Uttarakhand is popularly known as Devbhoomi or Land of the Gods. And perhaps one of the most frequently visited circuit in Uttarakhand (especially Garhwal region) is Haridwar -Rishikesh-Dehradun-Mussoorie. The easy accessibility of Haridwar and Dehradun from Delhi, make it an easy weekend getaway.
However, even after living in Delhi for more than a decade, I planned this trip from Bangalore. And it was a memorable experience, which I would love to remember forever, and also share with those who are planning this trip.
The Itinerary
We took a direct indigo flight from Bangalore to Dehradun. Our stay was in Rishikesh and luckily the Dehradun airport is closer to Rishikesh than Dehradun.
Our stay was in H7 Stay on the Ganges. The location is superb in terms of natural beauty. However, the last 100 m of the road to the resort is non existent, and after dark, it is a bit difficult to reach.
Our plan was to visit Triveni Ghat for Arti on our first day. But the arti takes place around 6.25 in the end of March. And we reached around 6. So we dropped the idea and just strolled around the Lakshman Jhula area, had dinner at Rawat restaurant, sat on Sai Ghat near our hotel(very calm and serene with less crowd), had maggi at a tiny stall near the ghat and came back.
On our second day, we made a day trip to Haridwar. Our first stop was at Har ki Pauri for a holy dip in the Ganges. There are changing rooms along the river for the ease of pilgrims. There is a 10 min walk from where the taxi left us till the ghat. Rickshaws were charging Rs. 100 to drop us there but the walk is short.
After the dip, we went for lunch. We were recommended Mohan Halwai for kachoris but we didn't try because we wanted a light lunch. We went to Mansa Devi ropeway but the queue for the ropeway was more than 3 hours long. If you are planning to visit Chandi Devi and Mansa Devi, plan your trip early morning when the heat is less and so is the crowd. Around 5.30 we took our seats for Ganga Arti. The Arti took place around 6.30 but at 5.30, the ghat was full and we got a place quite far away from the actual spectacle.
We left the ghat a little before the crowd started coming out because frankly, such a huge crowd was a little scary, especially with a toddler and an elderly person.
But the view of Har Ki Pauri at night is mesmerizing and it's a must visit!
Finally we called it a day and took an auto(big one) back to Rishikesh for Rs. 800.
Our third day started early with a 6 am safari from the Chila gate of Rajaji National park. We didn't really find too many animals except 3 varieties of deer(Sambhar, spotted and barking). However the chase for tigers and elephants and the early morning view of the forest was amazing!!
After the safari, we went back to the hotel to relax and enjoy this view.
We went out to explore Rishikesh in the afternoon, and our first stop was Ram Jhula which we crossed on foot. An auto to Ram Jhula takes Rs. 20 per person or Rs. 200 if you book the whole thing.
On the other side of Ram Jhula, we visited Swarg Ashram, Geeta Bhawan, the statue of Lord Shiva facing the ghat, and Parmarth Niketan Ashram. A little further(800m) on the same route would have taken us to Beatles Ashram, but we were tired, and with a toddler in tow we didn't really feel like visiting.
So we went back across the Ram Jhula, took a foot massage at Chakra and then went to chill at Beatles Cafe near Lakshman Jhula. The cafe has beautiful views and their burger and drinks were very good.
Finally, after sunset we called it a day and trudged back to our hotel, tired but happy.
Our next 2 nights were booked in Mall Palace Mussoorie. But before we left, we spent some time at the white sand beach just below our hotel. The water was ice cold, but the view was stunning!
It took us around 3 hours to reach Mussoorie. We were dropped at Picture Palace because Library Chowk was closed. From there we hired a porter to drop us till Mall Palace.
We were planning to go to Gun Hill via ropeway, but it started raining cats and dogs. I've been to Gun Hill before with friends, when we dressed in traditional pahadi outfits for photos, looked through the telescope at the view and bought souvenirs.
In the evening we had devil's momo at Kalsang which is their most famous dish.
Finally after a walk on mall road we called it a day.
We woke up to a gloomy rainy morning and the rain continued through the day. So we could not visit anywhere in Mussoorie. Otherwise the plan was to visit Kempty falls in the morning, and then leave for Landour. On my last visit to Mussoorie, we spent a long time in Company Garden(quite beautiful) so I didn't want to visit there again. But we ended up going to just one more cafe-tea totaler. I have become an ardent fan of their hot chocolate. Their pizza is also superb!!
We were disappointed to leave Mussoorie without exploring. Our flight was in the evening so we decided to explore Robber's cave in Dehradun. It is a unique place, where water flows through a gap between rocks, and it gives a feel of river caving and crossing.
Next we visited Sahastradhara, which is famous for its Sulphur spring and multi-tiered waterfall. It was located in a serene place. On my last visit here, we had visited FRI which I'd highly recommend if you are spending time in Dehradun.
Finally we had lunch at a dhaba near the airport, and then boarded our evening flight back to Bangalore.
The trip came to an end but the memories will last forever because it was such an eventful trip, with a huge variety in landscape, attractions and food.