On a chilly December morning, we had an early breakfast, got our bags ready and headed for a 2-day trip to Mussoorie. It was one of my friends’ birthday the next day and we had collectively decided to celebrate it in the midst of the mountains. We rented a car and headed to the Queen of the Hills, which is another name for Mussoorie.
- Itinerary: New Delhi→Dehradun→Mussoorie
- Distance covered: 274 kms
- No of days: 2
Day 1: New Delhi→Dehradun→Mussoorie
We boarded our cab at 8:00 am and set out on the journey. We’d packed our bags with warm woolens because Moussoorie being located at a height of 2005 mts can get quite cold during the winter months. Since we’d already had breakfast, we didn’t need to make an immediate stop anywhere. Given the morning hours, the traffic was minimal and we drove smoothly. The condition o the road along NH-58 isn’t that good and on top of that, a fog started to set it. The river slowed down and we covered the rest of the journey at turtle-pace.
We reached Roorkee at 12:30 pm. Normally, it would just have been a 3.30 hrs ride but the fog made it difficult to drive. We stopped there for a bit, had some snacks, stretched our legs and then headed towards Dehradun. The fog had almost cleared and the road condition was also getting better with every passing kilometer. We gained some pace. Roorkee to Delhradun is a distance of around 72 kms and it took us 1.30 hrs to cover. We were there 2:300 pm.
We had initially planned to head straight to Mussoorie and explore Dehradun on the way back but changed our minds and decided to first roam a bit around doon and then head to Mussoorie. This is one of the perks of travelling by a cab. There are no constraints on your itinerary and you can be as instinctive about your travel as you want to.
We were keen on clicking a lot of pictures and so decided to first towards Robber’s Cave. Also known as Guccipani, the Robber’s cave is bound by imposing hills and showcases nature at its best. A kilometer long trek brought us to a refreshing stream which elevated us of all our tiredness.
Next we visited a few temples and then made our last stop at Chetwoode Hall at the Indian Military Academy. Having heard a lot of tales about this place from my grandfather who was a cadet here, it was an exciting venture. We explored the charming little museum that houses a varied collection of old military artifacts. The glory that our armed forces bring to us and the country left us touched and ever so grateful.
It was around 6:00 pm in the evening that we finally headed towards Mussoorie.
Just 35 kms from Dehradun, the roads till Mussoorie were quite smooth and easy. We reached our resort that we had booked prior at 6:45 pm, settled down for a bit, rested and then went out for dinner at 8:00 pm. The resort was quite near the Mall road. We headed straight there in search of a decent place to eat. The Mall road was very crowded and after looking we found a nice little café. Then we went to an amazing bakery shop called the Casa Mia and had the most delicious chocolate fudge I have ever had.
After this, we left or our resort and soon crashed into our beds. Mussoorie had already won our hearts.
Day 2: Exploring Mussoorie and back to Delhi
We got up early morning because we did not want to waste a single second of our time in the beautiful place that Mussoorie was. After breakfast at the resort itself, we headed towards trek to Nag Tibba. It is the highest peak of Mussoorie and offers a mesmerizing view.
A haven for photo enthusiasts, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Himalayas from here and take back a million good photographs to hang on the living room wall. There are small eateries present along the trekking path as well. We had amazing maggi & pakoras along with chai, while sitting right on the edge of a cliff and staring at the beautiful mountains. Since we’d gone here quite early in the day, it was still deserted and provided a perfect place to enjoy some solitude.
Before doing or going anywhere else, we wanted to get a birthday cake for our friend. We went back to bakery shop on the Mall road, got an apple pie the size of a he cake and stuffed ourselves. Then we decided to head towards Kempty Falls, 15 kms fro Mussoorie towards the Yamunotri.
Even though the place was full of tourists, the waterfall was gigantic and we spent close to 45 minutes there.
For the rest of the day, we covered other places like Jaripani Falls, Company garden, Bhatta Falls and ended our stay in Mussoorie with yet another stroll around the Mall road.
It was 6:00 pm by now and it was time to head back to Delhi. We got ourselves some dinner packed for the way and boarded our cab with heavy hearts.
Travel Tips:
- Remember to carry woolens. Mussoorie winters can be very harsh.
- Do not park your vehicle on the Mall road.
- Prefer travel by a rented cab/your own vehicle because local cabs are quite expensive.
Also Read: Adventure Sports in Himachal Pradesh
