An aerial view of a winding mountain road and a hillside village surrounded by green hills and a valley beyond.

Uttarakhand — Hills & Lakes

The core Uttarakhand week — two nights each in Rishikesh, Mussoorie and three in Nainital.

Day by Day

8 Days, In Full

The classic Uttarakhand circuit, ganges to hills to lakes. Two nights in Rishikesh for rafting, the ashrams and the evening aarti. The scenic climb to Mussoorie for two nights: Kempty Falls, Gun Hill and Camel's Back Road. On across the Kumaon hills to Nainital for three nights: boating on Naini Lake, the Naina Devi temple, and the Snow View ropeway for the Himalayan panorama. It covers the state's three headline towns without the extra distance to Corbett.

Rishikesh

Arrive in Rishikesh

The usual way in is a drive from Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport, about forty-five minutes, or from Delhi, about five and a half hours by road. The Dehradun–Haridwar rail line also stops close by. You settle in by the Ganges in the afternoon. The evening is for a first walk across Laxman Jhula and along the ghats, ending at Triveni Ghat for the aarti as the light drops.

A raft full of paddlers powers through white-water rapids on a Himalayan river.

Rishikesh

Rishikesh — Rafting and the Evening Aarti

A morning of white-water rafting on the Ganges, a run of roughly two to three hours through named rapids from Shivpuri or Marine Drive down toward the town, grade two to three and suited to first-timers. The afternoon is free, or given to a yoga class at one of the riverside ashrams. The evening returns to the ghats for the aarti, either at Triveni Ghat or the quieter Parmarth Niketan.

A dirt mountain road climbs toward a peak in the distance.

Rishikesh → Mussoorie

Rishikesh to Mussoorie — Up to the Queen of the Hills

A drive of about three hours, climbing from the Ganges valley through Dehradun and up the Mussoorie road, gaining nearly two thousand metres. The Robber's Cave gorge outside Dehradun makes a good midway stop, a shallow stream wading through a narrow limestone passage. You reach Mussoorie by afternoon, with time for a first walk on Mall Road as the evening cools.

A street scene in a hill town with mountains rising behind the buildings.

Mussoorie

Mussoorie — Kempty Falls, Gun Hill and Camel's Back Road

A full day around the hill station. Kempty Falls in the morning, the developed waterfall fifteen kilometres out, best reached early before the day-tripper crowds. Back in town, the ropeway up to Gun Hill for the Doon valley and snow-peak panorama. Late afternoon is the level walk along Camel's Back Road, timed for the sunset over the valley, finishing back on Mall Road for dinner.

A winding mountain road threads through a serene valley at dusk.

Mussoorie → Nainital

Mussoorie to Nainital — Across the Kumaon Hills

A long transfer day, around seven hours, dropping back to the plains near Dehradun before climbing again into the Kumaon hills to Nainital. The road runs through Haldwani and Kathgodam, the rail-head town at the base of the climb. You reach Nainital by early evening, in time for a first walk along Mall Road beside the lake as the town's lights come on across the water.

Nainital

Nainital — the Lake and the Naina Devi Temple

A morning on Naini Lake itself, a rowed or pedal-boat outing past the Mall Road promenade to the far shore and back. The Naina Devi temple at the lake's northern end, rebuilt after the 1880 landslide that reshaped the town. The afternoon is free for the lakeside cafes, or a walk out to the quieter Sattal or Bhimtal lakes nearby if there is time.

Nainital

Nainital — Mall Road and the Snow View Ropeway

A morning ropeway ride up to Snow View, for a wide Himalayan panorama that takes in Nanda Devi and Trishul on a clear day, best done early before the haze rises. The rest of the morning is Mall Road, the bazaar of woollens, walking sticks and candle shops that lines the lake's eastern edge. The afternoon is unhurried, or given to Tiffin Top or Land's End for a quieter viewpoint away from the main ropeway crowds.

Morning mist drifts over a still, serene lake at dawn.

Nainital

Nainital — Departure

A free morning by the lake, for a last boat ride or a walk along Mall Road before the crowds build. Nainital's nearest railhead is Kathgodam, about thirty-five kilometres downhill, with onward road transfers to Delhi or Dehradun's airport for flights. It is a natural end point for a hills-and-lakes trip that does not continue on to Corbett.

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luxury · 7 Nights