea". The water is genuine and the setting is good; what visitors are usually unprepared for is the scale of the operation around it. The lower pool, which is where everybody bathes, is reached by a long flight of steps or by a ropeway, and both descend through a corridor of stalls selling food, costumes, inflatables and photographs. In season and at weekends the pool is extremely crowded. It is included in every Mussoorie itinerary because it is the district’s best-known sight, and the packages that carry it are honest about what it is: popular, and correspondingly busy.
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What to See
What to see
A waterfall, a bathing pool and a great many people. Half a day including the drive.
The falls
- Five cascades in sequence down the gorge, of which the lowest and largest is the one everybody goes to.
- The bathing pool at the bottom, which is shallow, cold and the entire point for most visitors.
- The upper cascades, which are visible from the road and the steps and are considerably quieter.
- The gorge itself, wooded and steep, which is easy to miss for the stalls in front of it.
Getting down
- A long flight of steps from the road to the lower pool, lined with stalls the whole way.
- A ropeway which does the same descent and is the alternative for anyone who does not want the steps.
- Both are busy at peak times and the steps are the slower of the two on a crowded day.
On the road
- The drive west from Mussoorie is through terraced hillside and pine and is a pleasant forty-five minutes.
- Several viewpoints and tea stops along the way, which drivers know.
- The road continues toward Yamunotri, which is a different journey entirely.
Getting There
Getting there
Fifteen kilometres west, and then a descent on foot or by cable.
From Mussoorie
- About 15 km west on the Yamunotri road — forty-five minutes by taxi in normal conditions.
- A taxi waiting for the half-day is the usual arrangement, and is what the itineraries use.
- The road backs up badly at peak times and in the season the return can take much longer.
The descent
- From the roadside car park it is a long stepped descent to the lower pool, or the ropeway.
- The climb back up is the harder direction and catches people out, particularly in the heat.
- Changing facilities at the bottom are basic; bring a towel and something to change into.
Combining it
- It is an alternative to Landour rather than an addition — the two are opposites and both packages present them that way.
- With Gun Hill and Camel’s Back Road in the morning, if the falls take the afternoon.
- Nothing else on the Yamunotri road is a half-day; going further is a different trip.
Best Time
When to visit
Early on a weekday, out of season, or not at all — and that is a genuine recommendation rather than a criticism.
Time of day
- As early as you can get there. The crowd builds sharply from mid-morning and the road with it.
- Late afternoon thins out but leaves you climbing back up in fading light.
- The middle of a season weekend is the single worst combination.
Time of year
- The monsoon and just after gives the most water, and September to November is the best balance of flow and crowd.
- May and June are peak season, peak heat and peak crowd, and the water is at its lowest.
- Winter is very quiet and the water is cold enough that few people get in.
How long
- Half a day including the drive both ways.
- An hour at the falls is plenty for most visitors.
- Longer only if you are bathing and treating it as a swim rather than a sight.
Visitor Intelligence
Visitor intelligence
Knowing what Kempty is before you arrive is most of what makes it enjoyable.
Setting expectations
- This is a busy, commercial, much-loved domestic picnic spot, not a wilderness waterfall. Arriving expecting the latter is the main cause of disappointment.
- The stalls line the entire descent and are part of the experience rather than an anomaly.
- If quiet is what you want from a Mussoorie afternoon, Landour is the better half-day and the packages say so.
Bathing
- The pool is shallow and the rocks are slippery. Injuries here are almost always from the rock rather than the water.
- Keep children within reach; the pool is crowded and the flow varies with the season.
- Changing facilities are basic. Bring a towel, and something to change into that you do not mind carrying wet.
Money
- Costume hire, inflatables, photographs and lockers are all charged for; agree the price first in every case.
- The ropeway is ticketed separately from anything else.
- Keep valuables to a minimum. The pool area is crowded and there is nowhere secure.
Access
- The descent is long and stepped. The ropeway removes it and is the only realistic option for anyone unsteady.
- The pool area itself is wet rock and is not manageable for anyone with mobility limits.
- The upper cascades can be seen from near the road, which is a reasonable partial visit.
Nearby
Nearby
Mussoorie is forty-five minutes east.
Good to Know
Frequently asked
It depends entirely on what you expect. It is a genuine five-stage waterfall in a wooded gorge, and it is also the busiest and most commercial spot in the district — the descent to the bathing pool is lined with stalls the whole way and the pool itself is crowded in season. As a lively domestic picnic and a swim it is enjoyable. As a quiet waterfall it is not, and the packages that include it are honest about which of the two it is.
Either a long flight of steps from the roadside car park, lined with stalls the entire way, or a ropeway that does the same descent. Both are busy at peak times. The climb back up is the harder direction and catches people out, particularly in the heat of May and June. For anyone unsteady on their feet the ropeway is the only realistic option, and the upper cascades can also be seen from near the road.
The monsoon and the weeks just after it, roughly July to September, though the monsoon itself brings its own problems on the road. September to November is the best balance of decent flow and a manageable crowd. May and June combine peak season, peak heat and the lowest water of the year, which is unfortunate since that is when most people come. Winter has water and almost nobody in it, and it is cold.
With ordinary care, yes. The pool is shallow, but the rocks are slippery and almost every injury here comes from the rock rather than the water. Keep children within arm’s reach — the pool is crowded and the flow varies considerably with the season. Changing facilities are basic, so bring a towel and something to change into that you do not mind carrying home wet, and keep valuables to a minimum since there is nowhere secure.
Half a day including the drive, which is about 15 km and forty-five minutes each way from Mussoorie on the Yamunotri road. An hour at the falls is plenty for most visitors, longer if you are treating it as a swim rather than a sight. Be aware that the road backs up badly at peak times and the return leg in season can take considerably longer than the outward one.
They are opposites and the itineraries present them as a choice rather than a pair. Kempty is water, noise, crowds and a lot of activity; Landour is deodar, quiet, an 1839 church and four shops at a crossroads. Families with children who want a swim will generally prefer Kempty. Anyone whose idea of a good afternoon involves being able to hear themselves think should go up to Landour instead.
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