Attraction · Mussoorie
Landour
A cantonment of 1827 several hundred metres above Mussoorie, quieter by an order of magnitude — deodar, an 1839 church, four shops at a crossroads and almost no traffic at all.
Time neededHalf a day
AltitudeAbout 2,270 m
Established1827
WhereAbove Mussoorie, east
Getting thereSteep walk, or taxi
CharacterResidential — walk quietly
About
Landour
Landour was established in 1827 as a convalescent depot for British soldiers, several hundred metres above what became Mussoorie, and the difference between the two is still the point of going. Where Mussoorie has a Mall, hotels and traffic, Landour has deodar, a handful of lanes, a church of 1839, an old cemetery, and Char Dukan — literally four shops — at the crossroads where everybody ends up. It remains a cantonment and a residential place rather than a resort, with a long literary association: Ruskin Bond has lived here for decades and Woodstock School has been on the hill since 1854. The correct way to experience it is to walk the loop round the top, drink something at Char Dukan, and keep your voice down, because people live here and the quiet is the whole attraction.
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What to See
What to see
A hill, a loop road round the top of it, and a handful of buildings. Half a day, mostly walking.
The buildings
- St Paul’s Church of 1839, small, stone and set among deodar, which is the oldest thing on the hill.
- The Landour cemetery, older than the church, which is quiet and steep and rewards the detour.
- Woodstock School, on the hill since 1854 and still running, seen from the road rather than visited.
- The cantonment houses — colonial hill architecture in a state of dignified continuation rather than restoration.
The loop and the views
- Char Dukan at the crossroads — four small shops, tea, and the social centre of the hill.
- Lal Tibba, the highest point, with a viewing platform and the northern ranges on a clear day.
- The Upper and Lower Landour loop roads, which circle the hill and are the walk itself.
- Sisters Bazaar at the far end, with the old provision store and the deodar at its quietest.
The literary hill
- Ruskin Bond has lived in Landour for decades; the bookshop in Mussoorie below is where he has long signed books rather than his house, which is private.
- The Landour Language School, which has taught Hindi and Urdu on the hill for over a century.
- The general atmosphere of a place people write in, which is not a sight but is the reason many visitors come.
Getting There
Getting there
Up, from the eastern end of Mussoorie. It is a serious climb on foot and a short drive.
From Mussoorie
- From Kulri Bazaar the road climbs steeply east; on foot it is forty-five minutes to an hour and it does not let up.
- A taxi takes about fifteen minutes and drops at Char Dukan, which is the sensible arrangement for most visitors.
- Walking down is much easier than walking up and takes about half an hour.
On the hill
- Everything is walked. The loop roads are narrow, quiet and pleasant.
- The full circuit of the upper loop is about three kilometres with gradient.
- Lal Tibba is at the top and is a further short climb from the loop.
Combining it
- With Gun Hill and Camel’s Back Road in the morning, and Landour in the afternoon, which is how the packages order the day.
- With Kempty Falls as the alternative rather than the addition — the two are opposites and doing both dilutes each.
- With a slow lunch, which is what Landour is actually for.
Best Time
When to visit
Weekday mornings and afternoons. Landour’s entire value is that it is quiet, and weekends erode it.
Time of day
- Morning, when the hill is at its quietest and the northern view from Lal Tibba is clearest.
- Afternoon works well and runs naturally into tea at Char Dukan.
- It is residential and largely unlit; evening is not the time to be wandering the loops.
Time of year
- September to November for clear air, comfortable walking and very few people.
- March to June is the season and Char Dukan gets genuinely busy at weekends.
- Winter is cold, sometimes snowbound, extremely quiet and for many people the best of it.
How long
- Half a day is right — the climb or drive, the loop, Lal Tibba and a long stop at Char Dukan.
- Two hours if you drive up and only do the crossroads and the church.
- A full day if you walk both ways, which is a good day.
Visitor Intelligence
Visitor intelligence
A residential cantonment that tolerates visitors gracefully. Behave accordingly and it is the best half-day in Mussoorie.
Courtesy
- People live here and many houses are private. Do not enter gates, gardens or drives.
- Ruskin Bond’s house is private and is not a stop. Respect that as the town does.
- Keep noise down. The quiet is not incidental to Landour; it is the entire reason to come up.
Char Dukan
- Four small shops at the crossroads doing tea, maggi, pancakes and eggs, and they are the hill’s social centre.
- It gets busy on weekends and in season; the rest of the time it is exactly as advertised.
- It is the natural place to start and finish the loop walk.
Practicalities
- The climb from Mussoorie is steep and sustained. At 2,270 m it is harder than the distance suggests.
- There are few shops beyond Char Dukan and Sisters Bazaar; bring water.
- It is a cantonment, so some areas are restricted and signposted. Observe the signs.
Access
- A vehicle can reach Char Dukan and Lal Tibba, which puts the two main points within reach without the climb.
- The loop roads have gradient throughout and the cemetery and church involve steps and rough ground.
- Driving up and walking a short section of the loop is a perfectly good visit.
Nearby
Nearby
Mussoorie is below, and everything else is a walk from Char Dukan.
Good to Know
Frequently asked
Several hundred metres of altitude and about a century of character. Mussoorie is a hill-station town with a Mall, hotels, traffic and crowds; Landour is a cantonment established in 1827 above it — deodar, a handful of quiet lanes, a church of 1839, an old cemetery and four shops at a crossroads. It remains residential rather than a resort. Most visitors who come to Mussoorie and end up loving it are describing Landour.
Literally "four shops": a small cluster of eating places at the crossroads at the top of Landour, doing tea, maggi, pancakes and eggs, and functioning as the social centre of the hill. It is the natural place to begin and end the loop walk. It gets genuinely busy on weekends and in season, and the rest of the time it is precisely what it sounds like, which is the appeal.
Yes, and it is a serious climb rather than a stroll. From Kulri Bazaar at the eastern end of the Mall the road rises steeply and does not let up, taking forty-five minutes to an hour, and at 2,270 m the altitude makes it harder than the distance suggests. Walking down takes about half an hour and is much easier. A taxi takes fifteen minutes and drops at Char Dukan, which is what most visitors do.
No — it is a private home and Landour treats it as one, and visitors should do the same. For decades he has signed books at a bookshop on the Mall in Mussoorie below rather than at his house, which is the appropriate place to look for that connection. The literary association of the hill is real and is part of why people come, but it is an atmosphere rather than a sight with an entrance.
Half a day is the right allowance: the climb or the drive up, the loop road round the top, Lal Tibba for the northern view, St Paul’s and the cemetery, and a long unhurried stop at Char Dukan. Two hours covers it if you drive up and only do the crossroads and the church. A full day if you walk both ways, which is a genuinely good day out and is how the hill is best understood.
Partly, and better than most of Mussoorie. A vehicle can reach both Char Dukan and Lal Tibba, which puts the two main points of the hill within reach without any climbing. The loop roads themselves carry gradient throughout, and the church and cemetery involve steps and rough uneven ground. Driving up, sitting at Char Dukan and walking a short stretch of the loop is a complete and perfectly satisfying visit.
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