Mussoorie is a hill station and a municipal board in the
Dehradun District of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. The hill station
is in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan range. Located at about 35
kilometres from the state capital of Dehradun is untouched by commercialisation.
Mussoorie is at an average altitude of 1,880 metres (6,170
ft). To the northeast are the Himalayan snow ranges, and to the south, the Doon
Valley and Shiwalik ranges. The second highest point is the original Lal Tibba
in Landour, with a height of over 2,275 metres (7,464 ft). Mussoorie is popularly
known as The Queen of the Hills is famous for its scenic beauty, gay social
life and entertainment.
There are no steep
inclines and the more
adventurous can undertake enjoyable excursions to
various beauty spots in
the vicinity. Mussoorie affords glorious views of the
might Himalayan peaks. Kempty falls which are about 11 kms. From the town
attract hundreds of people every day.
The Bhatta falls are also famous for scenic beauty. Though the tourist here is smaller than that
of Kempty yet it is a picnic spot near to the town.
Yet another place of interest in the town is Depot Hill,
popularly known as 'Lal Tibba'. It is
the highest point in Mussoorie and beautiful Himalayan panorama is visible on
all clear days from this spot. The
Badrinath, Kedarnath, Bandar-poonch, Sri Kantha
and Nanda Devi peaks can be seen from here. Camel's back hill can be reached by electric
trolly. The top commands a very
beautiful view both of the hills as well as the valley. On clear days, one can see even the Ganga and
the Yamuna from here. Mussoorie is well
connected by roads with Dehra Dun, Delhi, Roorkee and Saharanpur. There are some good hotels, recreation clubs
and restaurants to cater to the needs of the tourist.
How to Reach Mussoorie?
By Bus
Buses leave from Dehradun train station. There are two buses
which go to opposite ends of the Mussoorie Mall, Library and Picture Palace. It
is quite a hike from one to the other, so make sure you catch the right one. To
reach Kempty Falls directly from Dehra Dun catch a bus from the Dehra Dun Railway
station Hill Bus Services Section or take a taxi. One should look for buses
heading for destinations like Barkot, Nainbagh, Yamunotri, and Purola. You can
also take a bus to the Library end of Mussoorie and walk to the Kempty Bus stop
and take a bus or taxi or a milkvan or even hitch a ride with a tourist going
in that direction!! Bus fee for Library end or Kulri end (from Dehradun) is
INR47. Toll Tax is payable on entering Kempty Village per bus/taxi/car/scooter.
By Taxi
It is possible to hire a taxi for the trip up to Mussoorie. Rs 50 extra for the night charges but one can
pay per seat as well in a shared taxi which normally accommodates up to five
passengers.Shared or chartered taxis too are available near the same Hill Section
Bus terminal and the rates are controlled by the taxi union. These rates are
generally displayed on a board outside their office.
Mussoorie is just 38 kms from Dehradun and one can reach
here by taxis and buses. It takes approximately one and a half hour and Rs 47
for the regular buses to reach Mussoorie. From the Dehradun railway station,
taxis charge around Rs 1000. Shared taxis charging a little over Rs 300 per
person are also available.
You can also get in to Mussoorie from Delhi by hiring a taxi
for up and down journey. It takes approximately 288 k.m. or 6 hrs to reach
Mussoorie from Delhi. The roads are too good uptill Muzzarfa Nagar, U.P. Then
for about an hr or so the roads are completely pathetic as the roads are being
upgraded to 4 way lanes, so expect lot of dust while driving in this stretch.
Once you reach Dehradun the roads become better.
By Plane
It is possible to come to Mussoorie by plane. The nearest
airport is Dehradun Airport or also known as the Jolly Grant Airport. There are
flights from all the major cities in India to Dehradun with a stopover in
Delhi. Only if you are travelling from Delhi it is direct flight but if you are
coming in from other cities there is a stopover in Delhi. All major airlines
like Jet Airways, Spicejet, JetKonnect, AirIndia have daily flights to
Dehradun. Mussoorie is just 30kms away from the Dehradun
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