Mussoorie, Rishikesh & Nainital — Five Nights from Garhwal to Kumaon

Your driver meets you in Delhi, at the airport or New Delhi railway station, for the journey north to Mussoorie. The plains give way to the Doon valley and then to the climb up to the ridge. It is a travelling day with no sightseeing, ending with dinner at your hotel.

Mussoorie’s sights are spread along its ridge and the car links them through the day: Gun Hill, the town’s best-known viewpoint; Christ Church, among the oldest in the Himalaya; and Lal Tibba at the Landour end. In between come Mussoorie Lake, the Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Happy Valley and two waterfalls, Jharipani and Mossy Falls. Ropeway and entry tickets along the way are paid directly.

The car comes down from Mussoorie and across to Rishikesh on the Ganga. On this route Rishikesh is a pause between two hill towns, and no sightseeing is listed. After check-in the rest of the day is yours, with the river close at hand and dinner included at the hotel.

A long transfer from Garhwal into Kumaon, following the edge of the plains before the road climbs again to Nainital. This is the main driving day of the trip and nothing else is planned. You arrive in the lake town for the first of two nights, with the evening free.

The day’s outing is to Kainchi Dham, the ashram founded by Neem Karoli Baba beside a stream in a wooded valley, now visited by devotees from all over the world. It is paired with Hanuman Garhi, a temple on a hill near Nainital that is known for its sunset. The remaining hours are free in town; boating on the lake is at your own cost.

After breakfast the car leaves the hills and returns to Delhi, where the trip ends with a drop at the airport. The entire day is the road journey, so an evening or night flight is the right choice. We agree the departure time from Nainital with you once your flight is known.